Lost

[The Lost Child]

But let me ask you this, how are you planning on having an emotional response unless you believe first? And what do you mean by God answering prayer.

so let's also define a bit, what you mean when you say, answers to prayers. Are you looking for the specifics you want, or are you looking for a more general answer that still covers the issue?

Can you put out a "fleece" (do you know what that means?) so we can pray with you on this matter?

What I mean by God answering my prayers, is that when I pray, I feel like I'm praying to nothingness. I just wish that somehow, he would acknowledge my prayers; that somehow, I would know that he heard me.

I guess I really don't know how I would have an emotional experience with God without believing in Him . . . I never thought of that . . . .

Nope, I don't know what a 'fleece' is. Could you explain for me?

 

[The Lost Child]

The whole "I want to feel God" thing can be tough to sort out. You see, God wants us to be led, not by our feelings, which we are prone to be, but by what He has said. He wants us to trust His words, not a feeling. There are some Christians who get really bent out of shape if they don't have a feeling that validates their belief. They run about looking for an emotional experience to prove that their relationship with God is real; and when they can't get that emotional experience, they fall quickly into doubt about their faith. Feelings are inconstant, they come and go, and often they don't accurately reflect reality. Consequently, God gives us His unchanging, infallible word to which to anchor our thinking and behaviour. This can seem a very odd way to operate - especially in our modern world which so often urges us to feel rather than think. Nonetheless, learning not to let feelings lead is a basic step in walking with God.

I don't want you to think that walking with God is a dry, intellectual thing, however. It isn't. The richest emotional experiences of my life have been in my relationship with my heavenly Father. Really, I don't think one can worship God well at all apart from their emotions. After all, God gave us the capacity to feel emotionally, so it is perfectly reasonable to expect that God would meet us on that level, too. But, as good as the feelings may be when we are in full, unsullied fellowship with God, He doesn't want those feelings to be the foundation of, or the reason for, our relationship with Him.

Often people are expecting, when they initially reach out to God, to have a warm, happy feeling. But, when we approach God with an accurate understanding of who He is, what we will feel to start is shame and a deep sense of our need of His cleansing, holy love and power.

"Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord and He will lift you up." (Ja. 4:8-10)

Doesn't sound like a lot of fun, does it? Who wants to feel like this? No one, I should think. But this is the way to God. This is the way to better feelings like joy, peace, and contentment in walking with God. The sin stuff cannot be got around with God. He is perfectly holy and will not enter into fellowship with us while the stain of sin is upon us. Not until we see clearly our own sinfulness and need of cleansing can we be free of sin's stain. But this is a painful realization that typically brings sorrow and shame initially. These feelings, though, provoke us to seek God's forgiveness, which is freely given because of the sacrifice of His Son Jesus Christ for our sins. And when the matter of our sin is resolved and we have submitted ourselves wholly to God, then the warmth of God's love and joy in being at peace with Him begins to be felt.

Peace.

Thank you for replying to my post! All of the information that you wrote down makes a lot of sense. I've always led my life with my feelings, so it will be hard for me to try to change that . . . but I can try my best.

And when I do pray, I usually do feel shameful. I feel bad for all of the things that I did.

 

[razzelflabben]

What I mean by God answering my prayers, is that when I pray, I feel like I'm praying to nothingness. I just wish that somehow, he would acknowledge my prayers; that somehow, I would know that he heard me.

You seem to be in a kind of catch 22 here. You want to feel something that can only be felt through belief but if you don't feel it you can't believe.

God talks to us in a lot of different ways. Sometimes He uses someone else in our lives. Sometimes something in His bible, that speaks to something deeper within. Sometimes it is through the spirit that He speaks, in voices that only the Spirit can interpret. In order to hear God's voice, we need to quiet ourselves, and listen with our spirit, not our minds, not our bodies. I would say that most people don't even realize they have a spirit, or soul as it were, much less how to listen to that part of our beings.

So how do we listen? That's sometimes a tough thing to explain because there are so many people who pretend to know what they do not. The bible discribes God's voice as still and small. I love this imagry of God's voice
1 Kings 19:11-13 (King James Version)

King James Version (KJV) Public Domain



11And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the LORD. And, behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the LORD; but the LORD was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the LORD was not in the earthquake:
12And after the earthquake a fire; but the LORD was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice.
13And it was so, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle, and went out, and stood in the entering in of the cave. And, behold, there came a voice unto him, and said, What doest thou here, Elijah?


We often times expect a mighty and powerful God to have a voice that will shake the mountain, but His voice is much more gentle, and quiet. He is a gentleman.

I guess I really don't know how I would have an emotional experience with God without believing in Him . . . I never thought of that . . . .

Nope, I don't know what a 'fleece' is. Could you explain for me?

let me deal with this one tomorrow, my crew here is biting at the bit to watch something online before bed.

 

[razzelflabben]

Now about fleece. Judges 6 I'll let you read it yourself since it is so long, if you need it cut and pasted, let me know. The short version goes something like this. Gideon needed to know if what he was hearing was from God or not, so he took a fleece (piece of wool) and laid it on the ground and prayed for God to answer him. In the morning Gideon found the fleece wet and the ground dry just as he asked God. But Gideon got to thinking that maybe that wasn't so hard to do, maybe God wasn't the one that did it. So Gideon got another fleece and laid it on the ground and prayed to God again. this time, when Gideon got up, the fleece was dry but the ground was wet from dew. In this way Gideon knew it was God.

It seems to me that God is talking to you but you don't know for sure if it is God. God is telling you about love and grace, reconciliation and restoration, faith and belief. Now there are four main ways to deal with God's voice, you can ignore it (I don't advice that one), you can be quiet and listen with your spirit (my personal favorite), you can assume it's God and follow anyway (my husbands tendency) or you can lay down a "fleece" (my sons favorite) in your case, a fleece might be an emotional response, or maybe that someone you meet, a stranger would without prompting say the same things I am saying to you. something like that, but the key to a fleece is that sooner or later you have to believe what you hear.

 

[aiki]

The Lost Child:

I just wanted to clarify: Sorrow, which leads to genuine repentance, in the end leads to joy. When things are straightened out between you and God by your confession of sin and by making Him the boss of your life, then you no longer need to feel guilty or ashamed about the past. If God has forgiven you your sins, which He says He will do when you confess them to Him, then He has also forgotten them. You need to do the same.

The apostle Paul wrote:

"...but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of Christ Jesus." (Phil. 3:13, 14)

When you trust that Christ's sacrifice on the cross was all that God needed in payment for your sins, then you won't see the need to beat yourself up about them after they've been confessed. "Jesus paid it all" and old hymn says, and there's nothing you can do or feel that will add to his payment of your sins.

I like the way Paul characterizes his Christian life as a race. I know that if I'm running a race and fall down, I must get back up right away in order to finish the race well. If I stay down and moan and cry about having fallen, I'm not running and cannot finish the race. In the same way, when you sin (or fall down) get back up right away (by confessing your sin to God) and keep running (there's no time in a race to fuss over having fallen).

Peace.

 

[The Lost Child]

Now about fleece. Judges 6 I'll let you read it yourself since it is so long, if you need it cut and pasted, let me know. The short version goes something like this. Gideon needed to know if what he was hearing was from God or not, so he took a fleece (piece of wool) and laid it on the ground and prayed for God to answer him. In the morning Gideon found the fleece wet and the ground dry just as he asked God. But Gideon got to thinking that maybe that wasn't so hard to do, maybe God wasn't the one that did it. So Gideon got another fleece and laid it on the ground and prayed to God again. this time, when Gideon got up, the fleece was dry but the ground was wet from dew. In this way Gideon knew it was God.

It seems to me that God is talking to you but you don't know for sure if it is God. God is telling you about love and grace, reconciliation and restoration, faith and belief. Now there are four main ways to deal with God's voice, you can ignore it (I don't advice that one), you can be quiet and listen with your spirit (my personal favorite), you can assume it's God and follow anyway (my husbands tendency) or you can lay down a "fleece" (my sons favorite) in your case, a fleece might be an emotional response, or maybe that someone you meet, a stranger would without prompting say the same things I am saying to you. something like that, but the key to a fleece is that sooner or later you have to believe what you hear.

Oh! I've read that story before!

So, yes. The fleece would be good. And I like the imagery of God's voice as well. Thank you for posting it.


So, last night I prayed to God, and asked him to come into my heart and help me accept him. A little while after I prayed, a thought came to my mind. Why wouldn't I believe in Jesus? It just seemed suddenly stupid that I didn't believe. So as of last night, I believe in Jesus.

 

[razzelflabben]

Oh! I've read that story before!

So, yes. The fleece would be good. And I like the imagery of God's voice as well. Thank you for posting it.


So, last night I prayed to God, and asked him to come into my heart and help me accept him. A little while after I prayed, a thought came to my mind. Why wouldn't I believe in Jesus? It just seemed suddenly stupid that I didn't believe. So as of last night, I believe in Jesus.

Now you start an amazing journey, let me suggest you find someone to help you on the way. Find someone to disciple you. Do you know what that means? And if I can ever be of service, pm me.

PS don't forget to reconcile yourself to God.

 

[The Lost Child]

Yes, I know what that means. And I think I know the perfect person to help me learn.

Thank you so much for helping me through this time. It truly means a lot!

 

[razzelflabben]

Yes, I know what that means. And I think I know the perfect person to help me learn.

Thank you so much for helping me through this time. It truly means a lot!

Stop by every once in a while and share with us the wonders of God that you will be seeing on this journey you are beginning.

 

[The Lost Child]

Don't worry! I will!


But my screen name will be 'DreamAngel' because I am no longer a 'Lost Child', and I wanted to start a new 'life' for me here.

 

[razzelflabben]

Don't worry! I will!


But my screen name will be 'DreamAngel' because I am no longer a 'Lost Child', and I wanted to start a new 'life' for me here.

awesome, we're looking forward to all you will be learning and seeing

II Corinthians 5

 

[brinny]

Hi Everyone,


I don't really know how to start this off, so I'm sorry if my wording sounds weird to you.

About four or five years ago, I lost my faith in Jesus. I was so confused, and there were so many different things about Christianity that I didn't understand. One question I had was, "How do I know if God even exists? How can I tell?". I tried to call out to God, but I never got an answer. I never felt like Christianity was a part of me. Then three years ago, I learned about Paganism. I loved that I was free to decide what I wanted to do with the religion. I could structure it myself. I loved it.

But, about three years ago, I started to like one of my friends' brother. I've liked him even since. I realized, that if we were to ever get into a relationship, my religion would be the end of it. His family strictly believes that they have to marry within their own religion. Ever since then, I have been thinking about coming back to Christianity.

I tried, about a year and a half ago, to call out to Jesus and repent my sins, but I felt nothing. I didn't feel like I had any connection at all with God. So, I gave up again.

Now to the present. I'm sick of following Paganism. I want to connect with God. I want to be Christian. I just get so frustrated when I don't feel anything when I try to pray or read the Bible. I guess I just need some advice and guidance. I don't have a church that I can go to, because my parents aren't religious, and they would just taunt me with, "What happened to being a witch?" and then they would probably laugh. Also, I tried to go to church with my friends' family, but I didn't connect with the Pastor or the atmosphere of the Church. I just don't know what to do.

So do you think that you could give me some advice/help/guidance? And prayers would be greatly appreciated.



Thanks Everyone,

-Anna

it doesn't sound weird at all....

lifting you to Abba..

Father in these wanderings we have, our searching, there is somethiong in there that You Yourself have prompted. I ask that this precious one of Yours, maybe feeling lost and in a wildernerss find the Light that You surely have for her. May she see it, and may recognition of You in her heart soul and mind take place and her journey begin, as she skips joyfuly after You and hears the echoes of You rejoicing over her with singing, in the name of Jesus the Christ, Your only begotten Son, of You, the living God, amen.

((((hug))))