ocd and praying?

Question

I have obsessive Compulsive Disorder and I do many things, like I check the coffee pot all day long because I keep thinking is on.
But I am a christian and I am taking medication for the ocd and I pray often about it.
I also get very weird and obsene images often in my head, part of my disease. So when I am praying and I close my eyes the images are there.
I feel like I am disrespecting God by this but I can't avoid it. I try hard and God knows I love Him, I just would like to be normal and not have this.
WHat would you suggest? or opinions
I am very upset by this. can anyone relate?

Answer 1

I will offer you a couple of scriptures. The prophet Isaiah said this: " But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities, the chastisement of our peace was upon him and with his stripes we are healed."
James wrote: "Is any sick among you? Let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he has committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.
Believe it and receive it my friend. God has power and authority over all things. Go to your church or any Bible believing church and do exactly as James said. Believe in your heart that you'll receive your healing and you will. God Bless You!

Answer 2

It doesn’t matter one bit if you pray with your eyes closed or open. If possible find a spot to pray that you find inspiring, such as a garden and while taking in the beauty of God’s work, pray with your eyes wide open. You’ll see what I mean.

When you find yourself headed toward the kitchen to check the coffee pot, try to make yourself stop right then and say a little prayer thanking God for his help. I have no idea if this will help or not but it seems worth trying.

Remember that prayers don’t have to be long and involved I tend to say little or two line prayers throughout the day. Thank you, Lord or Give me guidance, Lord.

Don’t be concerned about your thoughts offending God. He knows what’s in your heart.

Answer 3

I do not have ocd but I am a Christian and I try very hard every hour of the day to honor God.
I do have very real dreams when I sleep and sometimes when I wake up and think about the morbid images I have seen in my head or the immoral acts... I almost feel guilty.
But then I realize that when I am fully conscious I do love God, I try to honor Him in all that I do and know that my dreams are out of my control.
Trust God....He is in control, even if sometimes you wonder why he would allow this to happen to you. You are part of his grand plan, so trust in Him!

Answer 4

OCD is a very complex illness and you seem to be doing the right thing - getting treatment. I can only give advise as a non-christian but your God knows how hard you are finding things right now. He knows how hard you are working to get well and to follow your faith at the same time. If this is what you are doing then it is impossible for you to disrespect God while doing it, don't worry about what is in your head - he knows what is in your heart and that is what counts.

Answer 5

I am so interested in ocd. I think that god KNOWS you love him and KNOWS that any images that you see are not your fault, but the fault of your illness. DON'T WORRY about it. you have much bigger things to deal with from minute to minute.

btw, have you seen the new therapy they're using for OCD patients that uses over exposure of difficult situations to help learn coping mechanisms? it looks very promising. you should check into it. I have a friend that has ocd and her thing is counting. she really wants to try this, but you have to check into a facility and it's a little pricey.

Answer 6

God knows that you don't mean the images in your head. You don't need to worry about anything, but following God the best you can. You are perfect in His eyes. Keep your faith and just keep on praying. Do what your supposed to do as a Christian regardless your of illness. God bless you.

Answer 7

Dear Friend,

My brother had OCD for a number of years so I really sympathize with you, God loves you and knows that you have OCD, he would not be angry with you because even people without OCD get their day to day thoughts intruding on their prayers. It certainly happens to me!

why not try praying to God and ask him to help you focus, but if you can not then do not worry, because he still loves you. It is also worth remembering:

Matthew 6:8Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

God Bless you my friend.

Answer 8

Well i can kindof relate because my mom is like OCD about cleaning so all u can do is pray. Praying isnt a bad thing to do even if u hav a disease like OCD. Thats when u need to pray extra.

Answer 9

You sound very comitted to the Lord. I am a christian also, so I can understand what you are going through. I'm sure God understands too. Keep praying and believing that God will help you. Remember, you are his child and he is always there for you.
I will keep you in my prayers.
Feel free to email me if you need someone to talk to.

Answer 10

I am not a medical doctor, but vitamin B is natures tranquilizer.

You might try a vitamin B Complex and see if it helps. It should not hurt anything you are presently doing.

I have known people who have depression and after a while of taking vitamin B Complex, they were able to stop their meds.

I really don't believe this is a religious issue. It is physical.

grace2u