"Please pray for me to pass"...?

[RNsRWe]

As a frequent 'assistant' (at least, I think I'm helping!) on the NCLEX Discussion Forum, I see something posted over and over and over again. It's a very common theme, actually, and although in the past it didn't much bother me, it has been getting more and more under my skin. I know those who post it obviously don't look for discussion on that topic, but...on THIS forum, it seemed most appropriate :)

I frequently see people who have failed the NCLEX more than once (or more than twice, or more than three times) who will write "please pray for me". Are there really people out there who add to their personal prayers "oh, and G-d? Please help FailedNclex-3x to pass her exam" ?

Seems to be pretty low-brow for G-d, doesn't it? As if The Almighty WOULD have 'let' FailedNclex-3 fail yet again, BUT FOR the prayer from someone on AN...nope, that tilted the wheel the other way and now a PASS is in order!

I cannot see myself EVER thinking to ask G-d for something like that. Pray to understand why things happen the way they do. Pray to ask for strength through a difficult time. Pray to find goodness where there doesn't seem to be much....pray for assistance, but not for personal gain.

Maybe that's it. People are asking for personal gain. I wouldn't pray for someone to win the lottery, I wouldn't pray for them to get into grad school. I'd wish them well, I'm going to "send happy thoughts", I'm going to hope they succeed. But PRAY for this?? No.

I also believe that thanks are in order when one has a success such as passing the NCLEX: thank your spouse and kids and family and friends for putting UP with you while you went to school and while you studied for the exam. Thank the financial institution that fronted you the money, if you like. And yes, thank G-d for the ability to get through it all! But IMHO there's also a difference between thanking Ad'nai for strength, courage, determination, etc and thanking the Holy One for passing a test. YOU, the TEST-TAKER, took and passed the test! He might have been 'with' you in the testing center (strength, support) but He sure wasn't taking that test FOR you!

So no, don't say it was G-d who 'allowed' you to pass the test. If you passed, you EARNED it. Give thanks where it's due, but....remember the limits of what you'd "get" for your prayers, too :)

[RNsRWe, ASN, RN]

It seems to me that if you consider a posted request unrealistic or inappropriate in relation to your own beliefs, then all you have to do is ignore it. And if a prayer request speaks to you, why then, of course you can join in that prayer. But why criticize another person's approach to God, or their understanding of prayer? Surely we can respect individual differences.

I'm sorry, I thought I was posting on the Spirituality forum for respectful discussion...oh, wait, I DID! I would suggest that if you respect individual's differences, as you just said, then you can allow for a group discussion of same. If not....well, as you just said, you are free to ignore these posts.

You ask "why criticize another person's approach to G-d".....as though their approach couldn't POSSIBLY be offensive to anyone else. All I'm offering here is that seeing people relying on G-d to get them through something as superficial as a test (and also saying that if you just believe, it 'will happen')....well, that IS offensive to me.

This thread isn't about complaining that someone does it differently (prayer). It's about why it is that people actually BLAME G-d for failing, and only PRAISE Him if they passed. If you read posts that say that "G-d will not let you fail", then what does it mean when they DO fail? To me, it's like placing blame on G-d because someone keeps failing the NCLEX....and that bothers me.

[OCNRN63, RN]

Does that mean that if you want a Bentley, God will give you a Bentley?

I haven't seen anyone here using God's name as a curse word. BTW, do you know what God's name is?

[Lev, MSN, RN, NP]

So, I have a question for you then and I mean no disrespect as I am a Christian as well. If your premise is accurate does this mean that the prayer of the mother of a dying child is less strong than the prayer of a group of people? Does God give the group more of his ear because their combined merit makes them more valuable? And when did merit even become and issue?

I believe that prayer for oneself and having people pray on behalf of you is superior to praying for oneself alone. But if there was a choice between prayer for oneself and having others pray for you, your own prayers are more powerful.

[Lev, MSN, RN, NP]

THIS is GREAT! And where my own thought process comes in, precisely. If you're praising and thanking, rather than requesting, it MAKES you be in a position where help just might be granted.

I thought it would sit well with you :)

[FlyingScot, RN]

I believe that prayer for oneself and having people pray on behalf of you is superior to praying for oneself alone.

Sorry, while I agree with you on some points you completely lost me there. Completely. You are putting limitations and conditions on God's love for His children. There is no superior prayer, only prayer. God sees no difference.

[OnlinePersona, LPN]

it doesnt take a rocket scientist to figure out that:

1. the person is just basically asking for support.

2. you thought WAY too much into this.

[Lev, MSN, RN, NP]

Sorry, while I agree with you on some points you completely lost me there. Completely. You are putting limitations and conditions on God's love for His children. There is no superior prayer, only prayer. God sees no difference.

Yes, God has unconditional love for all of us. Intent behind prayers makes a difference. I can pray all day, reading from a list of requests and praises of God, not thinking God can help me, but just going through the motions. Yes, the prayer may work. But how much more powerful do you think it would be if I was thinking about what I was saying and directing my prayer toward the Source? Do you think God loves the poor people in India any more than he loves rich Americans? I don't think so. Assuming that two people are identical in every way, except one murdered his friend, do you think the murderer's prayers would be more acceptable to God or less acceptable?

[bookwormom]

Clearly there are different opinions about the validity and the reasonableness of petitionary prayer. This is an interesting matter for discussion. I am, however, reluctant to criticize anyone (NCLEX candidate or otherwise) who engages in heartfelt prayer or who requests prayer or who makes an honest attempt to explain God's influence in his or her life. Beliefs and practices I do not personally share in may still represent another person's profound attempt to relate to God. I do not find these sincere attempts offensive or deserving of criticism.

[FlyingScot, RN]

Yes God has unconditional love for all of us. Intent behind prayers makes a difference. I can pray all day, reading from a list of requests and praises of God, not thinking God can help me, but just going through the motions. Yes, the prayer may work. But how much more powerful do you think it would be if I was thinking about what I was saying and directing my prayer toward the Source? Do you think God loves the poor people in India any more than he loves rich Americans? I don't think so. Assuming that two people are identical in every way, except one murdered his friend, do you think the murderer's prayers would be more acceptable to God or less acceptable?[/quote']

Exactly what do you think is the intent of the mother I spoke of earlier?

As for the murderer. Sin is sin. There is no hierarchy in God's eyes. He loves His creations equally. He loves the murderer as much as he loves me and he listens to him the same as he listens to me.

And the fact remains there is no such thing as superior prayer. Many people praying is not better than one.

[Lev, MSN, RN, NP]

Exactly what do you think is the intent of the mother I spoke of earlier?

As for the murderer. Sin is sin. There is no hierarchy in God's eyes. He loves His creations equally. He loves the murderer as much as he loves me and he listens to him the same as he listens to me.

And the fact remains there is no such thing as superior prayer. Many people praying is not better than one.

I'm sure that the prayer of the mother of a dying child is very powerful. I believe, as RNsRWe wrote, sometimes the answer is "No."

I respect your beliefs. I have my own.

[FlyingScot, RN]

I'm sure that the prayer of the mother of a dying child is very powerful. I believe, as RNsRWe wrote, sometimes the answer is "No."

I respect your beliefs. I have my own.

I understand that sometimes the answer is no but I don't believe for a second that if more people than that mother had prayed God would have weighed the prayer differently.

[RNsRWe, ASN, RN]

it doesnt take a rocket scientist to figure out that:

1. the person is just basically asking for support.

2. you thought WAY too much into this.

Thank you for your rocket scientist contribution. Feel free to move on, thanks....I like thinking :)