What do you feel is holding you specifically back from glorifying God with your entire life? Whether it's a weakness, circumstance, or just poor decisions. Even if it doesn't seem spiritual, tell your brothers here about it.
If you have some wisdom or knowledge relating to another user's issue, help him out.
Let's bear one another's burdens and help each other to live more fully and according to our purpose.
This is something we should be doing continually anyway.
Laziness. It's just hard to pray everyday. It's tough to pray using other people's words, even if they are more theologically correct than mine.
Depression. It took years of my life, and now I don't have a degree. Hard to give to charity and to make yourself helpful to others when you're broke yourself. And I have a woman to take care of too, so I can't just give up everything…
When things are going OK and I'm enjoing my life, because I receive an unmerited BLESSING (all are), then I automatically reduce my observance. I pray less, I focus less in God. For me, the only way to be saved will be humiliated and forgotten, just as God found me. But I cannot hate anyone, not even me. That's why I need to mortify me at all times, because my memory it's so weak.
I know it sounds insensitive, but that's kinda the point of Christianity. Give yourself up to God and trust that he will take care of you. If you have faith, then no matter what happens you will be able to celebrate in God. Hard times are when it is the most difficult to do this, but you will also find relief and assurance available no where else.
Falling into sin, repeatedly. There's nothing as difficult as saying no to yourself. Changing oneself to be everything one can be is always a losing battle.
Arrogance. I sometimes think of myself as such a holy man and a philosopher when I'm really just a layman.
The idea that my grandfather in Turkey who just died of a heart attack will be condemned for no better reason than because he was a muslim.
I think he means he can't give up all his possessions because he's obligated to provide for his woman.
Why are you worried about praying with more "theologically correct" words? Are even the best and most righteous human words worthy of standing before a holy God?
Pray honestly. That's what Jesus did in Gethsemane. He admitted, in prayer, that He wanted something contrary to God's will (and submitted His own will underneath the Father's).
Satan wants us to avoid praying, and He will use any deception possible to achieve that.
Pray honestly and openly. About anything. Start by admitting to God how you feel about prayer and ask Him to help you.
What skills do you have or would you like to cultivate? You don't need a degree to start a side business or do freelance work.
Also, giving money is not the only way to serve others.
I've been the same way very often.
Have you prayed and confessed your forgetfulness to God?
Are you conscious enough of this problem to deliberately counter it?
You can seek after God and invest in your relationship with Him even when you don't feel like it.
You do not change yourself. God has changed you, and He has already won that battle.
We avoid sin out of obedience, and because God has already made us saints. Not in order to become saints.
Boy, I sure am glad I'm not conceited like you. :^)
Arrogance has been a long-time struggle for me too, brother. God has humbled me a lot in recent years though. I will pray for you.
I'm sorry, brother. That is a tragedy. And God does not delight in this any more than you do.
That's part of the reason I don't believe that he's in hell, let alone deserves it. Because it says in scripture, that he wishes that none shall perish but all would live. And yeah, I know the lord said "none may come unto the father except through me", but I don't feel like that would necessitate believing exactly one hundred percent every single thing that the canon says about him. Maybe I'm crazy or just a complete idiot who doesn't understand the faith wait that's exactly what I am but I think that his grace applies to everyone, after all his love is unconditional. And I've been raised in the church for 23 years, and the majority of my family on that side of the world is Muslim, so I get to see both sides, and I know this is gonna anger some people on here, but having heard both Imams of 4 plus decades experience, and specifically Pentecostal and/or Methodist pastors, one of whom I currently have a bible study with, I can't help but think that the similarities between the Abrahamic faiths are almost uncanny. Especially as far as doctrine and moral law. So the idea that he's gonna burn in hell because he just happened to grow up in an area and background where he was more likely than not to be a muslim just doesn't fit what I believe God would do. Cause God is far wiser and a greater beacon of good than I am, and even from an outsiders perspective, let alone as a grandson, I can't justify sending someone to burn forever without hope of reprieve because they just happened to believe that Christ was a prophet instead of the Son of God. That's a hard pill to swallow even for me thinking back. I'm only taking it on faith that he is who the scripture says he is, so I can't blame someone for not having the faith I have. I don't know their stories, how could I judge them for it?
I sympathise with you on this
And I know, a lot of people on here believe that those beliefs make me a heretic, and condemn me too.
I'm not quite sure what it is. At the moment I've been praying the last few weeks that I can fully give my heart and being to Him, instead of the 90ish% I feel I'm giving. I want to give my all for Him. But for whatever reason I'm too selfish to give that last bit.
I'll try think more on it.
Do I also have to give up the vocation of marriage when it's the only thing I've got going right now?
It's important to remain in the tradition of the Church, by praying the prayers of the saints and the monastics who are on the front line of our war against the devil. It keeps you from saying or believing something heretical in your prayers.
I literally have no skills. I'm fluent in both English and French, and I'm trying to be an altar server at church, that's it. I also know a little more about theology than the average layman, I think.
I am quite socially anxious and it keeps me from going to church. I have only been once since I became Christian two years ago. I was also a zealous atheist into my mid-30s, and now feel an instinctual repulsion against many aspects of Christian practice (such as rituals).
I am quietly practicing my faith. That faith is as strong as diamond. However, socially I am cut off from others: both the Christian community and society in general. I want to be a light in others' lives, and I want my inner Christian life to reach into the other parts of my life. That's part of the reason why I think going to church would be valuable.
A danger is that if I force myself to go to church and the experience is not good – as a consequence of my social awkwardness or my distaste for some aspects of the practice – I may withdraw further. So I am concerned about choosing the right church, but haven't even settled on a denomination yet.
On top of all this, I am living in a foreign country (Korea) and can barely speak the language, so my options are even more limited. I have also been warned to be extremely careful when choosing a church in Korea because very many (perhaps even the large majority) are false and connected to a cult, use brainwashing, and preach prosperity Christianity (with attendees often giving 10% of their salary to the church).
It seems that there is just one obstacle after another. Should I give up, or (after careful research) take a risk?
I try and pray every day, but I don't know what to say. I want to pray to give thanks and not pray for help or for things.
This is a very familiar feeling to me. Praying for you.
What skills would you like to develop, or do you think you'd be good at?
Sometimes God tells us to wait, but I don't believe He ever tells us to just stagnate. Pray for Him to show you what He wants you to do.
Work on the social anxiety in the meantime. Do you need help or resources?
I know this feeling. Sometimes I'll start by admitting to God that I don't feel like praying. Usually I'll pray the Lord's prayer too, thinking intently about the words.
Sometimes I'll go out for a couple of hours and just pray for literally every person and situation I can think of.
And remember; prayer, is better than no prayer. Even if you don't think your prayers are ideal. Satan wants you to pray less, so he'll tell you that your prayers aren't worth praying.
Thank you user, I'll include you in my prayers as well.
Wow that is the exact state of mind I am in right now. Exactly the same. It's a struggle for me too to overcome. I feel you brother
Lack of faith. Plus I feel like this applies to me more than anything, I think since I've read the entire Bible my mannerisms regarding other believers have become worse with my holier than thou attitude, also I've gone through this phase where if life is going great then I tend to forget God, I don't put Him first in my life, I read the Bible less, I don't pray, I don't give thanks, and so on. Ultimately, it seems to manifest with this and I find prayer to be the hardest thing in my Christian walk. Sure, it's fairly easy to read the Bible once you get into it, but praying and repenting of sins to a certain extent are both very difficult for some reason.
I'm very sorry to hear that.
I am attracted to morbidness, to evil and other topics which destroy humans. I felt lately this ghastly presence floating inside of me, like a dark ball of fire, a will-o-wisp of pure cruelty which I wanted to feed, roaming a grey dull area of my mind. And the thing is, I want both of them, God and this "entity", to live within me to better understand the good and evil inside me and every man. I felt things I never felt before, desires and fears I never believed could intertwine in me, my soul…sorry if I sound like a pervert, peeping into a room where someone is killing someone else and delighting is such violence, but I am attracted to this…even if I know God teaches me to flee such things.
Are you me? I was depressed and aimless for years. No degree, nothing. Taking care of my baby girl now and protecting her, but I'm so lazy. I need to pray more, fast more, so more. This post has inspired me to work out with my wife right now at 2am at the gym. Thank you!!!
Don't do this to your body, you should only be exercising during the day, preferably in the early morning. You will age yourself out quicker if you do this.
I have to, we both work nights and have to sleep at day currently, it's in our normal hours
Nothing but myself to blame. I lurk around this place for a long time, I want to convert officially, but my family is against it. And he who will not fight against his family for His sake is not worthy of Him…
I believe with all my heart and yet I cannot just even go against my family for God. Yet here I am nonetheless… Thanks be to His mercy, for He still have me in this race and I still have the chance.
Don't do it
Chris was a jew and merely a mortal
The entire story is fiction and not very good fiction at that
Born of a virgin doesn't happen retards
Being born secular, self-imposed isolation born out of contempt for "normalfags". Social anxiety making attempts to reach out to churches difficult.
Depression hit me hard like these two. I don't have a woman and child though. Currently working a job below the poverty line. I recently came across a higher paying job. Don't know if i'm going to get it, but I am going to try it out. I'll be able to afford to travel to church if I get it. Still trying to learn how to not hate myself though.
I think I'm only going to Church because there is a girl there that I really like and she's an angel. But I know I shouldn't be thinking that and have to remind myself that I go to Church to glorify God and not just get a girl to like me. I feel really bad thinking like this.