Is a lying prayer worse than a selfish one?

[ChicanaRose]

I am going through rough times, and often get responses with what I should pray for. Things like strength to get through the situation, patience, etc. If I am truly honest, I don't want any of that. My heart's desire is for the painful situations to be removed. If I prayed for those things, I would be lying to God about what I want. I don't care what possible good could be gotten out of the problems. I no longer care what God wants to accomplish. I don't want his comfort. I just want them gone. So should I follow the advice and pray for what I don't want at all, for any reason, or stick with the more honest, but more selfish prayer?

It's okay to be honest with God. It's perfectly fine to ask God to lighten your burden. People in the Bible cried out to God for help.

But you can also pray, "God, if my prayer is not pleasing to you, then change my heart. These are my honest feelings before you right now, and I can't get myself to change it. So please send the Holy Spirit to work in my heart."

 

[ChicanaRose]

I was talking about the end of the book when God is talking to Job. If after all the pain, Job had asked why (which he did) and God had relied, "I had a bet with Satan about you.", Job would have walked away. I believe that is why God answered with the "shaming" questions, instead of straight up telling him.

I don't want my faith strengthened. My faith will be nothing but hurt by problems. To strengthen my faith I need relief. Problems erode my trust in God, because there are 2 possibilities: 1) He doesn't care and is unwilling, in which case why bother with him, 2) He is unable to fix it, again, why bother? My faith is dying because I need him to act to fix the problems, not strengthen me for them, comfort me through them, or anything of that nature.

You've been through a lot. The situations you describe shows that you are not someone who is complaining that little things didn't go your way. You have been placed in a real desperate situation.

Are you able to get any practical help from your church?

 

[LovebirdsFlying]

I did trust him. Then all this happened. His lack of protection and actual help (real help, not spiritual help which does absolutely nothing to help) destroyed that. My trust will NEVER get back to where it was. He made sure of that. If he wanted trust, love and praise from me, he needed to keep this from happening. Instead, this is his will.

Tell Him that. Give Him the whole load. Exactly how you feel. He can take it. Beat against His chest with your fists. He'll understand.

That's what someone told me, when I was facing horrible circumstances. I won't share that with you now, because you've got enough of your own to deal with. I don't know how *your* burden feels specifically, but I know burdens. I know that feeling of "God, why do You give me such wonderful things, and then turn right around and take them away from me? Are You trolling me or something? Do You just want to watch me hurt?" I was advised that it is OK to say that to Him. Tell Him you're mad at Him. Tell Him you don't feel like you can trust Him anymore. Yes, I advocate the honest prayer.