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How do you respond when a loved one asks you to pray for them? This is an actual group text from my sister to me and my siblings asking us to pray for her husband.

Hi there, I want you all to know that Chris has been experiencing health issues with his lung and now possibly with his heart. Thursday he is having a procedure to find out more. Please pray for a positive outcome. I love you all.

Shelton 8 Sep 17
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58 comments (51 - 58)

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1

I give them medical advice.

1

I experience that all the time. People often ask you to pray for a whole lot of different things. I just interpret the situation as them wanting to hear words of solace and assurance. I usually say something along the lines of: "Sure! I'm sure everything will be fine and if there's anything I can do, I'm here for you". I think it's best if you make sense of this message in terms of the bigger picture and not take it at face value.

0

If I like or care about the person, I say thank you and let it go, after weighing the situation and if any positive conversation can be had I might ask them which god they are praying too... if I don't know them or like them I will say something like thanks I'll think for you.

0

Nobody in my family would make such a silly request.

0

Why do you have to respond at all to a group text?

GwenC Level 7 Sep 17, 2018
0

there at peace now not hurting anymore.

0

I usually respond with, "I do hope all goes well for them...this us such a hard time for you...call me if you need a shoulder." That covers you for the empathy and says nothing about any sky god...and offers path that is non-combative which at that moment is really needed. The ones that get me are the ones that send me "prayer chain requests" for some random thing they pulled off the net... REALLY? And keep in mind these people KNOW that isn't gonna happen...but they just can't seem to accept reality(which seems to be both symptom AND problem if that's possible) ... What I really want to respond with is, "sure, I'll pass that shit on to the trees and the grass and the stars and the moon for you!" They just don't get it...and there better not be a prayer request about the Orange Obscenity in The White House...I WILL LOSE. MY. SHIT!
If I'm caught up close and personal and have to do the "prayer circle" BS ... I just link up and say nothing...and maybe think of some of the beautiful places I've been or the best lovers I've known...that keeps it in perspective for me...
If someone is really hurting I am there as a shoulder...if they are being obnoxious and disrespectful they will get a mirror.
Namaste

0

i have to say, not in direct response to your question but in response to a response that for some reason has no reply button on it, that when i have a problem and i communicate it, i really hate when people say they're sure everything will be fine. how do they know? i mean, if it's obviously a case of my insecurity about something, sure, that's reassuring, but if it's a medical issue, or a financial issue, no, there is no reason to say it will all be fine, and yet people say it, meaning to be reassuring. even strangers will do this. i find it horrifying.

g

I hear you, but of course I don't know whether everything would be fine or not. It's a cultural thing, I guess. Where I come from, people almost never ask for a prayer to hear a realistic response. They just wanna communicate their concern and hear that you're in that situation with them. That's what I meant when I said not to take things at face value.

@Darius77 because i would find it the opposite of comforting, i cannot say "it's going to be all right" (except perhaps to a child). i do try to be comforting. i just can't be comforting with THAT assurance.

g

@genessa
That's how I feel about it, too. I just posted a comment the other day bashing the whole idea of praying after a natural disaster. But this isn't about me or you. If I knew about your background, I would never say anything like that to you. We're talking about people who believe praying works and are practically begging for you to say "everything is going to be all right".

@Darius77 i try to find a way to be comforting without lying to them 🙂)

g

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