It's an act of charity and shows love of neighbor. Is it "more virtuous"? I don't know.
I see.
I prayed really hard for a couple and it didn't work out for them. I'm slightly angry. It's impossible for me to not be.
Dear
shockedcanadian
It is a very important step in spiritual growth and understanding
to encounter the experience you describe. How else can we understand
what it means to be "unconditional" if we still attach conditions and expectations on prayer.
We need to learn the difference in order to grow spiritually, so everyone I know
has to go through this learning curve, and running into problems that don't get solved.
In math and science, for comparison, if we always got the right answers instantly each time,
if we never failed, we wouldn't learn what to do when things don't work out.
I recommend the book HEALING by Francis MacNutt (edition 1999 or later)
that explains the difference between prayers that don't work because a step was skipped,
which can be remedied so it works out afterwards, vs. situations that aren't something we can change.
If we learn the difference, we don't lose faith.
About being angry, again, there is a difference between natural response which is part of the process,
vs. chronic or prolonged anger which means something hasn't been forgiven. If you can identify, forgive
and resolve that issue, then it will help the prayer process because you'll be able to focus better on
receiving God's will and trusting that to bring healing and resolution in whatever format or order it takes.
We don't dictate the outcome, but trust in God's greater purpose and will to be received.
We are praying for correction and healing by God's powers which we do not control or dictate.
We merely pray to remove any obstructions to that, so that we may receive more fully.
We can't control the timing, process or format, but just receive guidance to work through the steps
more peacefully and effectively, with faith and understanding things are working out, step by step.
I recommend the book HEALING by Francis MacNutt (edition 1999 or later)
that explains the difference between prayers that don't work because a step was skipped,
which can be remedied so it works out afterwards, vs. situations that aren't something we can change.
So its his fault, there was a stepped missed?? How are you going to know if it doesn't work verses if a stepped was missed?
Hi
Penelope
RE:
A. Penelope: "Perhaps God had different intentions for the couple. That is what I was told everything my prayers didn't turn out."
B. Penelope: "So its his fault, there was a stepped missed?? How are you going to know if it doesn't work verses if a stepped was missed?"
These are two different situations. Every situation is different.
and NO, this isn't about "dictating" or "making people feel bad and it's their fault".
When we apply math and science, if we "felt bad" every time we missed something,
we'd end up with math anxiety. And that causes kids to fail at math who otherwise could excel if they
didn't feel so scared and guilty and stupid in learning how to follow and master the processes in math.
I agree that approach is NOT healthy and NO, that ISN'T what I'm saying or recommending.
It's more like the examples below:
==================================================
A. examples of A:
If someone is born blind, SOME people can regain their sight with surgery. Some cannot no matter what.
And it's nobody's fault.
The people who adjust better and faster don't waste time "blaming God for why they were born that way."
They don't waste time "being jealous" that other people regained their sight while they did not,
because medical technology is available for some cases but not others.
Now, if you happen to pray that God miraculously restores sight to someone born without eyes,
and this prayer doesn't materialize as you wish, what's wrong with accepting the fact that
such person will continue to be blind because God/Life is going to take a different path than that.
Is it inferior someway to accept that in such cases we cannot change the situation?
Is that necessarily a compromise or some kind of "defeat"?
Or it is just learning to live with something that isn't going to Change?
B. examples of B:
I have a friend who prayed for God to keep her car running. She just prayed for God to get the demonic energy
away that was "trying to interfere with her ability to do ministry."
Now CLEARLY the steps to getting a car fixed is to take it to a friend or mechanic to have it
checked out. And PHYSICALLY FIX whatever could or would cause it to break down.
So if my friend SKIPS that step, then she might not get her prayers answered.
But if she follows God's plan to correct the causes, she might listen to ADVICE
of others telling her what she needs to do to fix the problems.
That IS PART of God's plan, too!
More examples of B:
1. In the book HEALING, a man went for prayer help to overcome his smoking addiction.
But the prayers weren't working and he remained addicted to the same patterns.
He and the prayer ministry kept praying again. And in the process, it came out that
the man had a rebellious memory and issue with his father, that first got him started
smoking as a teenager to get back at his father and exert his own will.
It took going back to THAT memory of "not forgiving" the father, which started
the pattern of smoking as a way of rebelling and reinforcing a sense of control,
that had to be RENOUNCED FORGIVEN and PRAYED FOR TO HEAL AND REMOVE
before the man got rid of the impulse and temptation to smoke. After that he was able to quit.
2. In the same book, a woman who had never felt emotions her whole adult life went to
get help with healing prayer. In the process of praying for her, an image came to the minister's
mind. He saw a young girl with a dog. And he asked the woman about it. She said when she
was a small girl, her parents took away her dog, her "best friend" and had the dog put to sleep.
They killed her best friend, and she was traumatized and repressed of emotion from that day.
She cut off her ability to feel so she would not feel that pain.
But when the minister helped her to pray for forgiveness of all things in the past, this allowed
her to finally heal. They prayed to forgive that incident so the pain didn't stay and obstruct her anymore.
I would have to cite the book directly, her words when she first could feel pain and joy and feelings again.
She was in tears that suddenly she could feel again after spending her whole life not feeling what others did!
I imagine it is like being a person blind since childhood who can suddenly see things and colors and is amazed.
I have seen video of a person born deaf who cried like a baby upon hearing their own voice for the first time
and not being able to believe it.
Penelope all I can say is when I see and hear from people who were cut off, blinded or sick
with something all their life, and suddenly through healing prayer they are FREED from that thing
for the first time, where they NEVER KNEW that was possible, that is why they are either so
humbled they can't explain it or share it with others so nobody knows their story, or they
go the other extreme and jump up and shout and yell Thanks to Jesus acting like "Jesus Freaks"
because they are so grateful to be freed from afflictions like this.
These may be the extreme cases we hear about that sound "too unbelievable to be true."
But if you look at the COMMON PROCESS, these people had to IDENTIFY WHAT CAUSED
the initial INJURY and unforgiveness that blocked them from changing or healing hurtful behavior
that happened as a consequence to that initial injury.
I compare it with breaking and resetting a bone that has healed incorrectly and is still causing pain.
You can go back to the doctor, over and over, and that broken bone will still hurt and not heal.
Praying over and over or taking painkillers over and over is not going to heal that broken bone.
But if the doctor takes an xray and finds a fracture or break that isn't healed right,
it might take additional surgery to fix the REAL source of the pain that keep recurring.
That's science
Penelope
That isn't something to be "afraid of" or to BLAME anyone for missing.
The point is to CORRECT whatever is amiss so things can be healed and made better!
