by buffalosrfree 8 Replies latest jw friends
I sent this to a friend who told me he stlll attends meeting so that he can keep a close relationship iwith God> He admits to praying a lot and said as the dubs do that it draws him closer to God.
I asked him when you see someone in the park or the street or wherever with their head bowed, and mumbling, are they talking to God and drawing closer to him.
I also askew him to explain how praying to God draws him closer to God, because God doesn't talk back with you? any comments?
I didn't find that praying made me closer to god. Sometimes it had the opposite effect. Many times I prayed about something, and it wouldn't work out anyway. Often, if I did get the things I prayed for, it would work out to be a very bad thing in the long term. If there is a "god" out there, I'm not convinced he cares or even listens. It wasn't until I gave up on prayer and took responsibility for my own life that things began to work out.
Walter
Buff, I figured that since God doesn't hafta answer prayers I didn't hafta pray.....so I just talk to him and listen for his responses....
Frannie B
Our circuit overseer told us last week, that we pray for guidance and then read the Bible for the answers--that's God talking to us. But the thing is, where in the bible are you supposed to find the answer you prayed about? Or do you just sit down, and open your Bible to a page and expect the answer there?
Buff...
Your friend may be like I was way back when as a jw. I remember that praying made me feel closer to god. But, looking back now that I actually do feel closer to god, it was the act of praying that gave me comfort and and made me feel like I was close to god. But in fact, I really wasn't, it was just an action, sort of like going through the motions with a good heart. Sort of a good feeling, but no true results.
In another post, I mentioned a wise elder (now no longer elder for referring people to self help books) said that sometimes we have to give god something to bless to find answers. I agree with Walter, I took responsibility for my life and made other choices. But instead of "waiting on Jehovah" (...said with true jw nasal whine ....), I discovered answers to my prayers.
If I would ask that question to zealous brothers in my congregation, they would answer that they have a great relationship with God. They pray to him and God blesses them abundantly. They would say that God provides instructions and encouragement at the meetings. They would say that God provides them with good friends and a sure hope of eternal life in paradise.
I personally don't have a good relationship with God, because I don't see his organization anywhere. Even as a JW, I was never blessed. All I see is injustice, and deception.
To have a relationship with someone, there has to be some sort of communication and understanding.
Desiring a relationship with God and/or drawing closer to God, I feel is commendable. There is a certain movement into depths deeper than phenomenal. However, words like "relationship" and "drawing closer" imply that God, or the Source of all, is Itself --phenomenal, an object, a thing separate and apart from us which we must move closer to so we can have a relationship. We are taught this, programmed this from a very young age, and the world around us and the mess that it's in seems to support a God far away, if there even is such a thing. What if -- there is no such "thing"; no such thing as an objective God that we can have a relationship with, or drawn closer to? Perhaps God, is too big for that. Perhaps the only separation between us and our Source is within the imagined constructs of the mind. Perhaps the very thing that separates us from God is our belief that we are separate. If we look deep enough into the center of our Being we may find that we were never abandoned; and that our ideas of "relationship" and "drawing closer", only reinforce a false-sense of being apart. j
when i prayed, I believed it would bring me closer to Jehovah, instead the reality of it is, Jehovah doesn't care about me, I don't fit into his plans, and he abadonned me.
Blind faith, that's all you can say.
Here are some reasons why JW's don't have a realationship with God:
