Can't feel him.

[Nomie]

Everywhere I go I feel like I'm one step behind everyone else in my relationship with God. I feel I can't reach the next level.
At church, I can't feel his presence (i never have), and I get nothing out of worship. I feel bad, I should be giving God all the praise he deserves, but I can't seem to get that connection that everyone else does when they are intimate with God. I dunno what to do, I just need to know how to hear God, or to feel his presence. I'm missing out and I don't know what to do to change this. I want something to change fast. I've never gone down in the Holy Spirit or anything like that.
When I went to the Christian Group at college I loved it. But they still all seemed to have something I cant get. They were connecting with Him in a way I couldn't. Although their friendship was great cause it was nice to be with other Christians in the public college. But the only other person that seemed to be at the same level of relationship was the new christian. I've been a christian for 5 years now. That says a lot.. doesn't it?
When I read the Bible thats all I find myself doing, just reading. I get nothing from it.
And I know it can't be God's fault. So what can I do to get that connection with God? How can I feel his presence.

 

[Bramage]

Everywhere I go I feel like I'm one step behind everyone else in my relationship with God. I feel I can't reach the next level.
At church, I can't feel his presence (i never have), and I get nothing out of worship. I feel bad, I should be giving God all the praise he deserves, but I can't seem to get that connection that everyone else does when they are intimate with God. I dunno what to do, I just need to know how to hear God, or to feel his presence. I'm missing out and I don't know what to do to change this. I want something to change fast. I've never gone down in the Holy Spirit or anything like that.
When I went to the Christian Group at college I loved it. But they still all seemed to have something I cant get. They were connecting with Him in a way I couldn't. Although their friendship was great cause it was nice to be with other Christians in the public college. But the only other person that seemed to be at the same level of relationship was the new christian. I've been a christian for 5 years now. That says a lot.. doesn't it?
When I read the Bible thats all I find myself doing, just reading. I get nothing from it.
And I know it can't be God's fault. So what can I do to get that connection with God? How can I feel his presence.

I had alot of things happen in my life which brought alot of real heartache to me. Unexpected things which happened out of the blue, like Steven Shephard, a friend of mine, being shot down in Iraq.

Some of you may not agree with war, but I was compelled to put together alot of videos for Steven's family, as a way to reach out to them a hand from God to wipe away their tears.

So I set out to create a website for Steven's family, which will always be there for them. I know Steven had an impact on my life, and perhaps He could also indirectly affect you. You can check out His website at www.StevenShephard.com

I continue to add more videos to his website, for his little girl, which Steven never got to see. I am recording the times of today, so that one day she can look back and see her Dad.

Sometimes when we step out of our own life and step into other's lives, we are able to embrace our own life differently.

Truly I tell you that there is no greater love in life than the depth of love Jesus has for us.

 

[kisstheson]

Nomie,

Thanks for being so honest. For now I will post this picture. I believe a picture is worth a million words.

 

[WeBe1]

You are not alone in your feelings, there are many of us here who has experienced that same feeling, including I, at some point. All I can say is this, God does know what you are going through, and it is His will that you are going through it.

If you are involved with a church that practices acts that have no biblical purpose, or, has never been taught to do so by the Word of God, then you are involved in the wrong church for you. If you are surrounded by those who are being “slain in the spirit”, those that when are touched, fall down, flop like a fish, and are controlled by an instructor to babble in a language they try to put off as talking in “tongues”, then you are involved in a church that is lying to God in the name of Jesus. This practice in the church cannot be found in the Word of God, nor is it condoned by God. God’s Spirit is not there, and so, He is leading you away from that church.

Don’t get me wrong about the gift of tongues, I do believe there is the giftt, but follow the guidelines as taught in the Word, so that you will have a true understanding of it. I myself was a member in a church as I described, I was lying to the Holy Spirit of God, because I wanted to fit in with the church. I wasn’t at that time trying to be noticed by God, I was trying to be noticed by man. I learned this when God sent an Angel to me who corrected me in what I was doing.

I finally became close to God once I repented of this, I give Him all glory. I may still care about how those around me see me, but I care so much more about what God sees in me, and this keeps me in check. I serve God by serving His creation, not vice-versa. However, when I am in sin, and have not repented of it, then I feel the Spirit grieved and sometimes feel as if the Spirit is not with me. It is corrected when I repent, worship God at His feet, and study His Word in depth and in Spirit.

 

[HumbleUnderdog]

Pray and ask God to reach out to you, and touch you in some way. Ask for His presence.

If you don't get much out of the bible, then that's a sign that the bible isn't that interesting to you. You might not see the significance of the scriptures that you read.

Pray too that God will give you a boost, some motivation, that's what has me interested in the bible.

 

[favoritetoyisjoy]

Nomie,

Deuteronomy 4:29: "But if from thence thou shalt seek the Lord thy God, thou shalt find Him, if thou seek Him with all thy heart and with all thy soul."

I've learned the hard way many times in my 40 years of Christian experience that God doesn't move away from us, we move away from Him.

An operative word in this verse is "all", "all" thy heart and "all" thy soul. If we empty ourselves of everything else but our earnest desire to draw close to Him, He will draw close to us.

For me, this emptying can take a bit of time, depending on how far away I've moved from Him. It amazes me sometimes how cluttered my mind can actually get, and how little surrendered I can be.

Isaiah 26:3: "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on Thee: because he trusteth in Thee."

If I keep all my thoughts on God He shows me the way through difficulty toward blessing, and gives me the peace that passeth all understanding. God bless you.

 

[inHisgripkim]

Everywhere I go I feel like I'm one step behind everyone else in my relationship with God. I feel I can't reach the next level.
At church, I can't feel his presence (i never have), and I get nothing out of worship. I feel bad, I should be giving God all the praise he deserves, but I can't seem to get that connection that everyone else does when they are intimate with God. I dunno what to do, I just need to know how to hear God, or to feel his presence. I'm missing out and I don't know what to do to change this. I want something to change fast. I've never gone down in the Holy Spirit or anything like that.
When I went to the Christian Group at college I loved it. But they still all seemed to have something I cant get. They were connecting with Him in a way I couldn't. Although their friendship was great cause it was nice to be with other Christians in the public college. But the only other person that seemed to be at the same level of relationship was the new christian. I've been a christian for 5 years now. That says a lot.. doesn't it?
When I read the Bible thats all I find myself doing, just reading. I get nothing from it.
And I know it can't be God's fault. So what can I do to get that connection with God? How can I feel his presence.

Dear Sister:

Scripture tells us to seek Him with all our heart, soul, and mind. The way I interpreted that verse is to seek Him everyway I possibly could in my mind, thoughts, vision, touch, smell, etc. I literally looked for devotionals and hymns at thrift shops. I made an apoint to get to the thrift shops once or twice a month to look for christian books and cassettes. I acquired a library of christian praise and worship music and Christian devotionals. I listen to my Christian music when ever I can. Most Christian praise and worship is psalms and scripture put into poetry. So when you listen, you are getting scripture. Get a walkman and headphones and take walks outdoors with that music and take in the in everything you see and relate it all back to God. He made everything, including everything manmade. Everything manmade comes from the earth and God made earth.

I run and when I go,I take the walkman and listen to praise and worship. I get into a trans-like state when I run and focus on the words of the music and pay attention to the clouds, mountains, birds and any other wildlife. God sent me three sparrows and the sparrow is mentioned in the bible in Luke and Mathew. I pay close attention to the sparrow. I also spend time imagining being one with God and try to feel that oneness.

When you read scripture, try to imagine it as a movie as you read it. Visualize what you read. All this helps you get scripture and God imprinted in your mind and heart.

I also talk to Jesus in my everyday routine. I praise him for the little things that really aren't little. I thank Him for the sunlight, the song of the morning dove, the beauty of the sunset or sunrise. I even thank Him for the breath I just took and the beat of my heart. When I lose my keys, I ask God to help me find them. I find them quickly everytime I go to Him and ask. I lose my keys often but I find them everytime with His help.

I nearly lost my faith due to a third sexual assault. I fought hard to keep my faith because I knew without it I would surely shrivel up and die. My faith is unbreakable now because I sought Him out with all my senses constantly.

It's work to stay present in the Lord at first. Practice makes things easier. When you are thinking God and seeking God constantly, He sends you signs and wonders which you will be open to. Coinsidence is God. Pay attention to all the coinsidences in your daily living as you seek Him.

"Seek and you shall find." You will. I did. You are welcome to read my testimony and witness in my blog. It's in two parts. It's titled "Three Sparrows."

You are welcome to pm me anytime. If you have any questions, I am here.

God is with us,
InHisgripkim

 

[Aibrean]

Maybe you need a change of scenery.

This may sound weird but I had felt the same way for many years until I went with my brother to a new church (which was LCMS). Since I was 10 we went to a non-demoninational church until the point that I didn't feel like it was right for me to be there. We didn't like the way they preached ("feel good"), we didn't like the way they did music (contemporary and people clapped for soloists and the choir...which I think they shouldn't do because we are to be worshiping God through the music, not others), and we didn't like the way some of the people criticized others. Then my brother and I went "church searching" for a church that held the same beliefs as us and the same doctrines. I found out last week that my grandmothers entire family (and her) grew up Lutheran and when she married she went Brethren. Her church has since died out and they haven't found a place to go to. I'm so excited that on Easter we are all going to the LCMS church here together.

It's like a veil has been lifted. There is no possible way to explain how I feel now...other than motivated, uplifted, and refreshed (I literally almost cried in the service because I was so happy). I get emotional thinking about it. It's not that I didn't know He was there and that he was working in my life...it was like there was a boulder keeping me from where I needed to be.

WeBe: That is entirely how I felt...that God's presence wasn't in the church. We had several pastoral changes (one retired, one committed adultery and left, and the current one seems to "mega churchy") and many long term members of the congregation left. Some lady approached my brother at the old church before he left and told him that was was the only "good child" because he was the only one in my family going. My brother waited it out until I convinced my mother to let him stay home and watch Mass (which to me, was better than being there) which he did and then the "church search" happened.

 

[Citizen of the Kingdom]

Everywhere I go I feel like I'm one step behind everyone else in my relationship with God. I feel I can't reach the next level.
At church, I can't feel his presence (i never have), and I get nothing out of worship. I feel bad, I should be giving God all the praise he deserves, but I can't seem to get that connection that everyone else does when they are intimate with God. I dunno what to do, I just need to know how to hear God, or to feel his presence. I'm missing out and I don't know what to do to change this. I want something to change fast. I've never gone down in the Holy Spirit or anything like that.
When I went to the Christian Group at college I loved it. But they still all seemed to have something I cant get. They were connecting with Him in a way I couldn't. Although their friendship was great cause it was nice to be with other Christians in the public college. But the only other person that seemed to be at the same level of relationship was the new christian. I've been a christian for 5 years now. That says a lot.. doesn't it?
When I read the Bible thats all I find myself doing, just reading. I get nothing from it.
And I know it can't be God's fault. So what can I do to get that connection with God? How can I feel his presence.

Christianity is a personal relationship with Christ. Nothing more and nothing less. Spend time with Him during the day and He with you, at night He teaches more in so many ways. Just as a relationship with a spouse is a 24/7 thing, so is being the Bride to Christ. When you think of what you would expect from a spouse and what you would give to marraige then you get an idea of what the world gives to this relationship and He sees it as even more than that.When you see yourself in this way and Him as your spouse then feeling Him is something to worked on at all times and as the most important thing in life, b/c His life and yours are as one. God bless you in your walk, and don't be ensnared in keeping up with the Jone's.