Why do I feel faint when I read the bible too much ?

A Fellow Seeker said:

The fact that you get faint while reading is a bit worrisome. You don't say how long you read standing or sitting. If your getting faint I would suggest sitting. I'm not into the belief you have to suffer to learn about God.

I suggest getting into a bible study group or a study partner where you get a reading plan set up then talk about what you read. Or perhaps start a journal where you write down thoughts and questions you have. It's not how fast or painfully you read the Bible - it's what you get out of each passage. A good study guide will also provide insight into things you could easily miss or beyond what is stated like the cultural traditions at the time the passage was written may give you a better understanding or insight into the text. All this will help you remember what you read.

Rewards also generally work better than punishment for most people - so reward yourself with something after your lesson while you think about what you just read.

If your getting faint quickly I would suggest seeing a doctor or talking to someone about it. Something may be reducing the blood flow to your brain making you faint. You may have low blood pressure or something else wrong.

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Hidden In Him said:

I understand. And you are actually being fairly perceptive in what you are thinking. Revelation from God does indeed have a way of bringing you from a feeling of death to life, because as Jesus said, His words are Spirit and they are life (John 16:13). Through the empowerment that can come from receiving teaching and instruction through the Holy Spirit, it empowers your prayers and gives you much greater confidence with God.



I understand the passage in context this way:

- V.1, 3, 7-8 = Because of her gross sins and indulgences, God has determined that Ephraim is going to be judged.
- V.9-10 = God asks the question, "How will I ever get you to a place of spiritual maturity to see your sins? I would want to address you as spiritual adults, yet am having to treat you as infants not yet weaned from their mothers breast. I would have to start with here a little, there a little."
- V.11-12 = The Lord here promises to eventually send the Holy Spirit upon the Gentiles instead, as a means of shaming Ephraim for her spiritual immaturity and failing to grow into spiritual adulthood. This outpouring when it came was intended to be a spiritual "refreshing" to Israel, yet still they would not have ears to hear (Acts 28:23-29).
- V.13 = This, then, in the immediate context becomes an extremely interesting verse. It suggests that the "they" at the beginning of the verse is in reference to the Gentiles, who would grow in the word, Hera little and there a little, unlike the Jews who are the "they" in the second half of the verse. Because the Gentiles would walk in obedience where the Jews did not, it would cause the Jews to "go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken" (probably a reference to the overthrow of Jerusalem in 70 A.D.).
- V.16 = This is why He would "lay in Zion a Chief Cornerstone." To likewise stumble over this, and be broken by it as well.

Hope that helps. Just my interpretation of things. I find the OT sometimes tougher to discern than the New.

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Hidden In Him said:

I know you posted this to Seeker, but if I can, let me address this one. And the point is very important:

I've learned more than ever recently that God often allows certain hinderances to go on in our lives for the following purpose: He desires us to come to the place where we finally grow tired of the opposition, and take authority over the issue in His name. This is yet another situation that may take some time to manifest in both the spiritual and the natural, but I now know the principle is very real. He wants those He can minister His power and authority through, not just to.

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GeorgeJ said:

Well then.....don't do it too much! How simple is that?

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Monk Brendan said:

First things. Go to the doctor, and have him check your blood sugar. If physically you are fine, then stop fasting, and stop reading while standing. This will give you more energy, and the ability to do some of the other things that you need/want to do.

Stop reading the Word aloud. I went through a phase like that, but I found that whether you read at the top of your lungs, or read silently, your spirit and soul will be enriched.

Finally, show some common sense. How long are you reading? Two or three hours is fine if you're a monk, and have nothing else to do. Otherwise, just read a few chapters every day, no more than five.

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