We shouldn't pray for feelings. We should pray because it pleases God

  • Thread starter Thread starter Edward_H
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
E

Edward_H

Guest
Do we tend to pray more when we get back feelings and consolations?

Does our prayer life take a dip, when the feelings aren’t there, when it’s dry?

Shouldn’t we pray because in this moment of closer union with God, it pleases HIM?

Is our prayer more often than not selfish, a form of comfort seeking?
 
Last edited:
I pray because it pleases Him and I want to show Him the respect He deserves. It is not just about me wanting something. Also, I pray for the good of others.
 
I agree with you in my head.
Because you’re right.
But because I’m sinful and on the journey, it’s just easier to pray when I’m getting results.
But that’s my own issue to deal with
 
Edward_H said:
Is our prayer more often than not selfish, a form of comfort seeking?
Click to expand...
It’s only “selfish” if we bail out on God when we don’t get what we want.

There’s nothing wrong with constantly seeking comfort from Jesus. He wants us to bring our troubles to him. There are entire meditations at the Adoration chapels I go to on this very subject.

He wants us to be like little children. When a little child gets hurt or feels bad, she runs to her loving parent, Dad or Mom (who would be Mother Mary), for comfort and a hug. A loving parent feels pleased that their child turns to them in this way. Of course, a loving parent also likes it when the child gives him a big card that says, “You’re the greatest father ever, I love you!” or when the child thanks him for a gift or when the child comes home happy and shares the joy of having a wonderful day playing or doing really well at school.

We should be turning to God with everything. We don’t need to edit ourselves and worry that we’re selfish and bad because we need His help or comfort. We’re only selfish when we fail to turn to God at other times.
 
Exactly! I feel like many people don’t know this, but I also believe that many of us have fallen into this.
 
Ann_Stanton said:
Also, I pray for the good of others.
Click to expand...
I do this too, a lot. It’s easier to ask for something for another, or to do a good deed for another, than to do it for myself. I often feel selfish or a little uncomfortable when I ask for help for myself.

I’ve recently been told by 2 separate priests in 2 separate situations, without me even discussing this with them, that I should pray for myself. I don’t know how they arrived at that conclusion but I’m not going to argue with the priests’ advice.
 
Last edited:
We should seek Jesus not comfort.

Calvary wasn’t a comfort seeking experience.

But seeeking unity with God isn’t to seek comfort; it’s to seek God.

We need to keep matters clearer; otherwise people end up seeking their comfort and are forever up and down.
 
My husband just died. I have almost no close family members left and my friends all live far away.

Taking your words literally, I should not be seeking comfort from Jesus, even though it feels like he is about all I have.

I think maybe your statement applies more to those people who are always posting here about wanting to get good “feels” from Mass or wanting to stop praying and turn to the occult because they’re mad at God for not giving them something they want.

To those of us genuinely in need of help and comfort from God, your words sound cold, like we should just go throw ourselves back in the dirt like the miserable lousy pieces of garbage that we are, since God doesn’t want to comfort us.

However, Jesus said those who mourn shall be comforted. I trust in His words more than those of any human trying to make some point on a forum. I’ll keep taking my troubles to Jesus, thank you very much. YMMV.
 
We seek union with God at all times and He helps us to do this, in good times and tragic ones.

Chasing comfort leads to troubles, especially when God has other plans for us.

People who get this order turned around often get mad at God, when they have to deal with hard matters.

Peace.
 
Last edited:
I’m fine with praising Him while I simultaneously seek His comfort. I’m pretty much thanking and praising Him daily that he’s even here for me and is helping me to put one foot in front of the other, among other blessings.

I just can’t be John Wayne when it comes to God, though. I’m tough all day long at the office and in the public eye as it is. If I can’t be myself with God, even if that self is a mushy comfort-seeking mess, there would be no point to having a relationship with Him, because in a good relationship, you’re allowed to be yourself.
 
Tis_Bearself said:
you’re allowed to be yourself
Click to expand...
Indeed, we all have different personalities, as God made us, and different upbringings and life experiences. How could we all pray the same? To paraphrase St. Paul, each of us has a unique relationship with God, and this is a beautiful thing.
 
Last edited:
I never heard that our prayers please God.
I have heard that they are like a sweet smelling incense to Him…

I sometimes awake at night 2am - dark, quietness
I wonder if our guardian angel is awake and alert - lol
But I say some of my nicest prayers - at that moment.
 
Marvelous. Thank you.

All acts of union we make toward Him please Him.

Reparation
Humility
Thanksgiving
Humility
Faith
Trust
Hope
Abandonment
Sorrow
Charity.
 
Sorry for your loss. May you find comfort in that your loved one is joining the communion of saints in heaven and that one day you will meet him again there.
 
Edward_H said:
We should seek Jesus not comfort.

Calvary wasn’t a comfort seeking experience.

But seeeking unity with God isn’t to seek comfort; it’s to seek God.

We need to keep matters clearer; otherwise people end up seeking their comfort and are forever up and down.
Click to expand...
It is not an either and or. We should seek Jesus, who will give us comfort, for his yoke is light and easy. Seek the kingdom of God and everything else will be given as well.
 
Edward_H said:
Do we tend to pray more when we get back feelings and consolations?

Does our prayer life take a dip, when the feelings aren’t there, when it’s dry?

Shouldn’t we pray because in this moment of closer union with God, it pleases HIM?

Is our prayer more often than not selfish, a form of comfort seeking?
Click to expand...
  • yes and no; usually when feelings go bad I find it hard to pray or forget even if that is exactly when I should pray; the best prayers for me are the ones in which I let go to feelings and I feel ashamed and cry while praying (in private at home, no tears in Church)
  • I am very emotional and a bit obsessed with mysticism yet I also still forget to just go and pray when say I am too busy and work and stressed out - I feel defeated and ashamed of myself and I forget to just go and pray;
  • we definitely should
  • I usually just pray to say the prayer; in the beginning I feel very shy and afraid to cope with disappointment to just ask God things; recently I have been asking and so let’s see…
    PS: I don’t know the general valid theological answers to these questions so I said what it’s like for me.
 
He may give us a comfort of sorts; He may choose instead to allow us an opportunity to be even more generous and trusting with another case of cancer in our family or in us. It can often happen like that.

Everyone is prone to want nap time; but that’s not the way of God. He’s trying to do more in us, through us.

The “comfort” we seek must be Him and not human comfort (nap time).

This “seeking Him and His good will for us and others” is a purified and elevated intention.
 
Last edited:
I’m not the type who “gets mad at God” on a regular basis. I may have words with Him sometimes the same way I would have a spat with my loving parent. I get frustrated because I am human, but the love between us is still there.

As someone else said, we each have our own individualized relationship with God. I am a little baffled by what you call “chasing comfort” because my relationship with God is more like what Reuben_J and the other posters have said; it is not an either/ or; one can praise God and seek to be closer to God while also asking for God to give us some kind of comfort, whether or not God grants that request immediately or at all.

I will be leaving this thread now as I find it mildly disturbing, although I know you probably meant well. The idea that we shouldn’t seek comfort from God because that makes us selfish or weak in our faith is, to me, really bizarre. I was raised that you always bring all your joys and sorrows to Jesus, often through His Mother Mary. I saw my mother go through much hardship in life because my father had several serious illnesses in a row and my mother lost a lot of beloved members of her family. She, and other Catholics I knew, had their moments of stomping their feet and saying “Enough already, God!” but never once did they lose faith because they weren’t getting “nap time”, whatever you meant by that (I seriously don’t have a clue).

People aren’t weak losers on the verge of losing their faith just because they seek comfort in God.

Have a nice day.
 
Last edited:
Tis_Bearself said:
He wants us to be like little children. When a little child gets hurt or feels bad, she runs to her loving parent, Dad or Mom (who would be Mother Mary), for comfort and a hug.
Click to expand...
Yes. I think there can be an issue whereby we try to behave so grown up and sophisticated that we forget that we are children of God. We are called to be like children in our relationship with God.

When a little child falls over and grazes his knee, does he not run to his parents for comfort. We too should run to Our Father in Heaven and our heavenly Mother when we are in need of comfort.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top