Can't feel the Spirit

[Anabelle]

Hi! I'm about to start my sophomore year of college. I was raised as a Christian and have had pretty good faith my whole life. However, as you can imagine, being away at college has offered many temptations and satan definitely succeeded in pulling me away from the Lord. After being home for a few months for the summer, I've reconnected with old church friends, gone to church a lot, and built a somewhat new relationship with Christ.

 

My problem is that I've never, throughout my lifelong journey as a Christian, felt God. I've never heard him speak to me, I've never felt him during church or any other time, haven't recently been surprised or amazed by his ability to answer my prayers as I was beginning to feel a few years ago, I even went on a mission trip to Central America and the whole time I was there serving the children of God, I didn't feel him in me. It's already so, so hard for me to keep up my faith while I'm waging through these temptation-filled waters and it makes it so much harder when I'm getting no reassurance from God about what I'm doing right or what I can do better. I just want to hear him or feel him one time to let me know, okay, you're on the right track. I have no doubt in my faith, I know he IS there, I just want to feel him and feel his love, which I'm having a lot of trouble with.

 

Am I looking too hard for this reassurance? Am I not trusting Him enough? I don't know what it is. I go to church, I worship with as much heart as I can, I pray multiple times a day, I read my Bible, I participate in fellowship with other Christians. What am I missing?? Is anyone else going through this or has gone through it and can offer some advice? 

[ENOCH2010]

Pray until you get assurance, it might be all night prayer, or it might be an all week prayer, but this is something you have to take care of yourself. It is personal between you and God. I'm praying for you, I know where your at with your walk, it can be miserable at times.

[Tropicalbound]

I know how you feel.  I felt the same, until rather recently.  Have you ever wondered why something has happened (either to you, or perhaps around you)?  Let's take driving, for example.  Ever come up to a stop light that seemed to turn red quicker than it should?  Did God just save you from getting into an accident?  Did God use you to help someone else out in that moment?  Many times, I have caught traffic light after traffice light, and had slow cars pull out in front of me.  I used to get upset, but I have come to thank God for these moments, and I'll say, "OK God, I get it.  I'm supposed to be in this vehicle a little longer."

 

I have come to believe that there are no coincidences in life, so I asked God to open my eyes to the 'coincidental' things that happen.  I kid you not, just this morning I caught a light while everyone else seemed to get through it, then I got behind someone travelling 10MPH under the speed limit.  I smiled and said, "I don't know why God, but You can see the big picture, and I am thankful for being a part of your plan".  Just as I arrived, my favorite Christian song came on the radio.  I don't hear it very often at all, so I sat in my car until it was over.  Had I not caught that light or had I passed the slow vehicle, I would have missed the song.

 

My point is, God is all around us every day.  Sometimes it won't be obvious.  Sometimes it will seem as if He's not there at all,  He has not forsaken you and He will never leave you.

[OneLight]

We live by faith, not feelings. He speaks to us with a simple, quiet moving in our spirit, not a loud speaker, earth shaking event.

Try creating a closer "relationship" with Him and find quiet time to be with Him. You are young and are going to be tempted. Remember, you are what you feed yourself. The more you feed yourself His word, the more His words lives in and through you.

[countingsheep]

Hi Annabelle

^{1Peter:1 6 "}Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations:

⁷ That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:"

Just try to stay focused on Your Heavenly Father... We all have our faith tried and many times we stumble and let God down...   

Romans 10:17 - "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." Read the bible daily.... and stay in constant prayer Romans 12:12 - "Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer;"

If i could pass on wisdom it would be do not allow the false god of SELF into Your life this creates a gulf between You and God ...James 4:8 - "Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you"...

Glory to God

[Joy and love]

I felt even worse than you feel and I put my heart into it. I listened to a station every day, tried praying and also hoping in The Lord.

I felt him nowhere! I confessed my sins as well!

It was so exhausting and I gave up. I seriously considered throwing my bible in the spare room and my other books as well. I felt void...dead...lifeless. I had no desire to try anymore. I went back to sinning and didn't care.

God kept playing on my mind for a few days, and something just went in my head...a little spark and I picked up a book. Also turned on a radio station. (That station got me initially to be a 'real' Christian if you can call it that). Immediately I started feeling a change in me.

This was the other day. If it wasn't for that station, I would not be a Christian.

Now, I still don't 'feel' God in me and I'm not living for God like I should, because I need him to remove my fears and doubts.

But I'm praying every morning and night now. Also tried to pray for others one night. I feel like he may be in my heart, but I'm not sure. I wish he would let me know and let me feel he is really there.

I had something happen yesterday I feel could've been a premonition from him.

I don't want what happened last time to happen again. It is a huge effort. It is an effort to listen to the station most days and pick up a book. I still can't read the bible. The station provides audio via music and sermons to help me.

Still don't feel like he is 100% there. But I hope he is there.

I would like to go to church, but not sure where to go. I don't want to go alone. I also have a mental illness that stops me living normally.

I don't feel like praising God still. I don't know if he is helping me. Is he really there? I'm not having any miracles happen, any amazing 'non coincedences'... How do you praise feeling like you are praising air? I need to feel something

All I know is God has been the most kind and faithful to me than ever person has ever been to me, except my mother. Just wish God would comfort me when I'm sad. I call and he never comes. I want to feel loved by him

Edited July 31, 2014 by Joy and love

[jmlusa2000]

I felt even worse than you feel and I put my heart into it. I listened to a station every day, tried praying and also hoping in The Lord.

I felt him nowhere! I confessed my sins as well!

It was so exhausting and I gave up. I seriously considered throwing my bible in the spare room and my other books as well. I felt void...dead...lifeless. I had no desire to try anymore. I went back to sinning and didn't care.

God kept playing on my mind for a few days, and something just went in my head...a little spark and I picked up a book. Also turned on a radio station. (That station got me initially to be a 'real' Christian if you can call it that). Immediately I started feeling a change in me.

This was the other day. If it wasn't for that station, I would not be a Christian.

Now, I still don't 'feel' God in me and I'm not living for God like I should, because I need him to remove my fears and doubts.

But I'm praying every morning and night now. Also tried to pray for others one night. I feel like he may be in my heart, but I'm not sure. I wish he would let me know and let me feel he is really there.

I had something happen yesterday I feel could've been a premonition from him.

I don't want what happened last time to happen again. It is a huge effort. It is an effort to listen to the station most days and pick up a book. I still can't read the bible. The station provides audio via music and sermons to help me.

Still don't feel like he is 100% there. But I hope he is there.

I would like to go to church, but not sure where to go. I don't want to go alone. I also have a mental illness that stops me living normally.

I don't feel like praising God still. I don't know if he is helping me. Is he really there? I'm not having any miracles happen, any amazing 'non coincedences'... How do you praise feeling like you are praising air? I need to feel something

All I know is God has been the most kind and faithful to me than ever person has ever been to me, except my mother. Just wish God would comfort me when I'm sad. I call and he never comes. I want to feel loved by him

 

 

We live by faith, not feelings. He speaks to us with a simple, quiet moving in our spirit, not a loud speaker, earth shaking event.

Try creating a closer "relationship" with Him and find quiet time to be with Him. You are young and are going to be tempted. Remember, you are what you feed yourself. The more you feed yourself His word, the more His words lives in and through you.

 

 

Joy and Love, What One Light said would be some sound advice. Take time to be alone with God in the word to discern the holy spirit within yourself. God does answer prayers. Stay faithful toward Him. He may not answer prayers the way you would like them answered, but God does move and work through the power of prayer.

[Joy and love]

Can I ask how a prayer is answered? What do you expect? Is it a whisper in your heart... Is it something good happening to 'prove' he is there? I do believe in things happening that are not necessarily God's hand. Christian or non Christian

[Joy and love]

But his footprints were in the sand showing the proof he was there.