I am new here so please bear with me if I am not in the correct thread.
I am struggling with my faith. I am literally terrified of what is happening in our world today. I tend to go through these ebbs and tides with my faith, usually when there is something going on in the world that scares me or something happening in my life is when I turn to the bible and prayer. Then after things "calm down" I tend to falter off. Do I turn to the bible and prayer because I want to "get right with God before it's too late???"
I have doubts, I have questions, I have feelings of do I really believe or do I believe because it's what I know I need to believe to get into heaven and because I've been taught and told since childhood that's what you need to do to be saved. I'm scared to death that I won't go to heaven............
I don't want to falter off again, I want to know that I'm walking with Christ, I want to feel his presence, know he's with me, I want my mind and heart to be open to hearing and understanding him. I don't want to live in fear for myself or my children or my grandchildren any longer :-(
Thanks for reading.....
Beloved one, you are struggling because you have not received rest that Jesus gave. So come to Him.
Beloved one, you won’t struggle with your faith if you have obtained faith.
This is what we have heard:
“Simon Peter, a bondservant and apostle of Jesus Christ,
To those who have obtained like precious faith with us by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ:”
II Peter 1:1 NKJV
So beloved one, obtain faith by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ.
Beloved one, I heard that you are literally terrified of what is happening in our world today.
Beloved one, have you perceived God’s good will ? This is what we have heard:
““Glory to God in the highest,
And
on earth peace, GOODWILL toward men!””
Luke 2:14 NKJV
Beloved ones, there is goodwill of God towards men.
And this is what we have heard:
“But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us,
even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive TOGETHER with Christ (by grace we have been saved),
and raised us up TOGETHER, and made us sit TOGETHER in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,
that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.”
Ephesians 2:4-7 NKJV
Let our hearts perceive and understand God TOGETHER WITH US and IN US, that is His good will towards us.
Beloved one, so there is no need for you to be terrified literally of what is happening in our world today, for God is with us and in us.
Beloved one, hear what Jesus Himself said:
“But when ye shall hear of wars and commotions,
be not terrified: for these things must first come to pass;
but the end is not by and by.”
Luke 21:9 KJV
Beloved one, let us heed what Jesus said not to be terrified, for the end is not by Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: And the end is not by great earthquakes in diverse places, the end is not by famines, and the end is not by pestilences;
and the end is not by fearful sights and the end is not by great signs there be from heaven.
Beloved one, let us hear again what Jesus said:
““But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly.
For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth.
Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.””
Luke 21:34-36 NKJV
Beloved one, let our hearts not be weighed down by carousing, drunkenness and cares of this life. And so let us heed what Jesus said and pray.
Beloved one, you are concerned that you falter because of fearfulness and trembling that came upon you, and horror that overwhelmed you.
Beloved one, have courage in the Lord and be still before God, that shall separate you from fearfulness and trembling.
And have delight in the Lord, that shall unmoved you from horror that overwhelmed you.
Beloved one, those who have doubts, their hearts and minds unwilling to be persuaded by the truth so they can’t be set free from fears. So don’t be in doubts, but be willing to be persuaded by the truth, that is, by Jesus.
Beloved one, it is okay to have questions or to have concerns something that you don’t fully understand but don’t be in doubt or unbelief.
Yes,beloved one, I heard you have question whether you will get to heaven. Have you received the grace of repentance? Have you believed in the gospel ?Remember what our Lord have said:
and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel." -Mark 1:15
Beloved one, receiving the grace of repentance and believing in the gospel bring us near to the kingdom of God. So beloved one, if you don’t be scared to death, embrace the Lord’s love, that is, His grace of repentance and believe in His gospel of peace.
Beloved one, pray for a broken and contrite heart:
Dear Lord Jesus,
I am asking You
for the greatest gift I could ever have:
the gift of a broken and contrite heart,
the grace of tears.
Send me the Spirit of truth
and help me to see
the depths of my sins
in Your all-revealing light.
Convict me by Your Word.
Let it be the standard
for my thoughts and words,
for what I do and refrain from doing,
for my work and Christian service.
Keep me from
applying my own cheap standards.
Help me to commit to
the standard of the Sermon on the Mount.
I want to see myself as You see me
and to judge myself as You would judge me one day if I had not repented of my sin.
Through Your Holy Spirit
help me to discern
Your loving admonition in everything
that happens to me,
especially in Your discipline.
And give me the grace
to respond willingly.
Hear my prayers
and grant me a broken and contrite heart —- not satisfied with self, nor sure of my own rightness.
Give me
tears for my sins
and joy for Your forgiveness.
Thank You, Lord,
for I know You will hear my prayer.
Nothing brings You more joy than
seeing a sinner repent.
Thank You that our tears of repentance
are precious to You.
I am not going to focus
on my hard and unrepentant heart
but look to You, Lord Jesus.
You came to destroy
all self righteousness
and hardness of heart.
By redemption
You won for me a new heart
that is soft and humble.
Help me to persevere
in prayer and faith
until my stony heart is melted
and I am able to weep over
what I have done to You and to others.
Give me the grace of tears
for my sinful attitudes:
my lack of mercy, my harshness
and unkindness, my gossiping,
my envy and jealousy,
my untruthfulness,
my over attachment to
people and possessions.
Turn my life around completely.
Thank You, Lord.
You create new things out of nothing.
And so I ask You to create in me
the repentance I lack.
Let the grace of repentance
well up in newness of life
and love for You,
transforming me from the inside out.
I long to honor You
with a life reflecting
the joy of forgiveness,
as a sinner saved by grace.
Make me ready
for the Marriage Feast of the Lamb of God.
Amen.
Beloved one, if you want to walk with Jesus Christ, set your mind on the things of the Spirit. For we heard:
“For those who identify with their old nature set their minds on the things of the old nature, but
those who identify with the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. Having one’s mind controlled by the old nature is death, but
having one’s mind controlled by the Spirit is life and shalom.”
Romans (Rom) 8:5-6 CJB
So beloved one, have you understood how to set your minds on the things of the Spirit?This is what our Lord taught us:
“It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing.
The words that I speak to you are Spirit, and they are life.”
John 6:63 NKJV
So beloved one, if we set our minds on the things of the words that Christ speak to us, we have set our minds on the things of the Spirit.
Beloved one, I understand you want to feel or sense His presence. So where is God’s presence ? Didn’t the Samaritan woman have asked Jesus this very thing, that you asked ?
This is what Jesus answered in John 4:21-24
Beloved one, I would like to direct you just to verse 24, that we heard:
God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth." -John 4:24
Beloved one, we can sense the Lord’s presence if we abide in truth, that is, if we abide in the truth of His words and in the the Spirit of His words, for God is Spirit.
So Beloved one, receive the truth of His words in your heart (or your spirit ), your spirit will perceive and understand, that you hear the grace of God in truth or the love of God in truth or the truth of His love that He have spoken to you.
Beloved one, if you don’t want yourself or children or grandchildren to live in fear, pray for them and yourself through the love of Christ.
Beloved one, pray:
Abba
I am praying for my children and my grandchildren . I am not praying for the world but for those whom You have given me, for they are yours. Amen
Beloved one, but before you pray this prayer, remember what Jesus our Lord said in Mark 11:22-25 and do what He said, that is, to release forgiveness to do those who wronged you, that He may hear your prayer.
May God’s peace be with you.
To God the Father be thanksgiving through Christ. Amen