Increase in piety = increase of immoral thoughts

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Since I’ve become pious and left my old “pop culture” life behind, I feel like I’m being constantly attacked by some voice that is trying to break me down.

When I pray or talk to God, I have this voice that keeps popping in my head with all kinds of vulgar things. It’s almost inhibits me from praying sometimes because it’s so embarrassing having all that junk in my head while praying. It sounds crazy but I will thank God or something, then I have a voice that wants to curse God or tell me that I don’t care, or whatever… some nonsense. The thing is, before I dropped everything and became religious, this never happened before.

If I’m not praying, I don’t get the voice. It seems to get stronger the more religious I become. I know some things are the results of all the (name removed by moderator)ut I’ve received over my lifetime from society just floating around in my head with the other garbage, but I’m having trouble removing it from my conscience so I can pray clearly.

Who was the saint who said something like… Lord, how much longer must I remain in this body? I feel like that every day.

Of course, I must and will fight to the very end to remain pious, but what a struggle!

Anyone else go through this before or have any suggestions?
 
When you are running your life stride for stride in the same direction as the Devil, why would he oppose you? As soon as you turn to run the other way, you anger him and he will move to resist your efforts.
 
When you get these kinds of distractions in prayer…and I get them often,:o try turning that distraction into a prayer…. For instance, if you are having impure thoughts, thank God for His forgiveness for the times you have entertained them and repented.

Remember though, it only becomes a sin when you give into the temptation… Try what I have suggested and you’ll see the results. Some of the saints used this method…Therese` did I believe.

God Bless.

Annunciata:)
 
I’m just guessing, but I think this might be a bit different from impure thoughts? It seems like you’re saying that when you try to pray, you find yourself thinking all these vulgar things inadvertently. Sometimes when you try very hard not to think about something, all you wind up doing is thinking about it more (because it’s always on your mind). So, if you go into prayer scared that you’re going to think vulgar things, you’re going to wind up thinking vulgar things. So, realize that it’s okay as long as you’re not willing impure thoughts into your head, and try to be at ease. If these thoughts occur as you pray, just ask God briefly to take them away, tell yourself that it’s okay, and keep praying - even if underneath the prayer, the thoughts are still running through your mind. I think they will eventually go away, but I think they will start to subside when you say they’re “okay” and thus begin to focus on them less.
 
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Scott_Lafrance:
When you are running your life stride for stride in the same direction as the Devil, why would he oppose you? As soon as you turn to run the other way, you anger him and he will move to resist your efforts.
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I’m with Scott on this one. I sometimes also have things popping into my mind when I pray. I’ve begun to pray and with what is left with my mind focus on something else, like your heart beat. Ask God to help you focus on Him. The rosary is very good for this, as you are holding beads, saying prayers and focusing on Jesus’s life. There just isn’t much left your mind can do. I’ve also focused on a point in Christ’s life. Jesus kneeling in the Garden of Gethsemeni has come to me lately. Use pure images when you can.

Hope this helps some! Just know you aren’t alone here, fight the Foe however you can!

John
 
I’m no shrink but some people will tend to obsess about things

and if they try to alter their life they may just be substituting one obession for an other

often too much of anything…even a good thing
is not good

if that makes sense
 
Too many people have this experience for it to not be a tactic of the evil one. In my case it has decreased a great deal over time, but then came the dryness. If Satan is leaving you alone 100%–THEN you should worry!
 
One of the things that increase the gravity of a sin or even make it is consciousness. The more pious, mortal and learned in the religion you become, the more (you feel) the ignorance excuse falls off and the less likely you are to get over limited consent.

Also, the closer to sanctity you are, the more you attract the devil. Saint Padre Pio overcame temptations that make me freak out from reading further.

As a side note: many Saints have been very strongly tempted by the devil in very horrible ways. Elaborating on their failures is not the healthiest thing to do from the point of view of proper formation of those who are supposed to follow their example. But imagine what sort of faith and willpower and dedication such a Saint would need to get up from failing and repent properly (for some of them repenting properly would be fasting and kneeling in prayer from dawn till dusk for a single bad word). I suppose the Saints have had to deal with getting out of the state of mortal sins even after the moment when everyone around started considering them to be living saints.

Perhaps you might wish to read about Saint Guntram.
 
St. Michael, the Archangel, defend us in battle (spiritual battle) Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil (read the Screwtape letters by CS Lewis)

May God rebuke him, we humbly pray. And do thou, O Prince of the Heavenly Hosts, cast into Hell, satan and all the evil spirits who wander through the seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.

Good St. Michael is a worthy and wonderful helper in repelling sin and fighting bad habits. 👍

The insight you can find in the Screwtape letters would also bolster you in this fight for your salvation.

St. Mary Magdalen, may I learn to serve the Lord as truly as you!:gopray:
 
thank you for all of your replies. coming to accept the fact that i cannot simply erase a whole lifetime of thoughts and memories of sins by becoming a pius person has helped me a great deal. at times i would even clench my fists and shout out “why?!!” “Please! just make them go away!” …until I realized that wishing these thoughts away was not the answer. it only had me recognizing them more and more often until i associated every religious symbol with something wrong in my battle.

i’ve finally come to a peace knowing that they are not who i am–only remnants of who i was–and that it may take the rest of my life to replace them all with thoughts and memories of my new life in Christ. I may never replace them all, but transforming them each one at a time into new thoughts and prayers works very well.

i am inspired to hear that many saints have gone through such a thing. it gives me courage to face them without feeling far from God when they occur.

on another note, if you know anyone who needs a little reminder about the wonders of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, send them a link to my video story at: www.simkiss.net/sacredheart

praised by Jesus!
 
I am undergoing very similar things that you describe and I have endured them for several years. Thank God, they aren’t constant, they have come and gone for me over the years. These thoughts have destroyed my peace for several months now and I finally am coming out of this current episode. I agree to call out to St. Michael and Our Lady and the Sacred Heart of Jesus. You will endure with their help. Remember, this too shall pass.

I believe that the Devil wants to drive us away from prayer. What greater victory could he acheive? I believe the Devil’s tactic worked on me when I was much younger and the disturbing thoughts led me away from prayer to Mary. A decade later, I had returned to the faith again, and the same type of disturbing thoughts re-appeared. I have still struggled but I haven’t given up this time due to the help I have received from Priests, prayer, sacraments, reading about saints, this web site, etc… Hang in there. I will pray for you, please pray for me and the others who suffer this horrible condition.
 
praying for you now 🙂

don’t give up. fight through until the very end. how much greater your reward will be! He won’t give up on you.
 
Since I’ve become pious and left my old “pop culture” life behind, I feel like I’m being constantly attacked by some voice that is trying to break me down.
Click to expand...
When I pray or talk to God, I have this voice that keeps popping in my head with all kinds of vulgar things. It’s almost inhibits me from praying sometimes because it’s so embarrassing having all that junk in my head while praying. It sounds crazy but I will thank God or something, then I have a voice that wants to curse God or tell me that I don’t care, or whatever… some nonsense. The thing is, before I dropped everything and became religious, this never happened before.
Click to expand...
If I’m not praying, I don’t get the voice. It seems to get stronger the more religious I become. I know some things are the results of all the (name removed by moderator)ut I’ve received over my lifetime from society just floating around in my head with the other garbage, but I’m having trouble removing it from my conscience so I can pray clearly.
Click to expand...
Who was the saint who said something like… Lord, how much longer must I remain in this body? I feel like that every day.
Click to expand...
Of course, I must and will fight to the very end to remain pious, but what a struggle!
Click to expand...
Anyone else go through this before or have any suggestions?
Click to expand...
I know exactly what you mean.

I have also, too just become deep in my faith. I, too am now plagued by these thoughts. I like them, and the more of them, the better. As many above have said, the bigger noise the Devil makes, the farther you are from him. I see them as a sort of marker as to how far I have turned round.
 
I also struggle with this. Glad to see many of you are doing well.

It’s a hard battle… I don’t think I’m winning, though… 😦
 
I have dealt a great deal with this. So its nice to see that I have a lot of company.

I agree that the devil tries harder when we try harder. He doesn’t have to waste his time on the people who are already on the path to hell, its those of us who are trying to stay off the path that he bothers.

I think to that you notice more imperfections in yourself the farther along you get on your journey. I think it was CS Lewis who said I never knew how hard it was to be good until I tried to be good.

But my problem is that I turn things on myself, like I must be an evil person to think those things while I am praying. I struggled with that alot, but then I found St John of the Cross Dark Night of the Soul and the issue is addressed. It took such a load off my mind. If you haven’t yet, read just chapter 4. That is all about lust and its causes.
4.2. First, they often proceed from the pleasure human nature finds in spiritual exercises. Since both the spiritual and the sensory part of the soul receive gratification from that refreshment, each part experiences delight according to its own nature and properties
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Thats just one tiny part - it is well worth the read

Terry
 
I can empathize.

Last year, a neighbor went out of his way to be especially nasty to me and my family. To put it politely, he is a nasty jerk.

Sometimes, while I am at prayer or when I am not, I get thoughts of wanting to beat him to a pulp. When this happens, I say to myself - “Stop! Control yourself! Control your thoughts!” After a couple of moments, I cool off.

You cannot erase a lifetime of memories in a few months or years. Pop culture is, today, slop culture. In the 1980s, there were facets of slop culture that used to pull me in, too. In time, as you continue your spiritual walk, the memories of your participation in slop culture will fade. Temptation will present itself again and again. Use the Prayer to St. Michael. Say to yourself, “Stop!” when the thoughts seem to overwhelm you. And stick to it.
 
I am in that same situation sometimes. I just stop whatever I’m praying at that time and beg God to clense me of those thoughts. If they come back, I ask St. Michael or St. Benedict for help. Step three is me getting so angry that I shout “Demon, go back to Hell in the name of Jesus Christ!!” Then, if it persists, I bless myself w/ Holy Water.
 
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