How do I "make" myself believe?

bling

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I can make myself follow Christ's teachings about how to live. I can make myself pray. I can make myself go to church. And I experience little "flashes" that are almost faith here and there. But none of that means anything without actual, full-on faith, right?

So where do I get faith? Christianity involves not just practices but a set of factual beliefs– I have to believe that God exists, that Christ was the son of God, that his death redeemed our sins, etc etc etc. Sometimes, I think it's like being presented with a box and told that, without opening it, I have to believe that there's a red ball inside it. I can acknowledge that there might be a red ball in there, but how can I make myself believe that there definitely, definitely is?

It can be infuriating. I want to have faith (sometimes, anyway), I pray for faith, I try ordering myself to believe, but something's missing. I haven't been able to force faith, and it's not coming on its own, and sometimes it's painfully frustrating– it's like I'm dying of thirst in a desert and faith is an oasis of water lying just out of reach of my lips. Is there anything I can do other than wait?

We all have faith in something or some people.

What you are talking about is directing that faith toward God to make it a saving faith.

Sitting at home and “hoping” for a faith does not work, but getting out and around true Christians of great faith will grow your desire and allow you to see how it works. A lot comes with the right attitude: Do you like seeing others being Loved unconditionally, would you prefer to be loved unconditionally (in spite of who you really are) and not loved for how you want others to perceive you to be? Would you like to Love others unconditionally (not because they are lovable, but because you are a Lover)?

Faith comes with hearing/seeing God living in and through others, experiencing that Love.

If you then take the little faith you have with the little Godly type love you got from God, you can grow that faith and Love through use (doing stuff for others without expecting anything in return).
 
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aiki

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I can make myself follow Christ's teachings about how to live. I can make myself pray. I can make myself go to church. And I experience little "flashes" that are almost faith here and there. But none of that means anything without actual, full-on faith, right?

So where do I get faith? Christianity involves not just practices but a set of factual beliefs– I have to believe that God exists, that Christ was the son of God, that his death redeemed our sins, etc etc etc. Sometimes, I think it's like being presented with a box and told that, without opening it, I have to believe that there's a red ball inside it. I can acknowledge that there might be a red ball in there, but how can I make myself believe that there definitely, definitely is?

It can be infuriating. I want to have faith (sometimes, anyway), I pray for faith, I try ordering myself to believe, but something's missing. I haven't been able to force faith, and it's not coming on its own, and sometimes it's painfully frustrating– it's like I'm dying of thirst in a desert and faith is an oasis of water lying just out of reach of my lips. Is there anything I can do other than wait?

Where do you "get faith"? Well, the reality is you have plenty of faith that you exercise toward other people, systems, implements and organizations every day. You can't really live life without faith. The problem, then, isn't that you haven't got faith but that you are unwilling to place it in Christ. Christianity, you see, is, at its heart, about him. Many people try to reduce Christianity to a set of propositions and concepts but that is to mistake very badly what Christianity is. At bottom, Christianity is about a relationship with Christ.

Generally, people tend to trust only those whom they know. And the better they know a person, the greater the trust they are willing to place in that person (provided what they know of that person warrants such trust). How well do you know Jesus? How much time have you spent studying him and his teachings? Jesus does not require that we trust him as a complete unknown.

It's been my experience that the more I focus on a thing, the more it influences and shapes me. If I focus on a particular fear, for example, that fear magnifies in my mind and dominates my thoughts. It's just how we're made. So, if you are focused intently upon your struggle to have faith, that focus can become the very thing impeding your faith. You're too preoccupied with not having faith in God to actually let faith in Him develop. An ironic, but common problem.

Selah.
 
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TheyCallMeDave

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I can make myself follow Christ's teachings about how to live. I can make myself pray. I can make myself go to church. And I experience little "flashes" that are almost faith here and there. But none of that means anything without actual, full-on faith, right?

So where do I get faith? Christianity involves not just practices but a set of factual beliefs– I have to believe that God exists, that Christ was the son of God, that his death redeemed our sins, etc etc etc. Sometimes, I think it's like being presented with a box and told that, without opening it, I have to believe that there's a red ball inside it. I can acknowledge that there might be a red ball in there, but how can I make myself believe that there definitely, definitely is?

It can be infuriating. I want to have faith (sometimes, anyway), I pray for faith, I try ordering myself to believe, but something's missing. I haven't been able to force faith, and it's not coming on its own, and sometimes it's painfully frustrating– it's like I'm dying of thirst in a desert and faith is an oasis of water lying just out of reach of my lips. Is there anything I can do other than wait?

You ALLOW yourself to believe in the existence of our personal Creator and Jesus and the Bible by based on the evidence available and apply a small degree of faith to it since you haven't seen the Creator (yet) . God doesn't expect you to jump blindly and he honors true skeptics when they diligently look into God . In return, God rewards them with more of himself and his existence so your faith can take root and develop. God gives us faith. Faith that is based on solid reason and rationale. Not a blind faith . Your requirement right now , is to excersise your WILL to learn more, go thru a process of discovery, see for yourself the validity of the Bible being supernatural in origin, getting together with othes whove been touched by CHrist, and to very seriously consider making a firm commitment to the leadership of CHrist starting by inviting him into your life thru a prayer of sincerity that he canceled all your many accumulated sins . See the postscript passage below for the precise steps you need to take to be in Gods camp and to be promised heaven. I hope to see you there one day soon.
 
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chevyontheriver

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It can be infuriating. I want to have faith (sometimes, anyway), I pray for faith, I try ordering myself to believe, but something's missing. I haven't been able to force faith, and it's not coming on its own, and sometimes it's painfully frustrating– it's like I'm dying of thirst in a desert and faith is an oasis of water lying just out of reach of my lips. Is there anything I can do other than wait?
I'm going to second those who have said there is nothing you can do to will to believe.

Faith is a strange thing. It is a gift rather than something willed. It is an unearned gift from a loving God. You can't make God love you, cannot earn God's love and approval, but God already loves you with an overwhelming and constant love from the moment of your conception. And will continue to love you. You might not grasp that. Many people do not. They see God as someone who judges, who demands, who is difficult to please. Forget about it. God loves each of us. The best we can do is to appreciate that love, be thankful for that love, enjoy being loved. Faith is a response to love. God is love, love far more than will. The exemplar of that love is the love between the Father and the Son, an eternal love from before creation. Out of that love we were created. Out of that love Jesus came to redeem us. Nothing we can do earns that redemption. God prompts us to respond to that free gift of redemption. Wait for it. And when it comes you will know because you will find yourself thanking God for loving you. So relax. You cannot torque your way into faith. You just realize that you are loved.
 
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hedrick

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I have days that i feel very close to faith, as if i am clothed in it. Other days however i feel similar to what you have described. I dont allow myself to fret though, and i follow Davids example in Scripture when he talks about waiting on the Lord. I wait many times in life.

I believe that Christ is the only thing that makes sense in this world. No other religious belief makes quite the same sense that Christ does, for me anyway. Also, atheism makes no sense to me at all. Christ, although ridiculous to them, makes much more sense to me than atheism. I just don't believe that mankind accidentally came into being. I don't believe we evolved from nothing, then into ape like creatures and then into man. That to me is the most absurd of all beliefs, and it is just a belief too. Despite what evolutionists assert to the contrary, their evolutionary ideas are for the most part just idealism, just fantasy.

I choose to believe even when i doubt because there is nothing else to believe in, nothing else to give hope and meaning for my existence. Christ is my strength, purpose and my hope, till the very end.
I’m not sure why you say you don’t have faith.

In terms of belief, it seems to me that thinking God and Christ are the only thing that makes sense is enough. Other things like the Trinity are useful, but historically they arose mostly to protect against misunderstanding, not to create a long list of things Christians have to believe.

Beyond that, faith is really more about trusting God than believing a list of things.

Jesus focused mostly on how we live. How we treat others. Basing our lives on prayer. Coming before God with repentance. Things like that. Obviously you can’t live the way he taught without believing in one God, and you can’t be his follower without understanding that he’s God’s son. But you seem to believe those things.
 
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Brianlear

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You can't. And not only that, you aren't supposed to be able to. God is powerful but not mean. He wouldn't make a universe where you have to play a mental trick on yourself to believe.
The story of God, Jesus, and eternal life is not dependent on your 100% believing it at any specific point in time.
No one, not even the disciples (who literally watched Jesus perform miracles) fully believed it. Think about that. Every person whether they admit it or not, is in exactly the same position as you, and always has been. More important than whether you "actually" believe it, is in fact how much you WANT to believe it. How much it grabs your heart and makes you go "wow, that's awesome, I HOPE that's how it actually is". Notice that the story is very attractive like that. It grabs you and won't let go. It makes you think about it, holds your attention. And in doing so, the STORY begins to change your life. Something about holding that question in your mind of "Was Jesus really God in human form? Did he really do all those amazing things" actually changes your life. Over time, belief GROWS out of that process.

As long as you are holding that question in your mind, weighing it, wrestling with it...you are good my brother :)

What you are waiting for, the 100% proof, is never going to happen. It happened for the disciples and even they couldn't handle it.

And don't ever let ANYONE tell you that doubting is wrong.
 
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Poster0

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I’m not sure why you say you don’t have faith.

In terms of belief, it seems to me that thinking God and Christ are the only thing that makes sense is enough. Other things like the Trinity are useful, but historically they arose mostly to protect against misunderstanding, not to create a long list of things Christians have to believe.

Beyond that, faith is really more about trusting God than believing a list of things.

Jesus focused mostly on how we live. How we treat others. Basing our lives on prayer. Coming before God with repentance. Things like that. Obviously you can’t live the way he taught without believing in one God, and you can’t be his follower without understanding that he’s God’s son. But you seem to believe those things.


I do have faith, but I don't have faith which moves mountains, or that does any other miraculous thing. I have faith which perseveres. Im happy with it.
 
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Yeshuas_My_Freedom

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You can't make yourself believe any more than you can make yourself love someone.

I can make myself follow Christ's teachings about how to live. I can make myself pray. I can make myself go to church. And I experience little "flashes" that are almost faith here and there. But none of that means anything without actual, full-on faith, right?

So where do I get faith? Christianity involves not just practices but a set of factual beliefs– I have to believe that God exists, that Christ was the son of God, that his death redeemed our sins, etc etc etc. Sometimes, I think it's like being presented with a box and told that, without opening it, I have to believe that there's a red ball inside it. I can acknowledge that there might be a red ball in there, but how can I make myself believe that there definitely, definitely is?

It can be infuriating. I want to have faith (sometimes, anyway), I pray for faith, I try ordering myself to believe, but something's missing. I haven't been able to force faith, and it's not coming on its own, and sometimes it's painfully frustrating– it's like I'm dying of thirst in a desert and faith is an oasis of water lying just out of reach of my lips. Is there anything I can do other than wait?
 
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ToBeLoved

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I can make myself follow Christ's teachings about how to live. I can make myself pray. I can make myself go to church. And I experience little "flashes" that are almost faith here and there. But none of that means anything without actual, full-on faith, right?

So where do I get faith? Christianity involves not just practices but a set of factual beliefs– I have to believe that God exists, that Christ was the son of God, that his death redeemed our sins, etc etc etc. Sometimes, I think it's like being presented with a box and told that, without opening it, I have to believe that there's a red ball inside it. I can acknowledge that there might be a red ball in there, but how can I make myself believe that there definitely, definitely is?

It can be infuriating. I want to have faith (sometimes, anyway), I pray for faith, I try ordering myself to believe, but something's missing. I haven't been able to force faith, and it's not coming on its own, and sometimes it's painfully frustrating– it's like I'm dying of thirst in a desert and faith is an oasis of water lying just out of reach of my lips. Is there anything I can do other than wait?

Let's simplify this.

You don't feel you have enough faith.

Who gives to all who ask?

Matthew 7:7
"Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8"For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened"

You need to start praying for more faith.
 
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allhart

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I can make myself follow Christ's teachings about how to live. I can make myself pray. I can make myself go to church. And I experience little "flashes" that are almost faith here and there. But none of that means anything without actual, full-on faith, right?

So where do I get faith? Christianity involves not just practices but a set of factual beliefs– I have to believe that God exists, that Christ was the son of God, that his death redeemed our sins, etc etc etc. Sometimes, I think it's like being presented with a box and told that, without opening it, I have to believe that there's a red ball inside it. I can acknowledge that there might be a red ball in there, but how can I make myself believe that there definitely, definitely is?

It can be infuriating. I want to have faith (sometimes, anyway), I pray for faith, I try ordering myself to believe, but something's missing. I haven't been able to force faith, and it's not coming on its own, and sometimes it's painfully frustrating– it's like I'm dying of thirst in a desert and faith is an oasis of water lying just out of reach of my lips. Is there anything I can do other than wait?
Faith is like patience. It can't be just asked for but must be lived out of experience. You can acknowledge faith but to truly understand it you must experience it.... It's a dot to dot experience..., do you know the difference btw spirit, soul n flesh!? Do you know the differences btw giving to self, mankind n to Yahweh!?
 
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allhart

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There is confidence in faith n there is a wavering faith.... Kinda like studying.... Knowing n not knowing!? Do u know or believe... Have a hard time with belief myself cuz it's a opinion n opinion doesn't have to be based in truth.... Do you believe Yahweh in what He says n does!? Is Yahweh sovereign over creation????? And in covenant with you? Dedicational love without the emotional roller coaster but a rational love....
 
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Matthew Twentyfour

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So where do I get faith?

It can be infuriating. I want to have faith (sometimes, anyway), I pray for faith, I try ordering myself to believe, but something's missing. I haven't been able to force faith, and it's not coming on its own, and sometimes it's painfully frustrating– it's like I'm dying of thirst in a desert and faith is an oasis of water lying just out of reach of my lips. Is there anything I can do other than wait?

Here's your answer!
images


A Christians life and walk starts with faith in believing and ends with faith in obedience.
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Obedience is Faith in action.
obedience-is-an-act-of-faith-disobedience-is-the-result-of-unbelief-quote-1.jpg



If someone truly believe what Jesus taught us is the only way to salvation, he/she will follow Christ's commandments. He/she will be faithful till the end. Those who endure their faith (who are obedient) against temptation till the end will be saved.
obedience_faith.jpg



=============================

OBEDIENCE-faith.jpg


faith-and-obedience-intertwined.jpg


Hebrews 11:4-12 (NKJV)
4 By faith (Obedience) Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts; and through it he being dead still speaks.

5 By faith (Obedience) Enoch was taken away so that he did not see death, “and was not found, because God had taken him”; for before he was taken he had this testimony, that he pleased God. 6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

7 By faith (Obedience) Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.

8 By faith (Obedience) Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. 9 By faith he dwelt in the land of promise as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise;10 for he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God.

11 By faith (Obedience) Sarah herself also received strength to conceive seed, and she bore a child when she was past the age, because she judged Him faithful who had promised. 12 Therefore from one man, and him as good as dead, were born as many as the stars of the sky in multitude—innumerable as the sand which is by the seashore.








.
 
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Sophrosyne

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A lot of good info in here but I think much of it would just confuse the main issue. I think philovoid (sp?) hit the tip of the iceberg when it comes to faith in that people start in their idea of faith in things that they can touch, see, and hear when they desire to do so (a book on the table) this really isn't faith according to the Bible. I think a start towards faith that the Bible equates is trusting things that haven't happened yet like trusting the driver of the car ahead of you to keep doing as he is doing, the driver coming towards you in the other lane on an undivided street from not veering into your lane and hitting you head on. Faith is your trust that the sun will come up tomorrow when and you will wake up from sleep instead of being dead. This isn't biblical faith I'm talking about but it is faith that goes from concrete to trusting things as they are to be as they are in the future. Once you realize you have a kind of faith that people will do what you expect them to and the universe will continue on the course that it is currently on and your own body will function as it has been then you can apply this thinking to who God is as shown in the Bible. If you see God does this and that and try to believe that he will continue on the path he has set himself for the universe and mankind that is a start of faith in him.

If you trust someone you have a sort of faith in them. We trust others daily based upon many factors like their position and expertise, accreditation (degrees, schooling) and we even trust people based upon our relationships with them by knowing about them. The more we know about someone the more we trust (or distrust) them and at times we can have "faith" in them based upon our past association with them. We can also trust or have faith at times in others based upon people we respect or know that we trust say about them. This is sort of having faith in others faith. One can read the Bible and believe in what is written putting their trust in the authors who wrote thing and what they wrote about God and the past that unfolds within it we can "see" God for who he is and when we come to a point that we know enough about God and trust... it is akin to having fertile ground to plant a mustard seed. Those who do not trust or those who do not know enough to not plant their "seed" in fertile ground will never have faith enough to go beyond just hoping that God is....

I struggled a lot with my faith it was very fragile and shattered as a child when I became older and it no longer was able to persevere. The more you know about God and the more you PUT your trust in him in the hard times the stronger your faith grows. God wants to test our faith in him not to be cruel but to help us grow in faith so that we can survive the storms in life. In time your faith in God grows beyond the Bible as he becomes your friend and ally in life encouraging you and even using you to help others who have either less... or no faith.
 
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TheJust

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I can make myself follow Christ's teachings about how to live. I can make myself pray. I can make myself go to church. And I experience little "flashes" that are almost faith here and there. But none of that means anything without actual, full-on faith, right?

So where do I get faith? Christianity involves not just practices but a set of factual beliefs– I have to believe that God exists, that Christ was the son of God, that his death redeemed our sins, etc etc etc. Sometimes, I think it's like being presented with a box and told that, without opening it, I have to believe that there's a red ball inside it. I can acknowledge that there might be a red ball in there, but how can I make myself believe that there definitely, definitely is?

It can be infuriating. I want to have faith (sometimes, anyway), I pray for faith, I try ordering myself to believe, but something's missing. I haven't been able to force faith, and it's not coming on its own, and sometimes it's painfully frustrating– it's like I'm dying of thirst in a desert and faith is an oasis of water lying just out of reach of my lips. Is there anything I can do other than wait?

There is no need for belief, God is real and simpler than water. Nothing you can believe will ever be correct because the moment a belief enters your mind, it has become too complicated to portray the truth. God just is, just like water just is and no amount of belief can change what it is. The only thing you can do is, through faith, see God for yourself. As Jesus and others have shown quite clearly, humanity has access to God. Disregard everything anyone says, God can only be sought within by way of stillness of the mind and consistent unwavering forgiveness. God is simply what is and will always be for eternity, therefore, the only way to God is to have nothing else. The moment you see the truth all doubt is instantly erased and that is how you know its true. Keep in mind this could take hours, days, months, years, decades. If you want to know God you must be dedicated in every moment of your life.
 
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ToBeLoved

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There is no need for belief, God is real and simpler than water. Nothing you can believe will ever be correct because the moment a belief enters your mind, it has become too complicated to portray the truth. God just is, just like water just is and no amount of belief can change what it is.
This is pretty misleading. Belief is obviously a componenet of faith.
 
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ToBeLoved

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Faith is trust in the unknown, beliefs are fairy tales.

The apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith!"
-
Luke 17:5
That is one of the oddest Christian stated things that I have ever heard.

Beliefs are not fairy tales.

And faith is not trust in the unknown. Although part of faith may be, but that is not all faith is.

Where did you get these definitions from?
 
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