www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life Prayer In need of prayer

Dear friends,

Over the past several years the Lord has been faithfully working in my life to bring me out of myself into a more wholesome and life-giving relationship with Himself and His people. I am not the man I was just a few short years ago. Yet there are some significant hurdles to overcome yet.

I have, in particular, a bad sinful habit that i have not been able to break. I have good success and then fall in the mud again and wallow for a while. Your prayers for the final breaking of this practice would be greatly appreciated. I have a wonderful group of friends who can and do support me as I work through this and a great confessor as well who offers good sound advice. Yet I believe I am in need of more than that. I have tried unsuccessfully to break this habit for many many years and have come to know that I cannot do so by myself, no matter how much good advice and support I have. I need prayer. I believe the Holy Scripture which tells us that the "fervent prayer of a righteous man (or woman) avails much" and that the surest means of salvation is for somone to interceed for us before the face of God.

Please remember me.

Jason a sinner

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, take our brother Jason into your arms, while loving him - teach him to love himself. Most Holy Theotokos pray for your son Jason that he may grow in grace, wisdom, and understanding of our Lord's love and forgiveness him. As the old hymn says;

Just as I am, without one plea,
But that Thy blood was shed for me,
And that Thou bidst me come to Thee,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

Just as I am, and waiting not
To rid my soul of one dark blot,
To Thee whose blood can cleanse each spot,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

Just as I am, though tossed about
With many a conflict, many a doubt,
Fightings and fears within, without,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

Just as I am, poor, wretched, blind;
Sight, riches, healing of the mind,
Yea, all I need in Thee to find,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

Just as I am, Thou wilt receive,
Wilt welcome, pardon, cleanse, relieve;
Because Thy promise I believe,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

Just as I am, Thy love unknown
Hath broken every barrier down;
Now, to be Thine, yea, Thine alone,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

Just as I am, of that free love
The breadth, length, depth, and height to prove,
Here for a season, then above,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come!

Jason:

Don't give up. Years ago my spiritual director told me that the just man falls seven times a day. So the rest of us shouldn't feel so badly when we fall more times. It is in the "picking oneself up" and asking for forgiveness from Our Lord Jesus Christ that we find out what we are made of.

The other night I watched a talk by Fr. John Corapi (sp?) on EWTN. He made a remark about the temptations to sexual sin. He quoted the Desert Fathers wherein an old man told a novice that this sort of temptation would cease THREE DAYS AFTER ONE IS IN THE GRAVE!!!!! The point is that some trials will be with us as long as we live; some bad habits may be with us as long as we breathe.

Another bit of advice that comes to mind from one of my spiritual directors is that the Lord is more pleased with the continued struggle to turn back to Him time and again than with our own success in overcoming trials and bad habits.

Hang in there. It is when we are most needy that the Lord is the closest. I've come to the conclusion that it is when we are totally emptied out--when we have come to the point where we cannot seem to get out one more ounce of struggle--that there will be room for the Lord to come into our lives, pick us up, and direct our lives to where He wants us to go. Up to that point, there is too much of "us" to let Him have the direction of our lives that He wants.

In Christ,

BOB
____________________________________

O Lord, I know not what to ask of Thee. Thou alone knowest what are my true needs. Thou lovest me more than I myself know how to love. Help me to see my real needs, which are concealed from me. I dare not ask either a cross or consolation. I can only wait on Thee. My heart is open to Thee. Visit me and help me, for Thy Great Mercy�s sake. Strike me and heal me. Cast me down and raise me up. I worship in silence Thy Holy Will and Thine Inscrutable Ways. I offer myself as a sacrifice to Thee. I put all my trust in Thee. I have no other desire than to fulfill Thy Will. Teach me how to pray. Pray Thou Thyself in me. AMEN. (Metropolitan Philaret of Moscow)

Dear Jason,

Heartfelt prayers to Almighty God for help in overcoming whatever sin it is that is upsetting you like this.

Bob's post was very good and very helpful for all of us. We all struggle daily with something. We will always struggle until our final breath when having given proper focus on God, we will fall asleep hoping in His great mercy and the promise of His Resurrection.

Just remember the famous 'Prayer of the Heart', (I have heard it referenced even on EWTN a few times) or the 'Blessing' as it is called in Greek:

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner.

With sisterly love in Christ,
Alice

Glory to Jesus Christ!

Dear Jason,

I will pray for you and ask for your prayers for me. I have been a Catholic for just over nine years now, but still head to the confessional to confess the same habitual sins that have plagued me all my life.

Keep your chin up and know that God loves you and so do your brothers and sisters in Christ!

Sam

I think most of us are tempted in areas specific to ourselves. A priest once told me to approach whatever the temptation is like this. He said to tell Christ that He knows you are tempted to do this and that you have a particular weakness in whatever it is. Ask Christ to walk with you, speak to your heart, tell you a better way to look at it, show you ways to deal with it, how to make it better, how to improve on it and how to become a better Christian and a better person.

Jason...

You know I am 'in your corner' for whatever troubles you. Whatever this habit may be - I pray fervently for you. And I will also pray that if the God Lord decided that this thorn remain - that it does not break your spirit.

May the good Lord look into your heart and recognise that - it is enough. "My Lord - what further good will this cross do? Nothing my God - it has lowered me to theground and I fear I can not get up. What good does it do you or me Lord - that I die in the dust where the dead can not praise you? Be - God - and save me not for my sake - but for your sake. Show us all - that you are indeed God of all things."

We are only human and he needs to help us.

As always - I too ask for your prayers from some one as valiant as you. Don't count how many times you fall - count how many times you get up and begin again I am sure that is the way he counts it.

-ray

My dear friends,

Your gracious words are a balm to my soul.

Jason