How do I stop doubting God's existence? (very serious question)

[BFine]

"I fear God can't forgive/save someone who would do something so terrible as to doubt Him, even if I have accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior prior (and after) this."

*Then make a note this...

The apostles abandoned Jesus...they doubted and Peter who swore he would NEVER forsake Jesus... Peter did that and denied that he even knew Jesus...he said it 3 times!

Jesus forgave them...he sought his "lost sheep" after they had abandoned him.
After they received the Holy Spirit they grew in boldness and went about proclaiming the Gospel.
----------------------------------------------

"The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; A broken and a contrite heart, God will not despise".

 

[15chr]

Doubting God's existence isn't a common confession in Christian circles. Thus the significance of a forum like this. My wife calls "tortured." I'm definitely introspective. I love God and believe in Him though usually without the confirmation of feelings. My faith is strong because of my struggle. It doesn't come easily.
How do I cope?
1) Definitely read scripture. Some scripture breeds greater introspection than others, so I move on if a particular scripture evokes doubt. The same scripture may be encouraging to me next time.
2) I acknowledge my unique mental/emotional package. I think a lot. I get depressed sometimes. I tend toward logic yet don't claim to be smart. This package of mine sets me up. So when I feel particularly at risk, I draw a boundary, i.e. I tell myself to postpone decisions and evaluate later.
3) I acknowledge the spiritual struggle and the reality of the enemy of my soul. I choose not to give him credence. He can press me but not destroy me. If this is my suffering, I accept it.
4) I confess God's wonder, power and amazingness. Creation is His signature, and it leads me to worship.
There are brilliant thinkers on the side of faith and on the side of denial of God. I conclude then that my battle will not be solved by intellectual argument. It always boils down to faith, and I choose to believe...regardless of how I feel.

 

[joey_downunder]

Doubting God's existence isn't a common confession in Christian circles. Thus the significance of a forum like this. My wife calls "tortured." I'm definitely introspective. I love God and believe in Him though usually without the confirmation of feelings. My faith is strong because of my struggle. It doesn't come easily.
How do I cope?
1) Definitely read scripture. Some scripture breeds greater introspection than others, so I move on if a particular scripture evokes doubt. The same scripture may be encouraging to me next time.
2) I acknowledge my unique mental/emotional package. I think a lot. I get depressed sometimes. I tend toward logic yet don't claim to be smart. This package of mine sets me up. So when I feel particularly at risk, I draw a boundary, i.e. I tell myself to postpone decisions and evaluate later.
3) I acknowledge the spiritual struggle and the reality of the enemy of my soul. I choose not to give him credence. He can press me but not destroy me. If this is my suffering, I accept it.
4) I confess God's wonder, power and amazingness. Creation is His signature, and it leads me to worship.

There are brilliant thinkers on the side of faith and on the side of denial of God. I conclude then that my battle will not be solved by intellectual argument. It always boils down to faith, and I choose to believe...regardless of how I feel.

You sound very much like myself and a lot of other christians who regularly contribute to this type of forum.

For me I have found that reading and listening to good christian sermons on verses that at first reading can cause doubt about your salvation undid a lot of my fears. Learning how to keep everything in context and how to balance law and grace helped me a lot. SermonAudio.com

 

[gideon123]

I suggest that you read Psalms when struggling.
You will find many verses composed by King David when he struggled with major issues in his life. It is encouraging to discover that doubt and fear are emotions that beleivers can have.

I don't think you need to beat yourself up about doubt.
Doubt and confusion are part of the human experience.
Very rarely do we ever believe 100% in anything - life is not that straightforward.
Sometimes God may seem very far away.
At other times you may feel He is as close as your own heartbeat.

Go to the Bible when you struggle.
It's a good habit to get into.
Try Psalms, and try prayer.

all the best,
Gideon123

 

[St. Paul]

Recently, Ive been feeling really down in the dumps, and my faith is suffering. The cause of my near-depression is because I keep doubting the Lord's existence, and I'm scared if I keep this up I'll go to Hell, which is my #1 fear in the entire world.
I honestly 100% believe God exists, and that Jesus died for our sins, and that there is a Heaven and Hell, but one day this nagging voice in the back of my mind kept saying "God doesn't exist" and "You're stupid for believing in Christianity", and since then I've been dealing with this, and I know its the Devil trying to get me on his side, but I don't want to be on his side. I want to be with God.
One day I even thought "You have to let go of the one's you love the most, so God, I'm letting you go." The day I thought that was the day I knew that this was a serious issue. Not to long ago I was watching a Christian TV show about a man talking about headlines and the how it relates to the End Times, and halfway through I busted out crying because he was talking about how amazing the Rapture will be and how it should give us hope, but I felt (and at times still feel) that I'm going to be left behind in the Rapture, and maybe not even go to Heaven at all because of my thoughts and doubt.
Now sometimes when I think something negative, my mind applies it to God (Like if I say, "I hate bananas" a thought echoes in my mind saying "Just like you hate God), but when I say something positive, like "God is good" my mind just replies "Yes He is." Why is that??
There are some days when I feel wonderful and full of faith and love for the Lord, and other days when I would rather die than go through the mental torture I go through. I hate the way I feel and myself when I doubt God and think destructive thoughts towards Him and His kingdom, and on those days I can't concentrate on anything: My school work, my teachers, even a conversation becomes to much for me.
I've been praying for God to deliver me from this, but one morning on the radio I heard Dr. Charles Stanley say a bible verse about doubters being like "Double-minded heathens" and how God doesn't have to answer to them. Lately I've been putting my problems into God's hands, and it lifted a tremendous weight off my shoulders, but the problem still isn't solved, and I fear God can't forgive/save someone who would do something so terrible as to doubt Him, even if I have accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior prior (and after) this.
What are some practical, biblical, scriptural ways to ask God to give me the strength overcome my biggest demon: My mind?

You're not stupid for believing in Christianity!! You're going to think I'm crazy or lying but I'm not. Well, I might be crazy but I'm not lying. I had the privilege of seeing the risen Christ. It was sort of similar to Paul's conversion in the book of Acts but he only appeared to me. He didn't say anything. Christianity is true without a shadow of a doubt! So stop wasting your time with doubt and get out there and do God's work. Give money to your Church, donate to charities, help the poor and less fortunate, etc. There's much work to be done!

 

[tturt]

Our thoughts come from ourselves, Yahweh, the enemy (II Cor. 11:3). So that first thought might not be ours. But we're to take every thought captive (II Cor 10:5). If our thoughts are contrary to The Word, we're to cast them down - we do that by replacing them with The Word. Select some Scriptures that touch your heart and when that first defeating thought comes, replace it with His Word such as Yahweh thinks about you more than the grains of sand (Psa 139:17-18), He only wants what's good for you (Jer 29:11), He has a destiny for your life (Jer 29:11-13), and He sings over you (Zep 3:17)!

 

[SamsoniteBaggage]

What are some practical, biblical, scriptural ways to ask God to give me the strength overcome my biggest demon: My mind?

Stick to the gospels, and beyond that be very wary of any teachings which might lead you astray and deviate from that course. As for problems with hating bananas or whatever, and then thinking "like you hate God", that is a typical mental problem. The best solution is to go and eat a bunch of bananas. Make a banana milk shake, a banana split sundae with a lot of chocolate and a cherry on top. That is, confront your inner demon face on, and tell it, "I have a right to love or hate bananas if I want to".

 

[goldengirl34]

I HV FELT LIKE YOU and am glad am not the only one.One thing that had helped is realising that this is temptattion by the devil.A spiritual warfare engineered by the devil to keep you from growing closer to God out of guilt.Know that there is no sin or temptation new to this world and there is no struggle God cant help you with.FOR the bible says, God can do excedingly abundantly above all you can ever think or ask of Him.Thus the mere fact that you thought of it means he can help you with it.Also know that the devil is the prince of lies.Imence yourself in the wird of God,pray.God will do it for you as He has dine for me.

 

[CounselorForChrist]

I think we all have our moments of doubt, just like we have our moments of sin, moments of anger, moments of sadness, moments of...you get my drift. After all we are are imperfect beings and we all know the devil tries his hardest when we are in weak moments to make us think things like "Hey you should be doubting God!".

So don't worry about it unless like many things its ALL you think about. Then it could lead down a dangerous road. Wehn I had my brain injury I asked if he was real often, mainly out of anger for being injured. Althogh deep down I knew he was real and I was just venting. Obviously since then I've asked for forgivness about that.

 

[Viren]

Psalm 46:10

"Be still and know that I am God"

The thoughts that you are having are just thoughts, but if you are aware of them they can't control you. Whenever my mind starts chattering I spend some time in a quiet place, with my eyes closed just listening and I gain peace. Paul talks about the peace that transcends all understanding. The mind can't understand it. It has to be experienced. Just be with God.

 

[AnnaCallie]

I feel the exact same way ! It's nice to know that I am not alone! I find the the song !0,000 Reasons helps !

 

[AnnaCallie]

!0,000 Reasons ! ! I'm sorry ! !

 

[Sarasmilesagain]

You know, I don't think your situation is entirely uncommon. I once was saved, and I mean FELT my salvation. I knew without question God was real and Jesus was sent to bridge the gap between God and man. However for the last few years I can't quit doubting and questioning. I believe that is satan at work. It has to be. Good luck on your journey and God speed my friend!

 

[Lik3]

Wow. I am pretty much going through the same thing. I even have doubts about the Lord's existence. I too have OCD. I have been praying about it and have even prayed about it just now. I wish I could give you advice, but it is nice to know that I am not alone in this.

 

[yellowfree]

maybe you can check out CWG ministries ( use Google) they teach you how to hear from God...
check it out to learn more..
maybe hearing Him speak to you can help..

 

[TheyCallMeDave]

Recently, Ive been feeling really down in the dumps, and my faith is suffering. The cause of my near-depression is because I keep doubting the Lord's existence, and I'm scared if I keep this up I'll go to Hell, which is my #1 fear in the entire world.
I honestly 100% believe God exists, and that Jesus died for our sins, and that there is a Heaven and Hell, but one day this nagging voice in the back of my mind kept saying "God doesn't exist" and "You're stupid for believing in Christianity", and since then I've been dealing with this, and I know its the Devil trying to get me on his side, but I don't want to be on his side. I want to be with God.
One day I even thought "You have to let go of the one's you love the most, so God, I'm letting you go." The day I thought that was the day I knew that this was a serious issue. Not to long ago I was watching a Christian TV show about a man talking about headlines and the how it relates to the End Times, and halfway through I busted out crying because he was talking about how amazing the Rapture will be and how it should give us hope, but I felt (and at times still feel) that I'm going to be left behind in the Rapture, and maybe not even go to Heaven at all because of my thoughts and doubt.
Now sometimes when I think something negative, my mind applies it to God (Like if I say, "I hate bananas" a thought echoes in my mind saying "Just like you hate God), but when I say something positive, like "God is good" my mind just replies "Yes He is." Why is that??
There are some days when I feel wonderful and full of faith and love for the Lord, and other days when I would rather die than go through the mental torture I go through. I hate the way I feel and myself when I doubt God and think destructive thoughts towards Him and His kingdom, and on those days I can't concentrate on anything: My school work, my teachers, even a conversation becomes to much for me.
I've been praying for God to deliver me from this, but one morning on the radio I heard Dr. Charles Stanley say a bible verse about doubters being like "Double-minded heathens" and how God doesn't have to answer to them. Lately I've been putting my problems into God's hands, and it lifted a tremendous weight off my shoulders, but the problem still isn't solved, and I fear God can't forgive/save someone who would do something so terrible as to doubt Him, even if I have accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior prior (and after) this.
What are some practical, biblical, scriptural ways to ask God to give me the strength overcome my biggest demon: My mind?

After a brief genuine review of the ALTERNATIVE to our personal theistic Creator (God) existing .... you quickly become reminded that Gods existence is the only true rational and logical conclusion. It is far more accurate to say :' I believe God exists...but i dont understand how he operates at times based on the things that occur in my life ' .

Heres a very brief rundown of the alternative to God NOT existing :

1. Non material entities such as our personality, consciousness, will, emotions, love, reasoning, logic, and abstract thinking....all derived from materials such as rocks/dirt/planets/and hydrogen gas.

2. A Universe which has a great many examples of intelligent intervention, came from Nothing by Nothing for no reason whatsoever.

3. Informational messages as found in the specified complexity of the DNA Molecule which tells a cell how to form and how micro biological systems are to be constructed...came from Nothing. They just popped into existence from nothing then proceeded to be a blue print and Builder of a complex Cell so busy and intricate that its been related to the infrastructure of a major U.S. City by Biologists (atheist and non atheist alike) .

4. There isnt a shred of purpose or reason to this life ...even though we as Human Beings contradict that every day of our live by how we live.

5. We are just a little above the animals of the Forest in value and dignity., and essentially are on the same order of importance as an earth worm.

6. Everything is purely accidental including morals and ethics...and it is silly to hold to such in any form and to any level. There is nothing that is absolutely and objectively wrong therefore...and it doesnt even make sense calling the extermination of 6 million Jews and Christians in Nazi Germany 'wrong' , for it is just opinion to do so if morals are accidental and there is no higher objective Moral Law Provider (God) .In fact, there is no objective reason for Mother Theresa being 'better' than Stalin or HItler.


7. Everything is utterly futile by placing any value on it, for, nothing in an accidental Universe could have any deliberate value. Therefore, we have no intrinsic value ...and we are no different than the Bird in the tree who struggles to survive in a valueLESS reality. A human baby we see arrive into the world is completely void of any value whatsoever and if it dies there should be absolutely no anquish or sorrow shed. In a futile world, there is no room for regret .

I could on..but suffice it to say that carried to the end....belief in No God (atheism) is THE most illogical unreasonable and devastating to society faith-based Religion ever to be devised by Man. So in conclusion....never resort to claiming that 'God doesnt exist'..rather....conclude that you dont always understand his ways but his deposit of sending his own Son Jesus Christ to die on the cross for our sins...is proof positive that he loves us and that Christ lives --- THAT is what gives you hope this day and for eternity ... knowing that your Redeemer lives and loves you and promises to be with you thru every imaginable trial you face. Dont let despair ever take that fact away from you. Lastly, if you are having challenges in your life...go to the Creator who proved his love for you and who spoke and the Universe lept into being . If he chooses not to heal you for whatever his reason is, he will as a minimum give you the power and will to endure your affliction just like he did for the great holy Apostle Paul whom God allowed to bear for his entire lifetime. And be aware that you dont struggle alone , for your fellow Christians do also.

Regards.

 

[CounselorForChrist]

To the post above, wow! Wonderful!

 

[amandatea]

After a brief genuine review of the ALTERNATIVE to our personal theistic Creator (God) existing .... you quickly become reminded that Gods existence is the only true rational and logical conclusion. It is far more accurate to say :' I believe God exists...but i dont understand how he operates at times based on the things that occur in my life ' .

Heres a very brief rundown of the alternative to God NOT existing :

1. Non material entities such as our personality, consciousness, will, emotions, love, reasoning, logic, and abstract thinking....all derived from materials such as rocks/dirt/planets/and hydrogen gas.

2. A Universe which has a great many examples of intelligent intervention, came from Nothing by Nothing for no reason whatsoever.

3. Informational messages as found in the specified complexity of the DNA Molecule which tells a cell how to form and how micro biological systems are to be constructed...came from Nothing. They just popped into existence from nothing then proceeded to be a blue print and Builder of a complex Cell so busy and intricate that its been related to the infrastructure of a major U.S. City by Biologists (atheist and non atheist alike) .

4. There isnt a shred of purpose or reason to this life ...even though we as Human Beings contradict that every day of our live by how we live.

5. We are just a little above the animals of the Forest in value and dignity., and essentially are on the same order of importance as an earth worm.

6. Everything is purely accidental including morals and ethics...and it is silly to hold to such in any form and to any level. There is nothing that is absolutely and objectively wrong therefore...and it doesnt even make sense calling the extermination of 6 million Jews and Christians in Nazi Germany 'wrong' , for it is just opinion to do so if morals are accidental and there is no higher objective Moral Law Provider (God) .In fact, there is no objective reason for Mother Theresa being 'better' than Stalin or HItler.

7. Everything is utterly futile by placing any value on it, for, nothing in an accidental Universe could have any deliberate value. Therefore, we have no intrinsic value ...and we are no different than the Bird in the tree who struggles to survive in a valueLESS reality. A human baby we see arrive into the world is completely void of any value whatsoever and if it dies there should be absolutely no anquish or sorrow shed. In a futile world, there is no room for regret .

I could on..but suffice it to say that carried to the end....belief in No God (atheism) is THE most illogical unreasonable and devastating to society faith-based Religion ever to be devised by Man. So in conclusion....never resort to claiming that 'God doesnt exist'..rather....conclude that you dont always understand his ways but his deposit of sending his own Son Jesus Christ to die on the cross for our sins...is proof positive that he loves us and that Christ lives --- THAT is what gives you hope this day and for eternity ... knowing that your Redeemer lives and loves you and promises to be with you thru every imaginable trial you face. Dont let despair ever take that fact away from you. Lastly, if you are having challenges in your life...go to the Creator who proved his love for you and who spoke and the Universe lept into being . If he chooses not to heal you for whatever his reason is, he will as a minimum give you the power and will to endure your affliction just like he did for the great holy Apostle Paul whom God allowed to bear for his entire lifetime. And be aware that you dont struggle alone , for your fellow Christians do also.

Regards.

Awesome post. This is what I try to explain to people time and time again. If you look around at nature, the universe, our behavior (what is good/right and vice versa), it is blatantly clear that it didn't happen by accident.

Every part of life is a shadow of the reality of God. The traditional family is a picture to us of Jesus' relationship with His church, and the offspring a picture of the growth of the church by discipling new followers. Flowers and plants looking to the Sun for nourishment are a picture of how we should depend on God for our survival. There are so many of these comparisons that I could go on for about 10 pages. If one denies God's existence and sovereignty, it is akin to them putting their fingers in their ears and turning their back on reality.

 

[xxxxxxtra]

I find it interesting that you say that you're questioning God. Yet you don't seem to question satan or hell. Have faith.. You like the rest of us christians,went from being in complete rebellion toward God and His righteousness to standing in Christ against your own debased self. Thats huge.. Did you actually think that it would be painless or a seamless transition. Of course not. Just the fact that you are suffering is evidence of your being a new creation.and theres the other thing. You are a new creation.. Brand new. You were completely carnal .. And now for the first time ever, you are a living spirit.. No longer dead.. Well as a brand new living spirit it is going to take you some time to adjust. Remember when you got your first bicycle. You had your dad or mom right there walking with you to ensure that you would not fall. Well,thats exactly what the Holy Spirit is doing inside you right now. He is tenderly guiding you along in your new self.. The changes don't happen over night. although regeneration(conversion) is immediate. Your walk is a progression.. It's perfectly natural fo the flesh(old you) to rebel and wrestle against the spirit(new you).
So in answering you question on all those wicked immoral thoughts toward God.. Its not you the living spirit that you have become doing this.. It is your old carnal mind still very much in rebellion to anything Holy. The devil. Well, he is a very busy devil and i doubt has time to harrass small christians like you and me.. I mean just think about it a moment . There are the billy grahams and the charles stanleys and john macarthurs of the world.. These are christian soldiers that are impacting millions of lives and being used by God to deliver many saints.. Then look at the devil(satan). his kingdom is built up of rebellious angels. I mean if they wouldn't stay in rank for their creator. Do you honestly think satan can control them.. Of course not. So he is a very busy fallen angel(devil). Trying to create new thwarted ideas of christianity, new religions. Starting wars, by influencing the rulers of nations.. I mean he doesn't leave that to some less ranking demo while he attacks you and me.. So we are dealing with rebellious angels that know that they are on limited time.. And when it comez to the christian. These demons are very limited on their attacks.. they cannot enter you.. they can pretty much only badger you from outside your body. Because the Holy Spirit lives in you. Although they can enter a nonbeliever and use that vessel against you. But remember the Holy Spirit. He id God us the believer. These demons see you the spirit because you are alive spiritually, and they see the Holy spirit.. they would view you as that child learning to ride a bicycle with their parent walking right along side them. So they know that their attacks have to be short and extremely fast. they do not wanna hang around.. So you now k ow that when these thoughts come. They don't last long and are either an outside force or your old self trying to take control.. You need to take charge of your thoughts. No that does not mean it will stop. But it does mean that you can put these attacks in perspective. Knowing where the originated from is a powerful tool that you can now apply each and everytime. No more feeling guilty. No more worrying about eternal separation from God..
Remember the two rules. demons have had alot of time and oppotunity to perfect what they do.. And the other is your old self is the carnal you and it will be waging war against you the spirit til the day you give up the ghost..
We all know who martin luther is right.. Well if you take the tour of his old study. There is an i k stain on the wall behind his chair. Now the story goez that satan was badgering him one evening and martin picked up his ink bottle and threw it at satans head.. Of course it smashed against the wall. That stain remains there even today.. And yes in martin luthers case i am confident that he was badgered by satan himself . Not surw if you know matin luther but he was a monk that was defrocked for his thesis on the 95 indulgences of the catholic church.. He is a major player in the protestant reformation .. Protestant came out of the word protest.. Hope this helped you.. I too suffer daily. Sometimes to the point that i actually raise my hand a say STOP.... .

 

[mommy2mybabies]

Recently, Ive been feeling really down in the dumps, and my faith is suffering. The cause of my near-depression is because I keep doubting the Lord's existence, and I'm scared if I keep this up I'll go to Hell, which is my #1 fear in the entire world.
I honestly 100% believe God exists, and that Jesus died for our sins, and that there is a Heaven and Hell, but one day this nagging voice in the back of my mind kept saying "God doesn't exist" and "You're stupid for believing in Christianity", and since then I've been dealing with this, and I know its the Devil trying to get me on his side, but I don't want to be on his side. I want to be with God.
One day I even thought "You have to let go of the one's you love the most, so God, I'm letting you go." The day I thought that was the day I knew that this was a serious issue. Not to long ago I was watching a Christian TV show about a man talking about headlines and the how it relates to the End Times, and halfway through I busted out crying because he was talking about how amazing the Rapture will be and how it should give us hope, but I felt (and at times still feel) that I'm going to be left behind in the Rapture, and maybe not even go to Heaven at all because of my thoughts and doubt.
Now sometimes when I think something negative, my mind applies it to God (Like if I say, "I hate bananas" a thought echoes in my mind saying "Just like you hate God), but when I say something positive, like "God is good" my mind just replies "Yes He is." Why is that??
There are some days when I feel wonderful and full of faith and love for the Lord, and other days when I would rather die than go through the mental torture I go through. I hate the way I feel and myself when I doubt God and think destructive thoughts towards Him and His kingdom, and on those days I can't concentrate on anything: My school work, my teachers, even a conversation becomes to much for me.
I've been praying for God to deliver me from this, but one morning on the radio I heard Dr. Charles Stanley say a bible verse about doubters being like "Double-minded heathens" and how God doesn't have to answer to them. Lately I've been putting my problems into God's hands, and it lifted a tremendous weight off my shoulders, but the problem still isn't solved, and I fear God can't forgive/save someone who would do something so terrible as to doubt Him, even if I have accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior prior (and after) this.
What are some practical, biblical, scriptural ways to ask God to give me the strength overcome my biggest demon: My mind?

Wow. You sound exactly like me. I can't give you any magic words to fix it, but I just wanted you to know that you aren't alone. I hate having doubts so much. Sometimes there's a little voice that says "you don't really believe in God. You're just trying to convince yourself that he exists. " so I know exactly how you feel. It really is torture