Could God be displeased with prayer?

[Stylus]

If you consulted a priest because you felt you were praying to much, and he told you to ‘cut back’ would it actually displease God to not take the priests orders and say your prayers as you normally did?

 

[bengeorge]

Depends on the nature of your prayers: there is such a thing as being scrupulous.

Praying unceasingly is the mandate of all Christians, but I think that the nature of that prayer is important as well.

Also, I have found that some people try to goad those in authority into preventing something, just so that those people can then go against it.

I mean, be real, this person goes to the priest, says “I really think I’m praying too much!” and the priest says, “Uh… well, then maybe do something else as well?” and the person says, “NO, GOD WANTS ME TO PRAY!!”. As the priest I would be sorely tempted to say, “WELL PRAY THEN, whadda-ya want from me!?”

 

[Fortiterinre]

Stylus:

say your prayers

This could be part of the problem, “saying” prayers as if grace could be mathematically quantified. Another problem arises when people pray but obstinately remain outside the state of grace and avoid the confessional. Many people say things such as, “I pray all the time, I know I’m okay with God,” even though they are obstinate about sacramental life.

 

[dulcissima]

MY LORD GOD, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end. Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think that I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so. But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you. And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing. I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire. And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road though I may know nothing about it. Therefore will I trust you always though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death. I will not fear, for you are ever with me, and you will never leave me to face my perils alone.

• Thomas Merton, “Thoughts in Solitude”

 

[puzzleannie]

Stylus:

If you consulted a priest because you felt you were praying to much, and he told you to ‘cut back’ would it actually displease God to not take the priests orders and say your prayers as you normally did?

what is the purpose of prayer? surely one of the most important is growing spiritually and becoming closer to God. all the great spiritual writers and teacher tell us the surest way to that end is obedience and humility.You obey the priest in confession, because reception of the sacraments is our highest form of prayer, and it is impossible to engage in prayer that attempts to contradict the action of the sacraments, one of which is the priest’s counsel in confession and his spiritual direction.

 

[cheddarsox]

Your whole life can be a prayer, your work can be a prayer. If you are using a certain set of prayers said in a certain way as your major means of prayer, and if doing so keeps you from other real responsibilities then I would think the priest wise in advising you to “cut back” and meet all your responsibilities.

This may mean learning to “pray” through other means, or seeking a religious calling in which prayer is the main activity.

There is a christian rock song I love which contains the line “God is not your alibi” in it. And it addresses the issue of us being soooo Christian but it actually keeping us from doing some of the work we are called to do. We are capable of taking even a very good thing, and making an idol of it, or using it as an escape or excuse or alibi.

You gave very little information, so none of what I said may apply to you. Just offering some thoughts.

cheddar