Thought for the Day

"Prayer is a great blessing if practiced in a proper inner state and if we teach ourselves to give thanks to God-both when we receive what we ask and when we do not receive it. For when He gives, and when He does not give, He does it for your good. Thus, when you receive what you ask, it is quite clear you have received it; but when you do not receive it, you also receive, because you thus do not receive what is undoubtedly harmful for you. And not to receive what is harmful means to be granted what is useful. So whether you receive what you ask or not, give thanks to God in the belief He would have always given us what we ask were it not often better for us not to receive it."

-Saint John Chrysostom

Comments

Anonymous said…
This is a hard saying.
12/04/2009 3:44 PM
The Archer of the Forest said…
Yes, it is, George. But then Prayer never is easy.
12/04/2009 4:55 PM
Anonymous said…
I think it is the challenge of 'accepting' both positions. To be comfortable enough in our faith when sharing with someone who does not believe that we are happy to recieve or not recieve .... to a cynical person it would look like we are covering our bets both ways.

Guess that is why you cant explain faith.
12/04/2009 5:44 PM
The Archer of the Forest said…
True. It could appear that way to a cynic. But then a simple answered prayer would be written off by a skeptic.
12/04/2009 7:19 PM
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