Praying for somone else's conversion, and free will

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nobody

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I’ve heard it said that God answers all prayers. How does this apply in prayers for someone else’s conversion? I know we are to pray without end, using the example of St. Monica. However, everyone has free will, and may choose not to turn to God. Do you understand my question?
 
Matthew 9:2
Some men brought to him a paralytic, lying on a mat. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven.”

It was the faith of those that brought the paralytic to Jesus that moved Jesus.
 
yes, good example. However, when Jesus said, “pick up your mat and walk” - the paralytic DID. What if the paralytic said, “I don’t believe you can heal me. I can’t walk. I’m waiting for my friends to come back to carry me out.” He could have chosen to do this, yes? Sitting on his mat the rest of his life refusing to believe he could walk if he only tried.

(edit)
…and… going right back to his sinful ways.
 
We are given moments of Grace that we chose to accept, or not, according to our Free Will. The prayer of others may contribute to our willingness to be receptive of the Grace that is given to us.
 
It is good to remember that Grace from God is an unearned gift. It is up to us what we do with that gift. Some do choose to squander it.
 
Having prayed for the conversion of my brother for many years I have had plenty of time to consider your question!

For someone who has no interest in the Catholic faith my brother sure does go on about it alot. This is a grace even if he is unkind about the Catholic faith and I see it as a sign of God’s work being done in him. I never bring up the topic of my Catholic faith. On Ash Wednesday the Priest gave me an enormous cross on my forehead. Later that day I went to visit my mother and my brother was there. He answered the door and immediately commented on the cross on my forehead. ‘Wash that thing off’ he said ‘you look a fool’. I didn’t say anything. He went on and on and laughed and poked fun at me. I didn’t say anything.

On Easter Sunday he went on and on about our Pope and how in his opinion he wasn’t ‘Quite the man Pope John Paul II was’ I replied that each Pope has something different to bring to the Church and that they are equally good in different ways just as every person is equally important within the Church. He went on and on saying all sorts of things. I calmly ate my dinner and just listened to him going on and on. Before he starts these rants at me I can see he physically steals himself to speak up, he knows what he is saying is not right and his body language is awkward.

So much anger in him. No-one can be that angry and keep raising the issue of the Catholic Church without having some past affection for it. I see all of this as God working in him and working within him to work out and make straight all the internal struggles my brother so clearly has. I have no right to persuade or lecture my brother. I keep quiet when ridiculed and I answer a question that seems reasonable until it leads into ridicule; when that happens I let him speak and speak until he leads himself nowhere with it and he stops.

God desires all people to have faith in Him. I pray and hope in God and wait, that is my business, it isn’t my business to alienate nor force people.

I have seen my brother reject grace and I have seen him embrace it. When my father was dying I called for the Priest and when he had arrived we went into the Intensive Care Unit and as we went through the door my brother whispered in my ear …‘This is all mumbo jumbo you know’ I didn’t answer him, but as we all stood around the bed of my father and we prayed and my father received the Last Rites my brother prayed too. In times of trial my brother has told me that he has prayed then as well.

The grace is there.

I suppose I am telling you all of this so that your desire doesn’t lead you to despair or lead you to grow impatient. Keep praying, be kind and gentle and wait…God’s grace is there:)

In the Living Prayer of my life.
 
God never says no to gifting faith, He always says yes to this. He desires it.

It is us who are slow to say yes to the gift of faith. When we pray to God for conversion we are asking for extra graces for a soul so that they may embrace the gift of faith. Look at the graces God gave to St Augustine before he finally said yes to faith and how he lamented afterwards ‘Too late I have loved Thee’. St Monica persisted in prayer for the grace for her son to say yes to faith in God and God gave generously beyond her imaginings which led to St Augustine giving greatly in faith.

Keep praying.🙂

In my prayers
 
I should also say that even if God gave every grace going to a soul so that they may embrace faith or grow in faith that soul may still well reject.

Only God knows what portion of grace to give to each soul and why grace is given to one measure to one soul and to another in another measure as God knows us before we are formed.

It doesn’t matter though because every time you pray for conversion when a soul rejects grace that grace is not lost but is given then to a soul that will embrace it and so some souls have vast amounts of grace because they are willing to give their ‘fiat’, their yes or a soul who no-one prays for for conversion will receive that grace. Similarly a soul who has received many graces and embraced them but does not use them will lose those graces because grace is meant to be used for the Kingdom of Heaven here on earth and in Heaven and so God will take it from that lazy servant and give it to the servant who has worked hard and add to what that servant already has because they return it to God with interest.

The Angel Gabriel said to Mary ‘Hail Mary, full of grace’ this is why she could give her certain Fiat.

Pray to Our Blessed Virgin Mother Mary as she appeared at Fatima for the conversion of sinners, Our Lady of Mount Carmel to obtain the graces of conversion for those you love.

None of God’s gifts are wasted.

Keep praying for conversion.🙂
 
jack_hawkins said:
yes, no and wait I can understand and agree with - but “maybe”?
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I’d see a “maybe” as a “just wait and watch, you’ll see I’ve got it under control”.

That’s how I tend to use it with my children anyways.
 
nobody said:
I’ve heard it said that God answers all prayers. How does this apply in prayers for someone else’s conversion? I know we are to pray without end, using the example of St. Monica. However, everyone has free will, and may choose not to turn to God. Do you understand my question?
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I understand your question – Could we pray for others’ conversion since each has his own free will?

The Bible tells us:
The king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord; he directs it like a watercourse wherever he pleases. (Pr 21:1 )?
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So, the answer to your question is yes.
God wants all to be saved. He does not want anyone to parish. Therefore, we ought to pray for other’s conversion. God can direct any heart. It may take long time before we see the result; nonetheless, we ought to pray without ceasing.
 
InLight247 said:
I understand your question – Could we pray for others’ conversion since each has his own free will?

The Bible tells us:

So, the answer to your question is yes.
God wants all to be saved. He does not want anyone to parish. Therefore, we ought to pray for other’s conversion. God can direct any heart. It may take long time before we see the result; nonetheless, we ought to pray without ceasing.
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Very true. And one never knows when the prayers will be answered. Perhaps sometimes it may be at the moment of their death. In which case, we will not know in this life how much good our prayers did,but we must always hope and trust that they produce the grace needed. God always uses our prayers for good. No prayer is wasted.
 
Margie07 said:
Very true. And one never knows when the prayers will be answered. Perhaps sometimes it may be at the moment of their death. In which case, we will not know in this life how much good our prayers did,but we must always hope and trust that they produce the grace needed. God always uses our prayers for good. No prayer is wasted.
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I believe this is true. Jesus also told us to count the cost, to see if we have what it takes to see our prayers come to fruition.

St. Monica was steadfast in her prayers, because Augustine was her own son…her own family.

I have prayed and fasted (on Wed. and Fri.) without ceasing for nearly 4 months for the conversion of a dear friend. I am physically and emotionally exhausted, and I realize that this intention must be entrusted to and left with the Blessed Mother. I have counted the cost and realized I do not have the resources to see it through. It is sad.
 
Has anyone here ever considered chastizing the subject of their conversion prayers? Like I mean if someone knows that another person is praying for their conversion, there could be some subconscious feeling in that prayer recipient that God will in fact give them, for example, chastity “but not yet” (per St. Augustine)? Normally, this tack is playing with eternal hellfire since one could die at any time, but sometimes I think the prayer recipient subconsciously believes that they would not be taken away without at least one final chance, and so they are free to do what they want, live how they want, believing they have this final “get out of jail free” card…

I have sometimes felt like chastizing certain friends/ relatives because they are ‘sapping’ my prayer energy. My prayers could be focused on others, you know?
 
CSN said:
Has anyone here ever considered chastizing the subject of their conversion prayers? Like I mean if someone knows that another person is praying for their conversion, there could be some subconscious feeling in that prayer recipient that God will in fact give them, for example, chastity “but not yet” (per St. Augustine)? Normally, this tack is playing with eternal hellfire since one could die at any time, but sometimes I think the prayer recipient subconsciously believes that they would not be taken away without at least one final chance, and so they are free to do what they want, live how they want, believing they have this final “get out of jail free” card…

I have sometimes felt like chastizing certain friends/ relatives because they are ‘sapping’ my prayer energy. My prayers could be focused on others, you know?
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Good point! Yes, I have tried this…specifically telling my friend that he should end an “un-chaste” relationship with someone he has no intention of marrying. He tells me he is not using this woman, he is just “having some fun” and that maybe he will feel differently about her in time. So, my chastising has fallen on deaf ears and I don’t have the strength to continue an intense prayer vigil for him.

It is sad, because, you are right, he could die at any moment and he is playing with eternal hellfire. But, at what cost to my emotional health do I continue praying?
 
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