Well the red-green colorblind earnest Christians manage to stay calm. At least this one does.
I was prepared to read deMonfort by my time among the P/protestants. Surrounded by people telling me that "prayer works", which, on its face, is a superstitious, magical, idolatrous, blasphemous, and/or works-righteousness-ish notion of prayer, I learned to look past the unfortunate turns of phrase to the often lovely enthusiasm which lay behind it.
So it is with deMonfort. When I read him, my first reaction is that he sets my teeth on edge. But then I try again with good will and I find him fun and encouraging. I would not call him a deep thinker. I've already offered the analogy of high school cheer leader. No football player of any sense really believes "If HE can't do it, no one can!" But it's fun to hear.
I think there's a difference . . . a significant difference, MD . . .
1. Prayer is specifically commanded in Scripture.
2. The focus of prayer in Scripture is explicitly specified in no uncertain terms.
3. There's clear indications that BIBLICAL PRAYER is NOT a vending machine exercise with a robotic God.
4. We are to pray always. God chooses His own answers in His own time in His own way. It's not a 'Jump through this prayer hoop in this fashion and out comes this machine vended result' regardless of how many Pentecostals may sometimes think and act that way.
5. Prayer is Biblically construed to be a conversation with God vs a vending machine ritual. There's not a 'tit-for-tat' element to it but a coming to Daddy with one's needs and trusting Daddy to do the right loving thing about them.
6. Biblically, there's NO, 'if I do this hoop jumping exercise in this way then God has to answer these specifics through Mary. There's nothing even remotely close to that.
7. There's not a shred of the magic talisman Mary Caricature stuff in ANY Biblical mentions of prayer.
You do remember his motto don't you?