Do you view yourself as spiritual?

[Ad_Orientem]

How can one turn to God in prayer and not be spiritual ?

Some people turn to God only as a last resort, or for the wrong reasons: “You ask, and receive not; because you ask amiss: that you may consume it on your concupiscences.”–Jas. 4:3.

Even the sincere person who prays isn’t necessarily “spiritual” in the sense meant by great spiritual writers such as Thomas a Kempis. For them the word implies a high degree of union with God and detachment from creatures which one arrives at usually after many years of hard effort (inspired and animated by grace of course) and purifications. This is also called “Christian perfection,” but maybe that’s not what others mean by the word.

 

[JimR-OCDS]

Some people turn to God only as a last resort, or for the wrong reasons: “You ask, and receive not; because you ask amiss: that you may consume it on your concupiscences.”–Jas. 4:3.

Even the sincere person who prays isn’t necessarily “spiritual” in the sense meant by great spiritual writers such as Thomas a Kempis. For them the word implies a high degree of union with God and detachment from creatures which one arrives at usually after many years of hard effort (inspired and animated by grace of course) and purifications. This is also called “Christian perfection,” but maybe that’s not what others mean by the word.

If a person is turning to God who is spirit, are they not praying spiritually ?

They may not be at the same spiritual level as Thomas Kempis or St John of the Cross, but they are turning to the spiritual activity of prayer, even at the most elementary level and they are praying to a spiritual being, God.

Jim

 

[simpleas]

Thanks everyone.

We seem to always look to others in order to learn and practise, which is a good thing. We can see how others became saints etc, and I wondered then, how people viewed themself, through their own relationship with God.

I don’t necessarily think of myself as spiritual, I mean that, I don’t think that I’m holier than thou, but I agree with the comment made about praying to a spiritual being, and if done sincerely there must be a spiritual connection, that then will help our souls live in a spiritual life as best we can.

Hope that makes sense!