NWTR

It could very well be my own brain, but I'm having trouble understanding your question.

I don't see the harm in praying for yourself, if you need something. I'm leery of praying for my wants though. Maybe I've had my ego bruised too often, but sometimes what we want can turn out to be disastrous for us, and possibly others. I try to leave it in God's hands when I start to desire something I want. That way, if I get what I want I can go away thinking it was meant to be. If it turns out good, whoopie for me. If it turns out to be disastrous, I can assume it's a MAJOR lesson for me to learn in life.

Praying for our needs doesn't always come through either. No one survives life, and no one is completely immune to pain and loss. When my needs are taken away, it tells me I need to make adjustments in life. If it causes extreme distress, I consider it a test of my faith to see if I falter - will I lie, steal, cheat, or attempt to destroy others to get what I "need?" I don't ever want to have to explain to God why I turned my back on him in my time of need. I don't ever want to have to explain to God why I believed my life was more important than his other "children."

When praying for my own personal needs, I try to avoid including others. It feels like I'm using them for my own gain. Similar to a kid asking for a toy and using the excuse that other parents allow their children to have the toy. As a mother, it's not a good argument in my book. It also feels similar to a threat to God, as if I'm stomping my foot or being arrogant in thinking I know what is best for all of us.

But enough about me.

If you want to pray to connect with God, I don't see the harm in being "selfish." In fact, I think you should make those prayers all about YOU - the heck with US.

By "separating" your prayers (prayers for yourself vs. prayers for others), I believe this can cause you to focus more on others when praying for them. You won't have any "earmarks" attached to your prayers for others - only your heart and soul. As a result, those you are praying for will receive the whole kit and kaboodle in your prayers.

Is my post to you as confusing as yours was to me?