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deb1
Guest
A couple years back, my hubby was sent by the military on a short tour and I was home alone with my four children. One night I called my mom and told her that I often prayed for the strength to handle everything on my own. My mother responded quite strongly that I should not pray for strength. She told me that a pastor’s wife had explained to her that if you pray for strength then God will send mydriad bad things your way so that you can develop strength.
Her reasoning annoyed me. God is not some magical being who if we do not say the exact words will punish you. He knows what is in our hearts and what we really mean. My mother’s reasoning seemed to me to reduce God to some vindictive being.
I thought that this was just an odd belief of my sometimes insane mother.
Just today, my neighbor-baptist like my mom-told me that she never prayed for patience. Surprised I asked why. She stated that the women in her church had told her that if you pray for patience then God will send a lot of troubles your way so that you can learn patience.
I am a bit flabbergasted by this thought process. Has anyone else heard this belief?
Her reasoning annoyed me. God is not some magical being who if we do not say the exact words will punish you. He knows what is in our hearts and what we really mean. My mother’s reasoning seemed to me to reduce God to some vindictive being.
I thought that this was just an odd belief of my sometimes insane mother.
Just today, my neighbor-baptist like my mom-told me that she never prayed for patience. Surprised I asked why. She stated that the women in her church had told her that if you pray for patience then God will send a lot of troubles your way so that you can learn patience.
I am a bit flabbergasted by this thought process. Has anyone else heard this belief?