The "danger" of prayer is that we are tempted to take it as an easy way out, thinking that we've done our part. Jesus, to show that he has the authority to forgive the sins of the paralytic lying on a stretcher, healed the man by ordering him to rise, pick up the stretcher, and go home. To show that we mean what we pray for, we also need to back up our intention with action if possible. If I pray for the sick around me and have the time, but do not make an effort to visit any of them, then I am a hypocrite. If I say I am pro-life but do not try to participate in any activities, then again, I am being hypocritical. In Matthew 5.41, Jesus taught, "Should anyone press you into service for one mile, go with him for two miles." We need to go that extra mile beyond our prayer.
I am against God if he's there. I did terrible things but if he's there he only knows i won't anything like that ever again.
ReplyDeleteIn my disbelief i wished i had friends but when i tell of what i did they leave me before giving me a chance.
I tried to be honest but at the same time i am looking always for attention. A part of me me wants to die so that if i tell they may push me into ending it..in truth, i am too scared though.
Thoughts still try and enter but i swear, if anyone believed me i won't do those things again, things the church knows about in the news.I abused and i went further too, i went beyond just humans if you understand me. I'm truly sorry for everything
I can't just turn to Jesus if my belief is lacking so so i try people but they cast me aside. I am bad, i admit and i do point my finger when i shouldn't but i'm just no meant to be on this earth. I'm nasty and i try to blame others.
Don't reply, i just know what reaction will be. To go confess, to find God instead of people. I am always seeking attention because i am so desperate for a friend but they say the usual earn it and i say how if you don't give me a chance?
Bye,
Simon
I appreciate your message, Simon. I hope you'll see things differently. You don't believe in God, yet you know you've done wrong and want to change ~ this is already evidence that God does exist.
DeleteFrom God's point of view, your are absolutely precious to him ~ he would've died for you alone to save you! Friends can listen to your problems to make you feel better, but they have no power to remove your sins or heal you. This is why we need Jesus, whose mercy is infinite.
Read John 8:1-11. The woman was caught in adultery. Jesus did not condemn her ~ he simply said to her, "From now on, do not sin anymore." It's easy to get forgiven by God. You need to open up to him, asking for forgiveness and healing, in that order.
You are not meant to be on earth? It saddens me because you are blaming God for putting you on earth. Our Father in heaven only wants you to be happy in this life and forever in the next. Believe in him and listen to him and you'll have eternal life! You end your own life so that you can be happy? Such a thought could only have come from the evil one, not God. No matter how awful a person is, God can help and save ~ this is the good news Jesus came into the world to deliver ~ let's get it right and rejoice in it.
Last thought. God has so made us that sin makes us lose peace. Get rid of the sins and our peace is restored. If you are a Catholic, go make a good confession ~ the priest will listen to you fully and never turn you away.
May God uplift you by giving you faith, courage, peace, hope, and his love.
While i'm in this world it's all about people. I see, hear, touch nothing from God. My middle name is Thomas and i know the part where he touched the wounds...I also know when after that it was said, Blessed those who believe and do not see...Well, something like that i think.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your kind words but as i said, due to my disbelief, i seek the friendship of those i do see, hear etc.They, however don't want a thing like me in their midst so they either make the friendship is earned excuse or even tell me to find other friends, other than them of course.
My mind is against God, especially the one i read about in atheist forums. At the same time it's confusing because i truly want to believe but believe he didn't do or allow those common things said and written about him in the OT especially. I won't bore you with those things because i'm sure you,yourself might be aware of the arguments regarding the killing of the firstborn for example.
I argue also that free will isn't a blessing but an excuse to say God gives us choice, forgetting that he has free will and choice too.
I have a longing for something though, like i wish i could turn to Our Lady or a Saint for help. It can't done though, not while i feel this way about God.
I don't want to turn against you by turning against God but i have to admit to these things, as i did those terrible things i did.
It's gnawing at me. My eyes burn. I could never imagine so much water could possibly flow down my face. My cheekbones ache when i cry for a certain amount of time too.
I went through some of your blog. I'm so glad you've found peace but i can't can't knowing that i think there's something wrong with God's actions and inaction.
I was Baptised Catholic but never really practiced. Had First Holy Communion and Confirmation but i never really knew what was going on. Still don't really.
If i blame God it's only because i was not given a choice prior to birth. You blame too. You blame sin and the diseases on this earth on Adam and Eve. We can all play the blame game when it suits us.
Apologies for any bad grammar, punctuation etc..i didn't like school much at all....Goodbye,
Simon
I feel that your two problems are confusion and guilt. Why go on atheist forums? There are innumerable books and videos on YouTube, for example, attacking God, the Holy Father, the Church and her teachings, distorting the truths, and really millions of viewpoints, opinions, and arguments out there ~ so are you going to let them make up your mind?
DeleteI have no arguments against why the killing of the firstborn happened. You might as well ask me why the tsunamis took so many innocent lives. Being finite beings, we can never understand everything. After I see the Lord, I can ask him then. All I know that God is just and everything will work out right at the end.
The gospel and the teachings of the Church are good enough for me. Who am I to question God instead of submitting myself to him? There are Catholics who get distracted by the many apparitions and various miracles and become confused too. So, focus upon Jesus alone to remain secure ~ this is my iron rule. After all, he is all we need.
How can you blame God for not being given a choice prior to birth? How could he ask you when you didn't even exist yet? We are so made that there'll be harmony only when we acknowledge that God is Lord.
Don't dwell on the terrible things you have done ~ I am sure the Lord has seen plenty worse. Instead, rejoice that he is our solution and exactly whom we need to be free.
I don't know where you live, but how about finding a priest to talk to. Pray that God will lead you to the right one. You should find out all about the Church. Read about the great saints, so inspiring. There is so much you can find online nowadays. The list under my Good Sites, Blogs, Web Pages... can help you find many stories about reverts. I would suggest watching as many of Fr. Barron's short videos on YouTube as possible. This one is his comments on God, the tsunami, and the problem of evil: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vx8ZMkWL8hw.
Never give up, but be passive before God. He calls you. Tell him you want to love him ~ this would be a good start.
I have seen videos too. Ones by Hitchens,Dawkings, Carrier etc.
ReplyDeleteYES!I know, who am i to judge after the things i did right? But that's the whole point. If God can do those things and not at least be questioned then we, ourselves can simply say he would allow us to do something similar if it suited us or achieved some kind of conquest like in war.
If you believe in the right to life then you would at least ask questions too about why he did things. I could copy and past numerous instances from websites that show horrible bible passages..like evilbible.com. I a am to believe he is good and doing the right thing isn't killing in his name or justifying slavery, slavery which is hypocritical because although the Israelite s were freed, they kept slaves themselves.
About life again...I don't say your life is worthless, it is your choice what you believe it is worth. I simply say mine is worthless.
If i were about to jump off a train platform would you, if you had the power, stop me? If you would then you'd be preventing my free will right? Can't have it both ways and say you stopped me because you believe my life is precious, not matter the things i've done wrong. That's how i see God sadly.....You can say about me as you wish and AS I DESERVE but i can ask you why you don't question what he may have done when it totally contradicts all that is meant to be right and good about Christianity.Namely, the killing of innocents, rape slavery etc.
You are right, i am confused. I have even seen passages about Jesus himself. There's one here..Matthew 15-4
I can hold my hands up, say i am a sinner and have sinned greatly but if i am to believe in a God who is good and i read those things then i not only have to question him, but myself too. I can't have my cake and eat it.
I don't know your name but i say again, what is wrong with asking someone for friendship when Jesus himself tell you to love others as he was been loved and as he has loves you? Go that "Extra mile" now would you, even with a wretch like me?
I ain't sure if you're male or female but i tend to turn to females because i fear men. I'm 47 on the 27th and i still live with parents and a couple of brothers. I never go out and they do things for me, i just cook for them now and again. I fear the outside world yet sometimes i'm desperate to be somewhere but here.....I like the mother figures such as Our Lady. I still wish i didn't have to grow up. I want to hide and cling to my mum even to this day. You can make all the assessments you likein terms of my mental state, it won't change me into believing growing older is torturous, especially puberty.......continued
.....continued.
ReplyDeleteI asked in vain, a Catholic volunteer site if they'd take me abroad to help in any way i could,even if i lack any qualification i would still help for free...I still fear going out and people.. seeing me because i feel ugly and as i grow older i see things i hate more about my body...You can call me what you like, vain etc....I know there are others worse off and feel bad about it but i still feel self-loathing...I am also envious of others.
I feel at odds with the church on various issues like gay people and contraception. I am sorry but i can't listen to certain things Fr Barron would talk about. I have listened to Archbishop Sheen videos and he is similar too. I once had a brief thing, a gay thing with a cousin of mine when i was 15. I don't feel right about it now i think of it and i like women but if someone else is gay and they fall in love i don't think i should question them or condemn them.
It hurts telling you these things you know. If i were to ask you for friendship i'd doubt you'd want me after all i've said. I have to be honest also and say to a friend who believed that i would never lie to them if i still didn't feel i believed.
Thanks for your time. If i am wasting yours forgive me. I will have to go soon because i think i am wasting yours. Someone offered me a Rosary, a very nice person who said they'd be a friend, no questions asked, no ifs or buts, they hardly know me but said yes. i HAD TO DECLINE The Rosary because i feel dirty. I see beauty in it though, sometimes when listening to an online Rosary or just looking at the beads. I know nothing about art yet i have looked at them on ebay for a long time sometimes, especially the antiques ones.
Simon
Simon, all I can say is what I believe in. God knows exactly what he is doing and we don't. It's true that the Old Testament can raise many questions, but I believe that a learned scholar based upon church teachings can explain everything. Free interpretation on your own always leads to problems. Jesus came and revealed to us what God is really like and I abide by that.
DeleteI shall remember you in my prayer. Hope you'll also pray for me and others. God bless you always.
P.S. Any other readers who can answer better than I, please feel free to submit your answers.
Forgive me but i find it hard to pray and i wouldn't want to sound un-genuine unless i was putting effort into it. At least i found one person willing to be my friend. I didn't need a special pass or a trustmometer with her.I guess she went that extra mile then.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, thanks for praying, i do think it might be more useful to someone who truly believes though. That's the great thing about this person i met too. She doesn't mind if i don't have true faith or if i don't believe in her visions.
Simon