The Book of Tobit
Chapter 3
¹ Then with much grief and anguish of heart I wept, and with groaning began to pray: ² "You are righteous, O Lord, and all your deeds are just; all your ways are mercy and truth; you judge the world.
(The Book of Tobit Chapter 3 verses 1 to 2)
Oh God my beloved Father as found at the end of Chapter 3 of the book of Tobit which is carried forward in Chapter 3 Tobit is feeling sad for what he had considered being a sin, which he had nothing to do. Moreover, he did not even give himself time to investigate and reflect if he was right or not. Many times oh God my beloved Father in our relationships with others especially in the married life we have the tendency to jump to conclusions, which may not always be true. We end up blaming each other for things that we may assume that the person did without having proof that the person had ever done the sinful act or not. I pray oh God my Father, that You give me a humble and righteous attitude so that I can be of sound judgment when necessary or avoid assuming and judging at all Amen.
³ And now O Lord, remember me and look favourably upon me. Do not punish me for my sins and for my unwitting offenses and those that my ancestors committed before you. They sinned against you, ⁴ and disobeyed your commandments. So you gave us over to plunder, exile, and death, to become the talk, the byword, and an object of reproach among all the nations among whom you have dispersed us.
(The Book of Tobit Chapter 3 verses 3 to 4)
Oh God, my beloved Father, I pray that You have mercy on me and my situation. I am part of a world that has become more sinful degenerative and corrupt in its ways. Even though we have greatly advanced in science and technology, we are using that same technology to destroy each other by creating missiles of a greater range so that many countries can be targeted. Scandals on food contamination are always on the increase and what we are eating is basically chemicals. We are guilty of the consequences of our sins and with our manipulation of nature to suit our ways. Mercy oh God my Father.
⁵ And now your many judgments are true in exacting penalty from me for my sins. For we have not kept your commandments and have not walked in accordance with truth before you.
⁷ On the same day, at Ecbatana in Media, it also happened that Sarah, the daughter of Raguel was reproached by one of her father's maids. ⁸For she had been married to seven husbands, and the wicked demon Asmodeus had killed each of them before they had been with her as is customary for wives. So the maid said to her, "You are the one who kills your husbands! See, you have already been married to seven husbands and have not borne the name of a single one of them. ⁹ Why do you beat us? Because your husbands are dead? Go with them! May we never see a son or daughters of yours!"
⁵ And now your many judgments are true in exacting penalty from me for my sins. For we have not kept your commandments and have not walked in accordance with truth before you.
(The Book of Tobit Chapter 3 verse 5)
Oh God, my beloved Father the forces of evil are putting pressure on me. My wife is totally against this blog and is inventing many excuses and blaming this blog for having separated me from her. You know that I invested many hours in relationship with You because You always have been and always will be my reason for being alive Amen.
⁶ So now deal with me as you will; command my spirit to be taken from me, so that I may be released from the face of the earth and become dust. For it is better for me to die than to live, because I have had to listen to underserved insults, and great is the sorrow within me. Command, O Lord, that I be released from this distress; release me to go to the eternal home, and do not, O Lord, turn your face away from me. For it is better for me to die than to see much distress in my life and to listen to insults."
⁶ So now deal with me as you will; command my spirit to be taken from me, so that I may be released from the face of the earth and become dust. For it is better for me to die than to live, because I have had to listen to underserved insults, and great is the sorrow within me. Command, O Lord, that I be released from this distress; release me to go to the eternal home, and do not, O Lord, turn your face away from me. For it is better for me to die than to see much distress in my life and to listen to insults."
(The Book of Tobit Chapter 3 verse 6 )
Oh God my beloved Father, I also pray that You take my life away, for I feel totally sick and fed up of the life that I am living. The demands are increasing so much that I feel super stressed. Even though I am coping I feel overloaded and stressed. I pray that You help me in this situation Amen.
(The Book of Tobit Chapter 3 verses 7 to 9 )
Oh God my Father how cruel and insensitive we can be towards each other. We end up projecting our own hurts and jealousy as in the case of the maids on to innocent others by hurting their feelings. As You know my God and Father, I have been experiencing about 16 years of such emotional abuse, I, therefore, pray for so many others who have also experienced such abuse or in any other form Amen.
¹⁰ On that day she was grieved in spirit and wept. When she had gone up to her father's room, she intended to hang herself. But she thought it over and said, "Never shall they reproach my father saying to him,"You had only one beloved daughter but she hanged herself because of her distress.' And I shall bring my father in his old age down to sorrow to Hades. It is better for me not to hang myself, but to pray the Lord that I may die and not listen to these reproaches any more."
¹¹ At that same time, with hands outstretched toward the window, she prayed and said, "Blessed are you, merciful God! Blessed is your name forever; let all your works praise you forever,
¹⁰ On that day she was grieved in spirit and wept. When she had gone up to her father's room, she intended to hang herself. But she thought it over and said, "Never shall they reproach my father saying to him,"You had only one beloved daughter but she hanged herself because of her distress.' And I shall bring my father in his old age down to sorrow to Hades. It is better for me not to hang myself, but to pray the Lord that I may die and not listen to these reproaches any more."
(The Book of Tobit Chapter 3 verse 10)
Oh God my beloved Father during such moments of stress and persecution the theme of death comes easily to mind, however although this may sound to be a 'quick fixer' to solve our current issue of persecution and stress, I am to keep in mind that my life has been lent to me, and therefore it is not my own. Moreover, the death of one person may have negative side effects on others such as family and others of our inner circles such as parents who may take our death so hard that they may either die themselves or end up overwhelmed themselves by the pain and anguish.
In the face of such people who attempt to make our lives a misery, it is best to trust You, my God and Father, stand up on our own two feet and be assertive and face our oppressor in a humble but firm way. I invite you to click on the following link in order to view techniques that help us become assertive in our ways.
(The Book of Tobit Chapter 3 verse 11)
Oh God, my blessed Father, this is indeed a positive lesson of growth in our relationship and more in that of my relationships with the rest of humanity in my daily life interactions. Although Sarah was being defamed by her husband she did not curse him or go and file a report at the nearest police station or report her husband to the high priest, she turned to You and blessed Your Holy name, and praised that others do the same. Amen. I pray that when harassed or persecuted I turn to You in blessing and pray for those who persecute me and not curse myself, them or maybe even You, my God and Father Amen.
¹² And now, Lord, I turn my face to you, and raise my eyes toward you. ¹³ Command that I be released from the earth and not listen to such reproaches anymore.
¹² And now, Lord, I turn my face to you, and raise my eyes toward you. ¹³ Command that I be released from the earth and not listen to such reproaches anymore.
(The Book of Tobit Chapter 3 verse 12 to 13)
Oh God, my Father, my prayer is similar but not the same. I pray that You give me the coping skills to live in this world, and also the power not to be affected by what it says or what it does. I pray that remain detached from the ways of the world Amen.
¹⁴ You know, O Master, that I am innocent of any defilement with a man, ¹⁵ and that I have not disgraced my name or the name of my father in the land of my exile. I am my father's only child; he has no other child to be his heir; and he has no close relative or other kindred for whom I should keep myself as wife. Already seven husbands of mine have died. Why should I still live? But if it is not pleasing to you, O LORD to take my life hear me in my disgrace."
¹⁴ You know, O Master, that I am innocent of any defilement with a man, ¹⁵ and that I have not disgraced my name or the name of my father in the land of my exile. I am my father's only child; he has no other child to be his heir; and he has no close relative or other kindred for whom I should keep myself as wife. Already seven husbands of mine have died. Why should I still live? But if it is not pleasing to you, O LORD to take my life hear me in my disgrace."
(The Book of Tobit Chapter 3 verses 14 to 15)
Oh God my beloved Father, You are aware as in the case of Tobit, that since I have been in this process of separation I have not defiled Your name or my name with any woman. Now that You have given me the opportunity to start again, please help me to live for You alone and think only of the things of the kingdom and not of the world Amen.
¹⁶ At that very moment, the prayers of both of them were heard in the glorious presence of God.
¹⁶ At that very moment, the prayers of both of them were heard in the glorious presence of God.
(The Book of Tobit Chapter 3 verses 16)
Oh God my blessed Father You promised us that when we pray for something in Your name united in the presence of others You will be in our midst and in Your good and Godly time You will always answer our prayers. May we all be convinced of this Amen.
¹⁷ So Raphael was sent to heal both of them: Tobit, by removing the white films from his eyes, so that he might see God's light with his eyes; and Sarah, daughter of Raguel, by giving her in marriage to Tobias son of Tobit, and by setting her free from the wicked demon Asmodeus. For Tobias was entitled to have her before all others who had desired to marry her. At the same time that Tobit returned from the courtyard into his house, Sarah daughter of Raguel came down from her upper room.
Oh God, my beloved Father, I pray that You send Your servant Raphael to clean up my vision so that my vision will be your vision so that I can see like You and even feel like You and not like me Amen. I pray that I am able to see the true nature of mankind meaning both the positive and even the negative Amen.
Oh God my beloved Father I would like to end the third Chapter of the Book of Tobit with the following prayer:
Many times oh God my beloved Father, we think we may be seeing our reality as it really is, however in time You make us realize how blind we are and that our perception of reality is far from being accurate. Therefore I pray that You help us see from behind the clouds of false perceptions and perceive our psychosocial and spiritual reality Amen.
¹⁷ So Raphael was sent to heal both of them: Tobit, by removing the white films from his eyes, so that he might see God's light with his eyes; and Sarah, daughter of Raguel, by giving her in marriage to Tobias son of Tobit, and by setting her free from the wicked demon Asmodeus. For Tobias was entitled to have her before all others who had desired to marry her. At the same time that Tobit returned from the courtyard into his house, Sarah daughter of Raguel came down from her upper room.
(The Book of Tobit Chapter 3 verse 17)
Oh God, my beloved Father, I pray that You send Your servant Raphael to clean up my vision so that my vision will be your vision so that I can see like You and even feel like You and not like me Amen. I pray that I am able to see the true nature of mankind meaning both the positive and even the negative Amen.
Oh God my beloved Father I would like to end the third Chapter of the Book of Tobit with the following prayer:
Many times oh God my beloved Father, we think we may be seeing our reality as it really is, however in time You make us realize how blind we are and that our perception of reality is far from being accurate. Therefore I pray that You help us see from behind the clouds of false perceptions and perceive our psychosocial and spiritual reality Amen.
