Losing my faith?

Do you need to know if there is a god to be happy? No you don't.

Everything He does is because He loves you. There could be many good things to come from such dark things in life. The next time something bead happens, pray to see the good come out of it. It will work... trust Him.

that is... the worst answer ever. I'm so sorry. That is the thing, praying has never helped me with anything. Nowadays it just feels like a waste of time. It doesn't feel right to pray to the God that took my daughter away from me. That's another thing that keeps me doubting.

Well, do you want to be told that there is no God?

Because there is a God more alive than you could ever imagine, but is not the same God preached by the masses in the Christian faith.

I've been brought up in the same undertaking as you and over time and with a LOT of questioning began to understand exactly who or what God actually is.

Religion teaches, or preaches I should say, dependency on this one God that sits on a thrown in heaven determining what happens to every individual soul that happens in this world. They make you to believe that you MUST seek salvation from something outside of yourself and that you have absolutely no power over what happens in your life.

Well this faith also does not preach the concept of freewill however because that concept is also the very thing that refutes the theory that whatever happens to us is because something outside our self allowed it to happen - and decides where we end up.

Whether you want to believe it or not, everything DOES happen for a reason, but not everything that happens in this world is because God is flipping a switch and allowing people to die for deaths sake . Each person, each soul, has their own individual path in this world, and God does answer EVERY prayer made both subconsciously and consciously. Not everything that happens in your life that you see as a negative is due to God taking breather and ignoring your request or prayer. God, the universe, all that is, all that ever will be, whatever you want to call it is a Law that is flawless. A system that is unbreakable, and works with each and every one of us to bring us the desires of our heart.

There is not a prayer made in this world that goes unanswered, there are only prayers that are negated. There is not one thought going through your mind that God is unaware of. It's also just that we don't all have the full wisdom and capacity to see the bigger picture behind what we see as a seemingly negative experience.

You should understand that having a close friend of yours pass away has nothing to do with you and there are probably many reasons as to why they are no longer in a physical embodiment in this life time. Losing the life of someone close to you should never be seen as a personal attack toward you, if you understand that our life lives on after we've passed, you should also understand that death is only a term made for those who live in the flesh. This even goes for experiencing a miscarriage. You may not see the BIG picture now, and I don't know exactly why the miscarriage happened, but trust me when I say, it DID happen for a reason. The reason even may be that you were not ready to be father and that your daughter WILL come again at a more opportune time. But you will never know the reason until some time has passed and you stick it out.

You should also understand that prayer comes in many forms. You can pray and all day till your eyes are dry of tears, but understand that, AFTER that - the thoughts that run through your mind the other 90% of the day that may be full of fear, doubt, anger, and sadness have x10 more affect on the outcome of your situation than you what you prayed for in 10 minutes.

This is why Jesus says to pray without ceasing. This does not mean you have to get on your knees 24/7, but to monitor your thoughts throughout the day and make sure they are in alignment with the desires of your heart.

Philippians 4:8
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

Keeping your mind in the right FRAME of mind is what true prayer is. Affirming everyday the intentions of your heart, and desires that accompany it are the prayers that are fulfilled, so if you go about life constantly meditating on the opposite, you will manifest those things into your life.

Now I'm not saying that maybe you had fear of miscarriage happening that lead to an actual miscarriage, because for all I know it probably never crossed your mind. But with that same concept understand that prayer is not just something you do, it's something you live by.

Don't lose your faith, death is merely scratching the surface and you don't know the magnitude and truth behind the events that have taken place in your life. Instead of losing faith at this point you should be grateful that you're beginning to question certain truths, that's the best thing that could happen to anyone in this life is to seek more knowledge.

1 Thessalonians 5:19-21
Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies, but test everything; hold fast what is good.

I was also brought up in a Christian home. It is very normal to go through phases where you have weak faith or feel like you might be losing it. I am sort of going a similar phase myself to be honest. It's depressing and confusing but it's really important how we come out of it.
I think it's hardest to hold onto faith when terrible things happen, like family and friends passing away. But I also think it's the most important time to have faith.
Recently, I've realized that I haven't been trusting God very much. I've been relying on myself and I've been avoiding church, too, because I'm having a difficult time with it right now. But that's okay. And what you're feeling is okay, too.
I think people tend to start second guessing their faith when they experience tragedies. Even Jesus went through a short period where he doubted God and it was when he was being crucified. We all know that bad things happen, but when they do happen, it shakes our faith. I think it's important to know that even if something terrible happens, God still loves us and hasn't abandoned us. I mean, He did promise never to leave or forsake us. I try to believe that because it sometimes feels like that is exactly what happened.
I think I have misunderstood God for the better part of my life, and there are things that I still don't understand. But I always thought that taking care me and loving me and having plans "not to harm me" would mean that I wouldn't lose friends and family, I wouldn't be friendless and alone, that I wouldn't feel so miserable all the time, but, obviously, that isn't what the deal is. Exactly what is it? I don't know. I do know, though, that if we didn't experience the bad, how would we know it if we were experiencing the good? If terrible things never happened, why would we need faith in God? What would we have to look forward to if everything was fine all the time?
I know that every bad thing happens is not something that God did. A lot of the bad things in our lives are results of choices that we have made. We have to deal with the consequences of our actions whether they be good or bad. Of course, not everything is in our control or a consequence of something we did, like losing people. And that is hard to deal with and even harder to understand why it happened. And it sucks.
Don't be discouraged by this rough patch in your life. I hope that you make it through with an even stronger faith than you began with. I hope the same thing for myself. I know that prayer is a powerful, but, honestly, I just haven't felt much like praying because I feel like God isn't listening and I don't know what His answers are. I realize, however, that praying is talking to God and in no way means He is going to do what we ask for. Praying definitely isn't magic and God isn't a yes or no machine that just responds to prayer. Prayer, I think, is mostly for us.
Sorry for babbling, but I'm trying to figure this out myself. Just remember what you are feeling is okay. Having doubts is normal there is nothing wrong with it. When you are feeling especially low, you might be able to find someone you can talk to that will be able to help you with the way you are feeling, like a friend or a pastor or someone like that. I'm really sorry for your losses. It's so hard to lose loved ones and I will certainly be praying for you and hoping that you make it through this difficult time without losing your faith.
Again, sorry for the rambling and if it didn't make much sense. I hope you were able to get something out of it. Feel free to message me if you need to talk more.

It is okay to have moments of doubt and uncertainty. That doesn't make you bad or mean you are doing anything wrong. It is especially hard to keep your faith when horrible things are happening in your life. It is completely understandable considering what you have been though that you would be questioning. I would just try to be with God when you can. Pray, talk to God about these feelings, try to reconnect in some way. Talk to your family or someone with a strong faith and I'm sure they will have been in your position as well. God never leaves you even if it sometimes feels like He does.

I went through a decades-long period in the same mindset as you before I -- quite reluctantly -- determined I am truly an atheist. I grew up in a Southern Baptist church, so this was a difficult thing to realize. Keep honestly exploring your beliefs and questions, writing in a journal (so you can see changes over time, which is helpful for clarity), and being aware of the answers that you do or do not receive to your prayers. Talk to others who are genuinely kind and non-shaming. Try other churches and faiths. Read works by the religious and the non-religious. Spend quiet time every day with your thoughts. You will find the right path for you.

Allow yourself to be guided by the spirit. Sometimes we ask too many questions but we do not allow ourselves to hear the answer. Allow God to communicate with you through the way you feel most comfortable with. I personally prefer the bible.

I've been where you are, and music always helps me to get through things. these songs are what I listen to when my life seems hopeless. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XAVHeVDML5k http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UUEy8nZvpdM http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qEz2PsLJ-RIThe first one reminds me that God's love is there even when I can't feel it. And the other two remind me that it's okay to doubt and it's okay to feel worn out. It's not going to change His love for us :) I don't know if that is at all helpful, but feel free to message me if you'd like. Praying for you!

Well, I'm a firm believer of the terrible thing that is called the human race.In my opinion, there is no possible way to determine anything about God may it or may it not exist. I am not going to tell you like the people above me how the christian way goes as that's obviously not what you're looking for.Also, in my opinion, it's rediculous that people personalise god as if it would be a person, thinking like we think. As if God is a 'He', and looks after all 7 billion people on this planet.anyway, i'm not here to bash on religion. I would say you have to do whatever feels right to you. If you are losing faith then that is because it is letting you down. If it's in any way not what you want for yourself then don't let it be a part of you anymore. If you do however, stop doubting it.If I understand religion correctly (I have ferociously studied everything about religions that just don't add up) it shouldn't matter whether you pray to god or live life as an atheïst. It's not about idolizing a non-existant figure of which you will never ever have proof exists. It is about being a good person. If you are a good person, with good morals and do what is good for others, yourself and the world (with others I also mean animals and nature ofcourse) then you should be fine.I mean honestly, not to sound like a massive tool but, if I would have to hear 20 billion prayers a day I would definitely just blow earth up. Especially since most prayers are about people wanting Ipads these days. lol.Not to sound like i'm trying to throw something against religion tho. Just being objective. :xGood luck with everything and sorry to hear about your unfortunate happpenings. Stay strong!

see, I have a philosophy that I live by, and that is that everything happens for good. Think of the potential positives of these things. For example, maybe you had a miscarriage because god thought you weren't ready to have a baby, and you need to accomplish more in life before you settle down. or maybe its so that You can adopt a child and save someone's life. Just think of it like that!

Hello, Elliot. You did the right thing in reaching out.

I do not make a habit of recycling answers, but as it so happens, another poster was having a crisis of faith, and I believe the comment I gave to them applies to you as well.

First and foremost, I am a Humanist; I believe in the nobility of the human spirit, and I believe in the glory of mankind's drive to prevail.

The thing about religion that never sat well with me was the constant push to attribute everything to one outside source or another, it always seemed like a blame game; everything good came from God, and everything bad came from whatever name people chose to give to the bad guy, be it Satan, Lucifer, the Devil, what-have-you.

Even at a very young age, the question occurred to me; what if I do something right? Why is because God did something "through" me? It was my idea to do the right thing, I didn't feel "divinely inspired", so why does someone else get credit for my actions? This also applies to my negative actions; why is it that if I decide to be a jerk, or mistreat someone or something that it is someone else's fault? Why is it some great "Enemy" acting "through" me? Where is the part where I am responsible for my actions? What am I? A puppet for one spirit or another? Am I just chopped liver on a divine chess board or am I a human being? It was when that question occurred to me at twelve years old that I decided I would no longer believe in God.

That is all the religion-bashing I will do in this post.

I know very well the struggle going on in your mind and with your emotions. The thousands of deeply disturbing questions about the nature of things and the reasons things happen when there is supposed to be an all-powerful, all-loving Father God watching over you. Your questions are very valid.

Instead of focusing on pleasing God, you focus on what things in your life need to be fixed and look at yourself. It is your hands that do or do not make things better in your own life. It is your own feet that do or do not carry you to solutions to your problems, and it is your mind that does or does not focus on the solution and help you fix your life. Do not worry about some afterlife, because you have a life happening right now before your eyes, and it is your happiness or your misery in this life that affect the kind of person you are. Be the human that you are and re-teach yourself to love yourself for your own merits, or to discipline yourself for your own failures.

Have faith in that person in the mirror, because you live with that person every minute of every day, and that person in the mirror is questioning why they even try. You need to help yourself understand; that understanding begins with yourself, and it is never easy, but it is worth the struggle. You are worth the effort.

"You, yourself, more than anyone else in the universe, deserve your love and affection." - Buddhist Aphorism.

You have one life, do not be afraid to live it, and do not let anyone try to make you afraid to live it, and because it will one day end, it is therefore precious and needs to be protected. You are the first and last line of defense in your own life.

If there is an afterlife, we will handle it when we get there. Until you come to what is before you, focus on what is upon you.

There is one bit of comfort in all of this, and that is that your life belongs to you, it is your very own, and noone has claim to it. If you succeed, then it is because you did something right, and you can be proud of yourself. If you did something wrong, then that failure also belongs to you, and you are your own judge, to discipline yourself and improve at your discretion. Your life is at the hands of your will, and the only way anyone else can come to control it is if you allow them to take it, because the human spirit can conquer any fear, overcome any obstacle, and can choose to fight until the very last breath of life for whatever it wants. Choose to control your own life, and do not relinquish that control for anything.

You have the strength to take hold of your life, because you are still alive. The only thing that stops a human being from pursuing their happiness is their own choice to give up, or death.

I hope something I've said gives you some measure of perspective, and if you feel that you need someone to talk to; if you feel like you might hurt yourself or someone else, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255. Their lines are open 24 hours a day.

Never forget that you matter, and you are not alone.

see, I have a philosophy that I live by, and that is that everything happens for good. Think of the potential positives of these things. For example, maybe you had a miscarriage because god thought you weren't ready to have a baby, and you need to accomplish more in life before you settle down. or maybe its so that You can adopt a child and save someone's life. Just think of it like that!