Praying for animals and not having children

The Bible says to pray about anything and everything! I'll leave the question about children for someone else.

MaryMadeleine said:

Hi all!

I apologise for posting multiple times in the last couple of days but as I lack any Christian friends, I'm hoping you're the best people to ask!

Firstly, I would like to ask... is it okay to pray for animals? I have two wonderful pets who I love very much and care a lot about. Recently, one was very sick and I prayed for the first time and she got through her illness when the vet suggested she may not (she is a bunny!). Although I had some faith before, this really opened it up for me.
So I include my animals and those of others in my prayers regularly and just wondered if this was okay?

Secondly, kind of following on... the reason I love my pets so much is mainly because I do not want to have children. This isn't due to health reasons or anything else but is and always has been my personal choice. Can I gain some Christian views on this please? Is it okay to not have children in the Christian faith because it is a personal preference?

Many thanks for any readers and responders! God bless.

Click to expand...

Hi, welcome to the forum!

I prayed for our dying cat one time, and she got better. I believe that God heard my prayer and healed her.

As far as having children, when I got married, I really didn't have a desire to have children. I was a teacher and gave so much to the children in my care.

But I told God that I wanted His will and that if He blessed me with children, I would quit teaching and stay home to raise them. God did bless me with children, and I can't tell you how glad I am that He did. They have been such a blessing!

And He has provided a way for me to stay home with them. Even after my husband died, He gave me a job that I can do at home so that I can fulfill my promise to Him and be home for my kids.

MaryMadeleine said:

Hi all!

I apologise for posting multiple times in the last couple of days but as I lack any Christian friends, I'm hoping you're the best people to ask!

Firstly, I would like to ask... is it okay to pray for animals? I have two wonderful pets who I love very much and care a lot about. Recently, one was very sick and I prayed for the first time and she got through her illness when the vet suggested she may not (she is a bunny!). Although I had some faith before, this really opened it up for me.
So I include my animals and those of others in my prayers regularly and just wondered if this was okay?

Secondly, kind of following on... the reason I love my pets so much is mainly because I do not want to have children. This isn't due to health reasons or anything else but is and always has been my personal choice. Can I gain some Christian views on this please? Is it okay to not have children in the Christian faith because it is a personal preference?

Many thanks for any readers and responders! God bless.

Click to expand...

I think it is fine to pray for your animals. Although in corporate prayer, when praying for others, I would not put too much emphasis on praying for peoples animals. Rather pray that the person is blessed. If that involves blessing a dog or a cat, then that is ok too.

MaryMadeleine said:

Firstly, I would like to ask... is it okay to pray for animals? I have two wonderful pets who I love very much and care a lot about. Recently, one was very sick and I prayed for the first time and she got through her illness when the vet suggested she may not (she is a bunny!). Although I had some faith before, this really opened it up for me.
So I include my animals and those of others in my prayers regularly and just wondered if this was okay?

Click to expand...

Not sinful. I've prayed for pets before.

MaryMadeleine said:

Secondly, kind of following on... the reason I love my pets so much is mainly because I do not want to have children. This isn't due to health reasons or anything else but is and always has been my personal choice. Can I gain some Christian views on this please? Is it okay to not have children in the Christian faith because it is a personal preference?

Click to expand...

That's not sinful either. Though it's much better if your spouse is also on the same page.

MaryMadeleine said:

Recently, one was very sick and I prayed for the first time and she got through her illness when the vet suggested she may not (she is a bunny!). Although I had some faith before, this really opened it up for me.

Click to expand...

God does give us "richly all things to enjoy," we have in 1 Timothy 6:17.

Now, we can have an interesting prayerful discussion about what God means, of course, by enjoying.

You might enjoy a tiger by seeing one on television but not on your bed.

And if you love little chickens, they say you need to wear protective gloves so you do not get Salmonella from them.

And, of course, in proper enjoying of animals, we need to not make them love idols.

So, is it ok or even desirable to God, that we pray for our animals?

"casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you." (1 Peter 5:7)

Now, of course, there are priorities for our caring, right?

"'But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.'" (Matthew 6:33)

So, how are we doing with seeking God for Himself, first?

How are we doing with seeking how our Father personally rules each of us in His own peace?

"And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful." (Colossians 3:15)

And there is all else which God's word says for us to do, with God in us having us succeed by His grace.

I'm not saying this goes for you, Mary Madeleine, but I think I have seen how certain people can get along with their pets and say, oh how great it is that their animals love them "unconditionally"; yet, these people can not love other people unconditionally. They can not hold up in close sharing and other relating with other humans, because they have not become strong in Jesus love. And so, in order to keep from getting hurt and frustrated, they can isolate themselves with their pets.

But our true rest comes with Jesus and how He has us learn how to submit to God and how to love any and all people >

"'Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.'" (Matthew 11:29)

MaryMadeleine said:

Hi all!

I apologise for posting multiple times in the last couple of days but as I lack any Christian friends, I'm hoping you're the best people to ask!

Firstly, I would like to ask... is it okay to pray for animals? I have two wonderful pets who I love very much and care a lot about. Recently, one was very sick and I prayed for the first time and she got through her illness when the vet suggested she may not (she is a bunny!). Although I had some faith before, this really opened it up for me.
So I include my animals and those of others in my prayers regularly and just wondered if this was okay?

Secondly, kind of following on... the reason I love my pets so much is mainly because I do not want to have children. This isn't due to health reasons or anything else but is and always has been my personal choice. Can I gain some Christian views on this please? Is it okay to not have children in the Christian faith because it is a personal preference?

Many thanks for any readers and responders! God bless.

Click to expand...

God says to be fruitful and multiply. As our society drifts away from the Christian faith it has been consumed by confusion. Homosexuality and all of this transgendered stuff is one form of that confusion. I believe the replacement of children with pets is another form of it. If you want to pray for your sick animal there isn't anything wrong with that. But to declare you don't want children and to then essentially replace kids with pets is wickedness, or at least it is in some circumstances.

One thing you said caught my attention: you used the phrase "my personal choice" with regard to having children. There is no problem here really, but I suppose maybe a caution.

Let's say hypothetically that God's true will for you is to have children of your own. If that is true and you go with your personal choice instead you may find yourself dealing with consequences later in life.

Having said that, I have no idea if having children is God's will for you or not. I guess this is just a general caution to consider the Lord's leading to be more important than your personal choice in your decisions.

Forgive me if any of that was offensive to you. I mean no disrespect or insult. God bless you.

I don't think it's sinful to pray for animals or specifically your pets. God cares about all living things and He cares about the things that you are concerned with in your life.

As for kids, I don't think everyone needs to have children. Especially if they really don't want to be a parent. There are some people that shouldn't be parents. Pray about this alone and with your husband- you both need to be in agreement with what you think God is leading you to do. Children deserve to be wanted. Do what God wants for your life and your family. I do not think there is a Biblical mandate for all believers to have physical biological children. Just be sure of your choice, once you have a child; you are a parent for life- you can't take a break or return it because it's not what you expected or wanted. You then have a responsibility to be as good of a parent as you can be.

glad your bunny got through illness

You can pray for animals, God saved them during the flood that happened in Genesis and He didn't destroy Nineveh for their sake as well as that of children.

The fact is that having children doesn't have to be a biological process, Jesus had no biological father on earth but was adopted by Joseph in fulfilment of God's promise to David who is an ancestor of Joseph. This shows that God recognises adoption too. Even if you chose not to have children, let it be according to God's will for you life, God bless

MaryMadeleine said:

Hi all!

I apologise for posting multiple times in the last couple of days but as I lack any Christian friends, I'm hoping you're the best people to ask!

Firstly, I would like to ask... is it okay to pray for animals? I have two wonderful pets who I love very much and care a lot about. Recently, one was very sick and I prayed for the first time and she got through her illness when the vet suggested she may not (she is a bunny!). Although I had some faith before, this really opened it up for me.
So I include my animals and those of others in my prayers regularly and just wondered if this was okay?

Secondly, kind of following on... the reason I love my pets so much is mainly because I do not want to have children. This isn't due to health reasons or anything else but is and always has been my personal choice. Can I gain some Christian views on this please? Is it okay to not have children in the Christian faith because it is a personal preference?

Many thanks for any readers and responders! God bless.

Click to expand...

I do not have anything to offer on the topic of children.

On pets, though, I have had many cases where the Father answered prayer for them. He loves them more than we do! Years ago a dog of ours was hit by a car. The vet said to have her put down. My sister say, no, sometimes animals recover. Well I prayed for that. The dog did recover and had no outward signs of the accident, like arthritis as the vet said could occur.

When we brought the dog back, walking fine, the vet showed us an X Ray explaining why he did not think the dog would live or ever be functional. Really, I couldn't read the X Ray but didn't care. The dog was good to go and that was what mattered. She lived a normal life.

I always tell people about Dean Braxton. In a CBN vid - they examined the medical documentation for 6 months before reporting it - you can see a doctor from ER in a hospital saying that Braxton was "really, really dead" and that "It is a mirace...a miracle" that he is now alive and healthy. Why? Because in the hospital Braxton had no heart beat and no respiration for 1 3/4 hours!

In other vids Braxton said that while he was in Heaven he was surprised to see many animals there - especially horses for some reason! - including former pets.

The Father loves aniamls. Yes, you can pray for them. Absolutely.

Oh I just read your post over and thought I would add another point, on contraception. I am not saying it is evil, just addressing birth control pills. It is my understanding that they are what are called abortifacients. That is, they abort the fertilized egg, at least sometimes. Something to think about.

Also, birth control pills are not really healthy for your body as they interfere with its natural cycles. Beware.

Proverbs 12:10 says The righteous care for the needs of their animals,
but the kindest acts of the wicked are cruel.
So yes, it's okay to pray for animals. I pray for my cat, and other animals sometimes, not trying to brag. No hard feelings.

LoricaLady said:

It is my understanding that they are what are called abortifacients. That is, they abort the fertilized egg, at least sometimes.

Click to expand...

When does the egg get aborted exactly? When it implants into the uterine wall or before conception?

MaryMadeleine said:

Hi all!

I apologise for posting multiple times in the last couple of days but as I lack any Christian friends, I'm hoping you're the best people to ask!

Firstly, I would like to ask... is it okay to pray for animals? I have two wonderful pets who I love very much and care a lot about. Recently, one was very sick and I prayed for the first time and she got through her illness when the vet suggested she may not (she is a bunny!). Although I had some faith before, this really opened it up for me.
So I include my animals and those of others in my prayers regularly and just wondered if this was okay?

Secondly, kind of following on... the reason I love my pets so much is mainly because I do not want to have children. This isn't due to health reasons or anything else but is and always has been my personal choice. Can I gain some Christian views on this please? Is it okay to not have children in the Christian faith because it is a personal preference?

Many thanks for any readers and responders! God bless.

Click to expand...

Nothing wrong with that! Perhaps it isn’t God’s Will for you, or maybe it is. Time will reveal His goodness!
Also, I’ve always wanted a little animal! Specifically a bunny!
I want to Pray for it but I’m not since my family has allergies.