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coolcatholicguy
Guest
Last night I told God I would spend the entire night in prayer, but around 1:30 AM I drifted off into sleep and the next thing I know it’s 7:00 and I have to get up. Did I sin here?
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coolcatholicguy
Guest
I like to compare this to Jesus Christ’s agony in the garden, in which The Apostles fell asleep while He prayed.
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Ponyguy
Guest
Don’t let your alligator mouth overload your hummingbird guts…
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NeedImprovement
Guest
A little excerpt on the life of St. Theresa of Lisieux:
“Life, in the Carmelite Convent had its problems too, the
clashes of community life, the cold, the new diet and the difficulties of
prayer. Therese, the great mystic fell asleep frequently at prayer. She was
embarrassed by her inability to remain awake during the hours in chapel with her
religious community. Finally, she noted that, just as parents love their
children as much while asleep as awake, so God loved her even though she often
slept during the time of prayer.”
chijsttheresasconvent.moe.edu.sg/info_patron.htm
“Life, in the Carmelite Convent had its problems too, the
clashes of community life, the cold, the new diet and the difficulties of
prayer. Therese, the great mystic fell asleep frequently at prayer. She was
embarrassed by her inability to remain awake during the hours in chapel with her
religious community. Finally, she noted that, just as parents love their
children as much while asleep as awake, so God loved her even though she often
slept during the time of prayer.”
chijsttheresasconvent.moe.edu.sg/info_patron.htm
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Reepicheep
Guest
No sin here. You didn’t just decide to quit and go to sleep: you fell asleep in spite of yourself.
You might want to consider making smaller promises. An hour in prayer, or two hours, would be an excellent thing, and more within your ability to reliably keep.
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Forte
Guest
Hey at least you tried. I’m sure that counts for something
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AdamC
Guest
Why did you think it was necessary to do this?
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puzzleannie
Guest
Did you do a sinful action, which you knew to be sinful, with full intention to commit sin? NO? then you did not sin. You cannot make a promise of this nature that is binding under penalty of sin on your own initiative without the permission of your bishop, and not at all if you are a minor. So even if you decided deliberately to go to bed after a couple of hours there is no sin. If you feel you may be having problems with scruples discuss it with your regular confessor.
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Ponyguy
Guest
Do you honestly think you could actually have stayed awake all night in fervent prayer without drowsing off to sleep?
Don’t make promises you aren’t sure you are able to keep. That, worded in a different way, is what I said in my quote above. Don’t promise something you can’t deliver. If you know you’re a hard-core philanderer, don’t promise a woman that you’ll be faithful and true; if you have no money, don’t promise your girl friend a diamond ring. If you don’t have pocket change, don’t promise your grandson an ice cream cone.
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OraLabora
Guest
It’s not a sin to fall asleep in prayer.
Quite the contrary.
Next time, instead just make a promise that you want your last thought before falling asleep, to be our Lord.
Do that by praying Compline in bed before retiring.
“Into your hands, Lord, I commend my spirit”.
Quite the contrary.
Next time, instead just make a promise that you want your last thought before falling asleep, to be our Lord.
Do that by praying Compline in bed before retiring.
“Into your hands, Lord, I commend my spirit”.
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nguemo
Guest
hi,i asked myself the same question when it happened to me.the most important thing is God sees the heart.Remain blest and AWAKE.
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roveau
Guest
You had great intentions and you took it to absolute failure (ie to the point where you couldn’t stay awake). I say, good on you for getting that far.
I sometimes nearly crash when saying the rosary while standing because the body decides it wants to shut down for sleep… and that’s only at 7 pm!
I sometimes nearly crash when saying the rosary while standing because the body decides it wants to shut down for sleep… and that’s only at 7 pm!
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NeedImprovement
Guest
It isn’t necessary to understand why coolcatholicguy wanted to do it.
We all have our own personal motivations , inclinations and inspirations when it comes to prayer. Neither is nocturnal adoration something confined solely to convents and monasteries, particularly with the blessed gift of perpetual adoration chapels which have sprung up around the world.
I agree with roveau. I think it’s a noble thing to try and stay with God all night in prayer… Actually, I remember reading about this other guy who tried that very same thing:
"In those days he departed to the mountain to pray, and he spent the night in prayer to God. "
[Luke 6:12]
We all have our own personal motivations , inclinations and inspirations when it comes to prayer. Neither is nocturnal adoration something confined solely to convents and monasteries, particularly with the blessed gift of perpetual adoration chapels which have sprung up around the world.
I agree with roveau. I think it’s a noble thing to try and stay with God all night in prayer… Actually, I remember reading about this other guy who tried that very same thing:
"In those days he departed to the mountain to pray, and he spent the night in prayer to God. "
[Luke 6:12]
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OraLabora
Guest
True, but we all fall somewhat short of that famous guy
But we are to try our to emulate Him. Nothing wrong with that.
I read somewhere (I forget where) that falling asleep in prayer was the same as praying all night! So even if he fell asleep trying, the effort was not wasted.
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baltobetsy
Guest
Based on a number of his posts, the OP appears to be struggling with scrupulosity. In light of that, I would advise him not to make any promises to God AT ALL. He should choose instead to say something like, “I would like to try to… spend the night in prayer.”
That said, the way to actually spend the night in prayer is to offer God your time of sleeping, just as you would offer your prayers, works, joys and sufferings. Sleep with the intention of glorifying God by resting the body to do His work the next day, by thanksgiving for the pleasure of rest, etc. Pray as long as you can, then sleep in this holy way, and the entire night is spent in prayer of differing kinds.
Betsy
That said, the way to actually spend the night in prayer is to offer God your time of sleeping, just as you would offer your prayers, works, joys and sufferings. Sleep with the intention of glorifying God by resting the body to do His work the next day, by thanksgiving for the pleasure of rest, etc. Pray as long as you can, then sleep in this holy way, and the entire night is spent in prayer of differing kinds.
Betsy
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Cristiano
Guest
If you sinned that I am a frequent sinner in that field. I usually fall asleep when I pray. I am a very anxious person and at night when I pray I relate to God and I it is impossible to be anxious when I am with him, so I relax and often I fall asleep. However, if I forget to pray I spend most of the night tossing around until 3:00 am when I am again awake enough and I remember to pray. Then I sleep like a baby.
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shelby2014
Guest
Not official church doctrine or anything, but I have heard the angels finish your prayers when you fall asleep praying. I think that gets across the sentiment - God knows your intention. He even already knows everything you were planning to say to him between 1:30 and 7:00!
I think that gets across the sentiment - God knows your intention. He even already knows everything you were planning to say to him between 1:30 and 7:00! - Status