Dear God,
I’ve noted that people have the tendancy to point their finger at you, and blame you for their suffering.
I’ve noted we as a human race have the tendancy to have the wrong perception of exactally who or what you are. You are God. We see wars, violence, violation, abuse, and more and wonder how on earth could you allow this to happen? I prayed the other week about this. I said awful things to you, and you awnsered back: “God is not responsible for others will to choose, abuse, and more. God is not responsible for others actions.” I took the time to contemplate that. I took the time to realize that we wrongly accuse God for our sufferings.
Life may be a challenge, but we chose this. You are the biggest mystery of all. You are the only thing that is infinite. You always exsisted, and you will always exsist. I love you God. I am sorry for accusing you of the horrible things that have happened in my life. I’m looking around and noticing that a lot of others do it as well. We are blaming you for things you never caused. I know as a person we can only learn from our sufferings. We can only unite as a human race… we can transmute our sufferings and under that is love, healing, evolution, and respect… whatever is under that is a gift. a diamond in the rough, a pearl made from abrasive sand. We have the power to turn “water into wine.” I have a question God. and I wonder… does it hurt you to be wrongly accused? Do you feel pain? Do you ever get sad?
Even though you know why we percieve you wrongly, and you’re so understanding that you get it, do you ever get upset that we as a human race wrongly accuse you? Do you ever get sad? I know you feel compassion. I pray that one day we as a human race grasp a deeper understanding of you. That we get it, and look around and notice the beauty, and the love that is you. I pray for world peace, and I pray for deep healing, I pray for your forgiveness for wrongly accusing you, and the situation you had to watch me go through. I pray for “forgetfulness,” and love. I pray for your protection, and I pray for help.
Amen.
Stephanie - CA/USA
February 19th, 2009 at 6:36 am
I am encouraged by your prayer - and I thought I would give my understanding of this aspect of God. I think the key is to understand that God loves humanity, which is someting many people don’t understand when they see evil in the world. When you are in love with somebody, you want what is best for them, and you want them to have the freedom to choose, even if they choose somebody else. I think that God created us to choose whether or not to reciprocate his love, because it would have been unloving if he forced us to love him back and do his will. Most of the time we don’t. Most of the time we choose to make ourselves our god and live only for personal happiness. But the sad irony is that living for self never brings us lasting happiness. This si what leads to evil in the world. But I agree with you that God works through our sufferings to help grow and learn to love him and others.
So in answer to you question - yes, I think that God is saddened and hurt when we reject him to do our own thing, and when we hurt one another. I think it must be like having an unfaithful spouse multiplied by 5 billion! Only God’s perfect love for us keeps him from wiping us all out!
I join you in your prayer.
February 25th, 2009 at 10:33 pm
I don’t “blame” god for the problems in my life or the sufffering going on in the world I just ask why he lets it happen. I read through these colums and watch the news and I see people hurt about cancer or rape and hurtful things like that and alot of christians just reply with is always “god has a plan for you” but I don’t understand why he just lets things keep hurting us. If he is such a loving god than what about the homeless on the street the families suffering in war stricken countries. What happens to them? Most of them don’t get to hear about the STORY of god so when they die, do they go straight to hell beacause they’ve never had the chance to learn?
God has so many rules and regulations for us but evan if we follow them or sin sometimes we still go through pain in our lives.
for the last 5 years I have gone through so much at school and at home that I thought about suicide a hell of a lot and im sure other people who have gone through torment have felt the sane thing. Myself prayed to god every night and every morning and he never answered my prayers by helping me through it that has shaken my faith
He has so many rules and regulations for us in the bible and the simplest things will make us be frowned apon evan if its just homosexuality or abortion, we still go to hell if we commit those sins.
I only believe in a higher power not just one god
I don’t see how one man can save us when he isn’t evan helping us now when we need him the most
Don’t answer for god
February 27th, 2009 at 7:47 am
Bravo, I think you nailed it! I join in on this prayer too, I believe that it is not God the “lets” this happen it is our free will and the evil in others. Keep spreading the word and know that God love us all, even if we have hurt him. Blessed be.
March 1st, 2009 at 2:56 pm
To Stephanie I join you in this beautiful prayer and Travis well said : A+
Just to share, I too once reflected on this, asked God in prayer and I know the answer I got was his and now I pray everyday on what he has enlightened me.
He said that so many of us only remember and care for people around our inner radius, ( self, family, work etc ) and as the radius get wider we feel less and less in care and concern eg we have little feeling for the suffering of human kind elsewhere eg Africa, Bangladesh etc. How true it is for me ! I see it on TV, I feel a little sad but it did not reach the depth of my soul. ( in comparison to how I feel if my mother was very sick for example ). Multiply that by the many like me and we get a fairly uncaring world.
So who is actually praying daily for these people around the world who are in desolation, deprived, despised, destitute, despair, depressed, destroyed in spirit and dying? Grace and blessings are God’s currency and prayers delivers them. That is why God wants us to pray and cry out for these forgotten children of God.
I know that physical aid and money is essential for the starving but the Might of God stems from the goodness of our hearts. His blessings through our prayers can be realised through strong or revived Government action, truly delivering aid for the cause and also through many other channels.
I do have alot more that I have heard from God but this relates most to this prayer.
Trevor says is so aptly : “Most of the time we choose to make ourselves our god and live only for personal happiness. But the sad irony is that living for self never brings us lasting happiness. This is what leads to evil in the world.”
Today, I meditate on their suffering and pray daily for them and many others - something I seldom do before until God reminded me of how the world sees its destruction ( wars, Tsunamis , burnings , floods etc ) by the accumulation of global sins due to OUR own actions eg uncaring, greed, self interest and a host of other bible stated sins.
For many of us, our suffering is painful ( based on our standards ) and we wonder why God never respond. If we reflect, many people elsewhere in the world also suffer and suffer more in comparison. We had little or no compassion for them and yet expected God to act on our every call.
Give generously and you will get your reward in abundance. Sincere prayer time for others is a great way of giving too.
To Jen :- I hope your prayers day and night are not all about yourself. If you pray to the GOd you do not have full faith in and know him as a higher power, should God respond earnestly when you know him before by name ?.
Sometimes it helps to ask the question, what should God respond to me?
If you pray correctly day and night and get no respond from God, do seek others to pray for you and your cause. You will be amazed what comes out of it. God Bless.
March 3rd, 2009 at 12:43 pm
Wow. I so love your post. Especially the way you ask God if He ever get sad… I know I always make Him feel sad for all the things I’ve done. But then His love is amazingly present all the time.
Such powerful prayer. God bless your heart.
March 8th, 2009 at 8:29 am
Dear Jen,
I know you asked us not to answer for God, I feel I must. Sometimes God chooses to speak through people. You need to know that the only thing God wants from us is our love. Our love for him, love for our neighbors, love for friends and family, even love for our enemies. No matter what sin you have committed, abortion, homosexuality, or even murder, God will forgive you. He doesn’t like it when His children do wrong, but He will forgive us for it and love us anyway. He doesn’t let anybody go through life without hearing His story, He loves them to much to let them. There are babies and little children who are to young to understand any of it when they die, He lets them into Heaven and grants them everlasting life. And that man you spoke of, all you have to do is believe in Him and one day, when your free of the burdens of this world, He will ask you to live with Him forever in Heaven. No matter how much you have done wrong, you will go and live forever in peace if you just believe in the Son of God.
March 15th, 2009 at 3:28 am
For Jen — I hope you have found some peace since you wrote your comment. Like Corey, I believe that God sometimes uses other people to relay his messages. I think it becomes a blessing to both the sender and the receiver. I hope this is true for you.
So, my message is this: God loves you so much that he sent Jesus to do three things, (1) to teach us who God is and what He wants for us and from us (love and faithfulness), (2) to sacrifice His own life in order to pay for our sins (past, present and future), and (3) to be raised from the dead in order to defeat death, itself. And by defeating death, He proved (and testified) that He can and will raise us up as well.
The Bible teaches that there is only one unforgivable sin, and that is blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. The Ten Commandments were established by God to let us know what sin is, and that we are powerless to its lure without God’s help (Jesus). So…don’t think that even the most devout Christian is without sin. And don’t think that one sin is greater or lesser than another in God’s eyes. God didn’t set all these rules thinking we were going to be able to perfectly follow all of them…He was telling us what it would take to be acceptable to Him. Then He sent His Son to be the sacrificial lamb so that through Jesus we are acceptable to God; because we believe and confess our need for His salvation and forgiveness. Essentially, that means we admit to God that we are unable to be sinless, we realize we need someone to act in our place, and we accept by faith that Jesus is that someone.
That is not to say that if we believe in Jesus we are free to live an intentionally sinful life. Even Satan knows that Jesus is truth. What lets us know that we belong to Jesus through salvation is our ever changing heart and mind. Little-by-little we become convicted by the Holy Spirit of our sins and we develop a desire to do things differently because we realize that we are hurting ourselves, others, and especially the One who suffered and died in our place, and to Whom we will one day be face-to-face. Keep in mind that the only forgiven sin is that which is confessed (you acknowledge that it is sin and ask for forgiveness, and then turn away from it). You will develop a desire to please the One who will be taking you to an eternity in Heaven with God. You won’t become perfect in this life, but you will want to try to be more like Jesus, and the Holy Spirit will help you to move toward that goal.
Now that we are saved by faith in Jesus, those same rules become a standard for us to try to live up to as acts of our faith. Further, He promises that if you will follow his rules, you will have the abundant life He came to give you. Note, He did not promise there would be no trials or temptations. But, He does say that with every temptation, He would provide a way out (i.e., there will be “signs” or that little internal voice that tells you what you are contemplating is wrong and will hurt you and others.). Also, although by confession and repentance (turning away from sin), you are forgiven, that does not mean you are not accountable and won’t suffer consequences for your wrong actions. Remember that you have free will. That means God will not stop you from doing anything you are determined to do. He will give you alternatives and warnings through various means, but if you resist and are hard-headed (or your heart is hardened), He will not stop you, even if that means harm to you or others. Although that seams contrary to a loving God, it actually defines love. Think about it…would you force someone against their will and then call yourself loving them? Mind you, I refer to people of an age of accountability, not little children who need to be taught. By the way, the mistakes (both intentionally and unintentionally) should serve as lessons to both yourself and others.
Sorry to go on so long, but I hope you can see that God really does love you. If you will open your heart to Him and open His word (The Bible) to you, He will reveal so much more truth to you. And you will heal and experience a more positive, joyful life.
In ending, know that I care because I’ve been there…Be well
March 23rd, 2009 at 4:21 am
hallo
all these question are very often heared from many people
the first steep is how you can understand is god..god is not the saler of bussness things in corner of our street
but is something spiritual deeper and outside of hummans activities
it is in you how closer you are in god ,god never leave a soul but hummans left god and they try to make an other world
because they beleve that with monay and glory you can take everything
and always help ,perhaps is a friendly voice ,a hand that brace in a time..i lover who gives you love and many others,
now is in you how use your life..so is all even someone have moany it is how spend this monay,
also a goverment it is how people beleve and how far are from god..
you know what god say..if all do what did he said..no more wars no more fears..so all that happend because most people are faraway from real god..because they say my life my freedom..and do not touch your freedom
April 19th, 2009 at 4:43 pm
MAN isn’t rensponsible for WORLD HUNGER. God is - with the floods and everything.
June 17th, 2009 at 9:23 am
Thought I’d throw this out there:
“This is one of the best explanations of why God allows pain and suffering that I have seen…
A man went to a barbershop to have
his hair cut and his beard trimmed.
As the barber began to work, they began to have a good conversation.
They talked about so many things and various subjects.
When they eventually touched on the subject of God, the barber said:
“I don’t believe that God exists.”
“Why do you say that?” asked the customer.
“Well, you just have to go out in the street to realize that God doesn’t exist. Tell me, if God exists, would there be so many sick people? Would there be abandoned children? If God existed, there would be neither
suffering nor pain. I can’t imagine a loving God who would allow all of these things.”
The customer thought for a moment,
but didn’t respond because he didn’t want to start an argument.
The barber finished his job and the customer left the shop.
Just after he left the barbershop, he saw a man in the street with long, stringy, dirty hair and an untrimmed beard.
He looked dirty and unkempt. The customer turned back and entered the barber shop again and he said to the barber:
“You know what? Barbers do not exist.”
“How can you say that?” asked the surprised barber. “I am here, and I am a barber. And I just worked on you!”
“No!” the customer exclaimed. “Barbers don’t exist because if they did, there would be no people with dirty long hair and untrimmed beards, like that man outside.”
“Ah, but barbers DO exist! That’s what happens when people do not come to me.”
“Exactly!” affirmed the customer. “That’s the point! God, too, DOES exist! That’s what happens when people do not go to Him and don’t look to Him for help.
That’s why there’s so much pain and suffering in the world.”"