I Don't Want to Pray, but he says I need to

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Hello,

I’m a non-catholic, who is interested in the Catholic faith. I’ve posted a few other times on here. So to catch everyone up, I’ve backed out of RCIA twice, been called “rude” by a priest, and tried to walk away from faith.

I’m a mess. Not only mentally (yes I take my meds daily) but also spiritually. Whenever I talked to someone about how they got through the struggles with the evil one, the subject of prayer always comes up, and I cringe.

I Don’t Want To Pray!!

Why you ask?

It is a long story, but I’ll try to shorten it.

I’m adopted and for the longest time of my life (23 years) I want to meet my birth mom and dad. Well many years went by and at 19 I met my birth dad. It was nice, and a little strange, but it did happen. We still talk to this day.

On the other side of the story, at 23 I had not met my birth mom. For all my years I yearned for a relationship from her. And I put all that yearning into prayer. I would continuously pray every chance I got for us to be reunited and share a memory together, because she walked away when i was nine months old. I didn’t even have a picture of her. Just my reflection in the mirror.

Finally one day I was doing the usual research that I did on her, and I came across a number to call. The number was to her dad. So I called him that night. I will never forget that conversation.

After I had explained who I was and other things, I asked the question, “Do you know where my birth mom is at?” Now I will tell you, I was 23 and I had a lot of time invested into this question. When he answered, it broke more than my heart. It broke me everywhere. He told me that she had passed away three years earlier.

I can’t begin to tell you how heartbroken I was then, and how heartbroken I am now at 27.

Every time I tried to bring this up to my therapist I cry alligator tears.

My heart is so broken that I’ll never have anything to remember her by. No hugs, no kisses, no memories.

All those years I invested in prayer towards a God that says he can make the impossible possible. And yet he didn’t.

Anger, jealous, hatred. They are all there. Why would I want to raise my hands and say thank you to him? Am I suppose to be happy every time I see a child run toward their mother smiling and laughing, knowing that path has been closed to me.

What does prayer even mean? If God is allowed to have the final word, and he crushes the hope, dreams, and relationships that you bring to him, why even try??

-Ashley W
 
Try to look around you and find things to be thankful for. Maybe you could meet with
your biological mother’s father and he can tell you about her. Maybe he has pictures.
Have you met with your biological father? What can he tell you about your mother?
It takes emotional and psychological strength and spiritual strength to face these issues. In spite of your losses, you still have you to take care of. Some of us don’t have
perfect lives, but that doesn’t make us less valuable. Maybe we have more puzzle pieces to put together. You may never have the answers you are looking for and at some point you will have to accept that.
Don’t stop praying.
 
Salutations, my child,
We are children of God, who is our Father. Jesus is our brother and the Blessed Mother is our spiritual Mom. The Holy Spirit is our comforter.
In life, our biological family is not perfect. Knowing your roots for medical reasons Is important. I hope you got all info from her Dad, your granddad. Doesn’t he have a picture. Go visit him, if he is in the house she grew up in.Sit in her room, on her bed and pray for her soul…Did she ever discuss you w her Dad?. Why did she put you up for adoption? .Unless, your adopted parents were unkind, they are your parents. Who held you in sickness?. Who helped you w school work? Adopted parents WANT THEIR CHILD! YOU WERE WANTED!! . It is usually a good reason a Mom puts her baby up for adoption. You know what they are. I never heard of an,I DON’T WANT THAT BRATTY KID!
God understands your anger. Her Dad has answers.Get them all while he’s alive. What could be the reason you were not to meet? Any siblings?? Do a geneology chart.Where’s her Mom? .Buy saliva kits for both grandparents, if you can.
Her Dad told you things I hope. Write them down.
Let it go. Some things in the natural world, just happen. Supernaturally, God wants the best for us. Most of the time for a young death, I feel, the Salvation of the person would be at stake, if they lived longer, their journey through life would be harder. He spares them. Why do some suffer? There is someone they are to meet in a hospital, an old friend visiting because of the health change in that person.Someone is to be touched that leads everyone to salvation. Our life on earth is in a blink of an eye. Our Spirit is what is important. ALL THINGS WORK TOGETHER FOR THE GOOD FOR THOSE WHO LOVE GOD AND ARE THE CALLED ACCORDING TO HIS PURPOSE. Romans 8/28. I HAVE A PLAN FOR YOU. IT IS A GOOD PLAN WITHOUT EVIL. IT HAS A FUTURE AND A PURPOSE. JEREMIAH 29 / 11. What you are mourning is the biological family unit. Leave It To Beaver existence where Mom irons the bedsheets. I pray your life w adopted family was happy. THE PAST IS FORGIVEN. THE FUTURE IS IN GOD’S HANDS. TODAY IS ENOUGH TO DEAL WITH.
My daughter’s husband was killed in Iraq. He was maturing into a nice young man from a teenage Gothic kid. Jason was 24yo. Devastating. My daughter is so angry at God. She became an atheist. My heart is broken. I’ve had miracles in my life. I KNOW GOD IS REAL! She saw where God healed my marriage. I lean on Jesus, especially in 2007. March 25. The anniversary,is 2 days away. Her cat is critically ill. She may have to send him on to the rainbow bridge. My other son in law killed himself at 33yo. He bought a 30.06 shot gun and blew his head off.
I’m still angry. 12,31,2007. Two widows same year. They went crazy grieving in a this generation way. I took the trip w them. I chose church. They chose the world.
Jason’s widow fell in love 8 yrs later and he is a wounded warrior in a wh ch. Colostomy and urine caths. He won’t be deployed. No more combat deaths.
Chad is an atheist before coming in the Army. He was shot in L3, guess! 2007.
The beat goes on. When you find your knees again, and you will, recall Alanna and Chad for salvation. If our parents are a mess, you take God the Father for a Dad. The Blessed Mother as your Mom. Jesus comes along as your brother.
Now, that’s a great family. PM me if you still need help.
Your biological mother, who probably, sees you. She will automatically pray for you. She’d want you to forgive her.
HE WHO THE SON SETS FREE IS FREE INDEED!
in Christ’s love
Tweedlealice
Prayer is always answered. Yes, No, later.
 
We are all made in the image and likeness of God and that includes you! You may never find out why your mother made the choice to put you up for adoption but rest assured that she did it because she wanted the best possible life for you that she could provide and she knew that for what ever reason, she was not going to be able to do that. It may have been addictions or mental illness or lifestyle but what ever it was she did it for you.
Draw on the strong people around you, to pattern your life – or read some biographies of the saints. Some of them had extremely hard lives. Always remember to include God in your life and you will be ok.

“St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle. Be our protection against the snares and wickedness of the devil. May God rebuke him we humbly pray. And do thou Prince of Heavenly Host thrust into Hell, Satan and all evil spirits roaming the face of the earth.”

God Bless you
 
Prayer is simply a conversation with God. You are angry and upset with God because He did not answer your desire to see your birth mother and that is natural and human. Take the frustration and hurt you feel and go to your church and sit in front of the tabernacle and tell Him about it. Pour out all the whys and how could you do this to me and what do I do nows. There is a barrier of ice that has been put between you and God and the only thing that can break that ice now is dialogue. If it is just too much for you to speak to God directly, then talk to one of the Saints or Mary about it and ask them to help you.
 
Since you’re havining difficulty praying to God (that’s OK, certainly understandable in your situation), may I suggest trying to pray to Mary, or Blessed Mother? As a mother herself, I think she’s in a very unique place to be able to help you.
 
Try to look around you and find things to be thankful for. Maybe you could meet with
your biological mother’s father and he can tell you about her. Maybe he has pictures.
Have you met with your biological father? What can he tell you about your mother?
It takes emotional and psychological strength and spiritual strength to face these issues. In spite of your losses, you still have you to take care of. Some of us don’t have
perfect lives, but that doesn’t make us less valuable. Maybe we have more puzzle pieces to put together. You may never have the answers you are looking for and at some point you will have to accept that.
Don’t stop praying.
This!👍
 
There are two basic types of prayer: Kataphatic and Apophatic. Since active prayer (Kataphatic) is difficult for you, try Apophatic prayer, in which you simply place yourself in God’s presence, focus on Him, and remain there in silence. Here is a simple explanation: ignatianspirituality.com/2026/kataphatic-or-apophatic-prayer and a more detailed one: opcentral.org/resources/2015/01/13/frederick-g-mcleod-apophatic-or-kataphatic-prayer/
Jim, from your link, centering prayer is a type of Apophatic prayer which is a dangerous practice and should not be used by Christians, particularly the vulnerable. Below is a link from Catholic Answers on the dangers of centering prayer and its incompatibility with Catholicism and Christianity. It Has its roots in Eastern religions and transcendental meditation.

catholic.com/magazine/print-edition/the-danger-of-centering-prayer

I’ve seen a lot of people taken away from the Christian Faith with new age practice masquerading as Christianity. “Behold I send you as sheep in the midst of wolves. Be ye therefore wise as serpents and simple as doves. Mt 10:16 DRB”

Jim, I’ll keep you in prayer.
 
I am sorry you didn’t get the chance to meet your mom. Tweedlealice, above has shared a life story that shows it all ain’t just happily ever after idyllic. In the Bible accounts there is also hardships, the OT accounts of God’s chosen or the NT accounts of Christians being persecuted.

Praying is just talking to God, I’ve done it since I was little. He has let me know He is there. Nothing matters to me aside from this fact. Seriously, not anyone or anything. I know God is there.

I hope you develop a lifelong relationship with God. Jesus entrusted us to His mother, Mary. Ask her in prayer to repair the longing you have for your mother. Pray for your mother. Our souls are eternal, only our bodies die here.

Stick with rcia, get a mentor

:hug1:
 
Jim, from your link, centering prayer is a type of Apophatic prayer which is a dangerous practice and should not be used by Christians, particularly the vulnerable. Below is a link from Catholic Answers on the dangers of centering prayer and its incompatibility with Catholicism and Christianity. It Has its roots in Eastern religions and transcendental meditation.

catholic.com/magazine/print-edition/the-danger-of-centering-prayer

I’ve seen a lot of people taken away from the Christian Faith with new age practice masquerading as Christianity. “Behold I send you as sheep in the midst of wolves. Be ye therefore wise as serpents and simple as doves. Mt 10:16 DRB”

Jim, I’ll keep you in prayer.
Centering prayer aside, I think his advice to try “apophatic prayer” is a great idea.
 
Praying doesn’t always equal ‘yes’, unfortunately from our perspective. What makes it tougher is that we don’t know why there was a no.

I’m a adoptive father. I can’t empathise with you, but I feel for you deeply. I’d love for my kids to have a relationship with their birth parents; but I don’t know if it will ever be possible, and that breaks my heart.

The one thing I would say, and it comes from a similar sentiment I told a priest during confession, is that its fine to be angry at God. Spittingly, crushingly angry. It’s also okay to let him know personally. Prayer is ultimately a conversation with God. He can take it. He knows we are human.

There are times with my children that they get angry and say sometimes the most outrageous things. I know at this point that they are doing it to vent, to make me angry, and to ultimately know I still love them. It took me awhile but I finally learned that the way to best deal with it is to stay calm and just keep letting them know I love them.

If I, a very flawed parent can get that (after alot of prayer to St. Joseph and confession) then so much more will God.

I’d try just telling God how upset and disappointed you are, and how you don’t understand. Unload on Him. Vent. Let Him know the depths of your soul. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you in your conversation with him. He already knows all of this, but its important for us humans to get this out. Maybe do it in quiet moments. Maybe take 15 minutes and do it in adoration.

If you do this honestly, and are truly open to Him responding, I think you’ll find that He will ease your anger and you’ll be talking to Him more and more.
 
There are lots of different ways to pray. It seems that your prayers of petition for God’s intercession in particular circumstances of your life went unheard because you did not get the results you were looking for. Those results may not have been God’s Will at the time or may have been thwarted by the free will choices of those other persons involved.

Prayer is necessary for anyone pursuing the Christian path. Prayer is spending time with God, in His Presence. It is a foretaste of heaven. If we cannot endure spending time with God here on earth why would we want to go to heaven where we will be spending all our time with Him for eternity? All prayer helps us to come closer to God. Union with God is the goal of each and every Christian and it begins here and now.

Prayers of petition are just part of the library of prayers we can offer to God. We can also offer prayers of praise, thanksgiving, and worship to God - all of which are pure gifts to God and none of which ask anything of God. Prayers of acceptance of God’s Will should accompany prayers of petition and intercession, such as that prayed by Jesus: let this cup pass Me by but Your Will be done, not Mine.

My prayer for you is peace of mind as you continue your spiritual journey.
 
Prayer can take many forms, and one that has a long history is that of simply offering our trials and heartaches to God and letting Him transform grief into grace. It can take time. That’s perfectly okay. Look how long it took to get to the point of finding out what happened to your birth mom, only to learn the devastating news of her death. Your emotions are completely understandable!

Have you gotten grief counseling, perhaps tried a support group or retreat? I see you are from Kansas. So am I, Wichita to be precise. We have a great place here, the Spiritual Life Center. I wouldn’t be surprised but what they might have a program that you’d find helpful or could refer you to something if you live elsewhere in the state. Most such programs don’t require you to already be Catholic to participate. They’re usually open to people of all faiths or those searching.

Grief is a thing on many a person’s spiritual journey that will block forward progress until it’s dealt with - and it’s hard to face it, but easier with help and compassionate support. The feelings that are so strong are our minds, our emotions, and our survival instincts telling us “This is important.” “Pay attention, honor this.” ❤️ Your journey through the grief, to the healing on the other side, can be a prayer in itself, and quite possibly it will open the way for a prayer life and a positive relationship with God to develop going forward.
 
Well all I can say is that God answers our prayers even when we think He isn’t … He knows what is best for us.
 
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