Hardened heart by sin

headphones777 said:

Hi, I hope I am posting in the right forum. I need some spiritual advice and/or encouragement. I have this feeling of being estranged from the Lord, and I am unable to hear his voice or feel his presence in my life. I feel like he has rejected me, and taken his Holy Spirit away from me, because of a sin I made a few years ago, which I shamefully have to admit, was sexual sin. At that moment I felt as if the Holy Spirit left my heart in a definitive way, and things in my life have only gone downhill since then, spiritually, morally and materially. Since then I've fallen into sexual sins over and over. My heart feels hardened, I cannot feel joy or peace. Recently, I listened to a video by Sid Roth, where he states that if you commit the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit, then the Holy Spirit leaves your soul. This makes me quite worried; what if I really committed the unforgivable sin? I feel nothing in prayer, I cannot hear God's "voice". I am really at my wits' end. Is there any hope for me? I'm Catholic. My material situation is so bad, that I really need a miracle...

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If you repent and turn from your sin and turn to Christ He is just to forgive all sin and cleanse you from all unrighteousness.1 John 1:9

The Spirit will depart if we harden our hearts, but if we are sincere about wanting to overcome sin, get on your knees and pray ask Jesus to forgive you and help you overcome your sin. What we can’t do on our own is possible through Jesus. Matthew 19:26

If you really want to be closer to Jesus show Him that by dedicating time daily to praying, reading His Word and asking Him to teach you all Truth about His Word. Once He forgives you, you need to forgive yourself and walk in a new path with Jesus as your personal Savior and let His Word (the scriptures) be a lamp to your feet. Psalm 119:105

God bless.

Welcome to the forums!

I've been where you are. Here is my advice.

In my own experience, I found myself disconnected from God because I didn't fully believe in my heart that He was truly there. I had doubt. My faith was very poor because I just didn't see His presence in my life. The problem wasn't God. It was my own lack of faith. I didn't believe. I felt I needed some sort of proof to believe, and that I didn't have it. I did, I just didn't see it.

At the time, I was just becoming an adult, and the desire to be able to do what I wanted without consequence was much greater than being beholden to my Creator. That's what I did for thirty years. I convinced myself that God long since disconnected the plug and we're left to our own devices. This was my own selfishness talking.

It took me a long time, but I figured out that in order to have a relationship with Jesus, we have to fix our heart problem first. Your heart has to be in it. You can't straddle the fence, having one foot in the world and one foot in Christianity. You have to jump off of the fence with sincere intent and purpose to serve God.

What does it take to turn a heart fully toward God? Belief. If you believe with all of your heart, you will seek out God. Just how a person gets to that point is unique to each individual. For me, it was finding proof that I couldn't dismiss, that God exists. Once I was satisfied, that I answered the question of whether God exists or not, then it was all I needed to turn my full attention to Him.

In doing so, in surrendering any doubt, I got down on my knees and prayed to Him and asked for forgiveness of my sins. I asked for Him to enter my life, and change me, make me a righteous and good person. I was sincere, and my heart was fully invested in it.

What happened next was something I didn't expect. My eyes were opened to the life I lived up until that point. The most striking thing to me was that I saw that God was a constant in my life, blessing me again and again, even though I denied Him. Angels protected me from death multiple times. I started to experience "coincidences" in my life, which can only be attributed to God.

Jesus died on the cross so our sins can be forgiven. All we have to do is wholeheartedly and sincerely surrender them to Him in prayer, and they are forgiven. It is that simple.

Our calling is to do His will, to change our lives, to turn away from sin and look to Him always. We live in this world, but are not of this world. We are looking to heaven, for that day when Jesus returns and the world is made anew, minus sin.

The peace and hope you experience when you surrender to God is complete. No more uncertainty, only blessed assurance.

headphones777 said:

Hi, I hope I am posting in the right forum. I need some spiritual advice and/or encouragement. I have this feeling of being estranged from the Lord, and I am unable to hear his voice or feel his presence in my life. I feel like he has rejected me, and taken his Holy Spirit away from me, because of a sin I made a few years ago, which I shamefully have to admit, was sexual sin. At that moment I felt as if the Holy Spirit left my heart in a definitive way, and things in my life have only gone downhill since then, spiritually, morally and materially. Since then I've fallen into sexual sins over and over. My heart feels hardened, I cannot feel joy or peace. Recently, I listened to a video by Sid Roth, where he states that if you commit the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit, then the Holy Spirit leaves your soul. This makes me quite worried; what if I really committed the unforgivable sin? I feel nothing in prayer, I cannot hear God's "voice". I am really at my wits' end. Is there any hope for me? I'm Catholic. My material situation is so bad, that I really need a miracle...

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To learn God’s will for our lives and hear His voice, we must face the difficult task of separating His will from our emotions. Indeed, we can be deceived by them.

If you are feeling condemned that is not from God .... He calls us to repent ... to change our thinking (and He helps us do that - we do indeed stumble here and there) ... He calls us to repentance not condemnation.

Condemnation leads to guilt and shame. Conviction, however, is God’s loving kindness leading us to repentance and back to His refuge.

What is blasphemy?

Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is committed only in the context of an attitude of persistent unbelief (Pharaoh is a good example - Exodus 9:12) and open hostility toward Jesus. Blaspheming the Holy Spirit is not a single episode; it is a determined way of life.

Although we struggle with some things (and we will) it doesn't mean we have persistent unbelief nor open hostility toward Jesus ... in fact ... the opposite.

We go to Him, ask for forgiveness, receive it and walk with Him in the light He has given us and through His power He will help us overcome. It's a life long process ... but He will finish His work.

Philippians 1:6

New Living Translation
And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.

headphones777 said:

Hi, I hope I am posting in the right forum. I need some spiritual advice and/or encouragement. I have this feeling of being estranged from the Lord, and I am unable to hear his voice or feel his presence in my life. I feel like he has rejected me, and taken his Holy Spirit away from me, because of a sin I made a few years ago, which I shamefully have to admit, was sexual sin. At that moment I felt as if the Holy Spirit left my heart in a definitive way, and things in my life have only gone downhill since then, spiritually, morally and materially. Since then I've fallen into sexual sins over and over. My heart feels hardened, I cannot feel joy or peace. Recently, I listened to a video by Sid Roth, where he states that if you commit the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit, then the Holy Spirit leaves your soul. This makes me quite worried; what if I really committed the unforgivable sin? I feel nothing in prayer, I cannot hear God's "voice". I am really at my wits' end. Is there any hope for me? I'm Catholic. My material situation is so bad, that I really need a miracle...

Click to expand...

Never fear God forsaking or leaving you. Draw near to God and he will draw near to you. The situation sounds as if you are feeling guilt, something the enemy uses to keep you in a type of mental prison. Pray and spill everything to God. He is faithful and will remove all guilt and will remember your sins no more. Meditate daily and pray daily. God and His peace be with you.

• For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. Heb 4:15

• The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Duet 31:8
• FOR I WILL BE MERCIFUL TOWARD THEIR WRONGDOINGS, AND THEIR SINS I WILL NO LONGER REMEMBER.” Heb 8:11

Go back and read the Gospels. Jesus at the well. The woman had what 6 men and the one she was with not is not her husband. He never once condemned her. The woman caught in adultery again He said where are those that condemn you? They were none so He said nor do I. He said He never came to condemn the world but to save it. We need the basics here that is the thoughts you got not one is from God. God will never talk to you like that. What God gives He never takes away. We ask for the holy spirit luke 11 13 and as Christ told the 12/120 the sweet sweet holy Spirit will be with you forever.

He does not can not talk the holy Spirit away from you. He said He will never leave you never for sake you. You say you sinned in the past or say even now. Christ already died for the sin of the world. He can not die again. There is no more sacrifice for that sin. When we treat what Christ did on the cross as not enough.. its a slap in the face to God. He took ever sin you did or would do. So we have no right to sin...but when we do we confess it and He is FAITHFUL and just to forgive us and cleans us from all not some but all unrighteousness. The heard part here is forgiven ones self.

He does not will not hold any sin over you. All that sin does today is like always "wages of sin is death" and puts up road blocks so to speak between us and God and also opens the door to the enemy. So we repent.. we get up dust off forgive our selfs try not to sin and keep going and rejoice.. praise Him worship Him. As long as we focus on sin thats all we see. Focus on HIM all the good He has done is doing in your life. Just because you can't see it hear it feel it does not mean HE is not at work. See He is for He said "He that has started began a good work in you will finish it".

Hear His voice. We all can. I do not believe in things like "7 steps to hear Gods voice". Christ aka GOD said my sheep know/hear my voice. ... Yeah that's it. He can't lie. God said my sheep know my voice. If we are not walking in the spirit or reading His word nor praying every day, praying always and doing sin here and there..yeah its going to be very hard. Its not Him that's the problem its us. The key here is we walk by faith not sight not how we feel for feelings are all over the place. So we walk by faith. If GOD said something, we trust in know He will do it no matter what we see hear or feel. If He said I will never leave you nor forsake you then no matter what you do say He is always with you. He is not a man that He should lie. Man/woman will always fail us but He is not them. He loves you and thats forever. The holy Spirit is with you forever. GOD said it.

So flip the thoughts you got since they are not of God. And God will never ever use fear doubt to talk to you. God never gave you the spirit of fear but of power love and a sound mine. You are strong in the lord in the power of His might. You have the joy of the lord. You put on the whole armor of? GOD! In just there few scriptures we see its ALL Him! Also know Christ died for guilt! Yeah guilt is not of God. So in these moments rejoice.. praise Him when you feel like this. Don't let the enemy rob you of your His joy in you HIs peace in you. Fear pops up you say "No..its written God has not given me the spirit of fear but of power love and a sound mine". You find what the word says and you speak HIS word!

Again don't run by how you feel. No matter what you see no matter how bright the day or dark the night you stand on what your FATHER has already spoken! He has never nor ever will fail you. So if you have all these thoughts flip them.. yeah this means He is speaking to you, He does love you and He has never left you. See the enemy can only lie. There is no truth in him.

Because you are so deeply troubled by it, I believe this is the convicting work of the Holy Spirit. If you have repented of it, you should now accept that Jesus has forgiven you... I feel as though you are punishing yourself rather accepting what Christ has done for you. Please don't live in the guilt of your sin. Remember, Jesus died for that, too. Are you connected to a church? Are you praying/reading your bible and developing a relationship with Jesus. Remember, don't ever go on your feelings. Live by faith - i'll pray for you, brother!

You feel , you feel , you feel . Feelings are Fickle .

If your heart was truly hardened , I don't think you'd be to concerned with your salvation.

"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." 1 John 1:9

wendykvw said:

Never fear God forsaking or leaving you. Draw near to God and he will draw near to you. The situation sounds as if you are feeling guilt, something the enemy uses to keep you in a type of mental prison. Pray and spill everything to God. He is faithful and will remove all guilt and will remember your sins no more. Meditate daily and pray daily. God and His peace be with you.

• For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. Heb 4:15

• The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Duet 31:8
• FOR I WILL BE MERCIFUL TOWARD THEIR WRONGDOINGS, AND THEIR SINS I WILL NO LONGER REMEMBER.” Heb 8:11

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i love that last verse you quoted..

Hi @headphones777

headphones777 said:

I have this feeling of being estranged from the Lord, and I am unable to hear his voice or feel his presence in my life.

Click to expand...

Use this feeling as the fuel to power you to find Him again. Not as the means to defeat you, but the means to propel you forward.

headphones777 said:

I listened to a video by Sid Roth, where he states that if you commit the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit, then the Holy Spirit leaves your soul. This makes me quite worried; what if I really committed the unforgivable sin?

Click to expand...

I don't know your situation, nor am I in the seat of a judge approved by God. Nevertheless, I have seen someone commit a blasphemy of the Holy Spirit and it was not because of sexual sin. Rather they completely turned their back on God and now actively discredit Him and the Bible publicly. For such people surely a fearsome outcome awaits. However, for the weak-willed, who sin repetitively, they should dust themselves off and try and again - seeking forgiveness, trusting in His goodness and mercy, and aiming for righteous behaviour.

headphones777 said:

Is there any hope for me? I'm Catholic. My material situation is so bad, that I really need a miracle...

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Your profile says you're a Christian? May I ask, why do you choose to be Catholic rather than Christian. You don't have to answer if you don't want.

Peace.

headphones777 said:

Hi, I hope I am posting in the right forum. I need some spiritual advice and/or encouragement. I have this feeling of being estranged from the Lord, and I am unable to hear his voice or feel his presence in my life. I feel like he has rejected me, and taken his Holy Spirit away from me, because of a sin I made a few years ago, which I shamefully have to admit, was sexual sin. At that moment I felt as if the Holy Spirit left my heart in a definitive way, and things in my life have only gone downhill since then, spiritually, morally and materially. Since then I've fallen into sexual sins over and over. My heart feels hardened, I cannot feel joy or peace. Recently, I listened to a video by Sid Roth, where he states that if you commit the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit, then the Holy Spirit leaves your soul. This makes me quite worried; what if I really committed the unforgivable sin? I feel nothing in prayer, I cannot hear God's "voice". I am really at my wits' end. Is there any hope for me? I'm Catholic. My material situation is so bad, that I really need a miracle...

Click to expand...

The bible lets' us know that the cross covers our lifetime of failures.

Heb 9:27-28 And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment, so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many.

This means that at any time in our life when we genuinely want repentance we can have it.

Jas 5:19-20 Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins.