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Question Title	Posted By	Question Date
Answered Prayer Jealousy	Joan	Sunday, July 1, 2007
Question: Dear Bro. Ignatius Mary, I have a small, ironic case of spiritual warfare I am dealing with. I know this matter is trivial compared with the other emails you get but this problem bothers me sometimes and I know with your gentle way and common sense you might be able to come up with a new way I should look at this situation that will give me peace. A few years back my family was in desparate need financially. I prayed earnestly for my family and now they are wealthy beyond anything I can imagine. God answered my prayers for them in a truly abundant way! As for myself though, in spite of the fact that I asked for the same blessings, I am dead broke, not married, unemployed and in serious debt and the same family members I prayed for avoid me and never invite me to family holiday functions. In my mind I know that I was the one who got the real treasure, I have a very active faith and I am a daily communicant. But my heart doesn't know it. I miss my family and I feel alone. They think I am a spiritual nut case. Sadly my family only received material blessings--they are very far from God which I now pray about. There is a lesson here but I am too close to the matter to see it clearly. I am fighting off jealousy and hurt towards God for a situation I myself begged Him to answer!
Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OLSM Dear Joan: The lesson here is that Jesus is sufficient enough for you. You do not need the wealth and financial security, you have Jesus at your side. Jesus said that it is harder for a rich man to get to heaven than for a camel laden with a rich man's possessions to go through the eye of a needle (the needle was a narrow gate in the back wall of Jerusalem). You have the privilege of joining your suffering with Christ for the souls of your relatives. You have the privilege of sharing in Christ's suffering for your own salvation. Your suffering here can even lesson your time in purgatory. You may also reflect on what happened to your relatives once they gained wealth. Perhaps God saved you from a similar fate. Is it not better to be close to God and destitute than to be away from God and rich? I would suggest Joan that you are focusing on the wrong things. Do not look to your relatives. Keep your eyes on Jesus. When you do that the jealousy and hurt will fade away. If you need to, pray the Rebuking Prayers in our Catalog against the spirits of jealousy and hurt, but moreso, remember that God loves you so much that He protected you from the slavery of wealth. Praise God! and Thank Him. I live on less than $10,000 per year and am closer to God than I ever was making more money. Consider yourself truly privileged. God Bless, Bro. Ignatius Mary For information on how to receive help see our Help page. We suggest that before contacting us directly for help you try the Seven Steps to Self-Deliverance. These self-help steps will often resolve the problem. Also our Spiritual Warfare Prayer Catalog contains many prayers that may be helpful. If needed you can ask for a Personal Consultation.

Question Title

Posted By

Question Date

Answered Prayer Jealousy

Joan

Sunday, July 1, 2007

Question:

Dear Bro. Ignatius Mary,

I have a small, ironic case of spiritual warfare I am dealing with. I know this matter is trivial compared with the other emails you get but this problem bothers me sometimes and I know with your gentle way and common sense you might be able to come up with a new way I should look at this situation that will give me peace.

A few years back my family was in desparate need financially. I prayed earnestly for my family and now they are wealthy beyond anything I can imagine. God answered my prayers for them in a truly abundant way!

As for myself though, in spite of the fact that I asked for the same blessings, I am dead broke, not married, unemployed and in serious debt and the same family members I prayed for avoid me and never invite me to family holiday functions.

In my mind I know that I was the one who got the real treasure, I have a very active faith and I am a daily communicant. But my heart doesn't know it. I miss my family and I feel alone. They think I am a spiritual nut case.

Sadly my family only received material blessings--they are very far from God which I now pray about.

There is a lesson here but I am too close to the matter to see it clearly. I am fighting off jealousy and hurt towards God for a situation I myself begged Him to answer!

Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OLSM

Dear Joan:

The lesson here is that Jesus is sufficient enough for you. You do not need the wealth and financial security, you have Jesus at your side.

Jesus said that it is harder for a rich man to get to heaven than for a camel laden with a rich man's possessions to go through the eye of a needle (the needle was a narrow gate in the back wall of Jerusalem).

You have the privilege of joining your suffering with Christ for the souls of your relatives. You have the privilege of sharing in Christ's suffering for your own salvation. Your suffering here can even lesson your time in purgatory.

You may also reflect on what happened to your relatives once they gained wealth. Perhaps God saved you from a similar fate. Is it not better to be close to God and destitute than to be away from God and rich?

I would suggest Joan that you are focusing on the wrong things. Do not look to your relatives. Keep your eyes on Jesus. When you do that the jealousy and hurt will fade away.

If you need to, pray the Rebuking Prayers in our Catalog against the spirits of jealousy and hurt, but moreso, remember that God loves you so much that He protected you from the slavery of wealth. Praise God! and Thank Him.

I live on less than $10,000 per year and am closer to God than I ever was making more money.

Consider yourself truly privileged.

God Bless,
Bro. Ignatius Mary

For information on how to receive help see our Help page. We suggest that before contacting us directly for help you try the Seven Steps to Self-Deliverance. These self-help steps will often resolve the problem. Also our Spiritual Warfare Prayer Catalog contains many prayers that may be helpful. If needed you can ask for a Personal Consultation.