I've thought about religion for 35 years, and prayed to whatever God is out there, Nothing Zilch, NADA. How have YOU obtained these things without suffering?
2006-10-16 07:33:31 · 27 answers · asked by ? 3 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
I think that perhaps to have faith in God, you need to decide that He is God. That is the first step. You said that you prayed to whatever God is out there, but that doesn't sound very specific to me. Faith is deciding to believe that God is there and wants you to come to Him. He is waiting to help you with whatever you need, because He really is real and powerful and loving. You don't need to suffer to attain faith - I didn't. You just need to believe, for starters, that God created everything. Once you begin to comprehend the awesomeness of DNA, colors, tastes... you will realize that it couldn't be an accident. It had to be created by the most creative, intelligent being ever. After you are able to attribute the creation of the universe to God, you can become more confident in your faith.
2006-10-16 07:40:15 · answer #1 · answered by Iamnotarobot (former believer) 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I have studied religion for many years as well, the more you study the more you become a sceptic. However faith is something that happens. You must try and not complicate faith, it is part of every day life. It is a realisation, for example you realise that the sun is going to come up, day after day. You therefore have instilled faith in the passage of time. You come to rely on it.
Therefore Faith is a realisation and a reliance. My cousin actually said the most profound thing yesterday, religion is a relationship not a subject. I hope this helps. I dont believe in God, but I have faith.
2006-10-16 07:42:58 · answer #2 · answered by prof_siggy 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
An excellent way to begin, is to stop trying to get to God yourself. You cant, you won't. You never, ever will. You yourself have stated, "I've thought about religion for 35 years...." then "prayed to whatever God is out there".... you done yet? Because there's a book I'd like to introduce you to.
Please don't misunderstand me. I know I come off as a wiseguy or something, but it's who I am, and I have nothing but the utmost of hope and love for you.
You will never obtain faith by trying to get it on your own. It's like being in a car with no gas in it, and you've been trying to get the car moving for 35 years.
Religion, irregardless of what the media says, your next door neighbor says, your friend or boss at work says, or the ads in the paper say is your enemy. Religion says, "Do what we do, and we'll help you get to God." "By doing the rituals, laws, rules, schedules, ordinances, steps, so on and so forths....you will either gain favor with God for a little while longer, or you will get the anger of God off your back for a while, if you just follow us, and do this"...............................no, you won't.
Know what that means? That means, if it's roman catholic, jehovah witness, islamic, morman, and oh, how the list goes on... they want you to DO something....not know and believe something. Pray to this, follow that, kneel to this, jump 5 times and bow to that....and you know what the result will be?
Nothing, Zilch, NADA.
I won't bother throwing the verse up, but the bible (that book I want to introduce you to) states that faith comes by HEARING, an HEARING by the WORD of GOD.
Now......anyone can open a bible and quote something from it. Go ahead, find one, open it, and speak the first line you see. That's called being "scriptural". Half the churches every sunday do that, and millions are decieved every sunday. But to be biblical, and know what's going on, you've got to know 3 things about the scriptures you're reading...
1) WHO is speaking in the verse your reading?
2) TO WHOM is the speaker talking to?
3) ARE YOU a part of whom the speaker is talking with?
If for example, everything God said to Noah was valid for everyone.......everyone would have built an ark by now! But it was God, speaking only to Noah, and it's was for us to read about, not take part in.
It goes on and on as the bible goes on and on. May I suggest Romans 5 as the first thing you read, then the book of Romans itself, followed by a visit to the website below.
As for the last part....How have I obtained these things without suffering? There are times....where I have a GOOD day due to faith. Real faith in Christ, in God, has you peddling AGAINST the current.....never with it, my friend.
God bless...
2006-10-16 08:01:29 · answer #3 · answered by The (1Cor.15:1-4) Ambassador 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
What have you prayed? And Why have you prayed? I remember when I was a kid and my grandma used to take me to church. I remember one day I prayed that if God was God would he please cause a Cadillac to fall out of the sky (I kid you not,I prayed this!) of course it didn't happen. I remembered some years later I had been addicted to alcohol and crack cocaine for 18 years 18 years! I could not stop drinking and using! Not after I lost my marriage, not after I lost my kids, not after I went to prison, nothing could stop me. But I prayed. Guess what? Not only have I been clean and sober for 2 years, I have all the things I probably would have accumulated over the years had I not been drinking and using. I could name miracle after miracle God had performed in mylife and as a result, now I have faith. Everytime He brings me throught another crisis. I have alittle more faith. My faith is not perfect. Sometimes I still think, okay this os the one where He's going to leave me hanging and I get scared to death. But I find that if I just stop trying to figure out how it's going to turn out, close my eyes, keep on walking through it and trusting God, it all turns out!
I thought God only did stuff for people like Billy Graham, but I found out He does stuff for small-time crack heads like me too. So I guess that stuff I read in the bible about God not being a respecter of persons is true. What He did for Billy Graham, and what He did for me, as I type this I am praying that God will show Himself faithful to you too.
2006-10-16 07:50:28 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
If you have prayed and don't have faith that God will answer your prayer that is why you haven't gotten a blessing in return. Try praying but this time have faith God will take care of it.
2006-10-16 07:35:48 · answer #5 · answered by Intellectual Paige 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Go to church. God don't give you everything exactly how you want it. He gives you what's best and he gives it to you when the time is right. It don't cause you to suffer...impatience causes you to suffer. Keep talking to God, you'll get an answer may not be the answer you wanted but the answer will be for your best.
2006-10-16 07:37:59 · answer #6 · answered by Coco 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's easy not to have faith when you are used to being disappointed by people.
Faith in God is a different matter.
2006-10-16 07:39:49 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
When I finally let go and let God get past my human ego I found that I had faith and that He was always with me. I
2006-10-16 07:38:35 · answer #8 · answered by Olivia 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Have somebody you love hit you in the head with a baseball bat. Maybe the brain damage will help.
2006-10-16 07:36:23 · answer #9 · answered by Allison L 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
All faiths teach suffering. So you're kind of out of luck.
If you want your prayer hear, you might try fasting and almsgiving. Always works for me.
2006-10-16 07:36:34 · answer #10 · answered by Max Marie, OFS 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋