Something to remember

[MarianD]

2 threads in one day…I’ve got too much time on my hands.

But, by the Grace of God, I’ve realized something that I’ve been doing wrong all along. Something that all of us should take care not to do. I used to pray like such:

“Mother Mary, grant me this, grant me that, pray for the sinners, grant me worldly and spiritual success”

Then I learned from Sister Lucia what I was doing wrong. I learned from her by hearing what she said whenever Our Lady appeared to her. She said “What do you want with me?”

So I remembered this:

Ask not what God can do for you. Ask what you can do for God

Pray for yourself, yes. But be sure to commit yourself entirely to God, and try to commit others to Him as well by praying for them. Always remember that everything you ask for, pray for, and even live for is for the carrying out of God’s Will and for the pleasing of God.

 

[AlanFromWichita]

2 threads in one day…I’ve got too much time on my hands.

Join the club. A few more posts and you’ll be hooked.

But, by the Grace of God, I’ve realized something that I’ve been doing wrong all along. Something that all of us should take care not to do. I used to pray like such:

“Mother Mary, grant me this, grant me that, pray for the sinners, grant me worldly and spiritual success”

Then I learned from Sister Lucia what I was doing wrong. I learned from her by hearing what she said whenever Our Lady appeared to her. She said “What do you want with me?”

I like your point. I have mixed feelings about asking God for those kinds of things. On the one hand, Jesus said we can tell mountains to move, but I’m not sure He was talking about physical mountains. Maybe He was, but I don’t have that much faith – maybe if I had enough money to hire somebody to cut down the mountain.

Seriously, though. We ask God for this and that. Sometimes it happens, sometimes it doesn’t and we say it was the will of God. What I wonder is why did I ask in the first place, if God is going to second guess it anyway. But then I remember Jesus said, “whatever you ask the Father in my name, I will do.”

So usually I pray for something vague, like “Lord, help me make it through this,” and try to be open and alert for signs.

Just as I wrote this I thought of something that hadn’t occurred to me before. If Jesus is talking about having the faith of a person whose mind and heart have been renewed, then maybe such a person would automatically know what to pray for and what not to. That person would be “in tune” with the types of things that God is willing to do. For example, when the one dude (I forgot who, Soloman?) asked for a wise and understanding heart, God gave him that and more. If he had asked for riches, I don’t think it would have gone as well.

Anyway, this may seem rambling and unimportant, but to me it seemed like a breakthrough.

So I remembered this:

Ask not what God can do for you. Ask what you can do for God

Pray for yourself, yes. But be sure to commit yourself entirely to God, and try to commit others to Him as well by praying for them. Always remember that everything you ask for, pray for, and even live for is for the carrying out of God’s Will and for the pleasing of God.

Amen. Thank you for a great post. It got me reflecting on things in a new way.

Alan

 

[reen12]

Join the club. A few more posts and you’ll be hooked.

Between both forums, Alan, I’ve rung up a total of 11,096 posts.

The forum you founded, 5 years ago this month, has been a blessing,
and I do thank you for that from the bottom of my heart.

Blessings to you, Alan.

reens

 

[reen12]

…Pray for yourself, yes. But be sure to commit yourself entirely to God, and try to commit others to Him as well by praying for them…

Those are wise words, I think, MarianD. I like the expression:

“…commit others to Him…” Commit them to His care.

Sometimes, when I can’t be of practical help at all,
I place the person in His hands, which is what I should have done
in the beginning.

I’m glad that you’re posting on CAF, MarianD. http://bestsmileys.com/waving/5.gif

Kindest regards,

reen12

 

[LilyM]

Hmmm. We need to model our prayer on that of Jesus.

Firstly He gave us the Our Father - which certainly has numerous specific petitions, both spiritual and physical (encompassed by the term ‘our daily bread’). We need to note, however, that it begins by glorifying God and asking that His will be accomplished in our world.

And then He showed us how to pray in times of trial in Gethsemane. Firstly - it’s ok to make a concrete petition - He asked that His cup of suffering be removed from Him. However, He followed by asking that God’s will, not His human will, be done. So when we ask for concrete things, we need to be aware and humbly acknowledge that God’s will may be entirely different, and seek it above our own desires.

 

[AlanFromWichita]

Between both forums, Alan, I’ve rung up a total of 11,096 posts.

The forum you founded, 5 years ago this month, has been a blessing,
and I do thank you for that from the bottom of my heart.

Blessings to you, Alan.

reens

Awww, you are certainly welcome.

Both forums have been a tremendous blessing to me, and I thank you for your part in both.

Alan