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Holly3278
Guest
Hey everyone. Someone on Facebook told me that I should have expectant faith. In other words, when I ask God to do something, I should expect that He will do it. Is this true?
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TiggerS
Guest
My tuppence worth: I dont think that Expectant Faith is about being able to DICTATE TO God as to what is in our best interests and good for us. Expectant Faith is a continual dispostion of TRUSTING God to always act in our best interests and in the interest of what is good for us. It is up to us to trust Him that all is in our best interests etc. and what is good for us, even when our own conclusion of what is good for us and in our best interests fails completely, and God acts contrary to our conclusions and finite expectations.
Expectant Faith is all about trusting God, not dictating to Him. “But not My Will, Father, but Thine Be done”(Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane). A religious person years ago once told me that I should pray in every prayer of petition “and I expect it!”. That give me a smile, since it is dictating to God, not accepting His Will and knowing that His Will is always for the best, always working for good.
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englishredrose
Guest
I may well be shot down but my personal thought on this is that “No you shouldn’t”. Over the years I have learned the hard way to God and now know how to simply be with God in prayer but without any words. God made very little difference to whether I prayed in words or not. My current priest has helped me enormously with this aspect and taught me the art of being still with God - simply being, based on my own confession etc and this is the way forward for me.
Mostly God will expect us to do not that we expect God to do. We have to learn how to get life for ourselves. God will always be with us but won’t do anything for us. We are the ones who have to do life.
Please, before anyone jumps in on me, this is my own thoughts based on what I have been learning myself since last confession which was two weeks before Ash Wednesday.
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AlanFromWichita
Guest
Mark 11:24
Therefore I tell you, all that you ask for in prayer, believe that you will receive it and it shall be yours.
But no, you don’t get to just tell God what to do. You have to first be cleansed of disunity…
Mark 11:25
When you stand to pray, forgive anyone against whom you have a grievance, so that your heavenly Father may in turn forgive you your transgressions.”
Sometimes I think that Jesus is talking about someone who is born of the spirit, because if you are born of the Spirit then you probably have self-effaced to the point you don’t have anything against another. The only reason I say it, is that “all that you ask” for a person not born of the Spirit yet, is not as likely to be God’s will.
Alan
Therefore I tell you, all that you ask for in prayer, believe that you will receive it and it shall be yours.
But no, you don’t get to just tell God what to do. You have to first be cleansed of disunity…
Mark 11:25
When you stand to pray, forgive anyone against whom you have a grievance, so that your heavenly Father may in turn forgive you your transgressions.”
Sometimes I think that Jesus is talking about someone who is born of the spirit, because if you are born of the Spirit then you probably have self-effaced to the point you don’t have anything against another. The only reason I say it, is that “all that you ask” for a person not born of the Spirit yet, is not as likely to be God’s will.
Alan
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bmullins
Guest
One should have expectant faith yes, but to realize that God isn’t an ATM. Many of those who make the claim of expectant faith view God as ‘having to do’ whatever you ask of him. Where as if it’s not something He wills, it’s not going to happen. We as Catholics do indeed believe that God will do whatever we ask, as long as it lines up with His will. But we also believe that God always answers prayers, just sometimes the answer isn’t what we want, or how we want it, or better yet, sometimes the answer is simply no.
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AlanFromWichita
Guest
Here’s is how you can guarantee God will answer prayer. It may be hard to detect sometimes, but it will be answered.
Ask for a kind and merciful heart, or wisdom and discernment. Ask for Him to remove your resentment against that special someone we’re bugged at. Ask for Him to allow you to see one person in need that you can help today with a kind word, a couple dollars, or taking a few seconds to exchange pleasantries with them while you’re out and about today. Then believe it and expect it, and you will receive it.
Another thing is to rearrange the petitions we have. For example, instead of asking God to make the rain stop, and Him to help you enjoy it while it lasts. In one case you’re asking God for blessing you know He’d be pleased to give you, and you have that authority to invite Him in.
When you pray petitions for other people I don’t know if it works that way at all. I just found that my prayers work better if I go with the basics, and hope to do the Solomon thing. That’s why I put “seek ye first” in my religion tag. If I obsess over the things of the kingdom, it seems everything else handles itself.
Alan
Ask for a kind and merciful heart, or wisdom and discernment. Ask for Him to remove your resentment against that special someone we’re bugged at. Ask for Him to allow you to see one person in need that you can help today with a kind word, a couple dollars, or taking a few seconds to exchange pleasantries with them while you’re out and about today. Then believe it and expect it, and you will receive it.
Another thing is to rearrange the petitions we have. For example, instead of asking God to make the rain stop, and Him to help you enjoy it while it lasts. In one case you’re asking God for blessing you know He’d be pleased to give you, and you have that authority to invite Him in.
When you pray petitions for other people I don’t know if it works that way at all. I just found that my prayers work better if I go with the basics, and hope to do the Solomon thing. That’s why I put “seek ye first” in my religion tag. If I obsess over the things of the kingdom, it seems everything else handles itself.
Alan
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maltmom
Guest
When I have a prayer request I know that God will do what is best and I can expect one of three responses:
- immediate yes
- immediate no
- wait awhile because His timing is best
J
JRKH
Guest
Good answers so far…Thanks to Allan for posting the verse from Mark.
Yes we should have an “expectant faith”…but as teh old saying goes…“be careful what you wish for…”.
Have you ever seen the old movie called “The Bishop’s Wife”?
In it, the bishop (Episcopal on Catholic
) is trying to get a new Cathedral built and is having all sorts of problems with donations and a prideful rich widow. These things are effecting his marriage.
He prays over the matter and an angel is sent to help him…
The angel DOES help but not in the way(s) that the Bishop expected…This is brought out when - near the end of the movie the angel is leaving but the Bishop is unsettled. He says:
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Bishop: But my prayer has not been answered. I was praying for a cathedral.
Angel: No, Henry. You were praying for guidance. That you have been given.*
Often times we are troubled my various and interrelated things. We might think we have an idea about the proper solution and we might well pray for guidance in bringing that goal to pass…But the Lord, in answer to our plea for help and guidance, knows what we truly need and THAT is what He tries to guide us toward.
Have faith and expect answers. Expect that God will give His children good things…Then, the best thing is to leave the details to Him…
Peace
James
Yes we should have an “expectant faith”…but as teh old saying goes…“be careful what you wish for…”.
Have you ever seen the old movie called “The Bishop’s Wife”?
In it, the bishop (Episcopal on Catholic
) is trying to get a new Cathedral built and is having all sorts of problems with donations and a prideful rich widow. These things are effecting his marriage.He prays over the matter and an angel is sent to help him…
The angel DOES help but not in the way(s) that the Bishop expected…This is brought out when - near the end of the movie the angel is leaving but the Bishop is unsettled. He says:
*
Bishop: But my prayer has not been answered. I was praying for a cathedral.
Angel: No, Henry. You were praying for guidance. That you have been given.*
Often times we are troubled my various and interrelated things. We might think we have an idea about the proper solution and we might well pray for guidance in bringing that goal to pass…But the Lord, in answer to our plea for help and guidance, knows what we truly need and THAT is what He tries to guide us toward.
Have faith and expect answers. Expect that God will give His children good things…Then, the best thing is to leave the details to Him…
Peace
James
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