Tempting God vs. asking for protection

[js_cat3391]

I am curious if is it tempting God to say prayers while riding my bike in dangerous situations like on the highway for exercise. I think I take reasonable cautions, but I often say Hail Mary’s or ask God to protect me, and I actually believe He will, but I guess I would accept it if allowed me to get run over.

or what if that was the only way someone had to get to work? I think it would be ok.

I don’t understand what tempting God means.

 

[waanju]

Tempting God would be if you were like “If you’re real, God, prove it by not letting me die as I stand in the middle of the freeway.”

Asking God to protect you in a risky situation is fine. Remember, Jesus said that no father gives his child a rock when they ask for bread or a snake when they ask for fish. God will not punish you for asking Him to protect you.

 

[djames99]

It has validity while we are in the process of applying good sense and reason, in the act of something that is good and required, or in charity to others. In bicycle riding one is doing a good exercising his right to enjoyment and exercise. Doing it while riding on the wrong side of the road is not taking precautions for the body that is loaned to him, and God would frown on it, or, perhaps against some law that God allows man to impose on citizens for the common good. Doing the wrong thing also poses risk to health care providers, since his hospital stay requires resources that may have gone to someone else.

He may look aside such risk taking and grant his request, since God is infinitely patient. But when we are not doing the right thing, we are setting caution to the wind. In some sense this is taking liberties on his patience, in effect testing God.

It also depends on his current standing with God(disposition). A life bent on such risk taking will lessen those odds. To always be in favor with God when requests(prayers) are made, one needs to keep the state of his soul unblemished.

 

[R_C]

I am curious if is it tempting God to say prayers while riding my bike in dangerous situations like on the highway for exercise. I think I take reasonable cautions, but I often say Hail Mary’s or ask God to protect me, and I actually believe He will, but I guess I would accept it if allowed me to get run over.

or what if that was the only way someone had to get to work? I think it would be ok.

I don’t understand what tempting God means.

Tempting God is to refrain from being prudent, counting that God will fulfill what is lacking in your prudence. Sort of like when Satan told Christ: “jump from the pinnacle of the temple, for God will send his angels to hold you” and Christ replied: “it is written, you shall not tempt God”. God will protect you, because “for you has he commanded His angels to keep you in all your ways” (inasmuch as you are a member of the body of Christ), but that does not mean you should imprudently expose yourself to dangerous situations unnecessarily. It is the intention that matters, mostly.

I don’t know about the specifics, (work, exercise)…you may want to ask the advice of a priest

 

[js_cat3391]

ok thanks.