Over the last year I've had a lot of change in my life. Ever since I've decided that I wanted to do more then just "live right" and actually study to become a minister of my faith I've felt like I've been under attack.
Not physically, but in my spirit and in my emotions, and even in my circumstances it just seems like I've had to pray almost continually just to survive some of this stuff.
I'm determined to hang on, but can anyone share any stories and how I can overcome?
-B
p.s.
To atheist I am aware what your beliefs are, I just ask you to please be respectful.
2007-07-26 10:24:23 · 40 answers · asked by The Brian 4 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
one of the things that helps me is to remember the promises God has given me about my life and hanging on to them. there have been times where I've been so in doubt about my calling that they were all i had...
this is the time (the time between your calling and your commissioning) that God will break down everything you thought you knew and understood and He will teach you to rely completely on Him.
2007-07-26 10:35:53 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 6⤊ 0⤋
11Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall by following their example of disobedience.
12For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. 13Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.
Sounds like you are what "Experiencing God" would call a crisis of faith. I would recommend you studying this workbook.
Now that I have all the PC things out of the way, let's talk about how you study the Bible.
Is there anything more important to a believer that being able to hear and respond to the voice of God?
If you can't hear the voice of God while reading the scriptures which are living and active, will you be able to hear His voice anywhere else?
Do you study it as if your life depends on it...like you need bread and living water?
If so, let me ask you a question. Do you think it is better to read the whole Bible 4 times a year or 1 book at least 25 times in one quarter? Why?
Which way do you think will give you a better understand of God's Word? Which way do you think will make you a better leader? Can you be certain of this without testing?
What will this approach do for you that hasn't been done before?
If you wheren't studying the Bible and wanted to study the material, would you study it differently? Would you ever do a word study? Would you ever do a topical study? If not, why would you do it unless you are looking for quick answers?
Would you outline the book? Would you look for the main themes of a book, divide it into units, into sections, and into individual lessons? Would you think of this type of study to be like a Google map where you can zoom out and look at what thought takes you from A to B and zoom down to the very words to show how each word does its part to get you from A to B?....where you can have a conversation at the different levels instead of only at the pavement level?
I think if you ask these questions, God will provide the answers and energize your walk.
God bless you.
2007-07-26 11:06:31 · answer #2 · answered by DS M 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
My friend in Christ, life is always easier outside the boundaries of faith in Jesus. The reason is simple, the opposing forces, " satan and his followers, " are not threatened by anyone who is in communion with them. However, if you are in communion with Jesus, well then.... thats quite a different matter. Even as a bad christian, always running from God, I was no threat to satan, I was right where he wanted me as a christian to be. I was in the world, I believed in Jesus, and I said I was a christian, but I was involved in the most worldly of things.
You should be glad to be counted worthy of the temptations that satan is putting on you. And don't forget, God will not allow you to be tempted beyound your ability to withstand the temptation. God is always with you, and He will see you through.
You mentioned that you felt like you had to pray continually, thats exactly what the apostle Paul said we must do to stay out of temptation. I either pray continually, or find myself thinking in the wrong direction, fighting some form of temptation.
Keep studying the Holy Scriptures, diligently, and in prayer. When you feel under attack, ask Jesus to rebuke the atteckers. Don't you try to rebuke them, remember, even the archangel Michael, did not rebuke satan when disputing over the body of Moses, but said, " the Lord rebukes you. "
May God be with you,
Reverend, William M. Butler, St. Luke Ministries
2007-07-26 11:31:31 · answer #3 · answered by BOC 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
God will bless you for hanging in there. In fact, your faith precludes that you 'suffer' in God's name. So long as you continue to pray, not fretfully, but boldly, knowing that God has a hedge around you and will keep any real danger from befalling you. I wanted to be a nun when I was younger and felt the very same way. Unfortunately, I was not as aware of the pitfalls of a committed life to Christ and the attacks actually forced me from church and from God. I wound up converting at age 22 from Christianity to Buddhism. Then when I no longer wanted to practice Buddhism and was trying to get back to God, the attacks came again. Through my prayers and those of close family members, I was able thirteen years later to return to God, get Baptized again and return to faith. Hold on. I will be praying for your deliverance a well. Be blessed.
2007-07-26 10:43:52 · answer #4 · answered by dr. shan 4 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Im in an internship/college t beocme a youth pastor now.
I can tell you though.
Dude, Satan hates christians, but the ones who shut up dont bug him as much and the ones that compramise he dosent even bother with. there no threats. But when you try to become and when you do become a pastor. Satan wants nothing more then to take you out. Your on the front lines of the front lines of a war.
Satans out for blood, he will atack your body, will, mind, emotions, family, friends, finances and any other number of things to get you to give up and fall and become just one more used to be pastor like the guy above.
Its hard yeah, but rember that you are more then an overcomer thru christ. no wepon formed aginst you shall prosper. God has given you athority to trample snakes and scorpions and overcome all the power of the enemy and nothing will harm you.
Trials are to incresse faith.
No disipline is enjoyable while its happining, its painfull, but after there will be a quiet harvest of right living for those trained in this way.
As a pastor theres no greater thing for us to do. were ruined for everythin else but ministry. Keep going. God is the rock of our fath and our founation.
Yes you will have to pray, and you will more and more and more latter, not just for yourself but others.
What satan hits you with he will be trying to hit those under you with. What hapens to you effects what happens to others.
I pray you will keep going and stay strong. Finish the race, and be in the place he wants you in when you do.
2007-07-26 10:41:34 · answer #5 · answered by robertt223 4 · 3⤊ 0⤋
The Brian,
I have to ask, did you "decide" that you want to be a minister or did God call you to be one? That in itself will make a huge difference. If the decision is yours, you may be out of God's will.
If you were called by God into the ministry, then I urge to to keep working towards it. It is vital that you remain in commuicaton with God. Tell Him just as you have told us, that you feel under constant attack and you have a need for renewed strength. He already knows that satan is real and will fight for our soul, the news will not surprise Him. He also encourages us to come to Him for strength, guidance and direction. Let the Lord know that you are feeling overburdened and ask Him to take care of your survival. If the Lord has called you into His ministry, He will see you have what you need to get there.
Winning is hard work! You need all the tools available to you in your mission. Do not be afraid to share with your fellow Christians that you need them to pray with you.
2007-07-26 11:37:06 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
I don't know the answer. I won't claim to know it. Just pray and love God. God is first... love Him.
You are praying. That is good. If you're ever having doubts, walk into a store and tell me that that is all there is to life. It helped me during one of my biggest struggles. Also, find a verse(s) that you can relate to. I can tell you first hand that Luke 10:21 is real. And lastly, know that God is not a formula that has to be solved, He is a living Presence (I have trouble with that, but it is a huge part of my Christian faith).
2007-07-26 14:07:15 · answer #7 · answered by Charlie 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Sometimes when you're following God's plan for your life, the devil starts working DOUBLE TIME! Last year my family must have really been doing something that God wanted us to do because alot of bad things started happening to us...
My uncle died, (thank God he was a christian.) my grandma had a stroke, and our new neighbors wanted our land! But through it all we still followed Christ. And amazingly enough, our joy never wavered! It's those times when you learn alot and you realize how real God is! But we have to remember that God doesn't do this to teach us a lesson. GOD IS GOOD. satan is bad. God is love, He couldn't do bad things to His children even if He wanted to. When things are going good, then we should be studying the Word a praying (praying in the spirit too.) Then we will be ready when the devil starts after us. But God will always be with us! God said that we wouldn't go through anything we couldn't handle.
2007-07-26 10:39:10 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 4⤊ 0⤋
I have always felt that Satan attacks those that are deepening their walk with the Lord more so than he attacks those that are not. He has them, but is losing you and I bet Satan hates to lose.
As I have deepened my walk I lost my home, becoming homeless for 6 months, had to quit my job, and them my husband lost his, our business went under, my son almost died of an asthma attack, of course we had no insurance so now we are being sued by the hospital. Ironically "It is well with my soul" as the hymn goes. Every trial and tribulation has sent me running closer to God. Now we have a place to live, steady jobs, and my son is fine.
Keep praying and talk to other ministers. They have probably been through the same stuff.
2007-07-26 10:37:11 · answer #9 · answered by biology.teacher 3 · 3⤊ 0⤋
And you will be under attack.
Within a few months of starting Celebrate Recovery, all of our worship band members have experienced things one after another. Unexplained health issues, (I got 2 broken arms on the way to practice), car accidents, freak accidents resulting in death of family members. Sure, some could say they were coincidental, but really, when you start working for God, Satan starts working on you. You are fighting a spiritual battle, Put on the armor of God. (Ephesians?) Keep praying, stay in community with fellow Christians, confess your sins to each other, ask for prayer etc. I pray God will bless you and lift you up for the work you plan to do in His name.
Peace & Blessings
2007-07-26 10:39:35 · answer #10 · answered by ♫O Praise Him♫ 5 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Satan doesn't like us being empowered by God's word and will try to attack us... We are more of a threat to him when we are empowered, when we just sit in pews and go home and live like everybody else we are no threat to him because we are easily distracted and discretided...
The ways to deal with this is to recognise that the problem is not with the person you may be having trouble with but with principalities and power, and pray and praise God because they cannot stick around long when you go to God and put praise power in to effect, you tell them to go away and stop oppressing you... Don't take it out on the people around you the devil wants you to be distracted by "seemingly bad relationships"...
I have been hitting my own wall of oppression, and I have to implement the same strategies I am telling you.
2007-07-26 13:52:18 · answer #11 · answered by Abbasangel 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋