Intrusive thoughts from the devil?

[SleeplessSerenade]

edited for private purposes 

Edited January 1, 2024 by SleeplessSerenade

[Who me]

22 hours ago, SleeplessSerenade said:

I’ve been having awful intrusive thoughts. 

Welcome to the forum.

May I suggest that 1st you seek medical advice and help for your disturbing  intrusive thoughts.

2nd there is self help available at the free site, " 25 tips for dealing with your OCD  "

Point 4 talks about simple acknowledging  an intrusive thought and moving on.

These thoughts are not real, they are generated by one's mind and respond to dialogue, argument and denial. 

 

As I started you need professional  help/advice not the opinions of other people.

[JohnD]

23 hours ago, SleeplessSerenade said:

I’m married and lately I’ve been having awful intrusive thoughts. Thoughts that I would never in a million years do nor have the desire to do. I’m not gonna say what they are, as I feel bad about it cause I adore my husband and I thanked God for giving him to me the day we got married. 
 

we’ve been together for a long time and I don’t know where or why these thoughts popped up nor do I want them to be here. I’d appreciate some prayers for me. Today we’re going out just the two of us cause our families are watching our kids for a little bit. I want to enjoy the day without these unruly images and words. I know it can stem from severe stress and mental health sometimes, but I feel like something is trying to ruin my day and make me feel like I broke my marriage vows. 

There are several points I'd like to mention.

First of all, do not despair!  Awkward, untrue, and even evil thoughts are normal.

It's the devil's lie that only you are having these thoughts and feelings to try to isolate you / make you feel all alone / like the only one who ever felt this way.

It's a pure lie.

We do in fact have our own thought processes (obviously). But we are also like spiritual radio receivers / antennas. Many signals (usually described as voices or impressions or still small voices) that sometimes give the impression that it was our idea. God usually speaks to us in that inaudible still small voice, but can give us inspiration which we express in our own words (though obviously the inspired part of it come from his higher source than ours).

Some people can be bombarded by these spirit impressions to the point that they develop phobias or eccentric quirks (like the guy who turns on or off every switch five times each or every lock). One woman I heard of in the past could not cross a cross walk without physically laying down (in each f the four compass directions). One day she was run over by a car whose driver didn't see her. I don't recall the extent of her injuries, but she lived to tell the tale. Think of the TV character Monk and all his phobias and idiosyncrasies... classic case.

Sometimes these can be a mental disorder, chemical imbalance, etc. But there is a spirit realm and there are evil spirits in the world and as a believer in Jesus Christ we cannot be possessed by any spirits because we are indwelt by the Holy Spirit. But! We still possess a fallen human sin nature in our bodies and can be influenced by spiritual "voices." This is why 1 John 4:1 says to test the spirits. And 1 Corinthians 5:21 says prove all things. We do so by the scriptures themselves (Acts 17:11) under the tutelage of the Holy Spirit who wrote them (2 Peter 1:20-21). 

Remember also, a successful marriage is the joining bond of two fallen human beings attempting to make one successful happy life together. We have the path to sinlessness available to us, but we do not always take that path. Dogs gotta bark, cats gotta scratch, people... sin. 1 John 1:9 / Psalm 52:4.

And be still an know that he is God (Psalm 46:10).

Ephesians 2:14 (KJV)
14 For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;

I would also dialogue with your spouse. You'll probably learn they have had the same feelings etc.

 

[AnOrangeCat]

I agree with JohnD. I've also suffered from intrusive thoughts that are similarly awful, to the point of panic and tears. There's a form of religiously themed OCD called scrupulosity that can manifest this way. I'd treat these intrusive thoughts as OCD and look into methods that deal with them. In my own case I've found that not engaging with them is the most efficient way to deal with them, but what worked for me may or may not be as efficient for you.

I'll add this, though. The intrusive thoughts I had didn't respond to logic. They preyed on emotion. That maybe I'd done the unpardonable sin, or some stray thought I had would have dire consequences. Objectively I knew how ridiculous it was but my heart wouldn't let go. I had a really bad episode at some point in my 30s, one of the worst. Weirdly it prompted me to step up in my walk with God. Of course we know that salvation isn't based on works, but I personally felt more secure in my salvation after a while of that. That feeling addressed my emotionally based problem with emotion, and it did a lot to kill the frequency and the intensity of those thoughts.

[Scott Free]

On 12/30/2023 at 10:04 AM, SleeplessSerenade said:

Edited December 31, 2023 by SleeplessSerenade

I would exhale each thought of guilt, shame, worry and anxiety in turn as they appeared one after another until they were all exhausted. Where you imagine the intrusive thought being absorbed into the air as you inhale, then imagine it dissolving into the environment as you exhale. At first I would have to do this often to keep it quiet, after awhile it became more effective. Also, I discovered there was often a kind of ball of many thoughts that clump together and present themselves as a generalized anxiety. 

[Neighbor]

On 12/30/2023 at 11:04 AM, SleeplessSerenade said:

edited for private purposes 

Hi, May I suggest that in addition to  the many physical illness reasons one may have intrusive and negative thoughts there are indeed spiritual ones. If they are weapons within a spiritual battle then just cleaning house of them is not enough for that clean house and newly emptied house only invites  back many more such thoughts. They need be replaced with other thoughts straight  from the Bible.

From Matthew 12:43 -45 "

An Unclean Spirit Returns

 “When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest, and finds none.  Then he says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when he comes, he finds it empty, swept, and put in order.  Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man is worse than the first. So shall it also be with this wicked generation.”

Find some passages within the Bible that you may like to learn, work on them,  have them at the ready to take over and defeat any intrusive thought that may be generated by  an unclean  spirit. 

[Marathoner]

Such things were the means by which Christ called upon me to overcome in Him, @SleeplessSerenade. Finding myself falsely accused, the Lord called upon me to remain silent.

Faced with panic, the Lord called upon me to stand until it passed. He never promised that we would never face adversity in this world, only that in Him, we can overcome all things. This is true, my friend. No matter what it is... pain or suffering... it's only for a little while. It will pass.  

[farouk]

Hebrews 12.2 exhorts readers to keep 'looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, Who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God'.

Paul in Philippians 4.8 says:

'Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.'