God is not a genie who grants our wishes

Michie

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A few weekends ago, as my wife and kids were enjoying a fire on our back patio, I had the rare opportunity to ease into my recliner, put my feet up and enjoy a baseball game on TV without a myriad of distractions from my sweet but chatty children. My Red Sox were playing the Phillies, and being that I live in Indiana, where online sports betting is legal, I’d placed a small wager on Boston to score more than four runs. While the stakes were low — maybe the price of a milkshake or two — my competitive nature had me on the edge of my seat watching this otherwise meaningless mid-May interleague game.

Boston was up 2-1 in the fifth inning when I heard the alarm on my phone reminding me that my wife and I had our usual Saturday date night at adoration. I should have been thrilled. Spending that hour with the Lord has truly been a blessing for the past six months or so, and most weeks, I’m eager for the time of quiet prayer before Christ in the monstrance. But that night? The game was on, and I’d settled in.

We quickly got ready and headed out. On the way to adoration, I kept checking the score whenever we’d get stopped by red lights. In the sixth inning, Boston hit back-to-back home runs to take a 4-1 lead. They just needed to score one more run for me to win my bet. Should be a piece of cake, I thought. Boston’s bats had been scorching hot, and Philadelphia’s bullpen had been terrible all year. Plus, that stadium in Philly is a bandbox.

By 10 p.m., my wife and I were kneeling in our usual pew in the adoration chapel praying the Rosary together. But while my body was present, my mind most certainly was not. After the Rosary, because it was just my wife and I alone with Jesus in the chapel, I grabbed my phone to listen to Father Mike Schmitz’s “Bible in a Year” podcast. While I was searching for the app, I was tempted to check on the score of the game. I tried to justify it. “God would want me to check,” I told myself. “God’s obviously a Red Sox fan, because Fenway Park is as close as anything to heaven on earth.”

Continued below.
God is not a genie who grants our wishes
 

Joyous Song

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A few weekends ago, as my wife and kids were enjoying a fire on our back patio, I had the rare opportunity to ease into my recliner, put my feet up and enjoy a baseball game on TV without a myriad of distractions from my sweet but chatty children. My Red Sox were playing the Phillies, and being that I live in Indiana, where online sports betting is legal, I’d placed a small wager on Boston to score more than four runs. While the stakes were low — maybe the price of a milkshake or two — my competitive nature had me on the edge of my seat watching this otherwise meaningless mid-May interleague game.

Boston was up 2-1 in the fifth inning when I heard the alarm on my phone reminding me that my wife and I had our usual Saturday date night at adoration. I should have been thrilled. Spending that hour with the Lord has truly been a blessing for the past six months or so, and most weeks, I’m eager for the time of quiet prayer before Christ in the monstrance. But that night? The game was on, and I’d settled in.

We quickly got ready and headed out. On the way to adoration, I kept checking the score whenever we’d get stopped by red lights. In the sixth inning, Boston hit back-to-back home runs to take a 4-1 lead. They just needed to score one more run for me to win my bet. Should be a piece of cake, I thought. Boston’s bats had been scorching hot, and Philadelphia’s bullpen had been terrible all year. Plus, that stadium in Philly is a bandbox.

By 10 p.m., my wife and I were kneeling in our usual pew in the adoration chapel praying the Rosary together. But while my body was present, my mind most certainly was not. After the Rosary, because it was just my wife and I alone with Jesus in the chapel, I grabbed my phone to listen to Father Mike Schmitz’s “Bible in a Year” podcast. While I was searching for the app, I was tempted to check on the score of the game. I tried to justify it. “God would want me to check,” I told myself. “God’s obviously a Red Sox fan, because Fenway Park is as close as anything to heaven on earth.”

Continued below.
God is not a genie who grants our wishes

JS: I found more people walk from our faith because they have been taught that lie. HaShem does grant "wishes" but only if these "wishes" are aligned with His Will. Its very rare when we humble servants even come close to knowing the Will of G-d.
 
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Joyous Song

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1 Samuel 1:27


and other times when one prays for years, God grants

JS: that just happened to my husband. As a young child he was told he become a priest and have family. that family came sooner than the priesthood but now both promises have come to pass.
 
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Hanging by a Thread

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A few weekends ago, as my wife and kids were enjoying a fire on our back patio, I had the rare opportunity to ease into my recliner, put my feet up and enjoy a baseball game on TV without a myriad of distractions from my sweet but chatty children. My Red Sox were playing the Phillies, and being that I live in Indiana, where online sports betting is legal, I’d placed a small wager on Boston to score more than four runs. While the stakes were low — maybe the price of a milkshake or two — my competitive nature had me on the edge of my seat watching this otherwise meaningless mid-May interleague game.

Boston was up 2-1 in the fifth inning when I heard the alarm on my phone reminding me that my wife and I had our usual Saturday date night at adoration. I should have been thrilled. Spending that hour with the Lord has truly been a blessing for the past six months or so, and most weeks, I’m eager for the time of quiet prayer before Christ in the monstrance. But that night? The game was on, and I’d settled in.

We quickly got ready and headed out. On the way to adoration, I kept checking the score whenever we’d get stopped by red lights. In the sixth inning, Boston hit back-to-back home runs to take a 4-1 lead. They just needed to score one more run for me to win my bet. Should be a piece of cake, I thought. Boston’s bats had been scorching hot, and Philadelphia’s bullpen had been terrible all year. Plus, that stadium in Philly is a bandbox.

By 10 p.m., my wife and I were kneeling in our usual pew in the adoration chapel praying the Rosary together. But while my body was present, my mind most certainly was not. After the Rosary, because it was just my wife and I alone with Jesus in the chapel, I grabbed my phone to listen to Father Mike Schmitz’s “Bible in a Year” podcast. While I was searching for the app, I was tempted to check on the score of the game. I tried to justify it. “God would want me to check,” I told myself. “God’s obviously a Red Sox fan, because Fenway Park is as close as anything to heaven on earth.”

Continued below.
God is not a genie who grants our wishes
Well, that's pretty apparent as most everyone has offered their wishes in prayer, yet we still suffer. But in John 14:14 Jesus/God kinda presents this way.
John 14:14, KJV: "If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it."
What do we do with this quote from Jesus?
 
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Gnarwhal

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Well, that's pretty apparent as most everyone has offered their wishes in prayer, yet we still suffer. But in John 14:14 Jesus/God kinda presents this way.
John 14:14, KJV: "If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it."
What do we do with this quote from Jesus?

Curious why you would quote from the KJV...?
 
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Hanging by a Thread

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Curious why you would quote from the KJV...?
Why not?
I'm not sure how, but I somehow am under the assumption that KJV is most widely accepted. But it makes no diff to me which version. Take your pick, they all pretty much say the same thing regarding this quote.
 
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Gnarwhal

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Why not?
I'm not sure how, but I somehow am under the assumption that KJV is most widely accepted. But it makes no diff to me which version. Take your pick, they all pretty much say the same thing regarding this quote.

I mean, it's a protestant bible, it's not Catholic so it's missing some of the canon. If you like the way it's written you should check out the Douay-Rheims.
 
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Hanging by a Thread

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I mean, it's a protestant bible, it's not Catholic so it's missing some of the canon. If you like the way it's written you should check out the Douay-Rheims.
Tbh, it wasn't until I came to this site that I discovered there are several variations of the Bible. Until now, I thought a Bible was a Bible and they all essentially said the same thing. Tb even more h, I find the fact that there are so many variations unsettling as I try to re-establish my currently shaken faith. Thanks for the suggestion, though. Btw, which version would be considered Catholic? And if you happen to know of one, could you give me an example of what's missing from KJV as compared to a Catholic Bible?
 
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