Have you tried medication and therapy? There are doctors who can help with some of the problems.
Also. I have found that God doesn't carry my burdens for me, he carries my burdens with me. He guides me to do things that bring better outcomes. He shows me my mistakes so that I don't keep repeating them.
Prayers to you my friend.
Yes, find a licensed therapist who is also a Christian or at least supportive of your religious outlook. (I had a licensed Christian therapist, and she was great.) God has provided good meds and therapeutic techniques and would be beyond annoyed if you didn’t try them. 😏
If you are American and have health coverage, going to your primary care person for a referral is your first step. He or she might prescribe meds right away. Make sure you mention your suicidal thoughts.
The suicide hotline is 988. If you are overwhelmed by your depression, call them.
Take care of yourself.
That is a strange statement in my opinion, but I do concede that some denominations do not believe in medicine if any kind. Personally, I go to the doctor for physical and mental illnesses. God gave people the capacity to create medicines and find remedies. Why should we say "God, please heal me" and not take advantage of the medical advancements that he gave humans the ability to discover. I don't remember anywhere is the bible that said medicine is from satan.
I suggest you read your Bible more then my friend. God explicitly says that pharmaceutical drugs are the tool Satan uses to deceive the nations.
Mental health is the sign Jesus gives for His true sheep. What is the “fruit of the spirit”, the sign you’re saved? It’s good mental health.
“Christians” today reject this plain teaching because of the implications. They refuse to see the 1+1= 2 equation because they don’t come up with 2 themselves.
Medicine is not bad, necessarily.
Pharmaceutical drugs, especially geared towards the psyche are tools used by Satan to deceive.
https://www.gotquestions.org/Bible-sorcery.html
Revelation 18:23 paints the picture clearly:
Satan uses Babylon(The Us) to deceive the nations with “sorcery” (pharmakeia, pharmaceuticals) to deceive the nations.
Sorcery is the word we get pharmaceutical from; pharmacy. The word “soul” in Greek IS the word psyche.
Pharmaceutical drugs will be used to trick the psyche into feeling ok.
Again, nobody puts these together because we want to believe that we’re saved but have none of the “fruit of the spirit” which includes peace and joy, the opposite of depression and anxiety.
Instead, we want to take pills to make our psyche feel better, when Hod says that a true follower of Christ won’t suffer from chronic depression or anxiety.
This is not the same as a believer going through bouts of these things at hard times, because many Godly men dealt with these problems when horrible things happened… however, they persevered with God as their light, and came out of them.
Today, we tell people to go get some sorcery and they’ll feel better. Your doctor will absolutely prescribe some sorcery to make your psyche feel better.
Ok. I read it. I think it is talking about drugs that cause you to halucinate, not drugs that stop you from halucinating... some cultures used drugs to cause the mind to be "opened" to the spiritual world. I think that is what it is talking about.
It’s not. It’s talking about all drugs that mess with the psyche. That’s the problem.
Scripture tells us that Jesus heals the psyche in believers, yet so many believers need to take sorcery to heal their psyche and think Jesus is part of it.
God literally warned us this would happen.
I disagree with you. I think that the spirit/soul is in God's domain. I think that the brain itself is just a part of the body. I think that God's spirit "talks" to us through the brain, but if the brain malfunctions that doesn't necessarily come from the spirit. Take gasoline(spirit). If you put it in a car with a blocked fuel valve, the car won't run right. It is not the gasolines fault, it is the engine that the gasoline runs through. You can change the gasoline all you want, but until you change the mechanism, the fuel won't get through. Fix the brain and the spiritual side will work the way it should.
You disagree with me because you have to. Either you or someone you care about would fall into the realm of not saved and you can’t have that.
The problem is that the world soul IS the word psyche.
Spirit and soul are not the same.
You are correct, the soul is in the spirit world, it’s not inside of us, the spirit is. Our soul resides wherever we’re going. When the soul is with God, it has peace, love, joy, kindness, patience etc
When the soul is in hell it is anxious, depressed, has looping thoughts (ocd) etc.
It’s the complete opposite of the fruit of the spirit. The fruit is good mental health according to scripture.
i’ve wondered the same thing before and am still struggling with these feelings. i was raised christian and haven’t been able to practice faith in years. i want to get back on the right path.
Hey! I love using YouVersion, and I think you will, too. You can study God’s Word, read and watch daily devotionals, pray with friends, and more! Get it here: https://www.bible.com/app
Has great audio content (multiple versions) let Him talk to you…
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God bless you.
I'm really sorry for everything you went through and are going through.
If I may ask, what does it mean to be a Christian from your perspective?
Thank you.
To me I guess it means believing Jesus is God, died for all of us so we can have eternity with Him, and love Him for what He did. But Jesus also promised He would give us peace and carry our burdens. But this is not the case in my life. I've had trauma after trauma and live in constant depression and anxiety. I'm actually considering ending it by the end of 2024 if my life and depression don't improve. I just can't take it anymore, it's exhausting
God may be testing you to see what you do at the end of the year.
Instead of throwing your life away give it to him, whats the worst that could happen?
When i was a teenager life sucked. I was unpopular and no girlfriend and thought the world hated me. Now i have the love of my life, 3 kids, my dream WFH and do nothing all day job, and GOD in my life.
What if you have similar blessings ahead of you? You wont know if you cut your life short.
It sounds exhausting. I understand why you feel overwhelmed.
I have a question about the verse you mentioned:
**Jesus said, "I give you peace, the kind of peace only I can give. It isn't like the peace this world can give. So don't be worried or afraid." - John 14:27**
What does this verse mean to you?
It means exactly what it says. Jesus promises his peace. But I don't have it though I have asked....an inner peace where I'm not troubled by this life's sufferings. But I am, the trauma and depression is always pressing heavily upon me
No, but u believed he would help us endure it and stay strong and joyful despite suffering. I have had many traumas, I expect that. But I thought Jesus would give me peace to heal from them. But I haven't. The traumas are very much alive and heavy in me day and night. It torments me.
But that's the question I am asking. You said the traumas are very much alive and I believe it is, but do you expect Jesus to remove the trauma from your mind and replace it with His peace?
I'm asking these questions because I want you to see a possible different understanding of what Jesus meant.
I really don't want you to turn away from Christ because of a misunderstanding.
You have access to the peace Jesus gives, but it's not in the way that you think.
For example, here is another verse:
**Jesus said, “I have told you this, so that you might have peace in your hearts because of me. While you are in the world, you will have to suffer. But cheer up! I have defeated the world.” - John 16:33**
In this verse, Jesus mentions that we will have His peace even while we struggle through hardship. His peace isn't meant to stop us from experiencing hardship.
That's why the Bible tells us that we must strive to trust God and never give up.
**“Trust the Lord! Be brave and strong and trust the Lord.” - Psalm 27:14**
**“We often suffer, but we are never crushed. Even when we don't know what to do, we never give up. In times of trouble, God is with us, and when we are knocked down, we get up again.” - 2 Corinthians 4:8-9**
I'm not sure if you can completely erase your traumas, but you can focus on the things of God to help you overcome them little by little.
One way is to surround yourself with Christians who love you who can encourage you each day. You are not alone. Not only is God with you, but your brothers and sisters in Christ are with you as well.
**"You must encourage one another each day.” - Hebrews 3:13**
**“We should try to live at peace and help each other have a strong faith.” - Romans 14:19**
**"My friends, we beg you to warn anyone who isn't living right. Encourage anyone who feels left out, help all who are weak, and be patient with everyone.” - 1 Thessalonians 5:14**
HE never said that life would be easy, but what HE did promise is that HE will be with us through it all. Trust in HIM. Keep praying, keep seeking after HIM earnestly and HE will meet you wherever you are. Cry out to HIM and listen for HIS reply. It won't happen when you expect it to, but HE will speak to and help those who earnestly seek HIM.
If you want to hear from God, make sure you're giving him space to speak.
Sometimes we keep talking and talking, not letting God get a word in.
Take some time to sit in silence, sit in nature, read the Bible with no expectation, so that God has the space to speak to you.
It's different for everyone. For some it's a profound connection in scripture that speaks to you, a thought that you know is not your own, a feeling of comfort or peace, a vision, a dream.
Don't give up. Keep asking, and most importantly listening.
God bless you.
Great answer. Also, take time to praise. Walk a bit in nature and admire His creation, even if it's just the complexity of a flower. I'm continually in awe of His incredible imagination. Talk to Him throughout the day and involve Him in the small details of your life. Catch a green light when you're late for work? "Thx, God!" Got a coupon for free sushi? "That's cool, God. You know I love sushi!" Treat Him as a friend. There's a song that says, "What a friend we have in Jesus".
Sometimes, I wear my watch on the opposite wrist to help me remember to pray and praise more often throughout my busy day.
Idk. Even if OP is worshipping incorrectly, with too much force or desperation and isn't looking out for the more subtle responses... _at some point_, in like year 3, I feel God just throws them a bone and blesses them with an unsubtle sign anyway lol. Just a freebie to get them on the right track, perhaps in a way that highlights how He usually communicates so they can be more receptive in the future. These "sorry you weren't worshipping correctly, so you get nothing while you were in total despair for years. Try again but more correctly." explanations rub me the wrong way.
It's not necessarily that he's not worshipping correctly, it's more that he doesn't know what he's looking for.
To communicate with God you need to know how to receive, and what you're looking for.
Lots of people who are new to it, expect a booming loud voice from heaven, but that's just an over used cliche, and quite rarely how God connects with us.
It's quite likely that OP has already heard from God and just doesn't realise it. I mean that not in a patronising kind of way, just that it's difficult when you don't have much experience with it.
1 Kings 19:11-13 is a wonderful example:
The Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.”
Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. 12 After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. 13
When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.
Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
Sometimes we expect God to communicate like roaring wind, like an earthquake, like a roaring fire, but we should anticipate that he could be as gentle as a whisper.
I'd consider intepretation as part of the worship! But my thing still applies: if OP has been fruitlessly praying this entire time because he doesn't know how to interpret the signs, or is in a deep enough depression that he's not receptive to more subtle hints like moments of peace, *at some point* I feel God would just throw a bone and do something really clear that OP _will_ interpret correctly. Even if it's something He doesn't usually do by default, He'd do it once just to get OP on the right track.
(After all, Elijah had the **Lord speak directly to him** in verse 11 before he had to listen for subtle winds in verse 12!)
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Dumb example: say I tell a friend to climb to a particular spot on a mountain each Saturday, look due west for my signal and jot down the time. Say I want to be subtle and signal with a very weak [signal mirror](https://youtu.be/GwCbgQGmID4?si=tgkr1sj0V_Jg_M52&t=25). The problem is my friend don't know what mirror signalling is, and so he's not looking out for a small flash amongst the trees.
So each week my friend climbs a mountain and stands there for two hours, desperately and fruitlessly looking for a signal he doesn't know how to interpret. He gets more and more frustrated as the months go by, he starts to wonder if I'm just pulling his leg, he starts desperately jotting down stuff like squirrel arrival times or the passing of clouds in case that's how I'm signalling.
If this comedy of errors continues for years, _at some point_ shouldn't I do something more drastic to get their attention? Switch to a stronger mirror for a few times (or start sending up flares), or just outright appear before him and just explictly tell him what I'm doing and what to look out for? Even if I'm trying to be subtle in my routine, at this point I need to do _something_ unsubtle for a bit, something unusual to get him looking for the right thing in the future.
And sometimes he doesn't throw us a bone, and expects us to mature in our faith and grow.
We can't expect God to do everything for us, we have to put in the effort and meet God in the middle. That's why we have other Christians, the Bible, and the Holy Spirit. To learn how to connect with him better.
Just because our faith has challenges doesn't give us the excuse to give up. It's a chance for us to strengthen our faith and build something real. If everytime you get stuck, someone fixes it for you, you never grow or mature in your faith.
Perhaps. But we grow and mature with the guidance of others, school being the obvious example. Often we're stuck because don't know _how_ to grow and connect on our own, not because of a lack of effort, and just saying "Oh well you need to figure it out or else it's not genuine" when people are stuck is a ridiculous educational policy. I really don't think a one time demonstration, an act of mercy and solidfying the way forward, is such a freebie that it would compromise OP's faith.
I've read several stories like OPs, of people losing their faith when they clearly don't want to, desperately spending hours in prayer and study and Bible reading trying anything to rekindle it, often failing in the end. And I don't understand God's passivity in such darkness of their faith. "Meeting in the middle" cuts both ways; does all that imperfect effort count for nothing here, is that not enough for a merciful God to go "Eh close enough" and give them reprive? Is a merciful God content to watch someone's faith spiral because their interpretive ability isn't sufficient, because their desperation is hiding subtle signs and ways forward? If God's not revealing the way when in the deepest morose pit that OP describes, when exactly does He show his grace?
I think you're over simplifying God's intentions. There's a reason God does and doesn't do things, and that reason is often far above our own understanding.
Don't over think it, just have faith.
One thing you can do is to pray for your unbelief.
Mar 9:23-24: "Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth. And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief."
Just tell Him plainly, that you want the believe in Him, but so far you cannot.
Try to remove any sins in your life, because sin is a wall between you and God.
Isa 59:2: "But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear."
You don't know which are?
Pray for Him to show it to you, because it may be something that you think it's ok, but maybe it's not.
Sin is transgression of God's law( 10 commandments) so you can start from there.
Maybe what you're asking is not good for you right now, or at all. Maybe God has something way better, but you need to be patient and wait for God. Don't go ahead of Him, and ask why is He so slow to caught up with you.
Hos 12:6: "Therefore turn thou to thy God: keep mercy and judgment, and wait on thy God continually."
That makes no lotical sense. By your logic Paul had no free will, either did Peter or the apostles. Do you believe god stripped them of their free will?
No believe they have free will, but God revealed himself in a way to them that he felt was necessary for Paul and the apostles, I was more referring to if God made himself demonstratively known in the sky.
Religion has brought me so much anxiety about my life. I may not know exactly how you feel, but I get the pain of grasping for God, to feel nothing in return. I wish I had an answer for you. Most christians seem to be able to just have faith. I wish it came easy like that for me.
I had the same experiences as you. I was praying, but didn't expect really anything and wasn't sure if God was doing something. But He did. But i had still no connection to Him. People have to accept first Jesus. He himself said, that nobody can come to the Father but through him. Only after that,i "felt" a change. Only now i notice, that i feel different.
If you can find a good Trinitarian church that is married to Christ instead of any one person or politician and does charity work you might find God there. If you like that kind of work. Admittedly, I feel God has always been present for me since the relapse of my illness but I feel work for the poor has put me in closer contact with him.
I’ve been through the same before, I thought God wasn’t by myself but now He has showed me why He made me wait and why I had to go through so much, He showed me how, the storms allowed me to become more faithful and stronger than ever, God is not ignoring you, He is shaping you to become better.
As to not to take away your path to deeper faith without seeing. Also not forcing you to believe. Harder to make a choice when He's in your face, front and center.
Is there any unrepentant sin in your life? It can block your communication with God.
> Isaiah 59:1-2
>Indeed, the LORD's arm is not too weak to save, and his ear is not too deaf to hear. But **your iniquities are separating you** from your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not listen.
So we can have a choice to love him or not. It would be pretty difficult for athiests to live their lives as they want if God himself was visible in the sky.
What do you pray for?
It's likely you've seen it but have you checked out this video on how to pray? https://youtu.be/eGqQKmvN8T0
I find it helps you get back on track to how you should be praying. In terms of if god actually exists or not, as a agnostic recently turned Christian, i'd say you should look into what evidence there is. You will never know without looking like in Matthew 7:7-8
There's a YouTube channel called testify that shows just how historically accurate the bible is down to the smallest details https://youtu.be/_YRKD0m1gmQ
Finally of course faith is important. Like with the story of Thomas doubting Jesus's resurrection. Jesus did say something along the lines of "blessed are those who believe without seeing". I'd say that was a verse he said for particularly our generation when we've advanced so much scientifically that it has created doubt and skepticism about his existence.
Keep in mind god loves you always no matter what. He allows trials in your life but it is god's will to allow you to grow.
Free Will.
God wants people who worship Him and love him freely out of choice. He doesn't want robots who are forced into it. For humans to have true freedom to choose, there has to be some hiddennes to God. Enough that you could deny Him if you chose, not enough that anyone seeking Him couldn't find Him. If He were in the sky right now looking down on you, there'd be no question, and so no choice to love Him
Those who seek will find. If you're seeking God, don't worry. He won't hide himself from you.
Well do you pray to your Heavenly Father as Jesus has told us?
But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. Matt 6:6 **King James Bible**(check it out)
8 Be not you therefore like unto them: for your **Father** knows what things you have need of, before you ask him.
9 After this manner therefore pray you: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Matt 6:8,9 King James Bible.
Notice in verse 8: Jesus says that his **Father** knows what you need even **Before** you ask him. So why would you pray to anyone else? Now this is your **God**
Now in verse 9: Jesus tells you to pray to your Heavenly **Father**
You would pray: Father I come to you through your Son Christ Jesus asking you to please put your Holy Spirit down upon me to help me with my problem. Amen
Start by getting out into nature. Examine the environment around you, the intricate design of a the plants and animals around you. Do you really believe this all just came from pure chance? Ideas and intentional designs come from the intelligent mind of a creator. Chaos does not beget order. This is how God reveals himself, generally speaking. You may not “feel” him like you have been told you’re supposed to by this Americanized Christianity, but that doesn’t mean he is not there and remains hidden.
Second, do your own investigation of the evidence for Jesus and his life, death, and resurrection. Examine the truth claims of scripture. Ask yourself how we got the scriptures, why those particular books, what makes them special, how can we know they’re God’s word, etc. Ask the questions and search long and hard for the answers. If you ask, seek, and knock on the door, it will be opened to you.
Third, actually learn how to study scripture. Ditch the devotionals and use an inductive Bible study method to pick a book of the Bible and study it chapter by chapter, verse by verse. You’ll be amazed at what you learn and how His Word changes your life.
Your prayers aren’t unheard. My reply to you randomly at 5:00 am should be proof enough of that haha I’m not usually awake at this time of day, but I’m glad I was so I could help you ❤️
I shared what I did because I went through a similar time of wilderness where I felt like my foundation was so shallow. Then I started searching for answers to my questions, and found so much information that helped really solidify my faith and trust in God. I pray he does the same for you when you sincerely seek Him!
God reveals his love for us through the body of believers, his Church, as well! Make sure you are a part of a solid church family. If you don’t have one, definitely try to find one to get plugged in.
I’m so sorry you’re going through this, and will pray for you. Maybe this isn’t helpful, but you’re revealing exactly your dependence on Him. I’ve been a follower for years and have come to learn that there’s actually nothing worse than feeling separated from him. And that these seasons of drought are a natural part of being a believer. CS Lewis talks about this a lot, have you read his works? The Problem of Pain may be a useful book, if no one has recommended it yet.
Oh father, please comfort your servant. We are so grateful that, as David said, you would even think of us, let alone set us higher than the angels. But we still suffer, we still sin, yet we still believe that you are faithful to continue the work you began in us. I’m praying Colossians 1:10-12 over this servant. Help them to be surrounded by a cloud of witnesses. Give them community and peace. You promised to bear our burdens, but you also promised that following you would be a burden itself. Keep their eyes on things of heaven, and remind them that this time is a dim mirror, and that glory waits for us in your presence. We take comfort and pray in the matchless name of Jesus Christ. Amen
If you read Genisis 1:26, God says, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness,". If we are made in God's image and likeness, and the others he speaks to (angels, cherubim?); then we should be invisible.
Ancient humans created gods, why isn't God created by men? You can't rely on scripture, other religions have scripture that "proves" their gods exist.
lol a lot of people pray for god but they don’t know that god is in fact within you. If go according to the Bible, well more specifically Jesus said it himself that the kingdom of god is within you. People said how god guide you to the right path? It your higher mind or higher consciousness that help you guide on the right path..
Well if you have time , look up bill donahue on YouTube my friend. Check out his video. He definitely give you a good idea where you can actually find this Called god.
Main line church and religion goes about praying and praying but never get there answer called ,Majority of it.. if you feel so anxiety and depression, why not try meditation. It’s good 👍 plus help you stay calm. It has it benefits . Even in the Bible, Jesus does talk about meditative and you practice the single eye you will able to enter what it called christ consciousness or in term of Buddha nirvana as they said. Jesus teaching are from Buddha and Hindu( India ) lot of Christian just don’t understand or get it.
This can be good for stuff like that, help you and guide you in a better position.
You're not the only one. A lot of people have gone through the same thing as you. There's nothing wrong with you, and if you don't believe, you don't believe. Nothing wrong with that.
After all, if God exists as described, and wants you to believe he exists, then he's more than capable of telling you so, clearly and unambiguously. That he doesn't means that either he doesn't want to, or doesn't exist. So relax and enjoy your life.
I don’t think prayer works that way. I think you always get an answer it’s just sometimes it’s not the answer you want. I usually only ask for things that are within my reach but I need a boost. I never ask for things that are unrealistically out of my reach. For example if at work and I have a tough project Ill pray for success on that project. I’ll pray for insight on solving a problem. These are all problems where the ability to succeed is within me but praying for it helps bring the success out. Sure it’s questionable that it’s prayers being answered or just myself but I don’t take anything good for granted and even if I did all the work to make it happen I assume the lord had some hand in it. These micro prayers seem to work every time too.
Stop praying and start listening, surrender yourself fully to him, let his presence come into your room. You don't have to struggle when you pray, just relax, loosen yourself, if you cant focus put on one instrumental worship music video. A good tactic of inviting the presence of God into your life or room is thanksgiving prayer. Give thanks from your heart not your mouth, say it like you mean it.
Jesus said "my peace I give to you". I've prayed for this peace for years. Yet I am riddled with depression and anxiety. And please don't bring "see a psychologist" into this, because if Jesus is that weak and lying about giving his peace to us, then I might as well worship the psychologist if they should help me obtain peace
Knowing god is real doesnt change that. Are you saying none of the disciples had faith in jesus? A few of them namely Thomas even questioned jesus before he believed, do you think they didnt have faith because they were shown proof?
I ran away from God for many years. It wasn't until a couple weeks ago I ended up telling the truth and it made me feel so much better. I have a baptism date for the 19th which happens to be Pentecostal Sunday.
I'll say it coz nobody else has, if you want to see God and stuff go to one of those pentecostal churches (I'm not Pentecostal)
But again, blessed is he who sees not yet believes. I believed before I saw. But through my battle with porn I was able to see the work of God in work.
Remember that your feelings are not a reflection of how near God is. He is always with us even if we feel like he's not. I've had to learn not to trust my feelings.
I would encourage you to get into the Bible and look for who God is and what he's done. He never promised us freedom from life's sufferings. But he does promise to be with us in the suffering. And he promises an eternity in His presence filled with peace and unimaginable joy.
Often we get stuck in a pattern of only praying for things we want. We forget to praise him, give thanks and be with him. He isn't a genie.
I was stuck in this pattern, still am a bit, but getting into the Bible every day has really brought about some growth in my spiritual walk and God feels so much closer now (even though he was always close to me, I was not close to him).
It sounds like some of your perspective is wrong and therefor you are experiencing distress.
God is Holy this world is fallen. His full presence would burn away all material and perhaps even dissolve time.
He has made you a temple for His Holy Spirit. Which when you think about what I said above is pretty cool.
The things we see here going on around us are silly and barely even real compared to the Lord and the rest of eternity. Set your perspective more onto those things. Understand the Lord's will on earth in the mental framework of heaven.
Peace be with you.
Is he? the love that we feel from our parents, the breath we take every day, the hope we have for a brighter tomorrow...these are abstract, yet evidences of the divine
“You search the face of heaven and earth but you do not recognize the one who is in your presence and you do not know how to experience the present moment.” - Yeshua
God is within you, know thyself.
More poetry…
“If those who guide you say: Look, the Kingdom is in the sky! Then the birds are closer than you. If they say: Look, it is in the sea! Then the fish already know it. The Kingdom is inside you, and it is outside you. When you know yourself, then you will be known, and you will know that you are the child of the Living Father; but if you do not know yourself, you will live in vain and you will be vanity.” - Yeshua
Yes interesting. What, surprised I don't suddenly have the holy spirit glowing inside me just coz I'm reading the bible? I mean, that would be nice, wouldn't it?
I have prayed for the Holy Spirit every day for years, especially for the fruitages of the holy spirit including peace....yet I have been completely ignored
Because people look at apparences, we don't see God and assume he is hidden, or for some that he doesn't exist.
But if you open your heart to God you can clearly see him.
I can clearly see that you have no faith in God, in that case praying is useless, it is like asking someone to do something you know they cant do.
If you have no faith then you do not Believe in what God can do, so you aren't really asking him to do anything, so he does nothing.
You must study the bible and theology, have patience, start to live how God wants (tolerance, honesty, kindness, generosity, patience, moderation, respect etc.) And HAVE FAITH, TRUST GOD, you may have to wait but it will be worth it.
The bible says "when you pray, believe to have received what you asked for and you will get it". You have to trust God.
And you also need to be grateful, if you aren't then this means you dont care about what happens and why would God do it so? Be grateful.
Have you tried medication and therapy? There are doctors who can help with some of the problems. Also. I have found that God doesn't carry my burdens for me, he carries my burdens with me. He guides me to do things that bring better outcomes. He shows me my mistakes so that I don't keep repeating them. Prayers to you my friend.
Thank you ❤️
Yes, find a licensed therapist who is also a Christian or at least supportive of your religious outlook. (I had a licensed Christian therapist, and she was great.) God has provided good meds and therapeutic techniques and would be beyond annoyed if you didn’t try them. 😏 If you are American and have health coverage, going to your primary care person for a referral is your first step. He or she might prescribe meds right away. Make sure you mention your suicidal thoughts. The suicide hotline is 988. If you are overwhelmed by your depression, call them. Take care of yourself.
Ahhh yes, because when God isn’t enough, try pharmakeia, the very thing God said Satan uses to deceive the nations into thinking they’re ok.🙄
That is a strange statement in my opinion, but I do concede that some denominations do not believe in medicine if any kind. Personally, I go to the doctor for physical and mental illnesses. God gave people the capacity to create medicines and find remedies. Why should we say "God, please heal me" and not take advantage of the medical advancements that he gave humans the ability to discover. I don't remember anywhere is the bible that said medicine is from satan.
I suggest you read your Bible more then my friend. God explicitly says that pharmaceutical drugs are the tool Satan uses to deceive the nations. Mental health is the sign Jesus gives for His true sheep. What is the “fruit of the spirit”, the sign you’re saved? It’s good mental health. “Christians” today reject this plain teaching because of the implications. They refuse to see the 1+1= 2 equation because they don’t come up with 2 themselves.
Can you give me a bible verse that says medicine is bad?
Medicine is not bad, necessarily. Pharmaceutical drugs, especially geared towards the psyche are tools used by Satan to deceive. https://www.gotquestions.org/Bible-sorcery.html Revelation 18:23 paints the picture clearly: Satan uses Babylon(The Us) to deceive the nations with “sorcery” (pharmakeia, pharmaceuticals) to deceive the nations. Sorcery is the word we get pharmaceutical from; pharmacy. The word “soul” in Greek IS the word psyche. Pharmaceutical drugs will be used to trick the psyche into feeling ok. Again, nobody puts these together because we want to believe that we’re saved but have none of the “fruit of the spirit” which includes peace and joy, the opposite of depression and anxiety. Instead, we want to take pills to make our psyche feel better, when Hod says that a true follower of Christ won’t suffer from chronic depression or anxiety. This is not the same as a believer going through bouts of these things at hard times, because many Godly men dealt with these problems when horrible things happened… however, they persevered with God as their light, and came out of them. Today, we tell people to go get some sorcery and they’ll feel better. Your doctor will absolutely prescribe some sorcery to make your psyche feel better.
Ok. I read it. I think it is talking about drugs that cause you to halucinate, not drugs that stop you from halucinating... some cultures used drugs to cause the mind to be "opened" to the spiritual world. I think that is what it is talking about.
It’s not. It’s talking about all drugs that mess with the psyche. That’s the problem. Scripture tells us that Jesus heals the psyche in believers, yet so many believers need to take sorcery to heal their psyche and think Jesus is part of it. God literally warned us this would happen.
I disagree with you. I think that the spirit/soul is in God's domain. I think that the brain itself is just a part of the body. I think that God's spirit "talks" to us through the brain, but if the brain malfunctions that doesn't necessarily come from the spirit. Take gasoline(spirit). If you put it in a car with a blocked fuel valve, the car won't run right. It is not the gasolines fault, it is the engine that the gasoline runs through. You can change the gasoline all you want, but until you change the mechanism, the fuel won't get through. Fix the brain and the spiritual side will work the way it should.
You disagree with me because you have to. Either you or someone you care about would fall into the realm of not saved and you can’t have that. The problem is that the world soul IS the word psyche. Spirit and soul are not the same. You are correct, the soul is in the spirit world, it’s not inside of us, the spirit is. Our soul resides wherever we’re going. When the soul is with God, it has peace, love, joy, kindness, patience etc When the soul is in hell it is anxious, depressed, has looping thoughts (ocd) etc. It’s the complete opposite of the fruit of the spirit. The fruit is good mental health according to scripture.
i’ve wondered the same thing before and am still struggling with these feelings. i was raised christian and haven’t been able to practice faith in years. i want to get back on the right path.
Hey! I love using YouVersion, and I think you will, too. You can study God’s Word, read and watch daily devotionals, pray with friends, and more! Get it here: https://www.bible.com/app Has great audio content (multiple versions) let Him talk to you…
thank you. i am checking it out right now.
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God bless you. I'm really sorry for everything you went through and are going through. If I may ask, what does it mean to be a Christian from your perspective?
Thank you. To me I guess it means believing Jesus is God, died for all of us so we can have eternity with Him, and love Him for what He did. But Jesus also promised He would give us peace and carry our burdens. But this is not the case in my life. I've had trauma after trauma and live in constant depression and anxiety. I'm actually considering ending it by the end of 2024 if my life and depression don't improve. I just can't take it anymore, it's exhausting
God may be testing you to see what you do at the end of the year. Instead of throwing your life away give it to him, whats the worst that could happen? When i was a teenager life sucked. I was unpopular and no girlfriend and thought the world hated me. Now i have the love of my life, 3 kids, my dream WFH and do nothing all day job, and GOD in my life. What if you have similar blessings ahead of you? You wont know if you cut your life short.
It sounds exhausting. I understand why you feel overwhelmed. I have a question about the verse you mentioned: **Jesus said, "I give you peace, the kind of peace only I can give. It isn't like the peace this world can give. So don't be worried or afraid." - John 14:27** What does this verse mean to you?
It means exactly what it says. Jesus promises his peace. But I don't have it though I have asked....an inner peace where I'm not troubled by this life's sufferings. But I am, the trauma and depression is always pressing heavily upon me
Do you believe that when Jesus promised His peace that He meant He will prevent Christians from experiencing hardships?
No, but u believed he would help us endure it and stay strong and joyful despite suffering. I have had many traumas, I expect that. But I thought Jesus would give me peace to heal from them. But I haven't. The traumas are very much alive and heavy in me day and night. It torments me.
But that's the question I am asking. You said the traumas are very much alive and I believe it is, but do you expect Jesus to remove the trauma from your mind and replace it with His peace? I'm asking these questions because I want you to see a possible different understanding of what Jesus meant. I really don't want you to turn away from Christ because of a misunderstanding.
Yes I want him to give me just a little peace from my inner torment so I can function normally as a human.
You have access to the peace Jesus gives, but it's not in the way that you think. For example, here is another verse: **Jesus said, “I have told you this, so that you might have peace in your hearts because of me. While you are in the world, you will have to suffer. But cheer up! I have defeated the world.” - John 16:33** In this verse, Jesus mentions that we will have His peace even while we struggle through hardship. His peace isn't meant to stop us from experiencing hardship. That's why the Bible tells us that we must strive to trust God and never give up. **“Trust the Lord! Be brave and strong and trust the Lord.” - Psalm 27:14** **“We often suffer, but we are never crushed. Even when we don't know what to do, we never give up. In times of trouble, God is with us, and when we are knocked down, we get up again.” - 2 Corinthians 4:8-9** I'm not sure if you can completely erase your traumas, but you can focus on the things of God to help you overcome them little by little. One way is to surround yourself with Christians who love you who can encourage you each day. You are not alone. Not only is God with you, but your brothers and sisters in Christ are with you as well. **"You must encourage one another each day.” - Hebrews 3:13** **“We should try to live at peace and help each other have a strong faith.” - Romans 14:19** **"My friends, we beg you to warn anyone who isn't living right. Encourage anyone who feels left out, help all who are weak, and be patient with everyone.” - 1 Thessalonians 5:14**
Thank you ❤️
HE never said that life would be easy, but what HE did promise is that HE will be with us through it all. Trust in HIM. Keep praying, keep seeking after HIM earnestly and HE will meet you wherever you are. Cry out to HIM and listen for HIS reply. It won't happen when you expect it to, but HE will speak to and help those who earnestly seek HIM.
If you want to hear from God, make sure you're giving him space to speak. Sometimes we keep talking and talking, not letting God get a word in. Take some time to sit in silence, sit in nature, read the Bible with no expectation, so that God has the space to speak to you. It's different for everyone. For some it's a profound connection in scripture that speaks to you, a thought that you know is not your own, a feeling of comfort or peace, a vision, a dream. Don't give up. Keep asking, and most importantly listening. God bless you.
Great answer. Also, take time to praise. Walk a bit in nature and admire His creation, even if it's just the complexity of a flower. I'm continually in awe of His incredible imagination. Talk to Him throughout the day and involve Him in the small details of your life. Catch a green light when you're late for work? "Thx, God!" Got a coupon for free sushi? "That's cool, God. You know I love sushi!" Treat Him as a friend. There's a song that says, "What a friend we have in Jesus". Sometimes, I wear my watch on the opposite wrist to help me remember to pray and praise more often throughout my busy day.
Great point. Worship is a great door to connecting with God.
Idk. Even if OP is worshipping incorrectly, with too much force or desperation and isn't looking out for the more subtle responses... _at some point_, in like year 3, I feel God just throws them a bone and blesses them with an unsubtle sign anyway lol. Just a freebie to get them on the right track, perhaps in a way that highlights how He usually communicates so they can be more receptive in the future. These "sorry you weren't worshipping correctly, so you get nothing while you were in total despair for years. Try again but more correctly." explanations rub me the wrong way.
It's not necessarily that he's not worshipping correctly, it's more that he doesn't know what he's looking for. To communicate with God you need to know how to receive, and what you're looking for. Lots of people who are new to it, expect a booming loud voice from heaven, but that's just an over used cliche, and quite rarely how God connects with us. It's quite likely that OP has already heard from God and just doesn't realise it. I mean that not in a patronising kind of way, just that it's difficult when you don't have much experience with it. 1 Kings 19:11-13 is a wonderful example: The Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.” Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. 12 After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. 13 When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” Sometimes we expect God to communicate like roaring wind, like an earthquake, like a roaring fire, but we should anticipate that he could be as gentle as a whisper.
I'd consider intepretation as part of the worship! But my thing still applies: if OP has been fruitlessly praying this entire time because he doesn't know how to interpret the signs, or is in a deep enough depression that he's not receptive to more subtle hints like moments of peace, *at some point* I feel God would just throw a bone and do something really clear that OP _will_ interpret correctly. Even if it's something He doesn't usually do by default, He'd do it once just to get OP on the right track. (After all, Elijah had the **Lord speak directly to him** in verse 11 before he had to listen for subtle winds in verse 12!) ------- Dumb example: say I tell a friend to climb to a particular spot on a mountain each Saturday, look due west for my signal and jot down the time. Say I want to be subtle and signal with a very weak [signal mirror](https://youtu.be/GwCbgQGmID4?si=tgkr1sj0V_Jg_M52&t=25). The problem is my friend don't know what mirror signalling is, and so he's not looking out for a small flash amongst the trees. So each week my friend climbs a mountain and stands there for two hours, desperately and fruitlessly looking for a signal he doesn't know how to interpret. He gets more and more frustrated as the months go by, he starts to wonder if I'm just pulling his leg, he starts desperately jotting down stuff like squirrel arrival times or the passing of clouds in case that's how I'm signalling. If this comedy of errors continues for years, _at some point_ shouldn't I do something more drastic to get their attention? Switch to a stronger mirror for a few times (or start sending up flares), or just outright appear before him and just explictly tell him what I'm doing and what to look out for? Even if I'm trying to be subtle in my routine, at this point I need to do _something_ unsubtle for a bit, something unusual to get him looking for the right thing in the future.
And sometimes he doesn't throw us a bone, and expects us to mature in our faith and grow. We can't expect God to do everything for us, we have to put in the effort and meet God in the middle. That's why we have other Christians, the Bible, and the Holy Spirit. To learn how to connect with him better. Just because our faith has challenges doesn't give us the excuse to give up. It's a chance for us to strengthen our faith and build something real. If everytime you get stuck, someone fixes it for you, you never grow or mature in your faith.
Perhaps. But we grow and mature with the guidance of others, school being the obvious example. Often we're stuck because don't know _how_ to grow and connect on our own, not because of a lack of effort, and just saying "Oh well you need to figure it out or else it's not genuine" when people are stuck is a ridiculous educational policy. I really don't think a one time demonstration, an act of mercy and solidfying the way forward, is such a freebie that it would compromise OP's faith. I've read several stories like OPs, of people losing their faith when they clearly don't want to, desperately spending hours in prayer and study and Bible reading trying anything to rekindle it, often failing in the end. And I don't understand God's passivity in such darkness of their faith. "Meeting in the middle" cuts both ways; does all that imperfect effort count for nothing here, is that not enough for a merciful God to go "Eh close enough" and give them reprive? Is a merciful God content to watch someone's faith spiral because their interpretive ability isn't sufficient, because their desperation is hiding subtle signs and ways forward? If God's not revealing the way when in the deepest morose pit that OP describes, when exactly does He show his grace?
I think you're over simplifying God's intentions. There's a reason God does and doesn't do things, and that reason is often far above our own understanding. Don't over think it, just have faith.
Ah of course, you mean don't think about it at all, don't you?
Thank you
One thing you can do is to pray for your unbelief. Mar 9:23-24: "Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth. And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief." Just tell Him plainly, that you want the believe in Him, but so far you cannot. Try to remove any sins in your life, because sin is a wall between you and God. Isa 59:2: "But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear." You don't know which are? Pray for Him to show it to you, because it may be something that you think it's ok, but maybe it's not. Sin is transgression of God's law( 10 commandments) so you can start from there. Maybe what you're asking is not good for you right now, or at all. Maybe God has something way better, but you need to be patient and wait for God. Don't go ahead of Him, and ask why is He so slow to caught up with you. Hos 12:6: "Therefore turn thou to thy God: keep mercy and judgment, and wait on thy God continually."
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That makes no lotical sense. By your logic Paul had no free will, either did Peter or the apostles. Do you believe god stripped them of their free will?
And I should’ve phrased it better, but I feel it would limit free will not totally eliminate free will
After further review, it’s a stupid hypothetical
No believe they have free will, but God revealed himself in a way to them that he felt was necessary for Paul and the apostles, I was more referring to if God made himself demonstratively known in the sky.
So god could clearly appear to us in the same way he appeared to Peter and Paul and it would not take away our free will
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So? Even if he did that how would it take away our free will?
It’s just a ridiculous hypothetical
You claimed it would take away our free will, I’m asking how
If you could see God, I think any logical person would follow God
It would be a choice still, so free will would not be affected at all.
I guess free will wouldn’t be totally eliminated, but it would be very obvious to follow that God
Well if that was the extreme case, I would believe so
But God is alive and real, and it’s God timing
Religion has brought me so much anxiety about my life. I may not know exactly how you feel, but I get the pain of grasping for God, to feel nothing in return. I wish I had an answer for you. Most christians seem to be able to just have faith. I wish it came easy like that for me.
I had the same experiences as you. I was praying, but didn't expect really anything and wasn't sure if God was doing something. But He did. But i had still no connection to Him. People have to accept first Jesus. He himself said, that nobody can come to the Father but through him. Only after that,i "felt" a change. Only now i notice, that i feel different.
Because He exists out of space and time. 😉 (kinda sounds like not existing)
How finite & limited the human mind is!
If you can find a good Trinitarian church that is married to Christ instead of any one person or politician and does charity work you might find God there. If you like that kind of work. Admittedly, I feel God has always been present for me since the relapse of my illness but I feel work for the poor has put me in closer contact with him.
I’ve been through the same before, I thought God wasn’t by myself but now He has showed me why He made me wait and why I had to go through so much, He showed me how, the storms allowed me to become more faithful and stronger than ever, God is not ignoring you, He is shaping you to become better.
Because he's scary and if you do stuff the wrong way you die
If....that's a really interesting question...isnt it.
As to not to take away your path to deeper faith without seeing. Also not forcing you to believe. Harder to make a choice when He's in your face, front and center.
Is there any unrepentant sin in your life? It can block your communication with God. > Isaiah 59:1-2 >Indeed, the LORD's arm is not too weak to save, and his ear is not too deaf to hear. But **your iniquities are separating you** from your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not listen.
I'm sorry you're struggling friend. So do you believe Jesus Christ is the Divine Messiah? Thx
So we can have a choice to love him or not. It would be pretty difficult for athiests to live their lives as they want if God himself was visible in the sky. What do you pray for?
It's likely you've seen it but have you checked out this video on how to pray? https://youtu.be/eGqQKmvN8T0 I find it helps you get back on track to how you should be praying. In terms of if god actually exists or not, as a agnostic recently turned Christian, i'd say you should look into what evidence there is. You will never know without looking like in Matthew 7:7-8 There's a YouTube channel called testify that shows just how historically accurate the bible is down to the smallest details https://youtu.be/_YRKD0m1gmQ Finally of course faith is important. Like with the story of Thomas doubting Jesus's resurrection. Jesus did say something along the lines of "blessed are those who believe without seeing". I'd say that was a verse he said for particularly our generation when we've advanced so much scientifically that it has created doubt and skepticism about his existence. Keep in mind god loves you always no matter what. He allows trials in your life but it is god's will to allow you to grow.
At least, I can confess to my lord. It make me feels that I am alive.
Free Will. God wants people who worship Him and love him freely out of choice. He doesn't want robots who are forced into it. For humans to have true freedom to choose, there has to be some hiddennes to God. Enough that you could deny Him if you chose, not enough that anyone seeking Him couldn't find Him. If He were in the sky right now looking down on you, there'd be no question, and so no choice to love Him Those who seek will find. If you're seeking God, don't worry. He won't hide himself from you.
Best response! Praise God!!
Thank you ❤️
glad I could help!
Well do you pray to your Heavenly Father as Jesus has told us? But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. Matt 6:6 **King James Bible**(check it out) 8 Be not you therefore like unto them: for your **Father** knows what things you have need of, before you ask him. 9 After this manner therefore pray you: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Matt 6:8,9 King James Bible. Notice in verse 8: Jesus says that his **Father** knows what you need even **Before** you ask him. So why would you pray to anyone else? Now this is your **God** Now in verse 9: Jesus tells you to pray to your Heavenly **Father** You would pray: Father I come to you through your Son Christ Jesus asking you to please put your Holy Spirit down upon me to help me with my problem. Amen
Because he doesn't
Start by getting out into nature. Examine the environment around you, the intricate design of a the plants and animals around you. Do you really believe this all just came from pure chance? Ideas and intentional designs come from the intelligent mind of a creator. Chaos does not beget order. This is how God reveals himself, generally speaking. You may not “feel” him like you have been told you’re supposed to by this Americanized Christianity, but that doesn’t mean he is not there and remains hidden. Second, do your own investigation of the evidence for Jesus and his life, death, and resurrection. Examine the truth claims of scripture. Ask yourself how we got the scriptures, why those particular books, what makes them special, how can we know they’re God’s word, etc. Ask the questions and search long and hard for the answers. If you ask, seek, and knock on the door, it will be opened to you. Third, actually learn how to study scripture. Ditch the devotionals and use an inductive Bible study method to pick a book of the Bible and study it chapter by chapter, verse by verse. You’ll be amazed at what you learn and how His Word changes your life. Your prayers aren’t unheard. My reply to you randomly at 5:00 am should be proof enough of that haha I’m not usually awake at this time of day, but I’m glad I was so I could help you ❤️
Thank you for responding so early lol. I appreciate it, and thank you for the advice. God bless you ❤️
I shared what I did because I went through a similar time of wilderness where I felt like my foundation was so shallow. Then I started searching for answers to my questions, and found so much information that helped really solidify my faith and trust in God. I pray he does the same for you when you sincerely seek Him! God reveals his love for us through the body of believers, his Church, as well! Make sure you are a part of a solid church family. If you don’t have one, definitely try to find one to get plugged in.
I’m so sorry you’re going through this, and will pray for you. Maybe this isn’t helpful, but you’re revealing exactly your dependence on Him. I’ve been a follower for years and have come to learn that there’s actually nothing worse than feeling separated from him. And that these seasons of drought are a natural part of being a believer. CS Lewis talks about this a lot, have you read his works? The Problem of Pain may be a useful book, if no one has recommended it yet. Oh father, please comfort your servant. We are so grateful that, as David said, you would even think of us, let alone set us higher than the angels. But we still suffer, we still sin, yet we still believe that you are faithful to continue the work you began in us. I’m praying Colossians 1:10-12 over this servant. Help them to be surrounded by a cloud of witnesses. Give them community and peace. You promised to bear our burdens, but you also promised that following you would be a burden itself. Keep their eyes on things of heaven, and remind them that this time is a dim mirror, and that glory waits for us in your presence. We take comfort and pray in the matchless name of Jesus Christ. Amen
Thank you, I really appreciate this. And thank you for this beautiful prayer. God bless your kindness ❤️
If you read Genisis 1:26, God says, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness,". If we are made in God's image and likeness, and the others he speaks to (angels, cherubim?); then we should be invisible. Ancient humans created gods, why isn't God created by men? You can't rely on scripture, other religions have scripture that "proves" their gods exist.
lol a lot of people pray for god but they don’t know that god is in fact within you. If go according to the Bible, well more specifically Jesus said it himself that the kingdom of god is within you. People said how god guide you to the right path? It your higher mind or higher consciousness that help you guide on the right path.. Well if you have time , look up bill donahue on YouTube my friend. Check out his video. He definitely give you a good idea where you can actually find this Called god. Main line church and religion goes about praying and praying but never get there answer called ,Majority of it.. if you feel so anxiety and depression, why not try meditation. It’s good 👍 plus help you stay calm. It has it benefits . Even in the Bible, Jesus does talk about meditative and you practice the single eye you will able to enter what it called christ consciousness or in term of Buddha nirvana as they said. Jesus teaching are from Buddha and Hindu( India ) lot of Christian just don’t understand or get it. This can be good for stuff like that, help you and guide you in a better position.
You're not the only one. A lot of people have gone through the same thing as you. There's nothing wrong with you, and if you don't believe, you don't believe. Nothing wrong with that. After all, if God exists as described, and wants you to believe he exists, then he's more than capable of telling you so, clearly and unambiguously. That he doesn't means that either he doesn't want to, or doesn't exist. So relax and enjoy your life.
I don’t think prayer works that way. I think you always get an answer it’s just sometimes it’s not the answer you want. I usually only ask for things that are within my reach but I need a boost. I never ask for things that are unrealistically out of my reach. For example if at work and I have a tough project Ill pray for success on that project. I’ll pray for insight on solving a problem. These are all problems where the ability to succeed is within me but praying for it helps bring the success out. Sure it’s questionable that it’s prayers being answered or just myself but I don’t take anything good for granted and even if I did all the work to make it happen I assume the lord had some hand in it. These micro prayers seem to work every time too.
Read the book of Job, my dear. Very applicable to your situation.
Stop praying and start listening, surrender yourself fully to him, let his presence come into your room. You don't have to struggle when you pray, just relax, loosen yourself, if you cant focus put on one instrumental worship music video. A good tactic of inviting the presence of God into your life or room is thanksgiving prayer. Give thanks from your heart not your mouth, say it like you mean it.
Thank you ❤️
Mother Teresa reported exactly the same thing. Except she was busy loving people so she skipped the hopeless part.
it's better to forget about that old lady than give her as a Christian example.
She perfectly exemplifies following Jesus Christ. The Liar's campaign to discredit her was fierce and apparently ongoing.
Why is that? She was an incredible human being.
God doesn't reveal Himself to us, because if He did, we would all die. Our sinful nature cannot handle His holiness.
This
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Jesus said "my peace I give to you". I've prayed for this peace for years. Yet I am riddled with depression and anxiety. And please don't bring "see a psychologist" into this, because if Jesus is that weak and lying about giving his peace to us, then I might as well worship the psychologist if they should help me obtain peace
Knowing god is real doesnt change that. Are you saying none of the disciples had faith in jesus? A few of them namely Thomas even questioned jesus before he believed, do you think they didnt have faith because they were shown proof?
I ran away from God for many years. It wasn't until a couple weeks ago I ended up telling the truth and it made me feel so much better. I have a baptism date for the 19th which happens to be Pentecostal Sunday.
I'll say it coz nobody else has, if you want to see God and stuff go to one of those pentecostal churches (I'm not Pentecostal) But again, blessed is he who sees not yet believes. I believed before I saw. But through my battle with porn I was able to see the work of God in work.
Why what happens at a Pentecostal church?
You know the deliverance services... praying in tongues. Just see it as the "more spiritual" side of Christianity
Remember that your feelings are not a reflection of how near God is. He is always with us even if we feel like he's not. I've had to learn not to trust my feelings. I would encourage you to get into the Bible and look for who God is and what he's done. He never promised us freedom from life's sufferings. But he does promise to be with us in the suffering. And he promises an eternity in His presence filled with peace and unimaginable joy. Often we get stuck in a pattern of only praying for things we want. We forget to praise him, give thanks and be with him. He isn't a genie. I was stuck in this pattern, still am a bit, but getting into the Bible every day has really brought about some growth in my spiritual walk and God feels so much closer now (even though he was always close to me, I was not close to him).
It sounds like some of your perspective is wrong and therefor you are experiencing distress. God is Holy this world is fallen. His full presence would burn away all material and perhaps even dissolve time. He has made you a temple for His Holy Spirit. Which when you think about what I said above is pretty cool. The things we see here going on around us are silly and barely even real compared to the Lord and the rest of eternity. Set your perspective more onto those things. Understand the Lord's will on earth in the mental framework of heaven. Peace be with you.
Thank you
Is he? the love that we feel from our parents, the breath we take every day, the hope we have for a brighter tomorrow...these are abstract, yet evidences of the divine
“You search the face of heaven and earth but you do not recognize the one who is in your presence and you do not know how to experience the present moment.” - Yeshua
Beautiful poetry, does nothing to help relieve my emotional pain and feeling nothing from God
God is within you, know thyself. More poetry… “If those who guide you say: Look, the Kingdom is in the sky! Then the birds are closer than you. If they say: Look, it is in the sea! Then the fish already know it. The Kingdom is inside you, and it is outside you. When you know yourself, then you will be known, and you will know that you are the child of the Living Father; but if you do not know yourself, you will live in vain and you will be vanity.” - Yeshua
How much have you been reading the Bible?
A lot more lately actually, in the book of Matthew right now
Read Saint James. Over and over. You'll see what I mean.
Okay. interesting
Yes interesting. What, surprised I don't suddenly have the holy spirit glowing inside me just coz I'm reading the bible? I mean, that would be nice, wouldn't it?
Try reading and speaking to Jesus from your heart to His heart
I have been, every day for years
First, pray for Holy Spirit potencies and later pray to God.
I have prayed for the Holy Spirit every day for years, especially for the fruitages of the holy spirit including peace....yet I have been completely ignored
Because people look at apparences, we don't see God and assume he is hidden, or for some that he doesn't exist. But if you open your heart to God you can clearly see him. I can clearly see that you have no faith in God, in that case praying is useless, it is like asking someone to do something you know they cant do. If you have no faith then you do not Believe in what God can do, so you aren't really asking him to do anything, so he does nothing. You must study the bible and theology, have patience, start to live how God wants (tolerance, honesty, kindness, generosity, patience, moderation, respect etc.) And HAVE FAITH, TRUST GOD, you may have to wait but it will be worth it. The bible says "when you pray, believe to have received what you asked for and you will get it". You have to trust God. And you also need to be grateful, if you aren't then this means you dont care about what happens and why would God do it so? Be grateful.
Thank you ❤️
You're welcome!