Praying for others conversion

[NewsTheMan]

This is a bit of a silly question I guess, and I am not extremely concerned about it but never the less…

Praying for others so that they may convert or revert. Now, I understand prayer is not a magical charm etc etc. But could I ever be held responsible for someone going to hell because I didn’t pray for them?

For example, my sister is a fallen away Catholic. I pray every day for her. But what if I prayed twice a day and did a novena. What if I haven’t done enough? Could God hold me responsible? I understand people have their own will… but we are still told to look after the souls of others as best we can and guard them against sin if that makes sense.

I try my best to teach my sister, to speak to her about the faith, to live my faith. But what if I could do something else? What if there was a way for me to help save her soul but I am not doing it? Can God hold me responsible?

 

[mdrummer5]

as best we can…

I try my best to teach my sister, to speak to her about the faith, to live my faith. But what if I could do something else? What if there was a way for me to help save her soul but I am not doing it? Can God hold me responsible?

I don’t think God would hold you responsible personally. You’re doing something which is more than some can say.

However, as someone looking to convert let me give you my views on this. Growing up I had people constantly trying to “save” me (was Jewish and eventually agnostic). In my opinion it’s just as much psychological as it is spiritual. People trying to force things on me drove me further away from spirituality. It’s human nature… we don’t want to do the things people try to make us feel obligated to do. It wasn’t until my girlfriend who’s family has made me feel very much a part of theirs invited me to Christmas mass that I decided to pursue this path. There was never any “you should believe what I do” talk. I went, I observed, and I felt something that I won’t even try to describe.

I’ll avoid too much detail but this is pretty much how the conversation went…

“Hey, do you want to come to Christmas mass?” I had been thinking about a week or so prior that it was time I got back in touch with God and asked for a sign and while I do believe in coincidence I also believe that some things do happen for a reason so I simply said “sure.” Despite that, had she said “you should come to Christmas mass” I would have declined. See the difference? Speaking in terms of psychology the power of a command is nothing compared to a power of a suggestion if you’re trying to convince someone of something.

You can try to show someone God all you want to but if they won’t open their eyes there’s not much you can do… but rather than trying to make someone see God try asking them to look if they choose not to it’s on them. I’m not suggesting to give up but I don’t think you should worry about God holding you responsible.

 

[mdrummer5]

Also (can’t seem to edit my post for some reason) you asked “Can God hold me responsible?” God can do whatever he chooses. I think the question you should ask yourself when considering this is “WOULD God hold me responsible?” or more pointedly “Would God hold me responsible for someone else going to hell?” What we believe and whether or not we have faith is a personal choice and while it may be God’s place to judge you I personlly don’t believe he would judge you based on someone else’s decision to renounce their faith. Just my opinion.

 

[Waiting]

This is a bit of a silly question I guess, and I am not extremely concerned about it but never the less…

Praying for others so that they may convert or revert. Now, I understand prayer is not a magical charm etc etc. But could I ever be held responsible for someone going to hell because I didn’t pray for them?

For example, my sister is a fallen away Catholic. I pray every day for her. But what if I prayed twice a day and did a novena. What if I haven’t done enough? Could God hold me responsible? I understand people have their own will… but we are still told to look after the souls of others as best we can and guard them against sin if that makes sense.

I try my best to teach my sister, to speak to her about the faith, to live my faith. But what if I could do something else? What if there was a way for me to help save her soul but I am not doing it? Can God hold me responsible?

I pray for my family to return to God everyday. I offer my daily Masses for their return. I’ve frequently offered my sufferings for them. I haven’t badgered them by preaching, because I know that would just harden their resistance to change, but they see from my behavior how important a place God has in my life. So far I’ve not seen any noticeable progress on their part to return to the Sacraments. I won’t give up as long as I live. In fact, I want to spend my heaven working towards the salvation of my family. God is all-wise and all-merciful. While the final decision rests with each family member, God will not ignore my prayers. He will give them the opportunity to return, in His good time. I have no doubt of that. You need not feel any guilt. It’s obvious that you care enough to pray for your family. Keep it up. It’s frustrating to not see prayers answered immediately, but God is patient. You must be, too.