need advice

[OCDyeahyouknowme]

Hey guys , I just need to vent a little bit and was hoping you guys could share with me some of your storys if they are similar.

I have been struggling in my mind a lot lately. It seems that I pray in “in my mind” or “to my mind” rather than praying to God. And sometimes, well, a lot of times it feels that I have to “feel” that I am praying to God. Has anyone delt with this ?

I continuously doubt wethier I am trusting in Christ. In the mornings when I wake up and through out the day, I might be doing something and its like I forget that I am even trusting in Him. Its like I go about the day and forget everything that I am in Christ. Its like my mind is seeking for assurance and it wont give it. Kinda like a little kid that holds his fathers hand in the store, and continuously keeps looking back to see if he is holding his hand. (some what if a analogy).

Hope to hear some comments, and advice. Thanks

J. Grimm

 

[RuthD]

Sorry I don't have a story but I am praying for you. God bless!

 

[OCDyeahyouknowme]

thank you!

 

[zingiber]

I think I understand. I have just this too. I feel like I am praying to myself, to my own mind. Sometimes I will walk past a mirror and get this strange feeling that I was talking to myself all along. It feels like my prayers never make it out of me. And I usually don't feel satisfied unless I 'feel' like God has heard - it is like it doesn't 'feel' like a real prayer had occurred unless I have the right 'feeling'. Is this the sort of thing of which you wrote? The only answer I have is that God hears anyway, and we should just address ourselves to God whoever he knows he is, because he will hear, like C.S. Lewis said.

I often wake up in the morning feeling good and thinking,'Today, I will remember Jesus, and focus on him, and try to give God glory. I will trust in him.' But it doesn't happen: By the evening, I have usually spent the day in my own interests, and I could by no means be said to be trusting in God. (My OCD is consistently worse in the evening). Of course, this makes me feel unchristian, which gives more force to my obsessive thoughts.

Advice I have been given is to just drop all desire to have assurance and trust God, but this is about the scariest thing I could do. I sort of doubt his love for me, you see: I feel that I have fallen foul of some of the scary verses; I feel unforgivable. And then I realise that what I have been trying to do is stuggle to gain my salvation, with the sneaky cover of trying to gain assurance, when the real secret of salvation is just relaxing in God's care and his love and letting him do all the work.

So I'm not done with OCD yet, but I do sympathise with your experience. Thanks for writing! It is so good to know that there are others in the same boat!

 

[OCDyeahyouknowme]

Thats the same thing i struggle with myself. Thanks for sharing that with me. We should pray for eachother. I have a lot of the same struggles myself with the whole "seeking assurance" but really trying to get salvation. I feel so miserable for even thinking of it. But Christ loves us, and He will get us through. Thanks again brother.

 

[deceptionlurks2000]

It doesn't mean just feelings, it means action. If we move based on how we feel all the time, then it's not faith/trust. When I listen for God and trust Him, first I determine what I think He's saying to me. Then I meditate on it... Sometimes it's a thought, or a revelation about a situation. I think about it, and pray about it at the same time. Prayer is mostly listening I would say, and responding to your thoughts. I believe the Holy Spirit intersects with your thoughts, and counsels you. His thoughts help to guide your own.

Then once you know something God has said, then put it to action. Although, you must be sure you are hearing the Holy Spirit, and not your own desires, or deception. One way to make sure it's not your own, is to be totally willing to go whatever way God says, or receive whatever God says. Imagine balancing a pencil on its eraser. Then letting it fall where it may. This is how I imagine should be our response to God's voice. We are totally willing to fall whichever way, we do not control where or how. When we can lay down this control, I feel you are in a much better position to hear God when it comes to His directions or guidance in life. I love you saints.

 

[annrobert]

Hey guys , I just need to vent a little bit and was hoping you guys could share with me some of your storys if they are similar.

I have been struggling in my mind a lot lately. It seems that I pray in “in my mind” or “to my mind” rather than praying to God. And sometimes, well, a lot of times it feels that I have to “feel” that I am praying to God. Has anyone delt with this ?

Hi OCDyeahyouknowme

Sometimes I have felt like that.
I have reminded myself that when I come to Jesus and say His Name He hears me.When I worship Him He hears me.When I ask Him for good things He will give it to me and when I seek Him I will find Him when I seek Him with all my heart.He is all powerful and omnipresent, He does hear us.He is merciful and compassionate, He hears our cry.
He is understanding of our weaknesses and is touched by our infirmities and He cares for us.Jesus hears our prayers.
It also has helped me alot , by praying out loud in a quiet place.

I continuously doubt wethier I am trusting in Christ. In the mornings when I wake up and through out the day, I might be doing something and its like I forget that I am even trusting in Him. Its like I go about the day and forget everything that I am in Christ. Its like my mind is seeking for assurance and it wont give it.

Our minds do not like to cooperate, they are carnal and need to be renewed by the Word.

We can make a choice to trust Jesus and come to Jesus regardless of doubts or thoughts in our mind and regardless of confusion.Jesus will give us rest and peace.Jesus will give us strength and healing.
We just have to come just as we are with any weakness or doubts, we just have to come.

Jesus said he that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out.
Jesus invites us to come to Him for rest as well.
Jesus invites us to abide in Him with prayer and meditating on His Word.
We can even ask Him to help us with unbelief and He will answer.

1. Romans 8:7
   Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.
   
2. Romans 12:2
   And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
   
3. Ephesians 4:23
   And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;
   

Kinda like a little kid that holds his fathers hand in the store, and continuously keeps looking back to see if he is holding his hand. (some what if a analogy).

Hope to hear some comments, and advice. Thanks

J. Grimm

Faith is the substance of things hoped for , the proof of things not seen.
We have all been given the measure of faith and faith only has to be small, since faith the size of a mustard seed can move mountains.
Also hope will not be disappointed.

I hope this helps some.
Jesus bless you
annrobert

 

[Zags91]

I know what you're feeling. I am coming off a backslide that lasted for years and I feel that God finally got my attention but I continually doubt my salvation. I pray for things over and over sometimes thinking that maybe I didn't pray hard enough before or something. I also go through my day thinking to myself, I didn't pray before I did this or I didn't thank God for something and is God responsible for this event happening? And yes the mustard-seed of faith mentioned above gives me more hope considering how small a mustard-seed really is!