To what extent are we passive recipients of Gods will?

[oremus1]

Everyone always says "just pray about it" in a complacent way.

Why not actually do something about it? Or do both?

[TheresaThoma]

Sometimes we can only really accept God's Will in retrospect. For example loosing a job or having to move a long way. Often times it is only in retrospect that we see that the little pieces that led up to that were in God's Will. So in that way we can be passive recipients. Most converts will be able to point to a series of events that brought them to the Faith which is clearly part of God's Will but they didn't know it at the time so couldn't have actively chosen that.

But there is also free will involved. We can chose not to actively follow God Will but then we become passive recipents of His permissive Will. 

As far as actively accepting God's Will there is an element of action but that action always has to be discerned and analyzed. Does that choice or action align with my Faith and is it good (not just does it feel good but is it truely good). Over time you can see patterns and know more easily what actions align with God's Will and what don't.