How can I be... a TRUE Christian???

Question

What I'm trying to say is this. For my birthday when I turned 11, I got a devotional book. This helped me get into my devotions and I started reading the Bible. That summer, I went to a church camp and got a prayer journal, so I used that. (And still do) This continued for about a year. Often and on, there were times when I wouldn't do it for days, weeks,and even months. Then there were the times when I felt like I couldn't live a day without reading the Bible. Now it's November, I'm 12, and haven't my devotions for a long time. I know keeping a relationship with Jesus is crucial for being Christian, but I can't seem to enjoy doing my devotions anymore. If anyone has any ideas of how the Bible, devotions, or praying can seem more exciting, please let me know. Thanks.

Answer 1

Doing your devotionals, reading the bible, attending church, being involved in youth group. All those things are great. They will help you grown in your faith, but that's what they do help you grow your faith. The one question you need to ask yourself is "Have I come to a place in my spiritual life where I am sure I will go to heaven when my life is over here on earth? If you aren't sure you need to get right with God before any of the devotionals ... etc will help. I am an old man and I don't think our communication would be a good idea.. I recommend a good talk with your youth pastor, ok.... Jim

Answer 2

Does God have to be limited to being only the God of your journals, devotional books, and church camps? Can He be God outside of these activities? Can He be free to be who He is and free to show you who He is without all these other things? Can He invite you for a walk anytime He wants to? Or do you have to grab all the books and tell Him when He's not following what's written down in the devotional books?

Maybe He's bored with being seen through the eyes of the person who wrote these devotional books. Maybe He wants to show you something different than what the daily devotion says about Him. Maybe that's why you're bored with the journals and the devotional books too.

Why not take a walk just to talk to Him - just you and Him? Why not just put all of the books away - except keep your Bible handy - and just start thanking Him for who He is to you? Why not just tell Him what His love has meant to you so far? This will open the door for Him to reveal even more of His love to you. And the reason I say you might want to keep the Bible handy is you might find that He's stirring in your heart to come and go with Him exploring something in the Bible that He wants you to know about Him.

Then, too, though, if your relationship with God is limited to just a little bit of time with your nose in the Bible, then, yeah, it's just going to be you and the Bible, and that will get old very fast. He wants the Bible to come alive in your heart. You cannot make this happen. Only He can make this happen, and you must reach out for it. He won't force it on you, He won't sneak it in while you're not looking. This relationship is 100% voluntary. He will not make you walk with Him. You have to be willing to go with Him where He leads. It just won't work any other way. You won't know God on your own terms. He needs to know He is free to be God - just as He is not as you think He should be.

Answer 3

Dear Friend, all Christians have setbacks on occasion. I cannot tell you something to make it exciting other than prayer. If you are not content with your devotions, go to a Christian bookstore and find one with good devotions followed by scripture. I use a very old one by Charles Spurgeon called "Morning by Morning." It is an old book but its messages remains new. There is nothing more beautiful and spiritual to me except the Bible. The deceased Spurgeon preached about Love and I would like to give you one small example if I may.

February 29 portion reads:

The Master came one night to the door, and knocked with the iron hand of the law. The door shook and trembled upon its hinges, but the person within piled everything possible against the door and declared, "I will not admit the Man." The Master turned away, but after awhile he came back, and with that part of His hand where the blood had flowed from the piercing nail, He knocked again - softly and tenderly This time the door did not shake, but, strange to say, it opened, and there on bended knees the once unwilling occupant was found eager to receive the Lord.
"Come in. come in. You have so knocked that my heart is open to You. I couldn't think of Your pierced hand leaving its blood mark on my door, and of Your going away homeless. I yield, I yield. Your love has won my heart."

God Bless you and bring you joy, rather than excitement. For with Joy, you will receive all.

Answer 4

Prayer is simply talking to God. It's not a wish list. Do you get excited when you talk to your friends about something you find interesting? It's the same thing. Tell God everything. I often tell Him stuff like - WOW what a beautiful sunset - or - OOPS, I did it again - please forgive me! Just talk to Him like you would your best friend.

When you read the Bible, find something that pertains to what you are going through that day - say you're really happy and thankful - look into Psalms - people praising and rejoicing. Curious? Check out Revelation or Exodus! Once you start getting excited about the things you find out, you'll want to read more and more!

Answer 5

Surround yourself with other Christians, others who love God just as much as you do and it shows in their walk and actions. Be in constant fellowship with other Christians, even if they're older than you. You can learn a lot from a more mature Christian. But surround yourself with Christians that are excited and are on Fire for God then that will encourage you not to get complacent and comfortable in your Christian walk. Also Pray to God and ask Him to strengthen you and give you a burning desire for His kingdom that will never go away.
Pray Psalms 51: 7-12 Daily

Answer 6

It's not about devotions, it's about walking your path of life with Jesus at your side, doing things His way instead of your own.

Try spending your day with Him. As you go about your business, do things as though He were right there with you, beside you. If you need to know what to do, pick up a reference Bible and figure out what Jesus would do.

Answer 7

those who declare they're the authentic christians are purely fundamentalists!! Christian Fundamentalist is an total contradiction in words!! CHRISTIAN – A follower or believer in Jesus. FUNDAMENTALIST one which believes the Bible is really authentic and must be said precisely. hence they're followers of the bible and by no potential Jesus making them non Christians!!! yet worse is to adhere to it also makes them ideologists. IDEOLOGY an idea it really is pretend or held for the incorrect motives yet is idea with such conviction as to be irrefutable. So Christians have a loving and forgiving god and fundamentalist - nicely - purely are literally not Christians!!!! solid christians that expend in indignation that such fundies make all christians look so undesirable and intolerant - they pray for those inaccurate people's souls and for them to rediscover the loving god and commence performing like it!!!

Answer 8

your problem is that you are trying to run when you should walk, Jesus is gentle and leads us at a pace to suit our uniqueness.
devotional prayer is fine but we need to just talk with Jesus as we would to a close friend,speak to Jesus in your own words and tell Him how you feel about things, about the things that you do not understand, and always tell Him that you love and trust in Him.
dryness in prayer is common and this also applies to feelings, sometimes feelings are not to be relied on as much as trust,talk to Jesus even when you do not feel like it and the more you do this the closer you will come to Him.
finally as an old saying goes `pray as you can,not as you can`t`.

Answer 9

Lectio Divina is Latin for “spiritual reading” and represents an early monastic technique of prayer which continues in practice though less widely, intended to achieve communion with God as well as providing special spiritual insights and peace from that experience. It is a way of praying with Scripture that calls one to study, ponder, listen and, finally, pray from God's Word.

History
Lectio Divina was first expressed in the year 220 AD. It was found that to read the Bible profitably it is necessary to do so with attention, consistency and prayer. The systematization of “spiritual reading” into four steps dates back to the 12th century. Around 1150, Guigo II, a Carthusian monk, wrote a book entitled “The Monk’s Ladder” (Scala Claustralium) wherein he set out the theory of the four rungs: reading, meditation, prayer and contemplation. In 2005, Pope Benedict XVI stated, “This is the ladder by which the monks ascend from earth to heaven.”

Method
Lectio is typically practiced daily for one continuous hour. A selection from the Holy Scriptures is chosen ahead of time, often as a daily progression through a particular book of the Bible.

Time
Selecting a time for lectio divina is important. Typical methods are to pray for one hour in the morning, or to divide it into two half-hour periods, one in the morning and one in the evening. The key is to pre-select the time that will be devoted to the prayer, and to keep it. Using the same time every day leads to a daily habit of prayer that becomes highly effective.

Place
The place for prayer is to be free from distractions. This means it should be isolated from other people, telephones, visual distractions, etc. Some find a religious icon to be helpful. The same place should be used for lectio if possible, especially as one first begins to practice it. Familiarity with a location reduces the possibility of distraction away from the prayer. Some practitioners conduct other devotions, such as praying before the Catholic Eucharist, as a preparation for Lectio Divina.

Preparation
Prior to reading, it is important to engage in a transitional activity that takes one from the normal state of mind to a more contemplative and prayerful state. A few moments of deep, regular breathing and a short prayer inviting the Holy Spirit to guide the prayer time helps to set the tone and improve the effectiveness of the lectio.

Once the stage is set it is time to begin the prayer. There are four phases of the prayer, which do not necessarily progress in an ordered fashion. One may move between different phases of the prayer very freely as the Spirit guides.

The Four Moments
Lectio
Read the passage several times.

Meditatio
Reflect on the text of the passage, thinking about how to apply to one's own life. Gravitate to any particular phrase or word that seems to be of particular import. This should not be confused with exegesis, but is a very personal reading of the Scripture and application to one's own life.

Oratio
Respond to the passage by opening the heart to God. This is not primarily an intellectual exercise, but more of the beginning of a conversation with God.

Contemplatio
Listen to God. This is a freeing oneself from one's own thoughts, both mundane and holy. It is about hearing God talk to us. Opening our mind, heart and soul to the influence of God. Any conversation must allow for both sides to communicate, and this most unfamiliar act is allowing oneself to be open to hearing God speak.

Answer 10

Once you have a personal relationship with Jesus - you are sealed. Nothing can take away the Holy Spirit. Get on your hands and knees - talk to Him - pour out your heart - He will come near and give you the answers that you desire. He is waiting to hear from you. Go to Him. I will be praying for you dear one.