Urgent Prayer Requests - Are they really urgent?

[st_felicity]

Is there really anything such as “urgent” prayer requests? If God is outside of time, he hears all prayer in the “now.” So, to paraphrase Wimpy from Popeye, God is happy to give me today what I pray for next Tuesday. Right? The “urgency” is really a reaction to our human concept of time. God’s Will will be done–and God knows NOW what I will do (or not do I can’t “presume” upon him) next Tuesday.

Just an interesting puzzle about the mystery of God, I thought.

 

[water]

Do we really need to pray if God has already known what we are going to pray?

• God knows everything but He still wants to hear “Urgent” ones, “long term” ones, etc …

 

[st_felicity]

Do we really need to pray if God has already known what we are going to pray?

• God knows everything but He still wants to hear “Urgent” ones, “long term” ones, etc …

Of course–one doesn’t presume. But I think it’s interesting to contemplate the “urgency” is entirely human rather than a matter of “I have to pray now so God can take care of my request before anything bad happens.” That is the wrong spirit with which to pray IMHO.

 

[water]

Of course–one doesn’t presume. But I think it’s interesting to contemplate the “urgency” is entirely human rather than a matter of “I have to pray now so God can take care of my request before anything bad happens.” That is the wrong spirit with which to pray IMHO.

Interesting point, but I don’t know if we can call it “wrong spirit”.

 

[Hellisreal]

Yes, you can have urgent prayer requests.

Tell me its urgent when your kid is in the ER and your world is upside down.
The prayers for the kid ASAP would be “urgent” and reasonable-
There are many other senarios I can think of but this was just the first one that came to mind.

 

[Sr_Sally]

A kid in ER is certianly urgent. But the OPs point was that even if I didn’t hear that your kid was in the ER until the next day, any prayer I said for him would still “apply”. God is outside of linear time and so is not bound by our sense of urgency.

I agree with the OP and it is a great comfort to me in those times when I don’t know about something urgent, or don’t remember to pray “right at 2 when the test is” or whatever the request was. I pray as soon as I hear/remember and know that for God it isn’t ‘late’.

 

[Hellisreal]

A kid in ER is certianly urgent. But the OPs point was that even if I didn’t hear that your kid was in the ER until the next day, any prayer I said for him would still “apply”. God is outside of linear time and so is not bound by our sense of urgency.

I agree with the OP and it is a great comfort to me in those times when I don’t know about something urgent, or don’t remember to pray “right at 2 when the test is” or whatever the request was. I pray as soon as I hear/remember and know that for God it isn’t ‘late’.

OHH yes! I agree with your comment.

I just thought the OP was saying there is no urgent prayer request.

I called my family asking for prayer when in the urgent state. Why not ask for prayer in an urgent situation if you can.

I think those prayers were very powerful. I would never think, well- I will ask them tomorrow to pray since it wont matter when they pray…
Guess its all in how you look at it.

 

[st_felicity]

Interesting point, but I don’t know if we can call it “wrong spirit”.

You’re right–what is it then…maybe an “immature faith?” Maybe that’s not fair either–“urgency” is, however, a human frailty.

 

[Hellisreal]

Re: So called “immature faith”

May I direct those who feel so superior and condecending to scripture:

Luke 18: 15-17

see also

Mark 10: 14-16

Its nice that we have so many saints who pondered all this. Yet- I have never read of ONE of them who accused someone who did not share their personal spirituality as being “immature” in their faith.

Maybe I missed it.

Help cite it from the saints, and I may understand this better.

Thank you

(if I were not Catholic and read this I would really be turned off by the over pious and self serving overtones here)

 

[st_felicity]

Re: So called “immature faith”

May I direct those who feel so superior and condecending to scripture:

Luke 18: 15-17

see also

Mark 10: 14-16

Its nice that we have so many saints who pondered all this. Yet- I have never read of ONE of them who accused someone who did not share their personal spirituality as being “immature” in their faith.

Maybe I missed it.

Help cite it from the saints, and I may understand this better.

Thank you

(if I were not Catholic and read this I would really be turned off by the over pious and self serving overtones here)

I really don’t think you are being fair jumping to assume condescention and "over pious"ness–I can’t imagine in what way my enjoying considering the great mystery of God is “self-serving,” or why you would consider it condescending. Please re-read the post you blasted–I said, “Maybe [immature] isn’t fair either” and then stated “‘ugency’ is …a human frailty.” Leaping to condemn is also a human frailty–further–read your post and consider the condescention in your own tone.

As an example you asked for…

St. Paul talks of this awe for the mystery of God in Corinthians and describes our comprehension in terms of a child’s understanding–IOW immature understanding:

1Cor13
9 For we know partially and we prophesy partially, 10 but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. 11 When I was a child, I used to talk as a child, think as a child, reason as a child; when I became a man, I put aside childish things. 12 At present we see indistinctly, as in a mirror, but then face to face. At present I know partially; then I shall know fully, as I am fully known.

 

[Hellisreal]

While I also take comfort in the fact that prayers can be said at times that one is able to remember or pray, it does not follow that there is no urgent prayer.

Jesus while fully divine and fully human (with no human frailty- no sin)

36 Then Jesus came with them into a country place which is called Gethsemani; and he said to his disciples: Sit you here, till I go yonder and pray. 37 And taking with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he began to grow sorrowful and to be sad. 38 Then he saith to them: My soul is sorrowful even unto death: stay you here, and watch with me. 39 And going a little further, he fell upon his face, praying, and saying: My Father, if it be possible, let this chalice pass from me. Nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt. 40 And he cometh to his disciples, and findeth them asleep, and he saith to Peter: What? Could you not watch one hour with me?
41 Watch ye, and pray that ye enter not into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh weak. 42 Again the second time, he went and prayed, saying: My Father, if this chalice may not pass away, but I must drink it, thy will be done.
We do not pray urgently so that we may ask God something “before anything bad happens” (as mentioned in a prior post here)

We pray urgently that His will be done as illustrated in the above scripture.

We can, like Jesus, pray urgently.

Life of course- should and ought to be lived as a continuous prayer.

One can pray urgently as Jesus did many times, and not be guilty of a “wrong spirit” or an “immature faith”

Your example of Saint Paul’s words in scripture are excellent, but we might also disagree as to the proper context of his words there.
Paul, who at one time had no compunction killing Christians let alone believe in Jesus as the Christ- somehow I tend to look at that scripture far differently than you apparently do. I see it as his view of belief/in contrast to when he did not believe.

You are free to see it as you like, but I do not view it as comparing fellow christians with oneself and jumping to conclusions that one is farther along in their spirituality than another.

Some will say Lord, Lord…

 

[st_felicity]

While I also take comfort in the fact that prayers can be said at times that one is able to remember or pray, it does not follow that there is no urgent prayer.

Maybe you need to re-read my OP and recognize that CAF staff changed my thread title to add the “Are they really urgent?” part if THAT is what is giving you a bee in your bonnet.

 

[st_felicity]

You are free to see it as you like, but I do not view it as comparing fellow christians with oneself and jumping to conclusions that one is farther along in their spirituality than another.

Some will say Lord, Lord…

Heed your own advice.

I claimed NO SUCH THING.

 

[st_felicity]

human frailty=
41 Watch ye, and pray that ye enter not into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh weak.