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throughfiierytrial

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Every time I see money my brain starts trying to promise it all to God. I know we are not supposed to swear or if we promise to the Lord fulfill it quickly but I don't mean to promise everything in sight. It's already a problem when I have to support myself how do I handle it? I can hardly put my cash in my jacket or take it out to pay and my brain tries to start promising it all away. I feel like I'm being greedy wanting to save the money I'm being given but also like come on, I didn't mean to say that. I feel obligated to do something instead of willingly giving. Am I bound to these or is it wrong to ask God to release me from hasty promises I didn't mean to say? Am I having itching ears by asking this? Do promises have any weight if they're impulsive/compulsive?
STOP promising it all away! Perhaps with prayer you could try setting a certain sum or percentage you feel is generous and give only that...should help snap you out of the impulse. Then try setting that sum you feel comfortable with in keeping with your income and selectively give that sum...if that's the most rewarding way for you to give.
Check some and see if your current giving is rewarding mischief or truly going to fulfill needs that can't be already filled. Many folks don't want to budget and don't want to be deprive themselves for a time to get on their feet. Be careful with your money...Satan would like you to blow it, then when a truly worthy Kingdom cause shows up you're broke from giving to John Doe who is probably spending the money you gave him unwisely. (Though I hope that's not the case, I often see it happen to me.)
 
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Kit Sigmon

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Every time I see money my brain starts trying to promise it all to God. I know we are not supposed to swear or if we promise to the Lord fulfill it quickly but I don't mean to promise everything in sight. It's already a problem when I have to support myself how do I handle it? I can hardly put my cash in my jacket or take it out to pay and my brain tries to start promising it all away. I feel like I'm being greedy wanting to save the money I'm being given but also like come on, I didn't mean to say that. I feel obligated to do something instead of willingly giving. Am I bound to these or is it wrong to ask God to release me from hasty promises I didn't mean to say? Am I having itching ears by asking this? Do promises have any weight if they're impulsive/compulsive?

Sounds like you may be struggling with some type of OCD....perhaps scrupulosity?
Talk to your doctor about what you're experiencing.

Nothing I've found in scripture states we're bound to fulfill our thoughts.
It's says we are bound to oaths/vows that we've made...
Numbers 30:2
"If a man makes a vow to the LORD, or takes an oath to bind himself with a binding obligation, he shall not violate his word; he shall do according to all that proceeds out of his mouth.
 
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DeerGlow

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Sounds like you may be struggling with some type of OCD....perhaps scrupulosity?
Talk to your doctor about what you're experiencing.

Nothing I've found in scripture states we're bound to fulfill our thoughts.
It's says we are bound to oaths/vows that we've made...
Numbers 30:2
"If a man makes a vow to the LORD, or takes an oath to bind himself with a binding obligation, he shall not violate his word; he shall do according to all that proceeds out of his mouth.

And also I know God can release us from oaths but I feel like I'm being greedy if I ask Him not to make me pay.
 
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throughfiierytrial

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And also I know God can release us from oaths but I feel like I'm being greedy if I ask Him not to make me pay.
Where do you read that you can pray for release of an oath? Bible says not to make oaths...let your yes be yes and your no be no.
 
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DeerGlow

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Where do you read that you can pray for release of an oath? Bible says not to make oaths...let your yes be yes and your no be no.
I posted this for a user a while back worried about selling their soul to the devil.

Good news! Someone (wish I remembered who) told me this when I had intrusive soul-selling thoughts. :)

“"If a woman vows a vow to the Lord and binds herself by a pledge, while within her father's house in her youth, and her father hears of her vow and of her pledge by which she has bound herself and says nothing to her, then all her vows shall stand, and every pledge by which she has bound herself shall stand. But if her father opposes her on the day that he hears of it, no vow of hers, no pledge by which she has bound herself shall stand. And the Lord will forgive her, because her father opposed her."

Numbers 30:3-5 ESV

God is our Father, remember? He can cancel out whatever you did and make it disappear. Satan can't ask for your soul because God has broken that bind and God is greater than Satan. Also:

“Behold, all souls are mine; the soul of the father as well as the soul of the son is mine: the soul who sins shall die."

‭‭Ezekiel‬ ‭18:4‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Your soul is God's anyway. Satan can't really buy souls, can he?

" "If she marries a husband, while under her vows or any thoughtless utterance of her lips by which she has bound herself, and her husband hears of it and says nothing to her on the day that he hears, then her vows shall stand, and her pledges by which she has bound herself shall stand. But if, on the day that her husband comes to hear of it, he opposes her, then he makes void her vow that was on her, and the thoughtless utterance of her lips by which she bound herself. And the Lord will forgive her.

But if her husband makes them null and void on the day that he hears them, then whatever proceeds out of her lips concerning her vows or concerning her pledge of herself shall not stand. Her husband has made them void, and the Lord will forgive her.”

‭‭Numbers‬ ‭30:6-8, 12‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Christ is the Husband of the Church. Jesus can nullify any tie the devil says you have to him. Satan again cannot collect because Jesus is greater than Satan. Jesus says:

“All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out.”

‭‭John‬ ‭6:37‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Whoever comes He won't cast out! Come to Jesus, be forgiven, and don't worry because Satan can't get you if Jesus is guarding you!
 
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Blade

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Every time I see money my brain starts trying to promise it all to God. I know we are not supposed to swear or if we promise to the Lord fulfill it quickly but I don't mean to promise everything in sight. It's already a problem when I have to support myself how do I handle it? I can hardly put my cash in my jacket or take it out to pay and my brain tries to start promising it all away. I feel like I'm being greedy wanting to save the money I'm being given but also like come on, I didn't mean to say that. I feel obligated to do something instead of willingly giving. Am I bound to these or is it wrong to ask God to release me from hasty promises I didn't mean to say? Am I having itching ears by asking this? Do promises have any weight if they're impulsive/compulsive?

haha... ah He is SO GOOD! He knows your heart!...
 
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mukk_in

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Every time I see money my brain starts trying to promise it all to God. I know we are not supposed to swear or if we promise to the Lord fulfill it quickly but I don't mean to promise everything in sight. It's already a problem when I have to support myself how do I handle it? I can hardly put my cash in my jacket or take it out to pay and my brain tries to start promising it all away. I feel like I'm being greedy wanting to save the money I'm being given but also like come on, I didn't mean to say that. I feel obligated to do something instead of willingly giving. Am I bound to these or is it wrong to ask God to release me from hasty promises I didn't mean to say? Am I having itching ears by asking this? Do promises have any weight if they're impulsive/compulsive?
Keep your promises kid. The Lord doesn't like it when you're hasty with your tongue and spirit. "Give and it'll be given unto you, a good measure, pressed and shaken together will be poured out into your lap. With the measure you give, it'll be given unto you." If you need fiscal discipline, read Proverbs. There are also some good books out there written by James Dobson. God bless you child :).
 
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Anguspure

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Every time I see money my brain starts trying to promise it all to God. I know we are not supposed to swear or if we promise to the Lord fulfill it quickly but I don't mean to promise everything in sight. It's already a problem when I have to support myself how do I handle it? I can hardly put my cash in my jacket or take it out to pay and my brain tries to start promising it all away. I feel like I'm being greedy wanting to save the money I'm being given but also like come on, I didn't mean to say that. I feel obligated to do something instead of willingly giving. Am I bound to these or is it wrong to ask God to release me from hasty promises I didn't mean to say? Am I having itching ears by asking this? Do promises have any weight if they're impulsive/compulsive?
Let your yes be yes and your no be no. Give to him of your increase and: if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what one does not have.
 
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KwikLee

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Involuntary thoughts running through your head are not promises. They are involuntary thoughts. Even if you have trouble controlling your thoughts, you still have the freedom to choose your actions. You are allowed to take those thoughts captive. You aren't required to take every action you think of like a robot. When you have the same thought over and over, it sort of wears a path in your brain and then you're likely to keep having that thought. It doesn't mean you want to think it or that you are bound to a promise if that is what the thought is. Think of it as a temptation rather than a promise. A temptation disguised as something that on the surface looks righteous and noble, but in reality is just your brain getting stuck in a rut that sounds like it is leading to a distorted view of God and what kind of relationship He wants with you. Consider carefully whether you really truly meant that thought. If not, replace it with something you do mean. Scripture is a great place to find replacement lines of thought. If your thoughts head to thoughts of punishment, remember there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ. If you think you are now bound by these oppressive thoughts, consider that Jesus has set the oppressed free. If you are worried about judgment and the wages of sin, remember that the gift of God is eternal life. Focus on God's character instead of on your own impulses. If you truly do want to give, for example out of love and a desire to honor God and thank Him for what He has given you, then do so. But if you are just giving because you feel trapped by your own thoughts and out of compulsion, then feel free to fight that the way you would fight undisguised temptation. And remember that one can be tempted and not sin. Jesus loves you. Remember that if nothing else. :)
 
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paul becke

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Every time I see money my brain starts trying to promise it all to God. I know we are not supposed to swear or if we promise to the Lord fulfill it quickly but I don't mean to promise everything in sight. It's already a problem when I have to support myself how do I handle it? I can hardly put my cash in my jacket or take it out to pay and my brain tries to start promising it all away. I feel like I'm being greedy wanting to save the money I'm being given but also like come on, I didn't mean to say that. I feel obligated to do something instead of willingly giving. Am I bound to these or is it wrong to ask God to release me from hasty promises I didn't mean to say? Am I having itching ears by asking this? Do promises have any weight if they're impulsive/compulsive?

Why make such promises ? You're making a bigger deal of it than it needs to be. The Holy Spirit may prompt you to give a little more than you think is wise, but within limits and bizarrely it tends to pay ! But if you err on the side of caution, prudence, it won't be the end of the world for you .... or God ! You don't want to agonize over money more than you have to, so keep it simple.
 
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tdidymas

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Every time I see money my brain starts trying to promise it all to God. I know we are not supposed to swear or if we promise to the Lord fulfill it quickly but I don't mean to promise everything in sight. It's already a problem when I have to support myself how do I handle it? I can hardly put my cash in my jacket or take it out to pay and my brain tries to start promising it all away. I feel like I'm being greedy wanting to save the money I'm being given but also like come on, I didn't mean to say that. I feel obligated to do something instead of willingly giving. Am I bound to these or is it wrong to ask God to release me from hasty promises I didn't mean to say? Am I having itching ears by asking this? Do promises have any weight if they're impulsive/compulsive?
It appears to me that you have an obsession with money - I'm only stating the problem right now, and would like to offer a solution, but it's easier said than done.

It just seems to me that you have a type of personality (i.e. you are the type of person) who is a thinker, that is, you want to reason things out so that you have full understanding. I recognize your question is a "how" question, but I suspect you really want to understand, which is a "why" question.

It is possible that God is not immediately dealing with your money obsession right now, because He wants to dig deeper into your psyche to let you know yourself better. We all have besetting sin until we overcome by faith, and so we do need to understand, or at least to walk through it in order for our faith in Christ to grow, and that we come to understand just what our faith really is.

Right now in your current condition, you are breaking a spiritual law. Just as Jesus said that adultery goes as deep as the desire to have a woman, so also the greedy thoughts about money is an equivalent sin against the grace and the law of God - "Do not covet..." I won't go into the details of how this permeates everything we do and think. I believe you know this already, or you wouldn't have posted your question.

The point is that we must first come to understand just how evil we are in every way before we will be convinced enough to surrender to God and put our faith in Christ. As long as we are not yet convinced that the evil in us is hopeless bondage, we will not seek Christ's power for deliverance. We will keep trying our religious methods to overcome the sin we think we ought to overcome. But the grace of God tells us that Christ is our deliverer, that is, the power of the Spirit that God has given us to be holy in every way, including our thought life, and this requires a walk of faith.

Therefore, a walk of faith has at least these elements involved: trusting in the trustworthiness of God's word, a knowledge of Christ's work of atonement and a trust in it, trusting that God has given you His Spirit (and at least asking Him, and trusting Him for the answer), asking the Lord to guide you in your life not only in your behavior but also in your thoughts, and trusting Him to do it because He said "I am the Good Shepherd."

The Bible exhorts us to gain an assurance of salvation, that is, an experience to be assured that God has chosen us and delivered us from sin, which the book of Hebrews calls "sabbath rest" - Heb. 4:9 "there remains a sabbath rest for the people of God." The context of this book shows us that this rest is what we experience in this life that measures up to what Jesus said in Mat. 11:28 "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."

I get that you are seeking this rest from your struggle about money. I'm just saying that you should consider your weakness to fulfill the law's requirements, and to get on with putting your faith in Christ's power to deliver you from your obsession/addiction.

You might also need to get into a support group (for example Celebrate Recovery).

Hope this helps.
TD:)
 
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DeerGlow

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Why make such promises ? You're making a bigger deal of it than it needs to be. The Holy Spirit may prompt you to give a little more than you think is wise, but within limits and bizarrely it tends to pay ! But if you err on the side of caution, prudence, it won't be the end of the world for you .... or God ! You don't want to agonize over money more than you have to, so keep it simple.

It's not like I think the HS is prompting me it's like money triggers these thoughts like it's hard just to hold it without wild promises firing off.
 
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Petros2015

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But I mean, what do I do when I have these thoughts? Do I ask for forgiveness, pay them, or ignore them? Ignoring is so hard because I fear being accountable for some things on judgement day.

Render under Caesar what is Caesar's, to God what is God's. Do some self reflection and prayer - is your brain trying to 'make up' with impulsive promises of money for not rendering something to God that should be? 'You can never get enough of what you don't really need' works in both directions - 'you can never give enough of what wasn't really asked for'. Figure out what God is really asking for from you and you might find the impulsivity of promising money is diminished.

Psalm 51:16-17

For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it: thou delightest not in burnt offering.
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.

Or is there some debt that you owe to someone else and you have not repaid it (child support or something) that your head is telling you 'I know I owe this, but I can't do it, so I will insist on thinking about giving what I have to God and that will make up for it?' Work on settling your accounts in reality and your mind will settle, if that's the issue.
 
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DeerGlow

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Let your yes be yes and your no be no. Give to him of your increase and: if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what one does not have.

I know we're not supposed to make vows and promises but when it happens impulsive/compulsively like this how do we handle it?
 
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DeerGlow

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Render under Caesar what is Caesar's, to God what is God's. Do some self reflection and prayer - is your brain trying to 'make up' with impulsive promises of money for not rendering something to God that should be? 'You can never get enough of what you don't really need' works in both directions - 'you can never give enough of what wasn't really asked for'. Figure out what God is really asking for from you and you might find the impulsivity of promising money is diminished.

Psalm 51:16-17

For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it: thou delightest not in burnt offering.
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.
:hug:
 
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DeerGlow

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It appears to me that you have an obsession with money - I'm only stating the problem right now, and would like to offer a solution, but it's easier said than done.

It just seems to me that you have a type of personality (i.e. you are the type of person) who is a thinker, that is, you want to reason things out so that you have full understanding. I recognize your question is a "how" question, but I suspect you really want to understand, which is a "why" question.

It is possible that God is not immediately dealing with your money obsession right now, because He wants to dig deeper into your psyche to let you know yourself better. We all have besetting sin until we overcome by faith, and so we do need to understand, or at least to walk through it in order for our faith in Christ to grow, and that we come to understand just what our faith really is.

Right now in your current condition, you are breaking a spiritual law. Just as Jesus said that adultery goes as deep as the desire to have a woman, so also the greedy thoughts about money is an equivalent sin against the grace and the law of God - "Do not covet..." I won't go into the details of how this permeates everything we do and think. I believe you know this already, or you wouldn't have posted your question.

The point is that we must first come to understand just how evil we are in every way before we will be convinced enough to surrender to God and put our faith in Christ. As long as we are not yet convinced that the evil in us is hopeless bondage, we will not seek Christ's power for deliverance. We will keep trying our religious methods to overcome the sin we think we ought to overcome. But the grace of God tells us that Christ is our deliverer, that is, the power of the Spirit that God has given us to be holy in every way, including our thought life, and this requires a walk of faith.

Therefore, a walk of faith has at least these elements involved: trusting in the trustworthiness of God's word, a knowledge of Christ's work of atonement and a trust in it, trusting that God has given you His Spirit (and at least asking Him, and trusting Him for the answer), asking the Lord to guide you in your life not only in your behavior but also in your thoughts, and trusting Him to do it because He said "I am the Good Shepherd."

The Bible exhorts us to gain an assurance of salvation, that is, an experience to be assured that God has chosen us and delivered us from sin, which the book of Hebrews calls "sabbath rest" - Heb. 4:9 "there remains a sabbath rest for the people of God." The context of this book shows us that this rest is what we experience in this life that measures up to what Jesus said in Mat. 11:28 "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."

I get that you are seeking this rest from your struggle about money. I'm just saying that you should consider your weakness to fulfill the law's requirements, and to get on with putting your faith in Christ's power to deliver you from your obsession/addiction.

You might also need to get into a support group (for example Celebrate Recovery).

Hope this helps.
TD:)

What is celebrate recovery?
 
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DeerGlow

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Keep your promises kid. The Lord doesn't like it when you're hasty with your tongue and spirit. "Give and it'll be given unto you, a good measure, pressed and shaken together will be poured out into your lap. With the measure you give, it'll be given unto you." If you need fiscal discipline, read Proverbs. There are also some good books out there written by James Dobson. God bless you child :).

So I have to pay all the thoughts I promise? :( What if I've promised more than I can pay?
 
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DeerGlow

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We live in N.T. times...under Christ's law.

The Old Testament can still be relevant, right? Like that user, He can break the soul-selling thing? Or is it once you say it you're bound to it?
 
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