God won't help. How do I workshop Him anyway?

  • Thread starter Thread starter MainBrain
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
M

MainBrain

Guest
I’m at the conclusion, once again, that it is futile to pray to God for guidance and direction for a new job and career. I am middle aged and I have been through this time and time again in the past. So please don’t say you will pray for me, or that I have to keep on praying. I’m done praying about help for a new job, especially at 54. I am angry. I am disappointed.

On the other hand, I feel a certain FREEDOM knowing that the choice is TOTALLY UP TO ME! I have to make my choices of the direction of my life in this fallen world. Why can’t I get that in my head?

So how do I worship a God that gives me all this freedom? I am so used to praying for things I want. How do I love God without wanting anything in return?
 
Part is prayer is that your heart is changed. You don’t change God. Your prayers may be answered, but they can be answered in ways you didn’t explicitly articulate.

True love for God is surrendering to his Will, recognizing your place in His plan, and taking the crown off yourself and handing it back to Christ.

You may pray for things, but what are you expecting exactly? Do you expect it to appear in your life in the exact form you asked, at the exact time you asked, and to be exactly what you asked? There are plenty of examples in the Bible where testing the Creator isn’t the best course of action for a creature. It is self-defeating, proud, and ultimately selfish. You ask God for guidance, you receive grace, you recognize that His Will Be Done, and you move forward in life making decisions the best way you know how with that tool-kit. He doesn’t force your hand, make decisions for you, or walk in your stead. You are responsible for how you live your life. If you didn’t have free will, then what is sin? What is the choice of accepting Christ?

I’d say to take a break from “asking for things” for a while, and dedicate your prayers to praising God for all of the blessings you have in your life, and all of the blessings you’ve been graced with since being birthed into existence by His Will.
 
I do believe that you have discovered an important milestone on the road toward holiness. We selfish humans usually start out loving God for what He gives us, but like you noticed, it is important to learn to love Him for His own sake instead. How to do it? I dunno. I think this may be the sort of thing that each person has to figure out for himself by trial and error. Perhaps the writings of come of the saints may have covered this sort of topic. I can’t see how it couldn’t have come up, but I can’t think who to recommend.

I, too, tend to want to ask God what he wants me to do, and sometimes there is a clear guidance. Most of the time, however, it seems that I can choose what I want to do as long as I don’t choose sinful options. This can be frustrating, but I think that’s because it is easier to be told what to do and scarier to have the responsibility of making a good choice. Also, plenty of times God hasn’t given me what I wanted, and later I could see that there was a very good reason for that. In your case it seems that not getting the jobs you have been praying for may have led you to the realization that your basis for loving God has to change. Or so it seems to me based on what you wrote.
 
My son has been unemployed now for several months and is in your same state: he’s just quit asking God for anything.

Maybe I am misunderstanding the intentions of your post, given the responses above?

I don’t really believe in prayers of supplication either. Thanksgiving, yes. Adoration, yes. Contrition, yes. Supplication? If it’s all God’s will anyway, we should just pray that we are in alignment with that Holy Will. That’s about all we can ask.
 
Thank Him for everything He has given you, even the trials of your life (the latter is in the Bible).
 
MainBrain said:
I’m at the conclusion, once again, that it is futile to pray to God for guidance and direction for a new job and career. I am middle aged and I have been through this time and time again in the past. So please don’t say you will pray for me, or that I have to keep on praying. I’m done praying about help for a new job, especially at 54. I am angry. I am disappointed.

On the other hand, I feel a certain FREEDOM knowing that the choice is TOTALLY UP TO ME! I have to make my choices of the direction of my life in this fallen world. Why can’t I get that in my head?

So how do I worship a God that gives me all this freedom? I am so used to praying for things I want. How do I love God without wanting anything in return?
Click to expand...
Did you try Goodwill? They have a program that trains older people and helps them find work.
 
MainBrain, I too have, sometimes, become disappointed and even angry at God for not giving me that for which I prayed. But then, after a some prayerful yelling at God and voicing my own disappointment, I realize that God is not an employment agent; He’s not a mailman (when I’m expecting an important letter that doesn’t come); He’s not a mechanic (when my car un-expectantly breaks down); and He’s not (fill in the blank) for whatever else I want. Once I reach this realization, I then pray for forgiveness and know that He answers that prayer instantly.

You’re right. We have great and complete freedom. We can do whatever we want. But of course, there are always consequences.

We should, in my opinion, worship God because he provides for us, even a sinner like me, a path for salvation, that is Jesus Christ.

I will pray for you despite what you said in your post. For the bible tells us to, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

I’ve found this hard to do at times, even hard to believe, but that doesn’t diminish this truth in any way.

As for finding a job, consider starting your own business? Look to consulting agencies? (Most companies don’t want to hire young consultants.) I have found the web site indeed.com helpful, just watch out for the usual rip offs and never give anyone money for a job, uniform, test, ect.

Keep moving forward. Keep looking for work. Take full advantage of all programs out there to help in time of need both government and charities. And most importantly, keep praying.
 
I don’t want to be overly negative, but my trials in life have taught me not to pray for anything. I feel that 90% of what you get in life is genetics. But I do believe that Jesus Christ, is a God who died for our sins, and suffered to have empathy for us all.

However, I do not personally have the faith to believe in a personal Jesus Christ, or that “Personal Relationship” that so many people testify to.
I hope you can sort things out, and move forward to resolve your challenges. I also envy any man or woman, who’s faith has not been destroyed in the way mine has. keep us posted!
I am faced with very similar circumstances. Just wanted to say your not alone in that struggle.
 
How do you worship a god that does not “live” up to your expectations? You don’t. You don’t worship that god. In fact, you shouldn’t worship anyone or anything. It’s “up to you” how you live your life. If you’re 54, stop wasting time and start making good and constructive decisions . Praying is a waste of time. I apologize for my harshness.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top