On Offering Prayers and Labors to God for Petitions or Intentions

[preyoflove]

Hello.

I am bothered every now and then with offering prayers (especially masses and devotional exercises) or labors (especially acts of mercy) to God for Him to grant petitions, intentions, requests, and the like (especially of the personal kind, particularly temporal goods). It feels as if I’m obliging God to grant what I ask because I did this or that good thing. I mean, can’t I just keep the prayers and labors and my petitions not associated? Can’t I just ask God and not have to offer anything to Him to even more move Him to give me what I ask for?

It would really relieve me to hear your thoughts, my spiritual brothers and sisters.

To the moderators, if I have posted in the wrong forum or made a duplicate thread, my sincere apologies. Please feel free to move my thread to the right forum or delete it and point me to a similar thread.

God love you all.

 

[Mystical_Seeker]

I hear you. If I’m asking God to change this or that about the world, where does His will come in?

I say “God please do this or that for me … but it’s Your Will.” Just seems kind of a passive-aggressive approach to me. I’m not saying it’s wrong, but it kind of feels like I’m saying, “OK God here is my first choice, but if you must (sigh) I guess I’ll go without.” Jesus prayed in this manner when He asked for the cup to be removed, but I think He was just making it clear (to document for us if for no other reason) that from a human standpoint He really did not want to endure the trials. But He knew it was for the best – just wanted us to know that yes it was going to hurt and maybe that it was challenging Him. But my faith level isn’t to where His was, and frankly His words did worldly things that were visible to others, but that is beyond my own faith level (seems like telekinesis as far as my fallible mind can imagine) so in my weakness of faith I just pray in a manner based on where I am now.

For these reasons I don’t pray very often for specific petitions for the world. I do pray for myself, and for things I know that God would like so I don’t have to deal with the whole “what if what I’m asking for isn’t His will” thing. I ask for patience in general and in certain situations, and for guidance in times of confusion, etc. I ask for perseverance, and for the wisdom and ability to produce Good Fruit. Not only do I not have to worry about whether these things are God’s will for me, but it reinforces in my own mind that these are the things that are important to me.

Or rather than saying “God can you stop people from killing each other in the Middle East – if it be Your will – in Jesus’s name Amen,” I might say, “Lord please help me see this with your eyes. Show me how to be at peace and not to judge those who are doing these things.” Or whatever. The first prayer to me just sounds like wishful thinking and I’m not opposed to God knowing my desires but honestly He knows them before I pray so the Spirit prays for me in those areas I’m hoping.

Rom 8:25-27
25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait with endurance.

26 In the same way, the Spirit too comes to the aid of our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit itself intercedes with inexpressible groanings. 27 And the one who searches hearts knows what is the intention of the Spirit, because it intercedes for the holy ones according to God’s will.

And once we have ourselves producing Good Fruit, then our faith is strengthened to where we know in our minds and hearts, that the Holy Spirit will take it from there!

MS

 

[MyLittlPwn13]

This is just a thought, but is it possible that it’s more passive-aggressive not to acknowledge our real desires before God, who already knows them?

I’ve been working on this myself. I just interviewed for a promotion at work (ahem…pray for me). I was one of ten very capable candidates, most of whom were people I work with every day. Moreover, this is an important position serving some very vulnerable children in our state and being responsible for a big chunk of taxpayer dollars. So I acknowledge to God that I want the job (that I really, REALLY want the job), then pray to be the best public servant I can in whatever position I may be, and that He’ll put the best person into the position.

Just my :twocents: