Question about God's will

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If we ask God for something, would He ever grant it to us if it is against His will?
 
brickwall said:
If we ask God for something, would He ever grant it to us if it is against His will?
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I’ve always been taught that God answers all prayers, but sometimes the answer is “No”. But I suppose that if you pray hard enough and long enough He could change his mind.

BTW, I’ve been praying long and hard to win the Lottery and so far His answer is still “no.” 😉
 
But if God goes against His will and grants your request after praying “hard enough and long enough,” isn’t there negative reprocutions? If so, why wouldn’t just He deny you the request altogether?
 
brickwall said:
But if God goes against His will and grants your request after praying “hard enough and long enough,” isn’t there negative reprocutions? If so, why wouldn’t just He deny you the request altogether?
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If God “goes against his will” then, in effect, His will has changed and granting your petition is His “new will.” (if you will).
 
Maybe he allows something to happen against His will as a way of teaching you a lesson about what’s bad for you. But then I suppose that really is His will, because teaching a lesson will make one a better person.

I think the question gets down to the difference between God’s ordaining will and His permissive will. If both contexts are included, then everything that evern happens is withing His will. (The OP probably meant only God’s ordaining will.)
 
Thanks for the replies guys, and I have a follow-up question:

If we are open to His will and ask for His guidance, are we guaranteed to be rewarded here on earth or is there a possibility that we suffer all our lives, only to be rewarded in the afterlife?
 
Just to address the OP, God can never do something against His will (the concept doesn’t even make sense), God can also never change His will in any meaningful sense.

God does, however, will somethings contingently (i.e. dependent upon other factors). For example, God might will that my neighbor’s cancer be healed IF I pray for them, otherwise, their cancer would not be healed. The cancer not being healed is not “against” His will, or is the healing “against” His will. he simply willed the healing to occur contingently.

It is in this same way that God wills people to go to Hell. He never wants anyone to go to Hell absolutely, but He does will people to go to Hell IF they choose to go there.
 
You must distinguish what is meant by the will of God. It can be seen in two ways. Actively and Passively. God’s active will is what He does, passive is what He allows to happen. God can never commit evil or do anything except what is perfect and good. He can however allow evil to happen so that a greater good could happen through it. So the answer to your question would be no. He would never do anything -actively- that was contrary to His will.
 
Thanks again for the replies, I truly appreciate it.

For the most part, your answers do make sense. Just wondering where you guys are getting them from - exprience, bible, books?
 
The answers are drawn from the full treasury of our Church – the Bible, early Christian writings, the doctors of the Church (especially St. Thomas Aquinas on this one), and experience, encyclicals, the catechism… the list goes on.
 
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