I do not see the power in prayer. I feel like there is nothing there. … I do not see how praying, sacrificing for God, confessing really changes reality.
It doesn’t change
reality, if by that, you mean it on a macro level, instantaneously and ‘magically’. It changes reality on a
personal level. You’re correct to note that, if one does not believe – but merely goes through the paces – there’s ‘nothing’ there. For one who believes, prayer is the means through which
we ourselves are changed through our relationship with God; sacrifices are the means through which we train ourselves to focus not on the goods of this world, but of the goods God offers in eternal life; and confession is the means through which we receive forgiveness of sin so that we might be able leave our sins behind us and try again.
I hope you can recognize that you’re making an extrapolation that just doesn’t hold – it’s like a blind person saying “there are no stars in the sky.” You might reasonably say, “I do not have the personal experience a caring God,” and that might be true; but to say that He just doesn’t care at all is an unwarranted conclusion. By jumping to that conclusion, you’re saying that those of us who
do experience a loving, caring God are deluded. That’s not where you’re going… are you?
As for going to confession, it is easy. Again, I do not think it really does anything. The same with mass.
Without faith, there is nothing there but ritual.
It annoys me when I hear something tragic happening, people’s responses are it was the Lord’s plan.
Me too. That’s just plain wrong.
It is easy to love God when you are suffering or feel sad.
I’m not so sure. You’re ‘suffering’ and ‘sad’ in the context of your search for God; is it easy to love Him right now?
If I were less naive, realistic, tough-minded, logical, why would I need God?
There’s a certain truth there: if you were ‘realistic’ (at least, wrt material reality) and ‘logical’ (at least, wrt the logic of secular wisdom), and if things were going well in your life, then you might convince yourself that you don’t need God. Lots of folks do that. However, most of the time, we don’t concentrate on breathing – after all, it’s not a conscious activity, and air is (generally) invisible, and so we don’t know it’s going on. Yet, even in those times of unawareness, would it be logical to assert “I don’t need breathing”…?
Maybe I will visit this website less and try to find Him somewhere.
If you think that might help you find God, then perhaps that’s wise.
), there are several reasons why I need God.