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What do your cultures beliefs say or what does your religion say about accepting help?

Deeje

Avid Bible Student
Premium Member
I'm in search of spiritual and religious information. I know that does not solve my immediate problems but my soul is much more important than my body ;)

In order for real spiritual help to be given, it would help to know what your spiritual needs are specifically.
Are you in need of information that relates to this life and how to cope with its trials? Or are you after some hope for the future....after this life is over? Or both?

PM me if you need some privacy and want to talk in more detail about these things. I can give you only my own hopes and reasons for my faith. You must be the decider of what to do in response to your posts here. Always willing to help where I can.
 
Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you tells him, “Go in peace; stay warm and well fed,” but does not provide for his physical needs, what good is that? So too, faith by itself, if it is not complemented by action, is dead. James 2:15-17

There was a guy many years ago outside of a grocery store close by where I live for about a week. He would come up to cars and would give conflicting stories as to why he needed help and money. 2 different times to my mother and I. First was that his house burned down and he just needed to get some money for a hotel room, food for a night. Second story was his girlfriend threw him out and he needed food and a hotel to stay at. Something in my mother was repulsed by this guy ~ so she said she couldn’t help both times. A few days later, he bought a gun with his accumulated money ~ shot and killed his ex girlfriend, her boyfriend, his 2 kids, and then himself.

I used to be on Twitter a while back, and there was someone who kept private messaging all of their followers asking for help with money. Gave a beautiful speech about how bad his life was, how he’s a good person, how his family was starving, in a terrible situation, how no one will help him, how all of the spiritual and religious people were hypocrites by not helping him, and said all of the perfect things. My friend wired him money, he sent her back a picture with a table full of food thanking her for helping his family, and praising the Lord for her amazing work. He asked for a little more a few days later and my friend wired some more. A few weeks later, the mother of this guy came on and messaged everyone on his twitter account not to give him anymore money and that he was a 16 year old kid that was just fine using it to play with cryptocurrency.
 

Deeje

Avid Bible Student
Premium Member
If you you live in a Red State you might have a tougher time finding help. Hell, even some Blue States (such as California and the Homeless Crisis) are pretty bad at helping people but the more aggressive you are at pursuing help or if you have a no nonsense group of people having your back you will get help but they do make it hard.

I always remember the old saying....."A government can be judged by how well it cares for its most vulnerable citizens". That doesn't speak well of many governments, does it?

I heard another good one yesterday that I believe applies to some world leaders right now....
"The measure of a man is indicated by how small the things are that upset him".

It's a sad and sorry world.
 

NAY

Member
In order for real spiritual help to be given, it would help to know what your spiritual needs are specifically.
Are you in need of information that relates to this life and how to cope with its trials? Or are you after some hope for the future....after this life is over? Or both?

PM me if you need some privacy and want to talk in more detail about these things. I can give you only my own hopes and reasons for my faith. You must be the decider of what to do in response to your posts here. Always willing to help where I can.
HI Deeje,

I guess I don't know, simply put. I assumed that the makers of these great knowledge collections would have written to the handicapped as well as the healthy.
Maybe I am wrong. I can only find information about how to treat others.
Do you know of any verses that are for the handicapped? Not the ones about poor and destitute, or criminals. Something that pertains to living with severe physical problems.
I'm trying to find out what was said to the people that need help for physical reasons. Not just about the empathy, sympathy, and spiritual growth involved while helping them. How do I continue to grow my spirit while trapped in bed 22 hours a day?

I hope that helps some.

Thanks,
Nathan
 

SalixIncendium

अग्निविलोवनन्दः
Staff member
Premium Member
I am in a place where I need help. I have been independent my entire life until recently.
I find it hard to accept help, and when I do open up to accept it most people do not follow through.
I am curious what the world's belief systems / religions have to say about this.
I can only find information about giving and helping others, but nothing about being handicapped and receiving help.
Also how to cope with the endless ammounts of people who say a lot but do little (resulting in missed opportunities or more suffering).
I know a little about kharma and I understand I could be paying for my sins, so to speak, but I still need guidance while I am in this body on this earth.
Thank you for your time and consideration.

If one genuinely needs help, there is nothing wrong with asking, at least in my view, so long is one is specific about what is needed and why.

However asking a group of strangers for money with little explanation as to why it is needed is bad form and, as I see it, should be avoided if for nothing less than the sake of credibility.
 

NAY

Member
If one genuinely needs help, there is nothing wrong with asking, at least in my view, so long is one is specific about what is needed and why.

However asking a group of strangers for money with little explanation as to why it is needed is bad form and, as I see it, should be avoided if for nothing less than the sake of credibility.
Hello SalixIncendium,

I feel the exact same way.

Thanks for your input!
Nathan
 

NAY

Member
I always remember the old saying....."A government can be judged by how well it cares for its most vulnerable citizens". That doesn't speak well of many governments, does it?

I heard another good one yesterday that I believe applies to some world leaders right now....
"The measure of a man is indicated by how small the things are that upset him".

It's a sad and sorry world.
HI Deeje,

So true haha. Haha so true. I will try and remember the last one!
Recently I have had a very peaceful moment after learning some bad news and it really helped me to be content with my situation. It was like a wave of relief it just felt like pure relaxation.
All my problems I have, I hold with no anger. I just move through life and try and keep as much dignity as I can.

Thanks again for your message!

Nathan
 

NAY

Member
So Nathan, is there anything you want prayer about?
HI Reverend,

I may not have said this yet but I do not know religion.
I do have conversations with my creator all the time (from a child to now 35yrs old) , but I don't know what I'm doing.
I have never learned a formal prayer or even how to pray in general. I just fold my hands and talk like my best friend is listening. I rarely ask for help for myself. 99% of the time I ask to watch over, forgive, and help others. I have never had a problem I could not fix. I have built a great life for myself by hard work, dedication, and a great attitude toward life. I have helped everyone in my way (by nature) it's just who I am. I have always been selfless in most regards.
I do what feels right in my heart.
I ask friends and family to pray for me, but I don't know how they are supposed to pray. I am ignorant to those things in life.
This is part of why I am here. I was hoping to find answers to how cultures and religions of the world deal with life.
Sorry I don't know what to say specifically about prayer.

Thank you for your interest in praying for me.

Nathan

Post edit:
Yes please. Pray for the hungry of the world, pray for the weak who can not fend for themselves, and pray for those who encounter them to be blessed with the insight to truly help them, not to enable them!
Thank you and all your partitioners for their prayer!
 
Last edited:

The Reverend Bob

Fart Machine and Beastmaster
HI Reverend,

I may not have said this yet but I do not know religion.
I do have conversations with my creator all the time (from a child to now 35yrs old) , but I don't know what I'm doing.
I have never learned a formal prayer or even how to pray in general. I just fold my hands and talk like my best friend is listening. I rarely ask for help for myself. 99% of the time I ask to watch over, forgive, and help others. I have never had a problem I could not fix. I have built a great life for myself by hard work, dedication, and a great attitude toward life. I have helped everyone in my way (by nature) it's just who I am. I have always been selfless in most regards.
I do what feels right in my heart.
I ask friends and family to pray for me, but I don't know how they are supposed to pray. I am ignorant to those things in life.
This is part of why I am here. I was hoping to find answers to how cultures and religions of the world deal with life.
Sorry I don't know what to say specifically about prayer.

Thank you for your interest in praying for me.

Nathan

Post edit:
Yes please. Pray for the hungry of the world, pray for the weak who can not fend for themselves, and pray for those who encounter them to be blessed with the insight to truly help them, not to enable them!
Thank you and all your partitioners for their prayer!
I would say that you are praying correctly when you pray like you are talking to your best friend and ask boldly of your friend.
 

sun rise

The world is on fire
Premium Member
Maybe I am wrong. I can only find information about how to treat others.
Do you know of any verses that are for the handicapped? Not the ones about poor and destitute, or criminals. Something that pertains to living with severe physical problems.

Meher Baba's words might be helpful: "Nobody suffers in vain, for true freedom is spiritual freedom and suffering is a ladder towards it. Men unknowingly suffer for God, and God [God as the God-Man] knowingly suffers for man."
 

Deeje

Avid Bible Student
Premium Member
I may not have said this yet but I do not know religion.

You don't need "religion" to know God. He didn't create religions, humans did.

The Bible is a great help....religion only leads to confusion IMO.

Acts of the Apostles 17:24-27 says....
"The God that made the world and all the things in it, being, as he is, Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in handmade temples; 25 nor is he served by human hands as if he needed anything, because he himself gives to all people life and breath and all things and he decreed the appointed times and the set limits of the dwelling of men, for them to seek God, if they might grope for him and really find him, although, in fact, he is not far off from each one of us.”

I always found that comforting. If we genuinely seek him, he is nearer than we think.

I do have conversations with my creator all the time (from a child to now 35yrs old) , but I don't know what I'm doing.
I have never learned a formal prayer or even how to pray in general. I just fold my hands and talk like my best friend is listening.

That is the only kind of prayer that God hears. There is no formal way to pray....its a conversation with a trusted friend...someone to pour your heart out to. God would rather hear a few humble words from the heart than endless repeating of words mindlessly by rote.

I rarely ask for help for myself. 99% of the time I ask to watch over, forgive, and help others. I have never had a problem I could not fix. I have built a great life for myself by hard work, dedication, and a great attitude toward life. I have helped everyone in my way (by nature) it's just who I am. I have always been selfless in most regards.
I do what feels right in my heart.

Jesus taught us to pray, if you know the Lord's Prayer? But he never said "pray this prayer", but "pray this way"....meaning that he gave us the subjects in order of priority. A model for our own prayers when we don't know what to say, or where to begin.

He said...
"6 But when you pray, go into your private room and, after shutting your door, pray to your Father who is in secret. Then your Father who looks on in secret will repay you. 7 When praying, do not say the same things over and over again as the people of the nations do, for they imagine they will get a hearing for their use of many words. 8 So do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need even before you ask him.

9 “You must pray, then, this way:


“‘Our Father in the heavens, let your name be sanctified. 10 Let your Kingdom come. Let your will take place, as in heaven, also on earth. 11 Give us today our bread for this day; 12 and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13 And do not bring us into temptation, but deliver us from the wicked one.’


14 “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you; 15 whereas if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses."
(Matthew 6:6-14)

If you read it carefully and understand the words correctly, you will see that God's name is first on that list.....then the coming of his Kingdom where God's will can then "be done on earth as it is in heaven".

Its OK to ask for sustenance, but just for that day. Jesus always taught us to take one day at a time.

He went on to say...
"So, never be anxious about the next day, for the next day will have its own anxieties. Sufficient for each day is its own badness." (Matthew 6:34)

And he said to be forgiving.....which is so lacking in loveless hearts today. Temptations abound in this world and all of them are designed to separate us from God by our own actions. We can control them if we want to. Follow Christ's teaching in all things and you can't go wrong.

I ask friends and family to pray for me, but I don't know how they are supposed to pray. I am ignorant to those things in life.
This is part of why I am here. I was hoping to find answers to how cultures and religions of the world deal with life.
Sorry I don't know what to say specifically about prayer.

We can certainly pray for one another, but what we expect from those prayers can vary because of the expectations of some who think of God like some kind of genie who is only there to grant wishes. That is not what prayer is for. Prayer shows God what is in our heart. He isn't there to ask for miracles.

Prayer is a communication of the most intimate kind, if God is seen as a loving and trusted friend. He knows what we need before we ask, so what is the point you might wonder? It shows him our reliance on him and our trust that he will provide what we need, rather than what we want.

Post edit:
Yes please. Pray for the hungry of the world, pray for the weak who can not fend for themselves, and pray for those who encounter them to be blessed with the insight to truly help them, not to enable them!
Thank you and all your partitioners for their prayer!

Its a good thing to acknowledge the plight of the poor and the distressed. This world is not kind for those who have need to rely on others. But have you ever wondered why we are in this situation in the first place? If God had the power to create the universe and all that is in it....why do we live in a world where love is disappearing and wicked people are making life miserable for everyone else? Why doesn't he exercise his power to rid the world of evil? Why is there so much suffering and hardship?

The Bible answers all those hard questions. Happy to help you answer them....
 

NAY

Member
HI Reverend,

I may not have said this yet but I do not know religion.
I do have conversations with my creator all the time (from a child to now 35yrs old) , but I don't know what I'm doing.
I have never learned a formal prayer or even how to pray in general. I just fold my hands and talk like my best friend is listening. I rarely ask for help for myself. 99% of the time I ask to watch over, forgive, and help others. I have never had a problem I could not fix. I have built a great life for myself by hard work, dedication, and a great attitude toward life. I have helped everyone in my way (by nature) it's just who I am. I have always been selfless in most regards.
I do what feels right in my heart.
I ask friends and family to pray for me, but I don't know how they are supposed to pray. I am ignorant to those things in life.
This is part of why I am here. I was hoping to find answers to how cultures and religions of the world deal with life.
Sorry I don't know what to say specifically about prayer.

Thank you for your interest in praying for me.

Nathan
Meher Baba's words might be helpful: "Nobody suffers in vain, for true freedom is spiritual freedom and suffering is a ladder towards it. Men unknowingly suffer for God, and God [God as the God-Man] knowingly suffers for man."
Meher Baba's words might be helpful: "Nobody suffers in vain, for true freedom is spiritual freedom and suffering is a ladder towards it. Men unknowingly suffer for God, and God [God as the God-Man] knowingly suffers for man."
Hello Sun Rise,

Thank you for sharing with me those words. Sometimes I feel it is just part of my journey and it was unavoidable.
Pain has followed me for a long time really since I was 12 (I suffer from acute chronic pain after I crashed my plane but have had many injuries leading up to the big one. ). I used to ask why, but I have realized it was always going to be part of my life.
Your message has gone into my positive affirmations list!

Thank you truly,
Nathan
 

shmogie

Well-Known Member
Yes, there is a lot of help available in the US, both from the government and private entities.

As a LEO I referred people, and as a volunteer with the Salvation Army, I provided services.
 

NAY

Member
You don't need "religion" to know God. He didn't create religions, humans did.

The Bible is a great help....religion only leads to confusion IMO.

Acts of the Apostles 17:24-27 says....
"The God that made the world and all the things in it, being, as he is, Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in handmade temples; 25 nor is he served by human hands as if he needed anything, because he himself gives to all people life and breath and all things and he decreed the appointed times and the set limits of the dwelling of men, for them to seek God, if they might grope for him and really find him, although, in fact, he is not far off from each one of us.”

I always found that comforting. If we genuinely seek him, he is nearer than we think.



That is the only kind of prayer that God hears. There is no formal way to pray....its a conversation with a trusted friend...someone to pour your heart out to. God would rather hear a few humble words from the heart than endless repeating of words mindlessly by rote.



Jesus taught us to pray, if you know the Lord's Prayer? But he never said "pray this prayer", but "pray this way"....meaning that he gave us the subjects in order of priority. A model for our own prayers when we don't know what to say, or where to begin.

He said...
"6 But when you pray, go into your private room and, after shutting your door, pray to your Father who is in secret. Then your Father who looks on in secret will repay you. 7 When praying, do not say the same things over and over again as the people of the nations do, for they imagine they will get a hearing for their use of many words. 8 So do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need even before you ask him.

9 “You must pray, then, this way:


“‘Our Father in the heavens, let your name be sanctified. 10 Let your Kingdom come. Let your will take place, as in heaven, also on earth. 11 Give us today our bread for this day; 12 and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13 And do not bring us into temptation, but deliver us from the wicked one.’


14 “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you; 15 whereas if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses."
(Matthew 6:6-14)

If you read it carefully and understand the words correctly, you will see that God's name is first on that list.....then the coming of his Kingdom where God's will can then "be done on earth as it is in heaven".

Its OK to ask for sustenance, but just for that day. Jesus always taught us to take one day at a time.

He went on to say...
"So, never be anxious about the next day, for the next day will have its own anxieties. Sufficient for each day is its own badness." (Matthew 6:34)

And he said to be forgiving.....which is so lacking in loveless hearts today. Temptations abound in this world and all of them are designed to separate us from God by our own actions. We can control them if we want to. Follow Christ's teaching in all things and you can't go wrong.



We can certainly pray for one another, but what we expect from those prayers can vary because of the expectations of some who think of God like some kind of genie who is only there to grant wishes. That is not what prayer is for. Prayer shows God what is in our heart. He isn't there to ask for miracles.

Prayer is a communication of the most intimate kind, if God is seen as a loving and trusted friend. He knows what we need before we ask, so what is the point you might wonder? It shows him our reliance on him and our trust that he will provide what we need, rather than what we want.



Its a good thing to acknowledge the plight of the poor and the distressed. This world is not kind for those who have need to rely on others. But have you ever wondered why we are in this situation in the first place? If God had the power to create the universe and all that is in it....why do we live in a world where love is disappearing and wicked people are making life miserable for everyone else? Why doesn't he exercise his power to rid the world of evil? Why is there so much suffering and hardship?

The Bible answers all those hard questions. Happy to help you answer them....
Hello again Deeje,

That was the karate punch of info! Thank you thank you! This is just what I started this thread to learn about.
I know I maybe could have shared more in the beginning to help move this along but this is the nature of a discussion. Back and forth.
Haha thank you! I was really starting to doubt this was the place for me. As you have probably read I have been subtly accused of a lot here before the conversation even began. It was also suggested in private conversation here that I am a drug addict.
I knew that there would be opinions that I would not like but WOW how fast it happened and I asked for nothing but knowledge and references to scripture or teachings... Enough griping haha.

"So, never be anxious about the next day, for the next day will have its own anxieties. Sufficient for each day is its own badness." (Matthew 6:34)
I love that. It is philosophical and logical. I have copied and pasted your entire message for later contemplation.
Also thank you for reassuring in some way that my relationship with God is acceptable. It's funny almost every time I pray I yawn over and over and cannot get my words through. I have always laughed and said, "I get it. You already know." lol
Also I never understood why people say, "amen" like it means I'm done or the end. From the way I understand it means in truth or said in honesty. God knows hahah. I never said Amen because no one could explain it. So for a long time I just finish my prayers by saying, "I love you God".
I often imagine God being emotional like the old testament speaks of. If God has emotion then what other emotions does God experience? So I sometimes pray saying I hope your handleing us OK and we are not upsetting you too much and talk about some of the nonsense on earth. Supprisingly those are the prayers where I am not yawning over and over and over.
Not sure what if anything that means but I love God and when I used to say it it felt good. Lately I have had soo much doubt put in me about loving God properly or addressing him in a specific way.
This makes me feel better about how I felt in me heart about our relationship.

Perfect just was I was looking for!

Thank you for the time you spent gathering and typing that body of knowledge.

Nathan :)
 

NAY

Member
Sun Ri
Meher Baba's words might be helpful: "Nobody suffers in vain, for true freedom is spiritual freedom and suffering is a ladder towards it. Men unknowingly suffer for God, and God [God as the God-Man] knowingly suffers for man."
Hello again Sun Rise,

Don't worry be happy! Meher Baba influenced a very famous song that I sang with my father as a child.. I will read more about his words and messages.
I am currently reading Bhagavad Gita. Also breaking into Dharma and kharma. I have a mentor I recently met who has shared a lot with me.
Please listen to the song if you have not heard it. It is titled after his quote, "don't worry be happy".

I just wanted to share.

Thanks,
Nathan
 

Saint Frankenstein

Wanderer From Afar
Premium Member
I am in a place where I need help. I have been independent my entire life until recently.
I find it hard to accept help, and when I do open up to accept it most people do not follow through.
I am curious what the world's belief systems / religions have to say about this.
I can only find information about giving and helping others, but nothing about being handicapped and receiving help.
Also how to cope with the endless ammounts of people who say a lot but do little (resulting in missed opportunities or more suffering).
I know a little about kharma and I understand I could be paying for my sins, so to speak, but I still need guidance while I am in this body on this earth.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
In most polytheist revival religions, community, duty and hospitality are viewed with great importance. Part of a polytheistic worldview is generally viewing things as a chain of relations and the maintenance of them. We all depend on and effect each other. So a community of people are like an extended family. We should approach each other for mutual aid and support in times of need. There's no shame in that.
 

NAY

Member
In most polytheist revival religions, community, duty and hospitality are viewed with great importance. Part of a polytheistic worldview is generally viewing things as a chain of relations and the maintenance of them. We all depend on and effect each other. So a community of people are like an extended family. We should approach each other for mutual aid and support in times of need. There's no shame in that.
Hello Saint Frankenstein,

Thank you for the message. I believe that to be true. I often let my life experiences cloud my beliefs about how things should be ( in a perfect world idea).
Hearing this from you helps me feel better about where I am in life. I have helped many and I should not be too proud to accept help when or however it presents itself.
I should not let negative people make me emotional and change the way I think. People are very quick to judge me and it is ok. We live in a world filled with liars and thieves. It is natural I think for people to assume I am as well. It just makes it harder to get honest help. My integrity has been beat on like a punching bag. I think this is why I have such a problem with help. People can make you feel terrible for nothing and I have provided for myself since I was 17. So now when people for whatever reason influence me that getting help is wrong or a hand out. I just believe it.
Life can cause good people to do bad things, but it doesn't make them bad or mean I guess.
I have had good people offer help but then cause more problems than they knew (by not following through on a promise).
Sorry for the long thank you, but you got me thinking and this is helping me sort through my dilemma.

Thank you,
Nathan
 
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