Freewill questions

[Kmvn34]

I did not exactly know how to word my question so here is some background…

My mom recently has had a tough time with life. She was in an abusive relationship and finally got out in August… and she is STILL struggling with life. She went from living with me, to going to a shelter, to going to misc. motels.

God has given her so many opportunities to get it together but she is not doing it. My brother got approved for disability and it was enough to immediately move into an apartment. She instead blew almost $4,000 in a month. She isn’t on drugs or anything, she’s just irresponsible and doesn’t think how a normal mother should. She isn’t taking advantage of her ability to get into Low Income Housing or food stamps. Now she has no money or food. She told me, “She doesn’t know why God is making her go through this.” To be honest, she caused it on herself. It is only her to blame. Her childish actions brought her to this point.

So my questions are:

1. God gives her these opportunities to improve/help her but she doesn’t take them (so that’s freewill) right? Could that be influence of Satan also?
2. If that’s true, God knows what she will do with what he gives her but he gives it to her anyway?
3. So is that God’s plan?
4. Also, when we pray, he knows what we need. So what is the point in praying for something if it already has a set outcome? I know we pray to praise God and thank him, but why pray for disastrous things to be fixed? Or is everything changed when we pray? Example, If someone is dying at a young age, people pray, and they’re healed? (I am a daily prayer lol even though that question sounds like i’m not)

I have been thinking about these questions alot lately. I do see God somewhere in this, I am just not exactly sure how he works. I have only recently in the past year been attending church, so I’m not very educated about these types of things lol.

Thank you for any answers!

 

[CatholicHockey7]

1.) Yes that is free will. It may also be Satan’s influence, but we have to always be careful about over-spiritualizing things.

2.) God continues to give us opportunities to choose Him and also to learn from our mistakes.

3.) It may or may not be His plan, but He will find a way to use it.

4.) God knows what we need, and what we want, but He still wants us to bring those things to Him in prayer. God wants us to bring everything to Him. We can’t hold anything back.

 

[John_Martin]

There is a program called Representative Payee, where benefit checks go to an institution which then pays monthly bills for a person who cannot do this themselves (whether for physical or mental reasons). Check out an explanation here: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Representative_payee

And more information is here in reference to social security or disability benefits: ssa.gov/payee/

After paying various bills, the remainder (minus a fee, if there is one) would be given to her for other living expenses, as I understand it (this was setup for my sister-in-law who is very much like your mother).

As for prayer and how God works. God “causes” all things primarily, but not quite as directly as you think. We say God healed someone, that he caused it. But in his eternal knowing, he not only knows that he caused a healing, but that he caused it in a kind of “joint direct causing”, such that your praying in faith is “sharing” the causation with Him. We are meant to be working with God in his business, participating in his “healing” of the sick, if that is his intention with any one at any given time. Prayer is one way we cause good in union with God causing good. Faith in you and in the person helped also participates with God. Remember Naaman the Leper going to Samuel to have his leprosy cured - Samuel participated by telling him to wash 7 times in the Jordon river. Naaman’s servant participated by encouraging Naaman to participate and do the washing, and Naaman participated by going to the Jordon and doing it, and God participated with all the human participants by working with these other causes. God knew from eternity that when all four of them worked together the Leprosy would be healed, and it was so. That is why we pray, to join in the work of God as he calls us to.

Free will - when your mother has a goal or purpose that she sees in her future, a purpose that will only happen if she makes it happen, and she wants it to happen, then she will love that purpose more than the many things that pop up out of the blue to spend her money on, then she will be “focused” and “single” in her willing and go after that purpose. That is why God’s first law is “I am your God, your Lord; you shall love the Lord your God with your whole heart, soul, mind, strength”. He is a single goal, union and friendship with him.

 

[rinnie]

I did not exactly know how to word my question so here is some background…

My mom recently has had a tough time with life. She was in an abusive relationship and finally got out in August… and she is STILL struggling with life. She went from living with me, to going to a shelter, to going to misc. motels.

God has given her so many opportunities to get it together but she is not doing it. My brother got approved for disability and it was enough to immediately move into an apartment. She instead blew almost $4,000 in a month. She isn’t on drugs or anything, she’s just irresponsible and doesn’t think how a normal mother should. She isn’t taking advantage of her ability to get into Low Income Housing or food stamps. Now she has no money or food. She told me, “She doesn’t know why God is making her go through this.” To be honest, she caused it on herself. It is only her to blame. Her childish actions brought her to this point.

So my questions are:

1. God gives her these opportunities to improve/help her but she doesn’t take them (so that’s freewill) right? Could that be influence of Satan also?
2. If that’s true, God knows what she will do with what he gives her but he gives it to her anyway?
3. So is that God’s plan?
4. Also, when we pray, he knows what we need. So what is the point in praying for something if it already has a set outcome? I know we pray to praise God and thank him, but why pray for disastrous things to be fixed? Or is everything changed when we pray? Example, If someone is dying at a young age, people pray, and they’re healed? (I am a daily prayer lol even though that question sounds like i’m not)

I have been thinking about these questions alot lately. I do see God somewhere in this, I am just not exactly sure how he works. I have only recently in the past year been attending church, so I’m not very educated about these types of things lol.

Thank you for any answers!

I guess we could say your Mother is a work in progress. Sometimes depression sets in and people truly lose their way in life.

It could happen to anyone, it could be mental illness, or a some type of a underlying illness. Maybe talk to her Dr, and see what he can recommend.

But don’t give up on God, and keep praying for your Mom. And keep loving her no matter what.

It seems that sometimes when someone steps on people so long, they don’t know how to exist out of the abuse. Give her time to adjust to a new life. Maybe a support group.

Why she isn’t taking advantage of her help is hard to say, maybe she is afraid. Usually fear is the greatest weapon the devil has on us.

The best thing you can do is be her friend, love her, let her know that she means the world to you, and no matter what between you and God help is on its way.

Usually when a person is in a bad relationship the abuser has no self-esteem so they take the self-esteem of the other to make them feel strong. Help your Mom find that self-esteem and get it back. God Bless you for caring and loving your Mom. I am praying for you guys.