Major faith roadblock

[ResidentAlien]

The New Testament teaches water baptism, period. Whatever a person may believe about its significance, no one can deny it was taught and practiced. The forerunner taught it, Jesus was baptized, He commanded His disciples to baptize in His name, and the believers were water baptized. That somehow people have taught that water baptism is unnecessary and people actually believe it is a very sad commentary on the state of Christianity today.

 

[Outlander]

Hi Outlander,

That would be a very difficult time for you. Now, the main reason I see is that you do not understand God`s character and His purposes. You, (as many people) are reading God`s word as all about yourself instead of about it revealing Christ, His character and His purposes for - the Body of Christ, for Israel and for the Nations.

When Jesus was manifest on earth He came as Israel`s king, their Messiah. He proved this by many miracles, authority over demons etc. He was showing that His rule was already there if they would accept Him. We know they didn`t.

As to us in the Body of Christ, He is our Head, our Saviour and Lord. His purpose for us in NOT earthly but for heaven. We are to overcome our fleshly desires, the world`s system of self, and the enemy`s tricks. And a big trick is deceiving us by discouraging us and to make us think God does not care about us.

We put our health as the top priority whereas God has our eternal salvation as top. Yes, we go through pain and suffering, (as written in God`s word especially Paul). Jesus knew pain, suffering and torture. He knows what we go through however it is up to us to trust Him and ask for His comfort, His guidance as we go through this damaged life.

This life is damaged and all in it. That should humble us and be content that we have a blessed hope, and not just the grave.

Thank you Marilyn,

I appreciate your thoughtful response.

This reminds me of a response I made to another post. I do not take my Christian education from TV shows but the Chosen specifically highlighted little James and Ramah not being healed because Jesuses miracles where targeted and intentonal and exclusively for the fulfillment of His mission.

This kind of addresses the question of why suffering continues and why we can't just pray over terminally ill children and bring them to good health.

However, this does seem to contradict Bible verses stating you can ask in the name of Jesus, and believing, and your prayer will be answered. This strikes at the idea of the inerrancy of scripture. If the Bible is God's Word and not people putting words into God's mouth, then promises made in His name would be as certain as gravity.

I am not ready to join a rainbow church and start tearing pages out of the Bible but I am having a real problem this apparent contradiction.

 

[Outlander]

The New Testament teaches water baptism, period. Whatever a person may believe about its significance, no one can deny it was taught and practiced. The forerunner taught it, Jesus was baptized, He commanded His disciples to baptize in His name, and the believers were water baptized. That somehow people have taught that water baptism is unnecessary and people actually believe it is a very sad commentary on the state of Christianity today.

Thanks RA,

I see your point. I am not making a case against baptism but trying to understand how it may play into answering my question. Is the power of prayer affected by one being baptised? I other words, if you have not been baptised, God Will not respond to your prayers but after baptism He will?

 

[ResidentAlien]

Thanks RA,

I see your point. I am not making a case against baptism but trying to understand how it may play into answering my question. Is the power of prayer affected by one being baptised? I other words, if you have not been baptised, God Will not respond to your prayers but after baptism He will?

The power of prayer is adversely affected if a person doesn't submit to the lordship and authority of Christ. Christ commanded His disciples to get water baptized. It's the very firs thing a believer should do. If a person knows they should obey the Lord and they refuse to, wouldn't you have to wonder how important Jesus is to that person?

 

[Outlander]

In my younger days I was tasked with troubleshooting and repairing extensive industrial safety interlock systems. I learned the hard way that after you dive into all of the plausible and complicated explanations for the malfunctions with no positive results you look instead for a simple explanation:

Have you been baptized?
[Mar 16:16 NKJV] 16 "He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.
[Act 2:38 NKJV] 38 Then Peter said to them, "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Baptism seems to be a simple* thing that could easily be overlooked, however in addition to being an established ordinance of the church it is prescribed as a solution to the problem you are describing. The referenced passage does not describe Christian baptism, it does however emphasis my point.

*Please take a look at 2 Kings 5: 1 - 19 when you have a moment, the point is:
[2Ki 5:13-14 NKJV] 13 And his servants came near and spoke to him, and said, "My father, [if] the prophet had told you [to do] something great, would you not have done [it]? How much more then, when he says to you, 'Wash, and be clean'?" 14 So he went down and dipped seven times in the Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God; and his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.

I keep coming back to this post as I have never been baptized, thinking it was more ceremonial than nessesary and that the Spirit is the true vehicle of baptism. But you may be onto something and these scriptures strongly support what you are saying. I am not afraid of getting wet and have nothing to lose by getting baptized but I am concerned that the current state of my religious convictions would make this the wrong time to do so. It's a commitment, not an elixir. So Im in a catch 22!

 

[Outlander]

The power of prayer if adversely affected if a person doesn't submit to the lordship and authority of Christ. Christ commanded His disciples to get water baptized. It's the very firs thing a believer should do. If a person knows they should obey the Lord and they refuse to, wouldn't you have to wonder how important Jesus is to that person?

I see your point. I was not raised in a religious environment and innitialy sought out biblical knowlege mostly on my own. I didn't even attend church until later in life and even then I joined the worship team because I wanted to be involved and didn't want to fall asleep in a pew. But I think you make a solid case and one I will take seriously, Thank you.

 

[ResidentAlien]

I see your point. I was not raised in a religious environment and innitialy sought out biblical knowlege mostly on my own. I didn't even attend church until later in life and even then I joined the worship team because I wanted to be involved and didn't want to fall asleep in a pew. But I think you make a solid case and one I will take seriously, Thank you.

Now that you're aware, I pray you'll go ahead and do what's right. God bless.

 

[SabbathBlessing]

I believed in God before I knew what religion was and have considered myself a Christian, although reading but not Church going, for most of my life. Finally a church going Christian for years...but...

I am at a major faith roadblock.

I have been praying over some critical life issues for years. I won't go into the exact issues because that is irrelevant. The only answer or result to my prayer efforts has been nothing, silence, no change, no intuitions, no gut feelings or signs, just absolute nothingness.

This has shaken my faith. It is clear there is a creator. And possible I misunderstand scripture. For example, Christ talking about moving mountains may only be intended for the apostles in their mission to grow the church. Christs prayer example asks for daily bread, not help in life's big problems, or struggling with sin, or anything else.

However, it seems like there are many passages that promote the power of prayer. For example:

Philippians 4:6 - Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

Mark 11:24 - Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.

Romans 8:26 - Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.

Matthew 6:6 - But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

I am painfully aware of all the "excuses" people make for God not answering prayers but honestly, I don't think an all powerful God should need people to make excuses for Him.

I see only a few possibilities here.

1. Regardless of what I may have thought, I am not one of His people and therefore not listened to, or cared about at all. I am merely a fish in this aquarium called earth. I exist for a while, then gone for ever. Temporarily animated dirt that only existed for a time to add a little more depth and background to His great narrative, and nothing more

2. The bible is not inerrant and is wrong. God exists, the bible is a good effort at understanding God, but it is fiction. Perhaps highly valuable fiction but fiction none the less.

3. Another that I loath to believe but seems plausible. People pop into existence by an automated process He created. With a few possible exceptions, He doesn't especially care much for some or even most of us. I am certainly not the only person who feels like I am standing in the bottom of a well shouting towards the little opening hoping someone will hear and throw down a rope but it never comes. It is rational to come to the conclusion that nobody is up there. Nobody hears your shouts. Nobody is there. It is contradictory to think God "wants" you to believe and pray to an absolute zero feedback loop. Especially when it contradicts scripture.

This got me thinking, when people pray for a child who is perishing from a fatal illness, does healing ever come? Ever? or is is 1 out a 1,000? 1 out of 10,000? This is a million times more important that my problems and inflicted on innocents. Children who are supposedly especially loved. If their prayers cannot be answered, what hope is there for any of my prayers to be answered? None.

When I close my eyes and in the quiet and darkness call to the Holy Spirit, listening intently, waiting for His spirit to draw near, I can detect nothing other that perhaps a feeling that I now question isn't just my imagination.

I miss my friend. My friend who I can reveal my deepest feelings to. My friend whom I have been speaking too all my life only to realize I have only been speaking to myself because I am the only one who is there.

Hey there,

It's possible your prayers are being blocked and its possible God is testing you and you need to be more patient.

Some things to consider- are your prayers in line with His will. God cannot answer prayers that go outside His will.

1 John 5:14 Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.

Are you living according to His will?

Psa 40:8 I delight to do Your will, O my God, And Your law is within my heart.”

Because when we go away from His will we are told:

Proverbs 28:9
One who turns away his ear from hearing the law, Even his prayer is an abomination.

Instead of praying for something specific- like I want a spouse who is____and has _____ etc. Consider praying something like Dear Lord, thank you for all the blessings you have given me, I know you know what is best for me and what will make me happy and if it is your will, please bring me a spouse that can me my life partner.

Hopefully you get my gist. I think some people use prayers (not saying you) as some sort of genie, but our prayers are really to help us align to God's will. Ask Him to show us any sin that we have covered and His help in overcoming.

God bless!

 

[PennEd]

You are quick to judge and I don't think you read my full post. I believed as a child before I knew what "religion" was. Then I sought out the word and I believed. Then I sought out fellowship and community and church and community worship and I believed.

I believed until I came to realise that my most critical, most important prayers went unanswered for years. So I assumed the problem was not God, but was me. I posted on this forum asking how can I know if I was saved? I thought I was saved but I must have been wrong.

I believed, asked forgiveness, offered myself to Jesus, etc, but nothing changed. So I assumed I was just not invited to the party. I must not be in the book of life and there's nothing I can do about it. Except that contradicts my understanding of scripture.

So I thought perhaps my understanding of prayer was the issue. This seemed logical. Not all scripture is addressing the same audience and perhaps if I go back and take a new look I will realize where I got it wrong.

Unfortunately, many things I read contradicted my experience. Ask in the name of Jesus and believe and your prayers would be answered.

I read many articles on why God may not be answering prayers. I was careful to express a problem but ask that the problem be solved acording to God's will. No change.

I asked for understand regarding my prayers. No change.

I asked to be led to understanding of this problem. No change.

I used to talk to God a lot. Every single day. In the dark, eyes closed. Kneeling in prayer. In the car, etc. I felt close to God like He was there and I could tell Him anything.

Now I feel like it was wishful thinking. Nobody is there. Nobody is listening. I didn't come to this place easily, or quickly, and I hate it. I want to believe. I want it to be true. But I cannot get past the fact that my prayers are not heard or addressed in direct contradiction to what is promised in scripture. This has me at a point of crisis where everything I believed has been called into question.

Why would God lead me here?

I still believe in a creator. Anyone who claims there is no creator when we are surrounded on all sides by engineering that can only be accomished by a profoundly intelligent mind with the capability to implement and execute on that engineering is in denial of the obvious.

Understanding anything about that creator is the challange.

The Judeo-Christian religion is the only religion that rises to the level of being able to provide real answers to the big questions.

But is it just the greatest collection of fiction ever compiled, or is it the inerrant word of God?

The failure of prayer calls into question the bibles inerrancy. It cannot be true and not live up to its promises at the same time.

Hence my faith roadblock. I love so many of the wonderful responses by so many people here. People who understand the struggle and care and offer advice based on their own struggles.

God doesn't owe me anything. He could wipe me out anytime He wants. He can cast me into in a lake of fire, or smash me like a clay pot. What am I to Him? He is eternal and all powerful while I am animated dirt.

But if the Bible is truly His inerrant word then He would adhere to His own promises. If it is humans putting words into His mouth He has no obligation to live up to those promises.

According to my understanding of scripture, it is promises unfulfilled. An all powerful God should not need people to make excuses for why He doesn't live up to promises made in His name over 2 thousand years ago. If they were His words, they would be 100% without error and as real and reliable as the morning and the night.

But that has not been my experience.

I used to pray that I wanted my life to be a testimony of gratitude to Him. I believed that would be the one thing that I could give to God that could possibly have some small value to Him.

Now that has been destroyed. Do you know how disturbing that is?

This isn't faithlessness, or pompousness, or a rotten attitude. I am not here as an atheist trying to mock people for their belief. It is an existential crisis.

I came seeking answers to questions that may be unanswerable but I am listening. I am reading every post with an open mind and looking for alternatives to the path I regrettably find myself on.

I truly sympathize with you. But it is impossible to address your primary question without knowing the specifics of your prayer requests that God is silent on. Because silence may be the answer from Him.

God can also be silent if we are not renewing our minds in Him DAILY, or conforming ourselves to this world.
Romans 12

New King James Version

Living Sacrifices to God
12 I beseech[a] you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your [b]reasonable service. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.


As far as whether you are saved?

These are the essential elements of the Gospel unto Salvation.

1. You believe you are a sinner in need of a Savior.

2. God became flesh, in the form of His Son Jesus Christ.

3. Born to a virgin.

4. Jesus died on the cross to pay YOUR sin debt.

5. Jesus rose to life on the 3rd day.

Confess with your mouth, and believe in your heart these ESSENTIAL elements and you are saved.


Can you honestly say you have believed and confessed ALL of the above?

If yes, then worry no more, trust God even in His silence, and walk in the Spirit.

 

[vassal]

Thanks Karlon,

I'm pretty sure I am not the first person to have doubts. Was it Isaiah or Jeremiah who proclaimed how stupid people were who believed in gods made of wood or stone. Dead gods that had no power to answer their prayers.

But what if prayer to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit is found to be powerless? Doesn't that say the same thing?

I'm not even going that far. I want to believe. I am just finding it awfully hard to get past the obvious contradiction.

Hello outlander I am late in the thread but we all have these ""quiet periods" in our lives where we seem disconnected somehow, However know that to me this is a test of our faithfulness and GOD has a purpose for this. Know as per scripture that The Lord God knows all about you at any moment, It could be to test your beliefs, your loyalty and your foundation. Read the book of JOB all you need to know is there and will answer your questions. The Lord has not Forgotten you but have you forgotten him? do you do as Jesus did, to do God's will and not yours? The Lord wants us to progress in the faith.

We are constantly being tested, it is in scripture also.

Blessings.

 

[PaulThomson]

Thanks BillyBob,

I appreciate your positive and uplifting thoughts on this. You are very perceptive. I was watching the Chosen. I do not get my biblical education from a TV show, however I struck by Jesus not raising Ramah, and choosing not to heal Little James. I admit, I can relate to their troubles.

I don't remember reading those events in the Bible. Is there a scripture reference?

 

[Outlander]

I don't remember reading those events in the Bible. Is there a scripture reference?

No scripture reference. If you don't know, The Chosen is a TV series about Jesus and the Apostles. They try to stay biblically correct while trying to give an idea of what it must have been like to be around Jesus, in those locations, in those times, trying to understand his teachings, etc. It is not intended to be biblical teaching and I would never treat it as such. It is a good show IMHO and it deals with some hot button issues, just like mine, why would Jesus heal perfect strangers while not healing his own followers? Not saying that is real or scriptural but it address my question, why not me? I am certainly not the only person to have asked that question before. You can find full episodes of the series on YouTube if you would like to see if you think the series is a good thing or not.

 

[BillyBob]

Outlander,
1st, I agree that you should become baptized! It was a command and should be followed. If nothing else, it is an outward sign that you have placed your trust in God.

This is my 2nd post in an attempt to help you.
Please click on https://www.monergism.com/nature-and-basis-assurance , to read Pink's thoughts on assurance. He has a way of expressing my very own thoughts in a way that I am unable to do on my own.

In this article he proclaims:
There is a new and holy nature within the Christian as well as the old and unholy one. Grace is active within you, as well as sin. The new nature is influencing your conduct as well as the old. Why is it that you so desire to be conformed to the image of Christ, to trust Him fully, love Him fervently, and serve Him diligently? These longings proceed not from the flesh. No, my distressed brother or sister, sin is not your complete master; if it were, all aspirations, prayers, and strivings after holiness would be banished from your heart.

If you believe everything in the article applies to you, then you are well on your way. If not, then your prayer should be 1st and foremost that God will give you a heart of flesh. Once you are given a new heart – YOU WILL BELIEVE!
Continue to pray that every evil thorn will be removed from your flesh, but remember that this is not always granted. God will leave some behind as a reminder of your need! Nevertheless, continue to pray that they are taken away.

Bless you in your effort................

 

[Pilgrimshope]

I believed in God before I knew what religion was and have considered myself a Christian, although reading but not Church going, for most of my life. Finally a church going Christian for years...but...

I am at a major faith roadblock.

I have been praying over some critical life issues for years. I won't go into the exact issues because that is irrelevant. The only answer or result to my prayer efforts has been nothing, silence, no change, no intuitions, no gut feelings or signs, just absolute nothingness.

This has shaken my faith. It is clear there is a creator. And possible I misunderstand scripture. For example, Christ talking about moving mountains may only be intended for the apostles in their mission to grow the church. Christs prayer example asks for daily bread, not help in life's big problems, or struggling with sin, or anything else.

However, it seems like there are many passages that promote the power of prayer. For example:

Philippians 4:6 - Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

Mark 11:24 - Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.

Romans 8:26 - Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.

Matthew 6:6 - But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

I am painfully aware of all the "excuses" people make for God not answering prayers but honestly, I don't think an all powerful God should need people to make excuses for Him.

I see only a few possibilities here.

1. Regardless of what I may have thought, I am not one of His people and therefore not listened to, or cared about at all. I am merely a fish in this aquarium called earth. I exist for a while, then gone for ever. Temporarily animated dirt that only existed for a time to add a little more depth and background to His great narrative, and nothing more

2. The bible is not inerrant and is wrong. God exists, the bible is a good effort at understanding God, but it is fiction. Perhaps highly valuable fiction but fiction none the less.

3. Another that I loath to believe but seems plausible. People pop into existence by an automated process He created. With a few possible exceptions, He doesn't especially care much for some or even most of us. I am certainly not the only person who feels like I am standing in the bottom of a well shouting towards the little opening hoping someone will hear and throw down a rope but it never comes. It is rational to come to the conclusion that nobody is up there. Nobody hears your shouts. Nobody is there. It is contradictory to think God "wants" you to believe and pray to an absolute zero feedback loop. Especially when it contradicts scripture.

This got me thinking, when people pray for a child who is perishing from a fatal illness, does healing ever come? Ever? or is is 1 out a 1,000? 1 out of 10,000? This is a million times more important that my problems and inflicted on innocents. Children who are supposedly especially loved. If their prayers cannot be answered, what hope is there for any of my prayers to be answered? None.

When I close my eyes and in the quiet and darkness call to the Holy Spirit, listening intently, waiting for His spirit to draw near, I can detect nothing other that perhaps a feeling that I now question isn't just my imagination.

I miss my friend. My friend who I can reveal my deepest feelings to. My friend whom I have been speaking too all my life only to realize I have only been speaking to myself because I am the only one who is there.

Is it the faith the Bible teaches us about ? Or did you once just “know “God exists ?

“I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.

If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.”
‭‭John‬ ‭15:5-8‬ ‭

“Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”
‭‭John‬ ‭8:31-32‬ ‭

“If ye love me, keep my commandments. And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father's which sent me.”
‭‭John‬ ‭14:15-17, 23-24‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Partly faith is knowing God exists , the other part of faith is that he rewards those who diligently seek after him

“But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is,

and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”
‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭11:6‬ ‭KJV‬‬


My point is faith often is understood by “ yes God exists I believe in a higher power “ but Christian faith comes from hearing and believing his word

“So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭10:17‬ ‭KJV‬‬

he really tells believers that if they will repent and turn back to him in thier eays and follow the lord Jesus learning. From him and acting upon those things then thoer prayers will be answered . It’s a promise to Jesus disciples is my point

i don’t know you or your life in just saying faith is often misunderstood and Mistaught then the bible explains a different concept than we heard before

Not many hear much about this teaching in the Bible

“…..do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless?

Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did.

And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend.

You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone. As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.”
‭‭James‬ ‭2:20-24, 26‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Some forms of faith will stand others will be found empty in the end the things Jesus taught in the gospel will stand the test , if we know it then never do it is it actually faith Gods promises are based upon ?

““Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? As for everyone who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice, I will show you what they are like. They are like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock.
When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built upon the rock.

But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete.””
‭‭Luke‬ ‭6:46-49‬ ‭NIV‬‬

If we turn to the gospel for our faith well receive the answers we ask for

 

[hornetguy]

Perhaps God has already answered your prayers, just in a way you were not expecting.... like the old story of the man sitting on his rooftop in a flood....

The Drowning Man
A fellow was stuck on his rooftop in a flood. He was praying to God for help.

Soon a man in a rowboat came by and the fellow shouted to the man on the roof, “Jump in, I can save you.”

The stranded fellow shouted back, “No, it’s OK, I’m praying to God and he is going to save me.”

So the rowboat went on.

Then a motorboat came by. “The fellow in the motorboat shouted, “Jump in, I can save you.”

To this the stranded man said, “No thanks, I’m praying to God and he is going to save me. I have faith.”

So the motorboat went on.

Then a helicopter came by and the pilot shouted down, “Grab this rope and I will lift you to safety.”

To this the stranded man again replied, “No thanks, I’m praying to God and he is going to save me. I have faith.”

So the helicopter reluctantly flew away.

Soon the water rose above the rooftop and the man drowned. He went to Heaven. He finally got his chance to discuss this whole situation with God, at which point he exclaimed, “I had faith in you but you didn’t save me, you let me drown. I don’t understand why!”

To this God replied, “I sent you a rowboat and a motorboat and a helicopter, what more did you expect?”

 

[know1]

You are quick to judge and I don't think you read my full post. I believed as a child before I knew what "religion" was. Then I sought out the word and I believed. Then I sought out fellowship and community and church and community worship and I believed.

I believed until I came to realise that my most critical, most important prayers went unanswered for years. So I assumed the problem was not God, but was me. I posted on this forum asking how can I know if I was saved? I thought I was saved but I must have been wrong.

I believed, asked forgiveness, offered myself to Jesus, etc, but nothing changed. So I assumed I was just not invited to the party. I must not be in the book of life and there's nothing I can do about it. Except that contradicts my understanding of scripture.

So I thought perhaps my understanding of prayer was the issue. This seemed logical. Not all scripture is addressing the same audience and perhaps if I go back and take a new look I will realize where I got it wrong.

Unfortunately, many things I read contradicted my experience. Ask in the name of Jesus and believe and your prayers would be answered.

I read many articles on why God may not be answering prayers. I was careful to express a problem but ask that the problem be solved acording to God's will. No change.

I asked for understand regarding my prayers. No change.

I asked to be led to understanding of this problem. No change.

I used to talk to God a lot. Every single day. In the dark, eyes closed. Kneeling in prayer. In the car, etc. I felt close to God like He was there and I could tell Him anything.

Now I feel like it was wishful thinking. Nobody is there. Nobody is listening. I didn't come to this place easily, or quickly, and I hate it. I want to believe. I want it to be true. But I cannot get past the fact that my prayers are not heard or addressed in direct contradiction to what is promised in scripture. This has me at a point of crisis where everything I believed has been called into question.

Why would God lead me here?

I still believe in a creator. Anyone who claims there is no creator when we are surrounded on all sides by engineering that can only be accomished by a profoundly intelligent mind with the capability to implement and execute on that engineering is in denial of the obvious.

Understanding anything about that creator is the challange.

The Judeo-Christian religion is the only religion that rises to the level of being able to provide real answers to the big questions.

But is it just the greatest collection of fiction ever compiled, or is it the inerrant word of God?

The failure of prayer calls into question the bibles inerrancy. It cannot be true and not live up to its promises at the same time.

Hence my faith roadblock. I love so many of the wonderful responses by so many people here. People who understand the struggle and care and offer advice based on their own struggles.

God doesn't owe me anything. He could wipe me out anytime He wants. He can cast me into in a lake of fire, or smash me like a clay pot. What am I to Him? He is eternal and all powerful while I am animated dirt.

But if the Bible is truly His inerrant word then He would adhere to His own promises. If it is humans putting words into His mouth He has no obligation to live up to those promises.

According to my understanding of scripture, it is promises unfulfilled. An all powerful God should not need people to make excuses for why He doesn't live up to promises made in His name over 2 thousand years ago. If they were His words, they would be 100% without error and as real and reliable as the morning and the night.

But that has not been my experience.

I used to pray that I wanted my life to be a testimony of gratitude to Him. I believed that would be the one thing that I could give to God that could possibly have some small value to Him.

Now that has been destroyed. Do you know how disturbing that is?

This isn't faithlessness, or pompousness, or a rotten attitude. I am not here as an atheist trying to mock people for their belief. It is an existential crisis.

I came seeking answers to questions that may be unanswerable but I am listening. I am reading every post with an open mind and looking for alternatives to the path I regrettably find myself on.

Though it is refreshing to see your honesty, sincerity, and passion to know the truth, I do not envy your position. For even as you are now, I was, years ago.
For years, I too used to question my salvation, and like you, I was confused and wondered why I wasn't seeing the same thing you are questioning now. And though our reasonings are similar, I never did question the inerrant word of God.
And I apologize if I came across as hard-hearted and judgmental. That was not my intent. Still working on my people and communication skills.
And I can assure you, if you continue desiring the truth, with all sincerity of heart, God will reveal that to you, even though you are hearing many voices right now.
So how did I get from, not knowing, to knowing that I was a born again child of God? Answer? Knowledge and understanding of God's word. However, this knowledge and understanding doesn't just apply to salvation only. It applies to answered prayers, healings, deliverances, and the like.
So if God can take me from where you are now, to receiving the things I pray for, he can and will do the same for you, if you don't quit seeking the truth with a pure, honest, and sincere heart
I would first like to assure you, God's promises are good. I don't mean in the sense of morally good, but faithfully good and true.
God is not only faithful to watch over his word, but he is equally faithful to perform it. But you will have to do exactly what is written.
I could give you story after story about how God did exactly what I prayed for and more, because he did, but for now, I will just tell you how to accomplish that which you are seeking to do.
So how do you get from doubting or questioning your salvation, to knowing you are?
I suppose it would help to state exactly how one is born again. So I'll start there.
Jesus said, except you eat my flesh and drink my blood, you have no life in you.

KJV+ King James Version
John 6:35: "And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst."

It is not only written that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life, but it is also written and true, that Jesus himself IS the living Word of God.
Again, it is written, we are saved BY the Word of God.
We are not saved by repenting and confessing our sins, water baptism at any age, going to church, doing good deeds, reading the Bible, praying, or even just believing that not only God is, but even that Jesus is the savior of the world. Because believing only, is not good enough.
We are saved simply by faith in the work Jesus did on the cross, and accepting that for yourself, personally.
You probably already are saved and just don't know it, but if you're still wondering about whether you are or not, do the above mentioned, and you will need to, not only, believe in your heart what Jesus did for you on the cross, but also you will most certainly need to SAY it with your mouth.
If you don't do a corresponding work to what you believe in your heart, absolutely nothing will happen and God is not be obligated to fulfill his word because you did not fulfill every condition God has established in his word. Verbally speaking what you believe in your heart, is one form of a corresponding work.
If you have done this, according to the word of God, you are a born again, child of God.

 

[know1]

Though it is refreshing to see your honesty, sincerity, and passion to know the truth, I do not envy your position. For even as you are now, I was, years ago.
For years, I too used to question my salvation, and like you, I was confused and wondered why I wasn't seeing the same thing you are questioning now. And though our reasonings are similar, I never did question the inerrant word of God.
And I apologize if I came across as hard-hearted and judgmental. That was not my intent. Still working on my people and communication skills.
And I can assure you, if you continue desiring the truth, with all sincerity of heart, God will reveal that to you, even though you are hearing many voices right now.
So how did I get from, not knowing, to knowing that I was a born again child of God? Answer? Knowledge and understanding of God's word. However, this knowledge and understanding doesn't just apply to salvation only. It applies to answered prayers, healings, deliverances, and the like.
So if God can take me from where you are now, to receiving the things I pray for, he can and will do the same for you, if you don't quit seeking the truth with a pure, honest, and sincere heart
I would first like to assure you, God's promises are good. I don't mean in the sense of morally good, but faithfully good and true.
God is not only faithful to watch over his word, but he is equally faithful to perform it. But you will have to do exactly what is written.
I could give you story after story about how God did exactly what I prayed for and more, because he did, but for now, I will just tell you how to accomplish that which you are seeking to do.
So how do you get from doubting or questioning your salvation, to knowing you are?
I suppose it would help to state exactly how one is born again. So I'll start there.
Jesus said, except you eat my flesh and drink my blood, you have no life in you.

KJV+ King James Version
John 6:35: "And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst."

It is not only written that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life, but it is also written and true, that Jesus himself IS the living Word of God.
Again, it is written, we are saved BY the Word of God.
We are not saved by repenting and confessing our sins, water baptism at any age, going to church, doing good deeds, reading the Bible, praying, or even just believing that not only God is, but even that Jesus is the savior of the world. Because believing only, is not good enough.
We are saved simply by faith in the work Jesus did on the cross, and accepting that for yourself, personally.
You probably already are saved and just don't know it, but if you're still wondering about whether you are or not, do the above mentioned, and you will need to, not only, believe in your heart what Jesus did for you on the cross, but also you will most certainly need to SAY it with your mouth.
If you don't do a corresponding work to what you believe in your heart, absolutely nothing will happen and God is not be obligated to fulfill his word because you did not fulfill every condition God has established in his word. Verbally speaking what you believe in your heart, is one form of a corresponding work.
If you have done this, according to the word of God, you are a born again, child of God.

Part 2 of 2.
Now how do you go from doubting, to knowing?
After you have asked Jesus to come into your heart, do this, and you WILL see the change.
Have you ever heard the expression, fake it, till you make it?
Well, that expression does hold true in some things.
You've spent so much of your time convincing your heart that you're not born again, based on what you have observed in the natural, you're going to have to do something different to get rid of those strongholds.
You are going to have to convince your heart that Jesus is in you and that you are born again, by ACTING AND SAYING, you are born again. And you can do this by simply thanking your heavenly Father, and praising Jesus for saving you.
Might want to find a secluded place before doing what I'm going to suggest next.
Again, you are only going to act this out, repeatedly, to start with, and after a while it will be genuine.
To get in the character, you will need to get excited about being born again, just like you might get excited over your school sports team winning a game. You know how everybody jumps up and down in excitement, raises and claps their hands, and cheers the same when their team wins?
If you do that concerning your salvation, by not only thanking Jesus, but getting excited, by jumping up and down and clapping your hands and praising him out loud with a loud voice and anything else that might come to mind. While doing this, remind God of his promise to you, and thank him for being faithful for fulfilling his word for you.
And you might find, while doing this, that you actually believe you are a heaven bound, born-again child of God.
It might not happen immediately, but if you stick with it, you will eventually convince your heart contrary to what you believe now.
And know this about faith, before something is given from God, you must already have it or have accepted it, and before you actually are, you must already be.
Hope is in the future tense, as in, I will have, or I will be someday.
On the other hand, faith is now, as in, the present tense. I am, or I have.
So act like you are now and forever will be, born again, and you not only will be saved, but you will know it to be true. You only have to convince your heart that it is so. And one of the ways to do that is by acting like you are

 

[know1]

zzzzzz

Just want you to know the post I sent to you is in two parts. Post 56 and 57

 

[PaulThomson]

No scripture reference. If you don't know, The Chosen is a TV series about Jesus and the Apostles. They try to stay biblically correct while trying to give an idea of what it must have been like to be around Jesus, in those locations, in those times, trying to understand his teachings, etc. It is not intended to be biblical teaching and I would never treat it as such. It is a good show IMHO and it deals with some hot button issues, just like mine, why would Jesus heal perfect strangers while not healing his own followers? Not saying that is real or scriptural but it address my question, why not me? I am certainly not the only person to have asked that question before. You can find full episodes of the series on YouTube if you would like to see if you think the series is a good thing or not.

Jesus never refused to heal anyone in the gospels. Inventing instances where He did refuse, is an attempt to justify religion that has a form of godliness but denies its power. 1 Tim 3:5

 

[PaulThomson]

I believed in God before I knew what religion was and have considered myself a Christian, although reading but not Church going, for most of my life. Finally a church going Christian for years...but...

I am at a major faith roadblock.

I have been praying over some critical life issues for years. I won't go into the exact issues because that is irrelevant. The only answer or result to my prayer efforts has been nothing, silence, no change, no intuitions, no gut feelings or signs, just absolute nothingness.

This has shaken my faith. It is clear there is a creator. And possible I misunderstand scripture. For example, Christ talking about moving mountains may only be intended for the apostles in their mission to grow the church. Christs prayer example asks for daily bread, not help in life's big problems, or struggling with sin, or anything else.

However, it seems like there are many passages that promote the power of prayer. For example:

Philippians 4:6 - Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

Mark 11:24 - Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.

Romans 8:26 - Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.

Matthew 6:6 - But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

I am painfully aware of all the "excuses" people make for God not answering prayers but honestly, I don't think an all powerful God should need people to make excuses for Him.

I see only a few possibilities here.

1. Regardless of what I may have thought, I am not one of His people and therefore not listened to, or cared about at all. I am merely a fish in this aquarium called earth. I exist for a while, then gone for ever. Temporarily animated dirt that only existed for a time to add a little more depth and background to His great narrative, and nothing more

2. The bible is not inerrant and is wrong. God exists, the bible is a good effort at understanding God, but it is fiction. Perhaps highly valuable fiction but fiction none the less.

3. Another that I loath to believe but seems plausible. People pop into existence by an automated process He created. With a few possible exceptions, He doesn't especially care much for some or even most of us. I am certainly not the only person who feels like I am standing in the bottom of a well shouting towards the little opening hoping someone will hear and throw down a rope but it never comes. It is rational to come to the conclusion that nobody is up there. Nobody hears your shouts. Nobody is there. It is contradictory to think God "wants" you to believe and pray to an absolute zero feedback loop. Especially when it contradicts scripture.

This got me thinking, when people pray for a child who is perishing from a fatal illness, does healing ever come? Ever? or is is 1 out a 1,000? 1 out of 10,000? This is a million times more important that my problems and inflicted on innocents. Children who are supposedly especially loved. If their prayers cannot be answered, what hope is there for any of my prayers to be answered? None.

When I close my eyes and in the quiet and darkness call to the Holy Spirit, listening intently, waiting for His spirit to draw near, I can detect nothing other that perhaps a feeling that I now question isn't just my imagination.

I miss my friend. My friend who I can reveal my deepest feelings to. My friend whom I have been speaking too all my life only to realize I have only been speaking to myself because I am the only one who is there.

Are these unanswered prayers for things God's word says it is God's will that you have them?