I have been informed that an old friends prayer will include me in their prayers weekly until I repent my sinful ways. The sins they wish me to repent were included sodomy, pride, worshipping false idols, not honouring my father and mother, greed, sloth and envy. These sins were taken from purveying my facebook page. This was upsetting as I truly thought this old friend was trying to get back in touch, I miss the debates we used to have, and this was the response I got. How should I respond, I neither need nor want their prayers, my first response was a giant fuck you with a doc signing my soul to lucifer for some whiskey. This may not be appropriate and I doubt this will make them stop praying. So any ideas?
I am being prayed for, how do I make this stop
(16 posts) (13 voices)-
DDM
MemberTell them you'll think for them. You can't make them stop praying because it's not because of you they're doing it, even if it's directed towards you. There's really nothing you can do. Worse comes to worse just ignore them and let them waste their time trying to "save" you.
Posted 3 years ago # -
puck
MemberI really resent the idea that I need to repent, that I have been leading my life "wrong" I wish there was a way to convey this in manner that wouldn't make them pray more for me. Or if i could direct their prayers towards something other than repentance. So at least their thinking about good things
Posted 3 years ago # -
Ty
ModeratorI'd react about the same way I would to someone telling me they were going to put a voodoo hex on me.
I'd roll my eyes, say, "Hey, whatever suits your emotional needs, man," and then go about my business, promptly forgetting about them.
Prayers and voodoo hexes have exactly the same efficacy rate.
Posted 3 years ago # -
Kodie
MemberI think in the way that they don't like the way you live your life, you can't tell them how to spend their time and thoughts. Their prayers have no effect on you, you are reacting to people who don't like you as you are. In a way, this hurts, but in the same way you were ok with them before you got back in touch, tell them this is not cool - an unfriend them. You are under no obligation to stay in touch just because it's facebook.
People who lurk up from the past who aren't your friend or who no longer serve you as friends really don't need to have access to your facebook page and who you are now. I have gotten in touch in the past few years with 2 old friends, and after a few weeks of excitement, we are no longer friends, just like we weren't friends for 15-20 years since I last heard from them. I don't go on facebook because I can't find anyone else I really care to find again, and I don't want the rest to just "do facebook" and friend me for no good reason. I don't need to be prayed for or get your daily boring status or see pictures of your kids and updates about their excretories. See STFU, Parents if you don't already have FB friends who have clueless TMI-itis about their offspring. I think FB is a weird weird thing. My friends are my friends. I don't need to get poked by someone who was kind of a dick to me in high school anyway.
You have the power of selection here. Just tell them it was nice to find out what they're up to these days, but you don't have much in common and you don't appreciate their presumptuousness here, and they can pray for you to their heart's delight if it means that much, but you feel that there is no friendship here and cease contact. Unfriend them. You don't need to repent, but you do need to have control over how their intentions affect you.
Posted 3 years ago # -
phrankygee
MemberSounds like this is someone you've shared a lot of personal info with. No wonder you feel betrayed. I'm really sorry your friend has turned out to be such an ass. My first instinct was to offer some funny, pithy comeback, but that's probably not going to help. Obviously there is no way to make someone stop praying for you, any more than you can make someone stop hating you or loving you. What they do with their thoughts and emotions is ultimately up to them. How YOU choose to interact with them is up to you.
Your options, as I see it, are to shun/ignore them, or relentlessly hound them, trying to deconvert them as hard as they are trying to convert you. You do have the facts on your side, you know... you might even succeed. Then the two of you can tag-team the next person who tries praying for you.
Posted 3 years ago # -
Daniel Florien
AdministratorI like DDM's suggestion. Ask them what they hope to accomplish through the prayer. They can't have their theology both ways — god can't get off the hook for evil by free will or send you to hell because he's protecting your free will, but then have prayer have the ability to have any effect on your decision to believe in God/Jesus.
Might be worth a try.
Though that method requires someone who is able to think rationally and logically about their religion, which isn't likely in that kind of person.
I'd also tell them that it offends you and that if they're going to pray for you and all your sins, to do it without telling you.
Posted 3 years ago # -
I am 25 and from the time i was born till i was 17 and moved out i was raised in a Pentecostal home. I still work in my dads company and have to constantly hear about it all the time, even though everything i have seen him preach, ive seen him break. He just hired this new jesus freak person and my they do go on all day. i am always having to hear that ill see the light one day and i know better than the life i live. I was sick all last week and they fasted every lunch trying to get me better. Does that make sence? they wouldn't help me buy medicine... or give me a few days off to rest... but omg theyll prey and fast. Its got so bad that ive started looking for a new job, but i will hate to leave the family company just because they cant shut up, im sorry but i dont go all day talking about my views and opinions and telling they there life is crap because they dont think the way i do. Im 25, i work 10-15 hours a day sometimes 6 days a week. I have never did drugs, never drank, or even smoked cigs. I have a beautiful lil girl that i am a single parent to and trying to do all i can for her. But yet this still does not make them happy. My dad just wont be happy for the person i turned out to be, he rather condemn me because i dont fake a smile and go to church every sunday. If
If passable tell them it offends you like Daniel said above me. I have thought about doing this myself but it would just get me fired.
Posted 3 years ago # -
puck
MemberHere is the update. They spoke to me and represented their position quite well and I am now leaving to join exodus international I hope to rediscover my faith and cure myself of my deviant ways. just joking, We have parted ways and de facebooked friended each other. They will no longer include my name in their prayers but will pray for all individuals like me. They do not respect my position but for privacy reasons will no longer name me in their group prayers. I can't control what they do individually though. Bleh. Also according to them I no longer have free will until I accept that jesus guy back into my life. Free will is a gift for accepting and obeying him. Until than i am tool of satan, and all my decisions are his will. Screwed up I know.
Posted 3 years ago # -
you only get free will if you accept jesus? that makes no sense at all.
even for religious nuts that's pretty bad.
Posted 3 years ago # -
George
MemberGET A BRAIN MORANS.
It's so sad when this happens. I found my name on my mother's prayer list (an actual piece of paper) and I just crossed it out and wrote "no thank you" on it. I assume she found it, she's never spoken to me about it. The worst thing about being prayed for by a group is that it's just an okay way for Christians to gossip. You can almost imagine an SNL bit about it:
"Dear Lord we're here today to pray for all those in the world who don't yet embrace you... particularly my cousin James... I don't want to say too much... but it's Adam and Eve not Adam and Steve... and he's catching, not pitching... if you know what I mean Lord... I mean he's queer..."
As a result of the prayer chain my mother is in, I received a letter from my godmother containing the line "I do not think you moving into a house with a woman who is not your wife is what God as in mind for you right now." But then my parents did not once say a thing about it to me, so at least she had the guts to write it down, walk 2 blocks to the post office, mail the letter, then walk home again and never speak to me again. That took real courage. :\
Posted 3 years ago # -
This is really funny. Sorry, you know what I mean. I'd say let it go, & maybe take a minute to look inside your own self & figure out why this bugs you. Here's the thing - you know you can't make them change their prayers. Even if they say they will, they're likely to lie, because they'll just figure you need it that much more. For all I know, some random person I cut in front of on the interstate has made a set of little voodoo dolls of me dying in various bloody ways. But I'm still here. There are members of my extended family, cousins & such, who are super religious. I just avoid those topics with them, because it would be absolutely useless to even attempt to engage them.
Don't give it a second thought. It's not about you at all. It's about them, their egos, their insecurities, their need to have some feeling of control. If they got buy-in from you, think how powerful they'd feel. It's about them, not you. You're just a handy hook to hang it on.
Posted 3 years ago #
Reply
You must log in to post.