View Full Version : Why do we pray for earthly things?
I am perhaps more cynical than a Christian ought to be about most things. To the extent that I give offense by what I am about to say, I ask your forgiveness, sinner that I am.
I have been listening to weekly podcasts by a noted Orthodox speaker on matters of theology. This individual, in her podcast of two weeks ago, solicited the prayers of her listeners for the health of a loved one, who has fallen ill. Last week, she informed listeners that the loved one had been released from the hospital, and attributed their recovery to the prayers of her listeners.
Herein lies my cynicism: If her loved one had not recovered, but remained bedridden in the hospital, would that mean her listeners' prayers were insufficient? Do we not imagine that other faithful Christians pray for deliverance from such evils with equal urgency, and are not so delivered? Does that mean that their prayers were not as genuine as those of this speaker's listeners.
In my heart of hearts, I do not believe so. I believe that God has a care for our souls, but I do not have the same confidence that prayers for bodily health and other earthly matters are effectual. When I pray, I pray that God will deliver me and others from principalities and powers that would corrupt my soul. I cannot bring myself to pray for any particular event to take place on earth.
Lord, help thou my unbelief.
Herein lies my cynicism: If her loved one had not recovered, but remained bedridden in the hospital, would that mean her listeners' prayers were insufficient? Do we not imagine that other faithful Christians pray for deliverance from such evils with equal urgency, and are not so delivered? Does that mean that their prayers were not as genuine as those of this speaker's listeners.
Lord, help thou my unbelief.
Hi Evan.
You are not alone in your 'cynicism' and unbelief. Perhaps it's natural to think that only a positive response to our prayers indicates that God has heard our prayers. I certainly feel this way. I'm always afraid when I pray for something specific, like someone's healing, that God would choose not to heal. And if He chooses not to, I'm afraid it will totally destroy my weak faith, or the faith of my children. And yet, I always encourage them to pray when they have a problem. I feel like a hypocrite, because I tell them to pray, and secretly, I'm afraid that God won't hear them in the way they want to be heard, and they'll hate God forever.
I am not good at handling 'unanswered' prayers. But a while back, I was reading in Psalm 46. Such beautiful, vivid pictures - In the midst of all the destruction and turmoil, the entire world falling apart, God says: "Be still and know that I am God". It made me step back and take a look at the entire world and all the people in it.
We all live in an imperfect world. No one's life is perfect. The world itself is imperfect. Every life has something broken in it, that causes pain. So it is unreal to expect that our lives will become perfect (in the way we define 'perfect') - just because we pray for it. God has to watch out for the interests of everyone in the world, not just us. So, there will be some prayers that He answers in the way we want Him to, because it benefits everyone, and some He will not answer in the way we want Him to, so that it benefits everyone. We'll never know all the details. But, I think, our lives are far more inter-connected that we can imagine.
So, for the pain and sorrow that doesn't get healed, He will provide us with strength to bear it. He will give us whatever it is that we need in order to be still, so that, even if our entire world and life is falling apart, we'll still know that He is God, and we'll be ok. So, basically, when we pray, what we're truly praying for is for God's will to be done in any situation, whether it is complete healing here on earth, or the strength to bear the pain and suffering, if it cannot be taken from us.
Now all I have to do, is remember the things I learn, whenever I meet trouble. I tend to forget... especially when things start to hurt, then all I can think about is escaping from the pain, and not God's will, or what's best for everyone.
in Christ,
Mary.
Mary,
Am I correct, then, in asserting that God could have been said to have answered this individual's prayers if her loved one had remained bedridden-- just not in the way she desired? I find that most people hesitate to attribute such consequences to God. And yet if it is true that His ways are not our own, who are we to say that He does not answer us when He allows such things to happen, just because we didn't want those things to happen?
Perhaps what I am resisting here is the tendency of people to say that God answers our prayers when He allows good things to happen, despite the fact that good Christians are slaughtered by the enemies of the church and debilitating diseases and various other tragedies befall them, in the face of their prayers. I find it extremely hard not to be cynical when people say, thanks be to God, I survived cancer, the bullet missed me, etc.-- when others die of cancer and are hit by bullets, you don't hear that nearly so often.
Thus, I find it difficult to pray for the health of the body, as opposed to the soul.
I will take your words to heart. Bless you.
In Christ,
Evan
Ben Johnson
09-08-2009, 07:46 PM
The LORD does not guarantee deliverance in this life. Nor does He guarantee quick healing. In Phillippians 3:25-30, Paul writes of a fellow worker named Epaphroditus, who was "sick to the point of death." The way the text reads, I think it was for some time. It appears Paul was not able to use "healing powers" to just say, "Be healed!" and have the person instantly healed. In this case he was healed. If he was not, Paul would have kept going. In II Corinthians 12, Paul speaks of "a man," who was probably Paul, who was given a "thorn in the flesh." Paul prayed 3 times for it to be taken away, but the LORD's answer was, "My grace is sufficient for you." Even though the LORD does not always answer prayer the way we want it, He does say, "Pray without ceasing."
Ben
Julia Hayes
09-08-2009, 08:55 PM
God always answers prayers. His answers are: Yes, No and wait.
God always answers prayers. His answers are: Yes, No and wait.
If so, why not simply pray for the accomplishment of His will on earth?
Mary,
Am I correct, then, in asserting that God could have been said to have answered this individual's prayers if her loved one had remained bedridden-- just not in the way she desired?
Definitely! At least, that's how I feel, judging from my own experiences. Through some of the most painful situations in my life, God has brought about the most good. I still have trouble fully accepting the painful things in my life... because I am weak, and it hurts. So there are days that I feel sorry for myself, and weep out of self-pity, even though I'm fully aware of the good that I have received through the pain - the good things being, things that I have truly longed for.
For a while, I felt guilty, that I would be so ungrateful for the good things, just because I wasn't fully pleased with the bad things. I thought, maybe that I had to accept the bad things as good, because good had come out of them. Then, (forgive me, I dont' remember how I came to these conclusions), I wondered what would happen if I accepted the bad things, as bad things, instead of trying to pretend they are good.
That was much easier. Sort of like - if I had a physical handicap, and had no use of my legs, it would be stupid to pretend they were whole and insist on standing up and doing the same things that people with two healthy legs can do. I have to accept that there are parts of me that are broken. They may never heal, but that doesn't mean I can't live a full life. I am constantly challenged by people who overcome their physical disabilities, and conquer the challenges place before them, and sometimes accomplish far more than a person who is fully healthy. But they do that by accepting reality, and then finding ways to overcome the difficulties.
When Lazurus died, Christ wept. He didn't have to, especially, since He knew he was going to raise him from the dead anyway. So, I think it's ok to weep when we hurt. There's no need to pretend that it doesn't hurt.
I find that most people hesitate to attribute such consequences to God. And yet if it is true that His ways are not our own, who are we to say that He does not answer us when He allows such things to happen, just because we didn't want those things to happen? This sounds right to me. We'll never know how God answers us. There's just so much we do not know. Personally, I think He begins to answer our prayers long before we become aware of our own problems. Ever wonder, when someone is there for you, at the right place, at the right time, with the right word, or with the exact thing you needed at that moment? It took years of preparing that person, to be there for you, in that moment of time.
I find it extremely hard not to be cynical when people say, thanks be to God, I survived cancer, the bullet missed me, etc.-- when others die of cancer and are hit by bullets, you don't hear that nearly so often.
That's because our hearts are true. We cannot say something bad is good. =) For instance, since my Dad passed away, my mom has grown in amazing ways. She has a strength she didn't have before. She relies on God, like she never did before. And yet... would it be right to say that it's good that my dad passed away? No. It's never good when things are bad. =)
Thus, I find it difficult to pray for the health of the body, as opposed to the soul.
It's good to pray for the health of the body. What good is a soul without a body? The healthier a body is, the more helpful it is to others who might need help. Otherwise, you'll become dependent on the strong bodies of others, to help you. God created the body, and it is good. If the body wasn't so important, the resurrected Christ, wouldn't have had one, but He does.
in Christ,
mary
Mary and others,
Once again, thank you for your insight. I have long been impressed by your piety, as displayed in your forum comments, and I am glad that you have responded.
Much food for thought has been offered me, and I can only digest so much at a time. Let me say, for now, that I am far-- perhaps too far-- from saying that the health of the body is not important. I have chosen a career path that demands excellent physical fitness.
What I am most concerned about, and sought to express here, was my personal difficulty, no doubt brought about by the Evil One, who seeks to lead us to hardness of heart and unbelief, with the notion of praying for something particular in the corporeal world, e.g. deliverance from disease or bad weather or war or terrorist attacks. I see people who pray for such things, and get precisely the opposite. Thus, when someone says to me, thanks be to God I was delivered from something, something demonic rises up in me and I think in my heart, who are you to be delivered by God where others have not been so delivered? Because of such thoughts, I find it difficult to pray for anything in the world but the grace to repent truly of my sins and to resist the attacks of Satan. And of course, for others to do the same. Lord forgive me-- sometimes I wonder if that's the only kind of prayer that I can't "see" that God doesn't hear.
In so doing, I fear I have fallen into the trap of the Deists, for whom inexplicable suffering was taken to illustrate God's indifference to the world's goings-on. I am grateful for the solicitude of those on this forum in the course of my struggles. The assertion that God answers all of our prayers, not according to our perceived needs, but our true needs, is tremendously helpful. It is not that God does not hear us, but hears us on a level that escapes our meager hearts and minds.
In Christ,
Evan
Margaret S.
09-08-2009, 10:09 PM
Love reduces objectivity perhaps? Someone I love dearly is ill and I am praying fervently for his recovery, his whole and complete recovery, but when I had cancer I only prayed that God's will would be done and that He would give me strength to endure whatever had to be endured in a way that would glorify Him. I suspect, no I know, that at the same time my friends were praying for my whole and complete recovery. I am grateful for my friends' prayers. I do attribute my recovery to them but at the same time were I now in the hospice I would believe my own prayers had been answered, i.e., Thy will be done. I know it's horribly un-objective but sometimes, perhaps, the answer to prayer lies in the perspective one sees it from.
Regards
Margaret
in Edinburgh
Andreas Moran
09-08-2009, 11:38 PM
Our prayers for the sick must be like Christ's prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane; we may pray for the cup of suffering to be avoided but what matters is readiness to accept God's will. It is God's will that all be saved. This does not mean the saving of the body from infirmity and death but for the saving of the soul of the person for whom we pray. There are miracles of recovery but the greatest miracle, and the one that matters, is the miracle of salvation. We should pray above all that the sick person for whom we pray is able to attract that grace which enables them to accept God's will and the inestimable benefit of the peace this brings to the soul. The body will be raised whether it was whole or sick in life but the soul will only be raised to life in Christ's kingdom if it was healthy. It is thus for the health of a person's soul that we should pray.
Nicolaj
10-08-2009, 01:19 PM
Saint Paul already learned us that we can see clear and do not know what to ask for, BUT he reminds us to pray on and on.
The prayer brought by a sinner like me, is in the eyes of the worldly people worthless, but God is pleased by our stumbling words.
He grants us for that the help and care of our archangel, and gives us our DAILY bread.
So it is not wrong to ask for something in prayer, Jesus told us already to do so. We don't know what is proper to ask for, but our Father knows what is the right to give!
Christos voskrese, Nicolaj
Our prayers for the sick must be like Christ's prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane; we may pray for the cup of suffering to be avoided but what matters is readiness to accept God's will. It is God's will that all be saved. This does not mean the saving of the body from infirmity and death but for the saving of the soul of the person for whom we pray. There are miracles of recovery but the greatest miracle, and the one that matters, is the miracle of salvation. We should pray above all that the sick person for whom we pray is able to attract that grace which enables them to accept God's will and the inestimable benefit of the peace this brings to the soul. The body will be raised whether it was whole or sick in life but the soul will only be raised to life in Christ's kingdom if it was healthy. It is thus for the health of a person's soul that we should pray.
Of course, I believe this like a child. But I fear that my inability to pray for earthly deliverance at all reflects a hardness of heart.
Of course, I believe this like a child. But I fear that my inability to pray for earthly deliverance at all reflects a hardness of heart.
Evan, do not worry about whether your heart is hard or not. I think most hearts are hard in some area or another, and sensitive in others. That's another reason we all need each other. =) There are some things that I don't like to pray about either. I just ask God to forgive me for not caring and go on to stuff that I do care about. I can't force myself to care, nor can I pretend before Him, that I do. So, pray about the things that do weigh upon your heart. I too, spend more time praying for spiritual deliverance, than physical. But sometimes, especially when the kids get sick, then I seem to pray more for physical deliverance than spiritual, because I'm a wimp and I'm afraid of pain. =)
I see people who pray for such things, and get precisely the opposite. Thus, when someone says to me, thanks be to God I was delivered from something, something demonic rises up in me and I think in my heart, who are you to be delivered by God where others have not been so delivered?
Most of the time, people don't know what they're talking about. Another good reason for not talking too much! =) A friend of ours died in a plane crash. He was dearly loved by everyone who knew him, and people called him 'the foreign angel' because of his kindness, his gentle manners, his willingness to always lend a helping hand, how he never looked down on anyone, etc, etc, etc. Not everyone died in that plane crash. Some were saved. There was one poor misguided lady, who was rescued, who was so thrilled that she was alive, that she assumed that the reason God had saved her was because she deserved to live. And she went around sharing her story, telling everyone that God had found her worthy of life. The first thought that came to my mind was: "Maybe, He saved you, to give you another chance to repent?"
Some of us deserve to be saved more than others, but in the physical world, that doesn't seem to count. Good people suffer as much as bad people do, and bad people sometimes get away with much more than good people do. Maybe we can just be thankful every time God does deliver someone, instead of trying to figure out why one is saved and another is not.
After all, those who are saved are also human and those who aren't, are also human, and I may be taking this too far... but aren't we all related as human beings? Isn't everyone our brother and sister? God loves us all the same.
in Christ,
Mary.
Seda S.
10-08-2009, 04:21 PM
If so, why not simply pray for the accomplishment of His will on earth?
St Mark the Ascetic says:
"It is good to hold fast to the principal commandment, and not to be anxious about particular things or to pray for them specifically, but to seek only the kingdom and the word of God (cf Matt 6:25-33). If, however, we are still anxious about our particular needs, we should also pray for each of them. He who does or plans anything without prayer will not succeed in the end. And this is what the Lord meant when He said; 'Without Me you can do nothing' (John 15:5)."
(On those who think that they are made righteous by works, 166)
So, as far as I can understand, this depends on the strength or the lack of our faith. If we know our faith is not strong enough to ask only the Lord's will and do not be anxious any more about anything, then it's better to pray for everything we care about.
Kusanagi
10-08-2009, 09:06 PM
But i think people shouldnt think that if so and so prays and such a person doesnt recover, get what they prayed for etc doesnt mean there was something wrong with their prayers it just means it is not time for God in his infinite wisdom to allow it.
Dear friends,
Thank you for your solicitude. Reading through your comments, and reflecting upon the subject at hand, St. John Chrysostom's homily on Romans 9:20 came to mind, in which he addresses St. Paul's analogy of the fashioned pot:
There is nothing else then which he here wishes to do, save to persuade the hearer to yield entirely to God (http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/06608a.htm), and at no time to call Him to account for anything whatever. For as the potter (he says) of the same lump makes what he pleases, and no one forbids it; thus also when God (http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/06608a.htm), of the same race of men (http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/09580c.htm), punishes some, and honors (http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/07462a.htm) others, be not thou curious nor meddlesome herein, but worship only, and imitate the clay. And as it follows the hands of the potter, so do thou also the mind of Him that so orders things. For He works nothing at random, or mere hazard, though thou be ignorant (http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/07648a.htm) of the secret of His Wisdom. Yet you allow the other of the same lump to make various things, and findest no fault: but of Him you demand an account of His punishments and honors (http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/07462a.htm), and will not allow Him to know (http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/08673a.htm) who is worthy and who is not so; but since the same lump is of the same substance, you assert that there are the same dispositions. And, how monstrous this is! And yet not even is it on the potter that the honor (http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/07462a.htm) and the dishonor of the things made of the lump depends, but upon the use made by those that handle them, so here also it depends on the free choice. Still, as I said before, one must take this illustration to have one bearing only, which is that one should not contravene God (http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/06608a.htm), but yield to His incomprehensible Wisdom.
Sometimes, I think this is the only thing worth praying for: the ability to humble myself such that I can yield as easily as clay to God's will, to, as it were, actively submit to Him. To choose to obey unthinkingly, unhesitatingly, the dictates of Our Lord, while questioning worldly things.
Andreas Moran
11-08-2009, 12:47 PM
[QUOTE=Evan;81815
Sometimes, I think this is the only thing worth praying for: the ability to humble myself such that I can yield as easily as clay to God's will, to, as it were, actively submit to Him. To choose to obey unthinkingly, unhesitatingly, the dictates of Our Lord, while questioning worldly things.[/QUOTE]
This links with the thread, 'Blessed are the poor in spirit'.
But i think people shouldnt think that if so and so prays and such a person doesnt recover, get what they prayed for etc doesnt mean there was something wrong with their prayers it just means it is not time for God in his infinite wisdom to allow it.
Yes. When my mother departed because of cancer, her spiritual father said that God prepared, cleaned and purified her and made her ready for Heaven. So I guess all the prayers we have offered to God for my mother's healing were not in vain, or went unanswered, because if she will be worthy of Heaven then there is no illness and suffering. Also the blessing of being in the presence of God in Heaven is incomparable to being healthy on earth. Like Julia also mentioned previously a 'No' is also answer from God since in His infinite Wisdom He knows what is best for the salvation of our souls. How many times I have prayed and God said 'no' I also got sad but so often God showed to me after years that what I was praying for would not have been good for my soul. So now more often I try to remember to pray that 'God's Will be done'.
Andreas Moran
12-08-2009, 10:51 AM
Nina is right, of course. I'm sure that when I say, 'Thy will be done', I don't really mean it and that somewhere I'm wishing that God's will coincides with mine!
Nina is right, of course. I'm sure that when I say, 'Thy will be done', I don't really mean it and that somewhere I'm wishing that God's will coincides with mine!
Ideally, I suppose, the more we repeat these words, and the more we reflect upon them, rather than simply reciting them, the harder it is for us to escape their plain import, and come to terms with it. Of course, all of this is much "easier" in the abstract...
Receiving many 'no's as answer to prayers teaches one to feel so helpless and rely more on the prayer "Thy Will be done". This does not mean I do not pray with specific requests to God any more, however more often than not when there is a need for something I feel like I do not know what to ask for and I just tell God that He knows best and help us.
Also keeping in mind that His Will expresses His Infinite Wisdom, is a comfort when an answer is 'no' or 'wait' when there is something we want very much to happen. Of course as humans we experience temptations during times of "unanswered prayers", but remembering that He arranges things for the best of our souls, is very comforting and gives hope during trying times.
Receiving many 'no's as answer to prayers teaches one to feel so helpless and rely more on the prayer "Thy Will be done". This does not mean I do not pray with specific requests to God any more, however more often than not when there is a need for something I feel like I do not know what to ask for and I just tell God that He knows best and help us.
Also keeping in mind that His Will expresses His Infinite Wisdom, is a comfort when an answer is 'no' or 'wait' when there is something we want very much to happen. Of course as humans we experience temptations during times of "unanswered prayers", but remembering that He arranges things for the best of our souls, is very comforting and gives hope during trying times.
There is a beautiful prayer by Metropolitan Philaret of Moscow which begins:
Lord, I know not what to ask of thee
Thou alone knowest my true needs
Thou lovest me more than I myself know how to love
Help me to see my real needs which are concealed from me
I dare not ask for a cross or a consolation
I can only wait on thee
There is a beautiful prayer by Metropolitan Philaret of Moscow which begins:
Lord, I know not what to ask of thee
Thou alone knowest my true needs
Thou lovest me more than I myself know how to love
Help me to see my real needs which are concealed from me
I dare not ask for a cross or a consolation
I can only wait on thee
I adore this prayer and yes it perfectly describes how many of us often feel.
Father David Moser
15-08-2009, 06:47 PM
Consider that in a sense prayer is talking with God (more accurately communion - however, "talking with" is a simplified form of communion). So when I have something I need help in addressing/fixing, I call the expert/repairman and discuss it with him. I tell him everything that is happening around this problem and then might even offer a suggestion about how I want it to turn out and if I have some experience, I might even share my experience with such things in the past. Then I relinquish control to the expert/repairman and ask him to take care of it. Same thing with God and prayer. I tell God about my situation, my needs, my desires, my hopes and dreams, what I want, what I think would be best, what I would do if I could, etc - and then I let go of it and say simply "Lord have mercy" and put it all in His hands. It is in this manner that I pray for "earthly things". I tell God what I want, need, hope for and fill in all the details (ie. pour out my heart to Him) - that is I ask for "earthly things" - and then I put it all in His hands, trusting him to work it all out as He knows to be best for my salvation.
Fr David Moser
L. Allen
15-08-2009, 07:58 PM
The LORD does not guarantee deliverance in this life. Nor does He guarantee quick healing. In Phillippians 3:25-30, Paul writes of a fellow worker named Epaphroditus, who was "sick to the point of death." The way the text reads, I think it was for some time. It appears Paul was not able to use "healing powers" to just say, "Be healed!" and have the person instantly healed. In this case he was healed. If he was not, Paul would have kept going. In II Corinthians 12, Paul speaks of "a man," who was probably Paul, who was given a "thorn in the flesh." Paul prayed 3 times for it to be taken away, but the LORD's answer was, "My grace is sufficient for you." Even though the LORD does not always answer prayer the way we want it, He does say, "Pray without ceasing."
Ben
Thanks Ben for reminding me of these quotations, they have helped me very much in my thinking.
L. Allen
15-08-2009, 07:59 PM
Consider that in a sense prayer is talking with God (more accurately communion - however, "talking with" is a simplified form of communion). So when I have something I need help in addressing/fixing, I call the expert/repairman and discuss it with him. I tell him everything that is happening around this problem and then might even offer a suggestion about how I want it to turn out and if I have some experience, I might even share my experience with such things in the past. Then I relinquish control to the expert/repairman and ask him to take care of it. Same thing with God and prayer. I tell God about my situation, my needs, my desires, my hopes and dreams, what I want, what I think would be best, what I would do if I could, etc - and then I let go of it and say simply "Lord have mercy" and put it all in His hands. It is in this manner that I pray for "earthly things". I tell God what I want, need, hope for and fill in all the details (ie. pour out my heart to Him) - that is I ask for "earthly things" - and then I put it all in His hands, trusting him to work it all out as He knows to be best for my salvation.
Fr David Moser
That is a beautiful and practical way of putting it. I really liked reading this post!
Thanks, Father.
Consider that in a sense prayer is talking with God (more accurately communion - however, "talking with" is a simplified form of communion). So when I have something I need help in addressing/fixing, I call the expert/repairman and discuss it with him. I tell him everything that is happening around this problem and then might even offer a suggestion about how I want it to turn out and if I have some experience, I might even share my experience with such things in the past. Then I relinquish control to the expert/repairman and ask him to take care of it. Same thing with God and prayer. I tell God about my situation, my needs, my desires, my hopes and dreams, what I want, what I think would be best, what I would do if I could, etc - and then I let go of it and say simply "Lord have mercy" and put it all in His hands. It is in this manner that I pray for "earthly things". I tell God what I want, need, hope for and fill in all the details (ie. pour out my heart to Him) - that is I ask for "earthly things" - and then I put it all in His hands, trusting him to work it all out as He knows to be best for my salvation.
Fr David Moser
Would that I knew myself well enough to offer a helpful suggestion!
Perhaps part of my problem is that I think from time to time it is "beneath Him" to assist me in such things, when my worldly cares have been so completely attended to. So, I simply ask for the grace to receive what I have been given in obedience to His holy will. Who am I, I ask myself, to seek more, when so many have so much less?
Please don't think I'm beating my breast about my sympathy for mankind. I'm just being honest-- these are thoughts that cross my mind.
Father David Moser
15-08-2009, 08:27 PM
So, I simply ask for the grace to receive what I have been given in obedience to His holy will. Who am I, I ask myself, to seek more, when so many have so much less?
The best prayer for this approach, imo, is the prayer of the Optina Elders:
A Prayer of the Optina Elders
O Lord, grant me strength to meet with serenity everything forthcoming today. Grant me to submit completely to Thy holy will. At every hour of this day guide and support me in all things. Whatsoever news may reach me in the course of this day, teach me to accept it with calmness and the conviction that all is subject to Thy holy will.
In all my words and actions direct my thoughts and feelings. In all unexpected occurances, do not let me forget that all is sent down by Thee. Teach me to deal straightforwardly and wisely with every member of my family, neither embarassing nor saddening anyone.
O Lord, grant me strength to endure the fatigue of the coming day and all the events that take place during it. Direct my will and teach me to pray, to believe, to hope, to be patient, to forgive and to love. Amen
Fr David
Thank you for this prayer, Father. I will incorporate it into my morning rule.
In Christ,
Evan
Consider that in a sense prayer is talking with God (more accurately communion - however, "talking with" is a simplified form of communion). So when I have something I need help in addressing/fixing, I call the expert/repairman and discuss it with him. I tell him everything that is happening around this problem and then might even offer a suggestion about how I want it to turn out and if I have some experience, I might even share my experience with such things in the past. Then I relinquish control to the expert/repairman and ask him to take care of it. Same thing with God and prayer. I tell God about my situation, my needs, my desires, my hopes and dreams, what I want, what I think would be best, what I would do if I could, etc - and then I let go of it and say simply "Lord have mercy" and put it all in His hands. It is in this manner that I pray for "earthly things". I tell God what I want, need, hope for and fill in all the details (ie. pour out my heart to Him) - that is I ask for "earthly things" - and then I put it all in His hands, trusting him to work it all out as He knows to be best for my salvation.
Fr David Moser
This reminded me so much of the movie 'Fiddler on the roof' and another movie named 'Ha-Ushpizin'. The main characters in these movies really talk to God, as Father David describes; and always I have been awed by the closeness these people feel and how simple they make their prayer by discussing their daily problems with God. So I am very thankful for this post also, which repeats again that God is our Father and we must run to Him for everything.
R. Greene
12-01-2011, 12:01 AM
Receiving many 'no's as answer to prayers teaches one to feel so helpless and rely more on the prayer "Thy Will be done". This does not mean I do not pray with specific requests to God any more, however more often than not when there is a need for something I feel like I do not know what to ask for and I just tell God that He knows best and help us.
Also keeping in mind that His Will expresses His Infinite Wisdom, is a comfort when an answer is 'no' or 'wait' when there is something we want very much to happen. Of course as humans we experience temptations during times of "unanswered prayers", but remembering that He arranges things for the best of our souls, is very comforting and gives hope during trying times.
I do know about the feeling very helpless, but not so much the prayer that his will be done becoming the only prayer to cross my lips. When I pray for the specific need of my disabled daughter who is suffering needlessly, or for my children to have food for the week, those are not prayers of selfishness or my personal desires being amplified. Those are prayers for other people, small children in true need. When those prayers are constantly unanswered, like only having a few $ to feed 9 people for a month or literally inventing dinner with no real ingredients, it does create a feeling of total helplessness and abandonment. It is not best for my soul to wrap my physical body around my seizing daughter's to hold her down from hurting herself.
It is unreasonable to me, though perhaps I am simple minded, that without our physical body here on this plane we can do little to nothing for the kingdom. It takes real hands, real dollars, real sweat and blood to build a mission parish in a foreign country, or dig a well for those that dont' have clean water to drink. The tendency of those seeking spiritual greatness to think this body is so dirty and useless and we need to be rid of it to attain true theosis. But is Christ's flesh that was crucified and physical blood that was shed, it is both the divine and the flesh of Him that came here and performed miracles and beauty. I can't care for my disabled daughter or her siblings in my spirit form only, so when I pray for the food to feed them or the money for gas to get to Liturgy, is this too physical a need? Ultimately, when your Father consistently ignores your pleas for your own children, the heart is made weary and downtrodden. In our case, even our priest has no idea what on earth to do.
Earthly ''deliverance'' is not to be slighted entirely, God certainly took the time to employ it for Israel on enough occasions. Without deliverance some folks are rended completely broken and useless, for we can do nothing in this life apart from God's grace and mercy.
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