Be careful what you pray for. What does it mean to you?

[Grizabella]

You know, I was just thinking a couple of days ago about a prayer I made when I was first sober. I asked my Higher Power to show me what he'd given to me that I do best and if He'd do show me what it was, that's what I'd do for the rest of my life even if it was just changing diapers. I had some big ideas what it might be He'd show me to do.

Well, I'm 66 years old and still changing diapers. During the interim when I didn't have to change a baby's diapers, I was changing adult diapers.

Changing diapers isn't a bad thing and I've dearly loved the person attached to every bottom I've kept clean and dry---especially the tiny ones----but there have been some hard lessons along the way, too that I prayed for and got.

And believe me, when I prayed that prayer, I had something quite a bit more glamorous and grandiose in mind that I was probably suited for than diapers.

How about you?

 

[VGimlet]

I wouldn't call it praying...wishing, for me.

Many years ago, when I had just gotten over the guy I'd been in love with all through high school, I made up a list of what I wanted in a husband/boyfriend. I then forgot about it. He would have to be smart, like to read, funny, into sports but not a fanatic, animal lover, kind to others, good but not odd relationship with his mom, social drinker/smoker only, quite a few requirements, some of which seemed pretty unrealistic.

My only two set in concrete at the top requirements, though, were that he not be younger than me, and NOT named Ken. (Being a Barbra IRL, and known to my family as Barbie....well, you know...)

Years later, long after I married Ken, my wonderful, 2 years younger husband, I ran across the list. It was pretty funny, because even the things he WASN'T when we met he became after we were married.

So, almost like "Here is the perfect guy for you, are you going to compromise????"

I am glad every day that I did.

 

[SatuGustafson]

It's a bit like "Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the law". Which sounds great and pretty easy like "Yay, from now on I will only do what I want". The problem is that most of the time we do not know what we want. We THINK we want something and when we have it, we find that it was only our idea of what we thought we wanted, if you know what I mean.

I have so often wished or prayed for things and then years later I think, "I'm glad it didn't come to pass". So now I add things like "if it is in everybody's best interest"...kind of like a prayer loophole.

Usually we don't know what is best for us. The old "Genie in a bottle granting three wishes" problem. What oh what to wish for...

 

[enchanted spirit]

I still keep wishing to win the lottery.

 

[Polyhymnia]

ohh we should be so very careful what we wish for. Last week my nieghbour commented that he would like some rain, within 24 hours the heavens opened and 60cms of rain fell. Their house was flooded, a river running through it!

I have found that if I "believe" that I really "want it", I receive it. Now, I am wary of what I wish for and how I ask for it. The power of manifesting is so very real and so very powerful.

 

[Glitterbird]

My favorite wish/prayer is for good health and happiness, I figure I can't screw too much up with that

 

[Mi-Shell]

What I always am careful of and teach my clients to stay away from is, what for lack of a better word I call the "negative effect"
like do NOT end up saying:
Oh dear god/Goddess/ Spirit please do not let me have cancer
.......................................... ........... let him get hurt or come home drunk again
.......................................... ............Y do not want to loose my job....
You get the Idea......
also:
Fretting is praying for something that you do NOT want to have.....

But also, once, years ago now- I prayed:
Please Great Mystery, let me be a good and true Medicine person and allow me to serve my community.............
Now.... ...
On the Solstice I rarely get to sit down and catch my breath... even when I myself an not quite well....
and sometimes the phone rings at 3.00 am ...
and.... and..... and.....


and....


and......

 

[caridwen]

I've never heard the expression be careful what you pray for. I've heard be careful what you wish for. I think it stems from sometimes what we want is not always good for us or what we need. That's what it means to me anyway

 

[poopsie]

When I wish for something, there are times I have not thought deeply about it. Now when I start praying for something, that's the more serious one.

This year, I prayed desperately hard for someone to donate a kidney to me. We have this Catholic Saint (St. Claire) and the Sacred Heart of Jesus (we are Catholic) where we offer offerings in the monastery chapel and we pray to for 9 days. There are nuns who also pray for you. My prayer was granted in 9 days ... this has always been true for me -- every time I pray in this monastery, it never fails -- we get our prayers in 9 days. Of course, I don't come here every time I pray -- I only go for the serious ones and in desperate conditions.

Wishing is something I may tend to be more afraid of sometimes especially if what I am wishing for is not pleasant (especially when I'm upset)... even if I do get the bright side of the pole, I am sure there's also the unpleasant side attached to it.

 

[Debra]

What I always am careful of and teach my clients to stay away from is, what for lack of a better word I call the "negative effect"
like do NOT end up saying:
Oh dear god/Goddess/ Spirit please do not let me have cancer
.......................................... ........... let him get hurt or come home drunk again
.......................................... ............Y do not want to loose my job....
You get the Idea......
also:
Fretting is praying for something that you do NOT want to have.....

Thanks for this.

I read somewhere that the unconscious mind does not process negatives, or it does not discriminate well between "this" and "not-this"--so you should always put things in the positive for at least this reason. I'm not sure if it's true psychologically but it makes sense to aim for the bright side

A few months ago a man passed out on a plane I was on. I was in the aisle seat beside his head when they laid him in the aisle to give him oxygen. After he came to consciousness, I saw he looked confused and scared so I held his hand. My natural impulse was to say "don't be scared, don't worry" and then I remembered about negative thinking so I just made eye contact and repeated "You'll be alright, people will take care of you." I don't know if it helped but I figure it couldn't hurt.

I've been surprised at how frequently my automatic way of phrasing things is negative ("It could be better" rather than "It's better than it was.") I have to fight it!



eta: Poopsie, what a blessing