Doubt and Faith

Am I alone in that I have a predisposition to always feeling doubt towards God and Jesus? And by this I mean that even when I am trying to practice faith I am constantly experiencing thoughts of doubt over and over again in my mind.

No matter what.

If God only helps those who have faith and do not doubt then even praying to have this doubt removed will not work, BECAUSE of the doubt. So all that's left is hopelessness then.

If I obey God in a situation of temptation with pornography as an example...it matters not, because I have a doubting spirit. If I approach someone I've wronged and apologize and admit my mistake to them and ask their forgiveness...it matters not because I doubt. If I choose to honor God in my life where I end up hurting or suffering, it doesn't matter because I doubt.

This is beyond bleak.

I don't think my description really portrays the kind of onslaught I am experiencing with this spirit of doubt. It is an never ending deluge of thoughts and feelings that continually swamp my mind in all situations where I am trying to believe in God; trust God; hold onto God.

Read the word and I still doubt.

Please do not tell me I am not the only one because I am not an idiot and I know this.

It's not enough that God knows this and understands. All that does is picture in my mind a God that just sits on the sidelines, watching you suffer and says, yes I know you are struggling...but then continues to just observe.

How can I have faith if I doubt and therefore how can I ever believe that God will rescue me if he will not act on my behalf if I doubt so even in the need for him to remove my doubt it cannot happen BECAUSE of the doubt. It requires faith in him to believe that he will do this for me...but since I doubt it is just one endless circle of death, looping over and over again.

Oh for a God that would intervene despite all that I do wrong and all that's wrong with me...habits, thoughts, mistakes, weaknesses.

God does strengthen our faith. Also, the enemy wants you to doubt and plants that in your mind. Rebuke those bad spirits in Jesus name.
No, I never will doubt God or Jesus, I only doubt myself sometimes. We can do nothing on our own without Christ. Your faith will grow, just stop focusing on your doubt.

I don't think you get it. I have done that "rebuking in Jesus name" too many times to count. You put a smiley face after saying "just stop focusing on your doubt"....well that doesn't work because I AM focusing on my doubt since it is constantly in my face.

It's like telling someone who is sinking into lava..."stop focusing on the hot magma that's disintegrating you". Kind of impossible to not focus on that.

Are you making a serious effort to repent and turn away from your sin? This could be what is holding you back from having the awesome relationship with God.

When I came to God for the first time I was an unbeliever (agnostic) so I can tell you first hand that God is listening to ALL OF US down here on Earth. I took all my faith and put it in Him and that's when I had a breakthrough.

Despite what many false preachers say, God is not a vending machine. We've got to be able to do the work of repenting. Acitvely, consciously, turning AWAY from what is holding us in destructive patterns (not that I'm perfect).

That being said, I feel you and I think your concerns are common.

I put a smiley face after what I said so it didn't sound like I was being hateful in saying, "Stop focusing on your doubt" I am not ignoring what you are saying. I am trying to tell you that you need to find a way to REFOCUS. It takes practice but you can do it. It's like wanting to play the guitar and knowing you're bad at it but believing you CAN learn to be good at it. That's because you are passionate about it. Be passionate about God. Choose to believe. No, you won't at first but you can start out by hoping in your hopes if that makes any sense. I feel your frustration. There isn't a quick answer or fix in this situation. Be determined. Tell yourself that you have doubt but you WILL get rid of it and tell the enemy too. You must believe in something.

Wait a second though...I thought that true repentance only comes from God's spirit enabling us to come to that place of true repentance. So how in the world by my own strength can I bring myself to that.

Have I felt to myself that I have been truly repentant about the sins in my life that I fall in over and over again. YES!!! Each and every time I fall I feel my spirit groan. If I didn't care at all if I sinned or not would that not be a much worse place to be?

I have Actively, consciously turned away countless times from the sins of my life and chosen Jesus in those moments...to deny my flesh and choose him. But then, there are times when I fall flat on my face and go through with it...I feel tremendous guilt after but the deed has been done.

So what does that mean then...if I feel that I've repented but then I go ahead and screw up again...well...how the heck do I interpret that? That therefore means that I did not repent but only thought I did and was deceived. So once more I ask, is it not BY God's spirit that we in our incredibly weak and broken bodies are actually enabled to truly repent where we do change because God's spirit convicted us in a way that we never could do by our own self analysis and evaluation.

How terrifying it is to think that after all these years where you think you are pursuing God and yet you end up just being a big phony and you didn't even realize it.

Jakihe:

I have chosen to believe...again and again for decades..from each moment to the next. If I wasn't passionate about God would I not have simply just told him to get lost and that I do not need Him? I NEED HIM...of this I have no doubt. This has not been something of a quick nature at all, but after decades of trying to do these things that have been mentioned in this thread and yet still having a doubting spirit that won't die and be gone, it has become soul wearying.

I have spoken to myself, claiming God's truth in my life, claiming my will at the moment that I believe in him and trust him with all my being and then try to go on with my day in that mindset. But it's like having a spy in your midst that is sabotaging you even as you try to do your best.

You said to tell myself that I have doubt and that I will get rid of it.....Isn't it God that will get rid of it??? I mean, isn't that what we are supposed to put our hope in and not our own strength? I know what I believe in...I just want to be past this place of doubting God's character and just knowing it. But how can that happen if God does not allow me to know him? And I'm talking spiritually...where when you read his word, it's not just watching text fly by your eyes but that God's spirit in a manner which I don't get, gives my mind and my heart and deeper understanding and revelation of God through his word.

Am I to say that I am the one that has the power to just do this to myself and I can simply believe myself into a place of knowing God through my own strength of will and power?

I know there is more to this story than you are saying and I can accept that. Have you seen a therapist? Because this sounds like something that is threatening your daily quality of life. I believe in prayer and the power of God and I do not know what your prayer life is. Only you can say whether or not you putting your faith in him while repenting.

If I cannot relate to your pain, I apologize but please know we are here to listen if you want to vent .

Do you have other Christians in your life? I mean, truly spiritual people who you can share with? I know that I have gotten down in my walk with Christ before and what really helped is to be strengthened and edified through other Christians. The Bible tells us we need this. It's like feeling so depressed that you don't even want to shower but somehow, you MAKE yourself do it, you know? In some things you HAVE to take steps.

You know what else helps me alot? Before you think it's lame, try it out... I listen to sermons on Youtube. It really helps me so much. You can always find someone in a similar situation and find strength in what they have to offer. Seriously try it?

Nothing silly about it..I do it too! The sermons are great.

I think the idea of having other christians in my life is great...too bad finding them is so difficult.

I have listened to sermons online before...but when you jump from one to the next and each person has their own differing view and interpretation on the Christian faith, it can get quite confusing.

But yeah, both are great ideas.