R
RomanRyan1088
Guest
I have a question, when i sin, (Don’t we all), I often feel like I am unworthy to pray to God. Is this a correct Idea? Any help would help?
- Status
B
baltobetsy
Guest
It’s a bad idea, straight from the Father of Lies. After you sin is the time you should pray the most - first asking pardon, then making acts of love and reparation, then asking for the help you need to confess the sin and change your life.
Betsy
Betsy
A
AmandaPS
Guest
I often feel this way too, then remember that God already knows of my sins from the moment I commit them, whether by thought or deed. Sin moves us further away from God spiritually and the further we move from God, the harder it seems. I remind myself that God is a loving Father and that my sins hurt Him. It helps me be more humble/penitant when I talk/pray to him.
I’m not sure how in line with Catholic teaching this is, since I’m still a seedling to the faith, so please forgive & correct any mistakes.
I’m not sure how in line with Catholic teaching this is, since I’m still a seedling to the faith, so please forgive & correct any mistakes.
R
RomanRyan1088
Guest
OK, But, when I sin, I keep on telling myself that i need to feel bad about what I did, but i really don’t feel bad. Is it a delayed reaction or sumthin like that? Am I a bad person for not feeling bad? I have always been told that when something is done, sorry doesn’t help. I don’t know what to think, i wanna feel bad, but i don’t.
M
Max
Guest
So you’re concerned that you just don’t “feel” that guilt that you think should come with the sin you commit? Well, I suppose if the sin you committed has been done several times already, it’s only natural that you wouldn’t feel the same amount of guilt as you may once have felt.
But, see, I don’t think how “bad” you feel should be too important. What’s important is that you know you’ve done wrong, desire the Lord’s forgiveness (meaning you’re sorry, and from what you’ve said you seem like you really are sorry for what you’ve done…just not in that heart sinking way), and then confess and do penance for it.
Now, if you didn’t desire God’s forgiveness, you wouldn’t be posting the question because it wouldn’t concern you. But, apparently you are concerned and are willing to put a stop to it. My suggestion to you is-jeez, it seems like we hear this a LOT on these forums, but it’s a great solution for almost any problem-pray. Don’t only start praying after the sin is committed, but pray right when you get the urge, the temptation to sin. That’s not always easy, but praying even before you get any temptation should give you more strength.
Sorry if the post seemed a bit long, I hope I made sense and was some help! God bless you.
~Max
But, see, I don’t think how “bad” you feel should be too important. What’s important is that you know you’ve done wrong, desire the Lord’s forgiveness (meaning you’re sorry, and from what you’ve said you seem like you really are sorry for what you’ve done…just not in that heart sinking way), and then confess and do penance for it.
Now, if you didn’t desire God’s forgiveness, you wouldn’t be posting the question because it wouldn’t concern you. But, apparently you are concerned and are willing to put a stop to it. My suggestion to you is-jeez, it seems like we hear this a LOT on these forums, but it’s a great solution for almost any problem-pray. Don’t only start praying after the sin is committed, but pray right when you get the urge, the temptation to sin. That’s not always easy, but praying even before you get any temptation should give you more strength.
Sorry if the post seemed a bit long, I hope I made sense and was some help! God bless you.
~Max
C
csr
Guest
Dear RomanRyan: Max has hit some really important points. The lack of sorrow you report is not a total lack, as you are apparently sorry to lack it! I recall a problem I had addressing a sin. The sin of masturbation, to be precise. I was quite irritated because I wanted to obey the Church, and furthermore I believed the Church teaching to be correct. But I just couldn’t see how I was ever going to be able to stop. First I thought I’d need to continue in order to feel contented. I broke through that barrier, only to start worrying that physically perhaps masturbation was a necessity of some sort. Happily, and thanks be to God, I have now broken through both barriers successfully, and am able to keep custody of the eyes quite well, and to avoid indulging in the little thoughts that occur to one; and indeed such thoughts are now repugnant or nearly so. I’m not saying that this is your problem, but rather that my experience of this problem could be described as you describe your spiritual concern: Was I really sorry? How could I be sure? What I found was that after a fall, I would tend to have some additional falls (‘now that I’ve sinned’), and then I would go to confession. I went to confession with some apprehension, unsure exactly how I was ever to stop masturbating but certain that Church teaching was true and that confession was essential. In other words, by faith I went forward with the sacramental life, assuming that somehow it would work out for the best. I did ultimately manage to stop, as I mentioned. One of my key weapons in the battle was an aspirational prayer: “Jesus, Mary, I love you, save souls.” That’s intended to say that I love Jesus and I love Mary. At the slightest provocation, I would say that prayer. That plus the sacramental life was, in my opinion, key.
It may help you to study the concepts of spiritual growth. The path is often broken down into the purgative, illuminative, and unitive ways. When one is battling serious sin, one is in the purgative way. It is possible in some sense to have characteristics of more than one “way”. A great book is Guidance in Spiritual Direction by Charles Hugo Doyle, recently republished by Roman Catholic Books (booksforcatholics.com). A key chapter is called “Purgative Way and Struggle Against Capital Sins”. It is really full of good ideas and helpful thinking.
It may help you to study the concepts of spiritual growth. The path is often broken down into the purgative, illuminative, and unitive ways. When one is battling serious sin, one is in the purgative way. It is possible in some sense to have characteristics of more than one “way”. A great book is Guidance in Spiritual Direction by Charles Hugo Doyle, recently republished by Roman Catholic Books (booksforcatholics.com). A key chapter is called “Purgative Way and Struggle Against Capital Sins”. It is really full of good ideas and helpful thinking.
T
T.A.Stobie_SFO
Guest
After you sin, there is a tendency to feel unworthy to turn to God. This is the dirt of sin and the guilt of sin. This is the time when you need to turn to God. Pray and pray always. Admit your sin to God and ask Him for His help to overcome.
Do not fall into the trap I am not worthy to pray (no one is to God as our Creator, but we all are in terms of God as our Father.) but we all need to as much as we can.
Pray!
Pray! Pray!
Do not fall into the trap I am not worthy to pray (no one is to God as our Creator, but we all are in terms of God as our Father.) but we all need to as much as we can.
Pray!
Pray! Pray!
B
baltobetsy
Guest
RomanRyan, being sorry is a lot like loving: both are in the will. Sometimes you love someone - you desire the best for them - but you don’t feel anything. That’s fine and normal. If you have committed a sin, wish you hadn’t and want to avoid it in the future, that’s your will being sorry. It’s a mistake to doubt your intentions based on lack of feelings. Sometimes you’re numb, and you just have to work around that.
That said, perhaps it would be helpful to you to cultivate the love of God in your prayer. You could meditate on His goodness to you and others or whatever appeals to you about Him. Once you develop a stronger sense of His love, you may find yourself feeling sorry when you sin.
Betsy
That said, perhaps it would be helpful to you to cultivate the love of God in your prayer. You could meditate on His goodness to you and others or whatever appeals to you about Him. Once you develop a stronger sense of His love, you may find yourself feeling sorry when you sin.
Betsy
F
Fergal
Guest
Bingo!!
I have often felt the same way.
In confession I remember asking a priest the very same question.
His repsonse was simple: The Just man falls 7 times a day.
Now think about that. The Just man falls seven times a day! What then makes him just? Prayer!
The devil will trip you up and of course it is easy to kick a man when he’s down so thats what he tries to do. You fall he kicks and it manifests itself as feeling unworthy to pray.
When you fall jump up immediately. Give God the victory over the fall.
Fergal
Naas
Ireland
I have often felt the same way.
In confession I remember asking a priest the very same question.
His repsonse was simple: The Just man falls 7 times a day.
Now think about that. The Just man falls seven times a day! What then makes him just? Prayer!
The devil will trip you up and of course it is easy to kick a man when he’s down so thats what he tries to do. You fall he kicks and it manifests itself as feeling unworthy to pray.
When you fall jump up immediately. Give God the victory over the fall.
Fergal
Naas
Ireland
- Status