I’ve decided to abandon the miracle novena on day 29 (petition day 2), because none of my prayers have been answered, it’s only gotten worse. I’ve been supplicating to Mary for over a year, but the more I pray, the worse things get. Dozens of novenas, daily rosaries and many other devotions, so many prayers, all for naught. I’m all the lesser, if anything. I had hundreds of petitions, all unanswered. I can no longer find the strength in me to continue praying. Even holding the rosary now feels like a chore. Supplicants to Mary, please share your answered supplications. I need some encouragement. I am also doing the impossible novena and the perpetual 3 hail mary novena, and honestly I feel like I should abandon them too. Someone told me this happened because I prayed to Mary and not Jesus. I don’t know what to believe anymore
Suffering is an inevitable test of our faith — and what is important is our response to suffering. Suffering is the result of a broken world. The Christian response to suffering is not necessarily to welcome it, but to accept the reality of the trial and to our love of God above it.
This mastery over suffering is what Christ describes when He tells His disciples, “By your endurance you will possess your souls” (Luke 21:19) Speaking on this verse, Bishop Fulton Sheen spoke about the need for Christians to possess their souls: the possession of a soul means the undisturbed mastery of oneself. . . . Our Lord here meant patience in adversity, trial, and persecution. At the end of three hours on the Cross, He would so possess His soul that He would render it back to the Heavenly Father.
Christ’s entire earthly life was an act of self-oblation, culminating in His offering of Himself on the Cross. Likewise, every Christian is called not merely to imitate Christ’s sacrifices, but to imitate His complete self-giving. In this sense, sacrifice is the practice of self-oblation, while suffering becomes the opportunity to love as God loves.
It is not wrong to be upset, frustrated, or to cry out to God. Christ Himself prayed and lamented from the Cross, while also forgiving and entrusting Himself to the Father. His suffering did not cease to be painful, but His love transformed it into the instrument of our salvation. By grace, we may unite our sufferings to His and allow Him to make them fruitful in charity, without neglecting appropriate efforts to seek healing, protection, justice, and support. I am empathetic to your needs and have prayed for your well being.
Some things that potentiate any prayer in general (not referring to that particular case):
Stat of grace (no unconfessed mortal sin, including not going to Sunday Mass)
Daily Mass
Praying with others
The prayer of the innocent (children and disabled)
Pilgrimage
Mortification
Spiritual and corporal mercy works
Anyone could think of any others?
Prayer is not magic. I caution Christians on treating Prayer as such. Prayer is a conversation with God. And Prayers of petition are inviting others (here on earth or those in Heaven) to Pray with and for us.
The Bible warns against Praying a certain amount, thinking that the number of Prayers will grant you a wish (and I’m not saying that you are Praying in that way), but Christian Prayer is not like that.
God told us a Parable about a woman who was persistent in her ask and God wants us not to give up Praying to Him, simply because we are not getting an answer. It is not about a certain number of times we ask Him, but rather that we do not stop Praying.
I Pray that God’s will be done, while also sharing with God my will. This is how I Pray and I trust that my Father in Heaven knows more than I do. And that in the end, we will see that He was right and just.
Hope this helps : )
We are to be persistent in our prayer, but that assumes a pure heart and mind. Do not presume an answer, especially a specific answer, but rather put your trust in whatever answer God delivers. Prayer is a conversation, which is a two way discourse, so God expects us to listen. The replies are often delivered through others or in writing or directly through the Holy Spirit, but we must be able to discern them. All prayer must be virtuous and preferably selfless, unless it is requesting God to increase our virtue. Finally God exists outside of time so don’t watch the clock.
A few weeks ago, when the Gospel reading was about the Samaritan woman rebuffed by Jesus, who told her that He was sent to the house of Israel, the priest in his sermon said that the story teaches us three things: take your problems to Jesus; if God seems silent, trust in Him; persist in prayer.
I just wanted to let you know that I am still thinking of you and praying for you.
thank you ever so kindly
St. Thérèse of Lisieux stated the following during a severe period of spiritual dryness and trial in her Prayer life, “Jesus isn’t doing much to keep the conversation going,” but she persevered and discovered “the little way.” Keep the faith! : )
Complete abandonment of desires for oneself and praying as Jesus did in Luke 22:42;
Father, if You are willing, take this cup away from Me. Yet not My will, but Your will, be done.
Devotions are important, but Brother Lawrence wrote about prayer in his book, The Practice of the Presence of God, and suggested that the more fundamental prayer was the mind’s heart continual turning toward God. Have you ever tried Lectio Divina?