Prayer and Religion

[mandy2]

A friend of mine is protestant and has always been. Recently she was interested in the Catholic Church and went on 2 retreats with me. She seemed very into it and was already talking about converting. She loved it and all it offered. So she was praying God would lead her to the right church. A couple weeks later she was invited on a retreat with her church, but her parents said they could not afford it. So she prayed God would help her go and 30 minutes later she got a text from her dad saying she could go. After that retreat she told me she believes God sending her on that retreat was the answer to her prayer of which church to be a part of. So she said she believes in her heart that she should stay Protestant. I don’t want to say this was not God speaking to her, but doesn’t God want us all to be Catholic?

 

[kimg901]

A friend of mine is protestant and has always been. Recently she was interested in the Catholic Church and went on 2 retreats with me. She seemed very into it and was already talking about converting. She loved it and all it offered. So she was praying God would lead her to the right church. A couple weeks later she was invited on a retreat with her church, but her parents said they could not afford it. So she prayed God would help her go and 30 minutes later she got a text from her dad saying she could go. After that retreat she told me she believes God sending her on that retreat was the answer to her prayer of which church to be a part of. So she said she believes in her heart that she should stay Protestant. I don’t want to say this was not God speaking to her, but doesn’t God want us all to be Catholic?

I would like to think God would want us to but He also gave us free will. But your friend has doubt which is fine. It may be hard for her if her family is still Protestant and maybe she doesn’t want to hurt them. All we can do is pray for others and ask the Lord to be merciful on those lost or deceived.

 

[xzereus]

A friend of mine is protestant and has always been. Recently she was interested in the Catholic Church and went on 2 retreats with me. She seemed very into it and was already talking about converting. She loved it and all it offered. So she was praying God would lead her to the right church. A couple weeks later she was invited on a retreat with her church, but her parents said they could not afford it. So she prayed God would help her go and 30 minutes later she got a text from her dad saying she could go. After that retreat she told me she believes God sending her on that retreat was the answer to her prayer of which church to be a part of. So she said she believes in her heart that she should stay Protestant. I don’t want to say this was not God speaking to her, but doesn’t God want us all to be Catholic?

Unfortunately, many Christians look for “signs” to answer their prayers. This is especially prevalent among Evangelical Protestants where their personal experiences are essential to where their faith leads them. Of course, this is true to an extent with Catholics as well, but it was certainly more true for me while I was Protestant.

I think you could confidently say that this was not God speaking to her. How can we know the voice of God except through His One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church, the pillar and foundation of truth? Why would God lead a person from His one true Church to a man-made one? From what we know of God, He wouldn’t.

It may not be effective to point this out to your friend, of course. I would suggest that you talk to your friend about the teachings of the Early Church Fathers and the Apostles and how they compare to the Catholic Church and her Protestant church. If your friend is truly seeking the truth and following the prompting of the Holy Spirit, she will find her way to the Catholic Church. If she isn’t then there isn’t really anything you can do. Be patient, be available, be prudent, and keep praying!