how do you do it. What do you think of in your mind to have faith.
2007-02-08 17:51:42 · 21 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Faith starts not in the mind (the intellect, or reason) but in the spirit or heart.
You have to start by prayer or meditation. You have to really want to find the truth. You have to come to the point where you see and acknowledge your need of God and His answers to your questions and deep needs. Then you have to ask Him to give you the faith to believe.
I'm not suggesting a formula; it will be experienced uniquely by each person. But I think too many, especially those who are brought up to follow a religion at home, are only giving intellectual assent to the concept of God. This "faith" will not stand in the time of testing.
2007-02-08 17:59:30 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 1⤋
What makes you want faith so badly?
If there is a god and that god is the omnipotent, all-knowing diety that every religions says he is, doesn't it follow that such a god would be logical and driven by reason?
So you have to ask yourself, "why are religions so patently contemptuous of science and reason?" Afterall, if science is merely trying to get closer to the truth, what problem would god have with that?
The answer is "none." If there's a god that created us all, that god has no use for the utterly ridiculous, racist, sexist, classist, murderous institutions that religions inherently are.
The reason religions have always persecuted non-believers is that dissent threatens their very existence. It wasn't that long ago the Catholic Church believed the sun revolved around the Earth. They even imprisoned Galileo for his defense of heliocentricism.
Don't worry if you don't have faith. Religions are contemptuous of science and nature. They are deserving of nothing but your scorn.
2007-02-08 18:06:20 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
A man speaking to Jesus once said to Him, "I believe, help me overcome my unbelief."
If you truly are trying to have faith in God, my guess is that ... if you really think about it ... you already do in your heart, but tbat you also have some pretty strong intellectual doubts.
I can completely identify with that. For quite sometime, I was asking the same question, "How can I believe?"
I honestly wanted to. I didn't think I did. Someone very close to me finally told me to look past my questions, and ask myself why I was asking those questions.
It turned out that I did believe, but that I just had a lot of unanswered questions. And I still do. There are always more questions, but when I accepted my belief, and started doing something with it ... putting it to use ... praying, listening, reading ... some of my questions began to clear up.
I still have questions. I still have doubts sometimes ... and I always will.
I'm ok with that, because I still know what I believe, and I grab hold of that every day.
Heh ... I'm a youth pastor, and I doubt. Everyone has doubts and questions.
My question for you is, why do you have questions? What does your heart tell you?
2007-02-08 18:07:48 · answer #3 · answered by Angry Moogle 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I was raised a christian every time the church doors were open we were there, but i never had faith. I even became atheist for about 2 years. I went through some very rough times and i had experiences that brought me back to God and I came to find my own belief and relationship with him. All I can tell you is you'll have to find your belief with in you. Belief in God should not be a mental choice but rather a change in your heart. I would recommend looking at what you believe and re evaluating what you actually believe this may help you asses what your lacking in your relationship with God. I hope you find some peace and find faith because for me it is an essential part of my life.
2007-02-08 18:01:38 · answer #4 · answered by Amory 2 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Most ppl lose faith in God whenever they see all the bad things that are occuring in the world. The bible says "faith without works is dead" so there is much more to having faith that just having it in your mind or just feeling it. So maybe that's why you've gotten stuck everytime. The best way to gain faith is to find a bible that is in modern English so it's easier to understand then read it and pray for an understanding.
2007-02-08 17:56:31 · answer #5 · answered by jellybean 1 · 0⤊ 2⤋
Quit trying to have faith and just try to get to know the God that the Bible speaks about. Search for him diligently and get to know what his purpose is for man and the earth. Get to understand how he handles different people and different situations and why. Pray for holy spirit to help you understand. Soon, you will realize your faith has grown while you were busy making a new friend.
2007-02-08 18:45:24 · answer #6 · answered by Sparkle1 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Many years ago I had this same problem. I just couldn't understand how to "have faith". It was a very foreign concept and I just couldn't seem to get my brain to leave all the what ifs out.
So finally I ask God to strengthen my faith and help me understand how to have faith. I ask him to give me experiences
to help strengthen my faith and show me how.
Well, lets just say that you should never ask God for what you don't really want. Because he will answer you prayers.
So many experiences later, I can now say truly I don't have faith that God loves us and is there ready to help and direct us,
I KNOW God is there loving us, each and every one.
Ask and you shall receive, knock and it shall be opened unto you!! Get ready for a wondrous adventure!
2007-02-08 18:06:08 · answer #7 · answered by Carolyn T 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Faith is the sentiment that diminishes the value of reason and logic. It's the same as wishing to have the truth without having to make any mental effort. Those who say that they discover the truth through faith don't know what the truth is and don't even know that they lie to themselves and to others. Only logical reasoning can distinguish what's true from what's false, what's real from what's fake. Can you imagine condemning someone to prison on faith? (God tells me you are guilty!)
Without reason there can be no justice!
2007-02-08 18:13:18 · answer #8 · answered by DrEvol 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
i am the same,through difficult times i have on occasion at least thought where other people get their faith because i cant seem to muster an ounce of it,maybe people like me & you need more than just faith you know some substance,something we can trust & always rely on.
2007-02-12 06:23:38 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Why are you attempting to 'make' something take place? that may no longer how 'faith' works. faith is partly relating to the approach of gaining information of that categorical issues can' be 'willed' into being. it rather is not a pair of huge Mac which you would be able to easily wait 5 minutes or much less for, and then whinge legitimately to the chief and need for a reimbursement. What replaced into it, precisely, that led to you to lose your faith? maximum individuals say they don't be attentive to, yet there is usually a turning element, a 2nd/stumble upon whilst something stepped in between the guy and their faith. it could have been a remark, an adventure, a individual's habit, and so on and so on, something. area of the situation is which you 'experience' which you might have self assurance in something. Why do you 'experience' you might have self assurance? Do you actual think of God is frightened approximately whether or no longer you think in him/her/it? think of, in case you will, coming up gravity, and then sitting back and thinking "oh sh**, seem how long it's going to be in the previous Issac Newton comes alongside and explains to human beings what that situation is.....darn." Do you actual think of that's what God replaced into thinking...... i do no longer think of so. God created 'issues' and then mentioned... "i'm no longer frightened. The (clean) will nevertheless be there whilst they are waiting to settle for it, or no longer." once you're arranged to have self assurance, the assumption would be there waiting for you, sitting with a cup of tea and a spoon of sugar (in case you like your tea that way, or coffee in case you like): "Ask, and you will get carry of. seek for, and you shall discover. Knock, and it would be opened to you." consistent with probability what led to your loss of religion replaced into human beings attempting to 'make' you think: "Be on your guard against fake prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing yet below are wolves on the prowl. you would be attentive to them via their deeds... no longer all who cry out 'Lord, Lord' will enter the dominion of heaven." once you're arranged, you will discover what you're searching for. it rather is seeking you besides.
2016-11-02 23:16:00 · answer #10 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋