Is it wrong to pray for death?

[rosemary]

It’s wrong to pray for death you need to pray for live. Remember our God is the God of the living but not the death.

John 12:25 he who loves his life loses it and who hates his life in this world will keep it for the eternal life.

Psalms 103:14 for he knows our frame, he remembers that we are dust.

Hosea 11:5-8 and Jeremiah 9:23

 

[Jeremy1979]

UPDATE!

I have recently had my eyes opened by God through the use of
Hupomone10! I thank everyone here for adding to the discussion as well! It really helped a lot!

Through a few messages back and forth between myself and Hupomone10, I have found a reason as to why I was feeling those "rollercoaster" of emotions. Now that I have figured out WHY I had been feeling this way recently, I now have the ability to combat it!

As for my feelings now? I will never stop looking to the sky for His return. That's something that I will look forward to until He delivers us, but my feelings have shifted. I no longer pray for death. After being shown scripture such as John 10:10, I now know for a fact that He wants us to enjoy our lives. I felt that He probably did before, but I never knew of scripture that backed it up. I don't think my feelings of going home will ever change because of how bad I want to be in His kingdom. There are powerful verses in Revelation that tell us how wonderful Heaven is:

3And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. 4And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. (Revelation 21:3-4)

The difference for me now is, I now know that God wants us to enjoy our lives and spread His Word to as many people as possible. The way I think about it comparitively is this:

Trying to go to Heaven before it's your time is like wanting to eat your dessert before your vegetables!

 

[kimmyh51]

glad you are feeling better. I remember a talk in church that said

"To live is Christ and to die is gain"

I take that to mean that to live (on earth) is doing something similar to what Christ did, he came down from the perfection of heaven and lived in this less than perfect world with this less than perfect us, then suffered the ultimate sacrifice

And all Christians know that Jesus had one very important ultimate reason for putting himself through that - to save as many people as he could, so that when he returned to heaven, as many lives as possible, were taken out of darkness into light.

Me personally, though I am not suicidal, feel as though Gods given me a lot, and I have not earned it (and never can/will) but the longer I am here on earth, the more chance that I will do something (even accidentally) that might save someone else

and if that for my whole life is just one person, then its worth it...

So Jeremy I would say to you, and anyone else here, to think on that, and remember that the reason you are here, when things suck, is not to torture you, but to give you every opportunity there is to reach that person out there - that person who is walking in darkness and who has maybe heard it all before more than once

but who has not heard it quite the way you can put it

Thats why you are here... because we are all individual people, and who we are, and our life experiences today, along with our opinions, characteristics, feelings, etc - all those things are totally unique to us, and who knows but that something you say, really hits home with someone, even though others have tried to show that person the same thing over and over before, but something about you, your experiences, they can 'get' when they couldn't every other time.

I believe that's why every person on these boards is here

firstly because god loves you and does not want to lose you

and secondly - because there are things that are unique to you and you only - which god wants to use, to bring others to him, so that when you do go to paradise, you will have the joy of knowing that there are other people there, saved and in paradise for ever, that would not be, were it not for the word you said, the gesture.... some of them you may not even know you had that impact on, till you see them in heaven one day....

So know that you are here because god has some very important work that only you can do, that he has designed you to do.
And here is not your real home, its simply a place where you can help others find life and light.

 

[kimmyh51]

Oh and thats why we should not look for death till god sees fit to take us to it. God is not a torturer, or a maker of faulty plans, every single person who is here now, is here because god has plans for you, things that only you can do, and when they are done, he will call you to be with him. I hope anyone reading this, will take a moment christian or not, to ask god to reveal to them his purpose for you, and what makes you so special and unique to god, that he simply cannot carry out his plans for this world, without you being here to play the part he has created you for

 

[Skala]

The way I see it, when the Lord saves us, he could immediately take us home.

Yet he doesn't, and I think that is proof (among other proofs) that He intends to leave us here because He has things for us to do. The Bible is full of commandments for the Christian. We are commanded to serve the body of Christ, as well as those not in the Body (unbelievers). In doing so God is glorified because "They see our good works and glorify your Father in heaven".

We are meant to stay on earth and go through trials and temptations and in doing so we become more like Christ and we experience victory over sin. In short this is all part of the sanctification process, etc.

So it is probably wrong to want to "skip" this process here on earth because God intends for it to happen, as he's using it to mold us and shape us and use us to glorify Himself by producing fruit in us.

 

[Basil the Great]

Other than a person who is in extreme physical pain, I find it hard to justify praying for one's death.

 

[56Bluesman]

It happened 2,000 years ago? I'm confused

It did if you follow the eschatological school of thought known as preterism. There are different degrees and camps of preterism, and it's a subject that is worth a look at, as preterism in general has had something of a revival as of late. I am not a preterist by the way, but I've butted heads in theological debate with my fair share of them.

 

[HealedWings]

It seems to me that many persons' (even Christians') view of being happy centres primarily on material possession or some worldly perspective of happiness. I say this because having a beautiful family with love and commitment...why would someone want to leave them behind?
The other major question is, for someone to want to go home before his time, because he's not happy, isn't that saying that the purpose for them being on earth is ALL about them? With this attitude, what account would he then give of himself when he goes to heaven (as we all must do)? The harvest is plenteous but the labourers are few...Matt 9:37

 

[Anointed by God]

I've prayed for death a few times, and I don't think it's wrong. Any conversation with God is a good one, in my opinion. I suffer from mental illness and it can make me depressed to the point of attempting suicide, but i've never actually tried. I don't plan to, either, because I know i'd end up in Hell.

 

[brinny]

Is it wrong to pray for death?

It is not unusual for a child of God to ask for or seek death from our God. Elijah was so depressed he wanted to die. Job also wanted to die, he was in such dire straits. God reads the heart and sees what is behind those words, and he responds to what our heart cries are. Christians have, amidst inexplicable suffering, cried out for death throughout history. God sees the inexplicable suffering, and understands the motives behind the words. When we get a hint that any of our brothers are suffering to the extent of inexplicable-ness, we are to PRAY FOR THEM. They are suffering beyond what they can bear. PRAY FOR THEM.

Is it wrong? Maybe a better question might be what should i do if someone is crying out from the depths of a shattered soul, crying out for death?

One can suffer to such a degree that they cannot bear to go on. What do we do? We pray, right there on the spot, on their behalf, as soon as we hear of such suffering.

 

[HealedWings]

If someone has a mental problem, it is completely understandable for them do and say things that are often irrational.

 

[guitarjavi75]

blessings oz,

I read your post to jeremy and was touched by it. I felt like I needed to send you a PM but wasn't able to. Would you mind sending me a private message?

 

[savedfromdistruction]

Is there any scripture that tells you not to? I find myself praying to go home often. I know that John 12:25 says, "He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal." I pray for Jesus to return daily! The world just doesn't feel the same anymore. I can't seem to find any happiness in it and all I want to do is go home. I feel that we are very close to the end of times, but I wish it would start right now Haha!

Jeremy it depends on why the person is praying to be with the Lord. We are to be content and not be worrying. I think it is permissible to pray that the Lord take someone who is terminally ill. However for us as individuals to be seeking death just because we do not like how the world is going I would say that is sin.
I about praying for the Lord to return. His return is not the next thing on His agenda. What is coming next great and terrible suffering for the people of the world, not peace and happiness. So you would in a way be praying against the Lord's desires if you are seeking every day for Him to return as it is not going to happen according to the bible. Again the next thing is not His return but the suffering of the whole world in death and torment.
My suggestion to you is to find some way to serve the Lord, a ministry, so others can find peace and joy while waiting for Him to call them to Himself. You could just call others and wish them a Chrsit filled day and encourage them to walk with the Lord and offer to pray for them if they have any needs, that is a ministry. Perhaps then your mind will not be focused on yourself but on the Lord.