Promises to God

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DMITRIYL

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If you promise something to God, can you offer something else up in return without the approval of a priest? Thank you, kind of urgent (scrupulosity).
 
Ultimately, I agree with cena. Even if not this question, talking to a priest outside of Mass especially, can be so helpful that it can even be habit forming. 😛

But first I’d want to know why you’re changing it up? Did you overcommit? Were you prideful in making the promise in the first place? Did things change beyond your control that made it impossible? So that’s my first question is why are we changing?

Maybe you go along and think, “you know what I think God might want me doing this even better” and then ask yourself and God if maybe it’s an an enhancement rather than a breaking of the original promise in substance, even if not in accidents (form).

Does the substitute offer you the same personal challenge, or is it some “easy way out”? Is there one particular substitute you are considering, or just looking for another way to fulfill something that doesn’t seem to call you as much as it did?

I try to make few promises as possible, but I’ve had to break some. I try not to promise God anything I’m not pretty sure about; I have more problems with promising stuff to myself or others and not following through. 😦

You can even think about these things and help organize your questions so a priest may better guide you. 👍
 
I have already talked to my priest. He said I could. I was just wondering because it takes over literally every second of my life. I cough when I say certain things, and I also have to cough in a certain way (this root cause is OCD). It gets pretty annoying when I have to cough a certain way a certain number of times. It also controls the manner in which I pray, rendering it nearly impossible. My mother says it is pretty irrational.
 
This coughing. Does it go according to some formula? I’m interested because in general I love hearing about facial expressions, body language, etc.

In other words, if you say “X” do you know you will have to cough like a certain way, or does it come new each time, more based on processing some sort of awkwardness out of the air?

Or if not awkwardness, then is it fearful, or annoying, that this happens?
 
We really should keep our promises to God unless they become no longer physically and/or morally possible to carry out. Making rash promises is not good at all and should be discussed with a learned traditional priest. God bless you.
 
It is not that it’s impossible, just that it would cripple my ability to function normally for the rest of my life. There are more promises, all caused by intrusive thoughts caused by ocd. They make it nearly impossible to pray or function. It controls almost every action in my life.
 
DMITRIYL said:
It is not that it’s impossible, just that it would cripple my ability to function normally for the rest of my life. There are more promises, all caused by intrusive thoughts caused by ocd. They make it nearly impossible to pray or function. It controls almost every action in my life.
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Ah, I see. You are sick with OCD and have made several rash promises. Never ever again make more promises to God, okay? Only make resolutions. Keep your baptismal promises and those that you have made that were not rash, and talk to a learned traditional priest about any rash promises you have made–he will tell you what you must do. You will be remembered in my daily rosary. God bless you.
 
Thank you, i have asked him for forgiveness. Every time i tell myself i won’t make anymore but that never works out too well.
 
DMITRIYL said:
Thank you, i have asked him for forgiveness. Every time i tell myself i won’t make anymore but that never works out too well.
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But you mustn’t! because broken promises to God are no small matter. Why do you keep making rash promises to God? Why don’t you make resolutions instead?
 
I dont say promises to God when I am not really firmly resolved to do it.

That’s why I understand in my prayers…I see a great desire to change and to follow Him, but a weakness that I couldn’t yet overcome. And so even if I tell Jesus I want to change, I couldn’t do so–not because of Him but because of me…and that something that I couldn’t give up yet.

So I would advice you before promising something to Him…ask for the grace to overcome that something which you are weak about…For instance, gossiping…this seems to be a weakness and you promised Jesus several times not to commit. However this defect cannot be overcome anymore by conscious effort—so by the grace of God…one could ask for the grace to be pure in ones intention, to use ones mouth only for holy purposes etc…I mean, do not jump into resolutions…Ask for the necessary grace to do what you will to do. Otherwise, you’d be only operating by your own conscious effort and not under God’s grace.

Ofcourse confession helps with a firm resolution…and the Eucharist.
 
Because with my ocd i feel like i have something jamming into my brain telling me to make the promise until i eventually give in. It’s kind of rough, i don’t want to make one but can’t help it.
 
DMITRIYL said:
Because with my ocd i feel like i have something jamming into my brain telling me to make the promise until i eventually give in. It’s kind of rough, i don’t want to make one but can’t help it.
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Can’t medicine help?
 
DMITRIYL said:
Because with my ocd i feel like i have something jamming into my brain telling me to make the promise until i eventually give in. It’s kind of rough, i don’t want to make one but can’t help it.
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have you really been diagnosed? is it really ocd? Whatever it may be, by the grace of God I hope you pray and I pray as well that He may lead you to a good Christian counselor/psychologist/ Spiritual director.
 
Perhaps try this prayer:

O Lord I cede all authority over my mind and heart to Thee. I give to Thee all my authority to make promises, and I give to Thee all my thoughts and desires. Do Thou shepherd over thoughts and heart, and guide my soul to health and virtue I pray, so help me God in all my ways. Take all that I have O Lord, and make me entirely thine.

Amen.
 
ready said:
Ah, I see. You are sick with OCD and have made several rash promises. Never ever again make more promises to God, okay? Only make resolutions. Keep your baptismal promises and those that you have made that were not rash, and talk to a learned traditional priest about any rash promises you have made–he will tell you what you must do. You will be remembered in my daily rosary. God bless you.
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That really sounds like good advice to me. 👍

Why are you making “promises to God” when you don’t even know if you will live long enough to carry them out?

Making promises you may or may not be able to keep, when none have been demanded of you, is a way to set yourself up for possible failure. It can be like setting a trap for yourself; great if you win, terrible if you lose. Like a game of High Risk, of the kind someone with OCD could find very difficult.
 
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