Why can't i feel, or know God? i'm always told he is there...?

Question

I've gone to church my whole life, i'm baptized, i've tried praying... and to no avail. I've never felt God. I've been dealing with depression since i was 5 years old, and i tried praying to God, asking him if he would make me happy... he never did. I tried medication... nothing. i tried drugs that my friends said made them happy... i was happy while i was high, but not afterwards, so i quit.. i tried everything to be happy, to no avail. i've tried to feel God.. to no avail. WHY ISN'T HE THERE?!?!?!

Lots of people tell me they feel a physical feeling when they are with God. my mom claims to have physically felt angels, there's all those mormon people trying to "Fix me" and "help me" but it don't work.

also, i've been through the whole thearapy deal. i had an eating disorder for 10 years, and my parents finally sent me to a therapist.. but my mom kept wanting me to get better, but i wasn't. i got worse before i got even just a little better. so i pretended it was all good, and stopped going to my therapist. does anyone have suggestions other than therapy? i can't do that again. my parents don't want a child who has problems. i can't see a therapist.

Answer 1

Because he does not exist. The only person that can make you happy is you. You need to find something that brings joy to your life. I suffered from depression for many years. I finally met my wife who completely changed my life. Hang in there. It will get better.

Answer 2

You don't say when you were baptized but if it was when you were a child that could be your problem right there. Baptism should only happen after a person has gotten old enough to make a true confession of faith and been born again by the Holy Spirit of God.

That having been said, as a person who serves in the lay Biblical counseling ministry, depression is one of those tough issues for me to help people with because it usually takes a while to untangle all of the issues that have come into a person's life from being in that state of mind. Also it's tough to get a counselee to commit to making the changes that seem indicated because depression often leaves a person feeling listless and defeated even before they begin.

Do you have access to Christian counseling? Have you been tested by a doctor to see if your depression is the result of a chemical imbalance? Those are the first things that I would recommend to you.

Answer 3

Have you tried the following? Have you talked to a pastor of your church and asked Him or Her for help? How about finding someone who is older in the church that has gone through similar issues?

You do realize that when you start talking to other christians God is right there in the middle with YOU.

Another question - Have you read and mean actually read John? If you have great. But, I mean really get right into it and find out who Jesus is. When you sit down and find that brother or sister you can share everything with you will start to feel better - you will feel different. You will.

In my past, I am so broken and destroyed, but when I got involved in my church, when I sat down and read the Bible, when I talked to brothers and sisters - MAN, what a difference. People see a different me - God, is right there and I am different. That will happen for YOU too!!! That is a promise.

I can only say so much, but here is the truth! GOD LOVES YOU BECAUSE HE MADE YOU!!!! He is right there right now! He wants to hug you and only you. Please, do not walk away and look up - cry out and go right into prayer.

Remember this

"Cast your cares upon the Lord and He WILL sustain You. He will never let the righteous fall!" Psalms 55:22 (Punctuation and capitalization is my doing) But, God - your Father is right there.

Answer 4

The way to God is through your heart. Because God loves you, all you need to do is experience His love for you by knowing you are loved. Do not try and weigh the differences between religions and choose "which one" is the way to God. Just put that aside for now and BELIEVE you are loved and let it flow into your heart with your breath. The rest will come. Pray as you are reaching out to one you love. Give your love in prayer and you will feel it being returned.

Once I reached a time in my life where even the most peaceful closeness with God didn't make me feel better, because I was hurting so deeply. KNOW that even when you are hurting and it is so strong you cannot feel anything else, God LOVES you...as at every moment in your life.

A story: A young man was carrying a burdensome cross, and brought it to God, saying, "this cross is too heavy...I cannot possibly carry this my whole life!" And God said, "Please, come and choose another cross instead." So the young man went into a room filled with heavy, towering crosses that he could not even imagine lifting. In the corner of the room was a smaller cross. He said, "I will choose this one."

"But my child, that is the one that you brought in..."

Answer 5

Have you found yourself drawn to anyone who is a follower of Jesus Christ? All my life I was drawn to Christians full of love and peace and joy - I attended (Protestant) church on occasion, didn't do bad stuff. . . then I started hearing with my heart the stuff I'd heard all my life, I needed Jesus to wash away my sins with His blood. I needed to make Him my God, my Lord, my King, my Savior.
If you've pursued Jesus, I pray you keep seeking. He is actually knocking and said he's waiting for you to ask Him in. Keep looking for a church. By the way, I was loosely raised a Catholic (by 14 I knew it was a dead religion) and didn't meet Jesus til I was 30. I was addicted to cigarettes at the time, and for 3 more years I tried to quit. Key word - tried. Then I told the Lord I couldn't. He instantly took away the craving and I never wanted another cigarette, and even felt like a non-smoker from that moment! He changed my life incredibly, not just adopted me into His family. Maybe the trying is your stumbling block too. Ask and you shall receive. In Jesus' most holy name.

My prayer is that you will feel - although feelings are deceitful - the presence of the Living God, and know when you meet Jesus. I wish it was yesterday!! Find yourself a church or fellowship that teaches the whole Word of God (Bible), the baptism of the Spirit (not same as water baptism, commanded of those who declare with their own mouth that Jesus is Lord). And those people full of love and peace and joy? They're not perfect, just humbled and yielded to God. Go there.

Answer 6

To quote the cyborg ninja,"Where are you looking?". You ask God for happiness, but do you do anything to make yourself happy? Get out there. God gave you free will. It's like teaching a child to ride a bicycle. As long as you hold onto the bike, your child will never fall. Yet you have to let go and let them fall. The child must learn to find the strength to stand and try again. So stand and try again. God is all around you, in the things he created. He gave you life. Take a breath, feel it fill your lungs. You say he isn't there. Yet you feel him when you breathe. Happiness is where you find it, so go find it. God gave you free will, freedom of choice, so choose to make the most of these gifts and you'll find him soon enough.

Answer 7

You just can't handle the brainwashing they've been trying to do to you all your life. It makes you feel guilty b/c they have made you think that is what you're suppose to believe.

Once you accept the fact that it is one of the biggest jokes ever pulled on man, you'll come out of the fog and realize life goes on without a man made god. You'll see things clearer. Just b/c people don't believe in a god doesn't mean they can't have love or compassion for others. It doesn't mean you throw all rules of morality and decency out the window. You just don't believe in a god that man created to explain all those things they couldn't explain before we figured what made the sun move across the sky and why it got dark at night or what the moon and stars were. It's a Primitive belief created by Primitive man. Man created god, god didn't creat man.

Answer 8

i don't believe god can exist. i believe that throughout society we create a higher being it has happened centuries before Christ. why wouldn't god talk to the other races of people throughout the world. did he just like Jews. i would hope not.Ive been to church and seen the hypocrisy. i believe god and the bible is another set of moral values just like in all other religions. if you read a lot further you can find information that proves the bible was written by man. if you have an open mind read angels and demons , and DA vinci code i loved both of them the movies isn't as good it doesn't give all the information your looking for write me if you feel I'm wrong or want to talk more on my view or your own I'm still learning my self so it could be cool


denny

Answer 9

He is there. Why you can't feel him would be how you yourself feel. Do you really believe is the question. Talk to the priest see what he or she say. I believe in God and I don't go to church all the time anymore but I still have faith. Sometimes I feel that God can help us but he can't undo what man has done to them-self. Like cancer, we are the ones who made the stuff that caused it not him. God can only help by not letting them suffer long with it. Depression is something we our self have to help fight it. Why are we depressed, what makes us depressed, ways to prevent it or help to over come it. I also suffer from depression. I try to find what trigger it and deal with it to overcome it but you need one good person to help you talk it out and not tell you what to do if you know what I mean. At night when you go to bed think of all the good in your life and thank God for them let your heart feel him. It is not something you can grab or hold it is a feeling that you are not alone. A good feeling, A tingle.

Answer 10

When I was saved that is when i truly felt God for the first time, and that was about 3 years ago. You have to read the bible to understand. I'm a christian, i read The Holy Bible (the King James version). I know sometimes when people say they feel God, its actually the Holy spirit (something else that is in the bible). I know you wont get the holy spirit until God knows you are ready. I haven't felt it yet. And about depression, I have depression and I am also bi-polar. That doesn't mean I dont have faith in God. My grandma used to tell me "God never puts more on you than he knows you can handle." If you want to know more on a personal level, you can email me.

Answer 11

Knowing God isn't a feeling. It is a relationship. Prayer is always answered, however sometimes the answer is no, Just like when we ask our parents for something or when our kids ask for something that will hurt them or they want something for the wrong reasons a good parent would say no. Get together with someone that is a mature christian and talk to them 1 on 1 do a Bible study, and spend some time in prayer with them get to know them and let them get to know you, for real , not just the surface stuff. Ask God to reveal himself to you and turn your life over to him. He will show himself to you.
I will be praying for you
Numbers 6:24-26, Proverbs 3:5-6