Fasting, Prayer

edited December 1969 in Faith Issues
Sorry to bother, but i always see parents forcing their kids, and grown family members to fast and pray and go to church. and ive always wondered, does it count with the Lord if someone is fasting just because they are being forced to ? (and i mean forcing like 18-22 year old people to fast and stand up and pray, and go to church)
thankyou in advance!
godbless

Comments

  •               +++


    neighbor,

      They r playing their role as parents. They used to feed u with force at times when u r a baby. They r doing this out of love and responsibilty. Do u want them to give u $ and go to cafes on Sundays? Do u want them to prepare a lamb for u on Lent?
      The person who tells u to go to Church is the one who loves u most in this world. They r like giving u a ticket to enter into the arms of God. There is nothing better than God. It does not matter if u came with a gun pointed at ur head. One day u will taste the love of God and u will wish that the whole world come to worship God.
      You might be angry at them now or bored. A day will come that u will miss their advice to come to the Church. What do u think is gained by running away from God? u will die both in spirit and in flesh. The devil will make u a toy. U will be a slave for someone who did not create u. This world is nothing but nothing at all. By having God beside u, u can win the world and be with God forever.
      About fasting, let alone for a Christian who is always in a constant war with the devil and his flesh but for a mere person it is really necessary. Fasting is like a map to find the hidden treasure of God inside u. Without fasting u will end up piling unnecessary things on urself to be burried unworthy.
      Try to build a good realtionship with God. God is not good just b/c ur parents said it. Try to find urself. Seek Him and know Him. Then only for once u will think that the time spent without God is really awful. What is the use of a creature without the Creator. The meaning of ur life is written by God. U r just nothing without Him.
      Fasting and going to Church is like the least requirement for u to be a Christian. So, just love ur parents and respect what they have to say always reading the Bible. Know God first and then it will be so joyful to be in a Church. When u r fasting remember the Lord who just did that and all the saints. There is no saint who does not fast. As a Christian it is really not an option but a default for u. When u see the fruits of fasting in ur life and in ur spirit, u will advice ur parents that they should increase their fasting time, break their fast with little, simple foods. It is like swimming, first u will feel cold and be afraid but afterwards u will just swim like a whale in the sea. Remember that God is always beside u in all the growth u r making.
    May God be with u with His holiest mother, St. Mary, His holiest angels, saints. Amen !!!
  • neighbor,

    I wouldn't want to try to speak for the Lord, but I think I have a helpful metaphor.  If those same people were being forced to exercise or to eat healthy, weather or not they wanted to, their bodies would still reap the benefits.

    I would venture to guess that they are still reaping some spiritual benefit, even though they don't want to.  I would also guess that they are developing habits of fasting and prayer that they will carry on and over the course of time they will discover the real benefits.

    George
  • What good advice this is. In my own life growing up as an evangelical we had no experience of fasting at all, although we did spend most of Sunday, and many evenings in Church. So I had a habit of being in Church which has remained with me, but I have had to learn to fast over 15 years and now I enjoy it and benefit much from every season of fasting.

    So I wanted to agree very much that even if all that is happening is that you are learning to fast and be in Church then these are good habits, though they need to be filled with faith to bring any great spiritual reward. How I wish I had created such habits as a youth, they are worth acquiring even if they feel and seem difficult to bear.

    In Christ

    Deacon Peter
  • You may be forced to do what is it your parents tell you to do..  You will be looked upon by people as religous.  but hence, that is not the point.  the Lord withh reward you out of the faith, love, kindness of your own heart and not your parents.  i think it is important to want to do it rather than be forced because it means much more.  The love of God should be from within u.  You must be willingly submitted. 
    Or else, it would counts just the same as not doing anything at all.
    +mahraeel+
  • thanks for ur replies! they've helped a lot! :)
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