Losing Faith

[HumblePilgrim]

I have been struggling the past few weeks with my faith. My belief in the power of prayer is gone. My prayers feel empty and useless as I have seen no change. I remember seeing how long many of the Patriarchs waited until their prayers were answered. I try and remember St. Monica and how she persevered in prayer. Many of personal petitions have not been answered but what REALLY is bugging me are the petitions that I have made for other people or different parts of the world even (Syria and Egypt). If multiple people are praying for those countries shouldn’t a change have occurred already in those peoples lives? I am starting to call bollocks on the good that prayer does. To cement this belief I just watched a video that was so awful about why humans are lost and in it they showed a 2 year old baby girl get run over several times with people just walking right by seeing but doing nothing. One person picks the girl up eventually and pulls her to the side of the road but does nothing after. The 2 year old eventually died. I think of my own child and my heart breaks in TWO. Now first of all, it is sad that no one helped the child. There was no good Samaritan there. But, the next issue just shows that there is SOOOOOOOO much evil in the world and god seems absent. I want to help and I try and pray for help but none comes. I have prayed for many years for many different issues and people and nothing ever changes and in some cases things have gotten worse. I am despairing and that is a sin. How can I keep the faith? I feel so sick after seeing that video and at the same time powerless…worse things are happening every day and nothing ever changes. :crying:

 

[Matthew_Light]

I have been struggling the past few weeks with my faith. My belief in the power of prayer is gone. My prayers feel empty and useless as I have seen no change. I remember seeing how long many of the Patriarchs waited until their prayers were answered. I try and remember St. Monica and how she persevered in prayer. Many of personal petitions have not been answered but what REALLY is bugging me are the petitions that I have made for other people or different parts of the world even (Syria and Egypt). If multiple people are praying for those countries shouldn’t a change have occurred already in those peoples lives? I am starting to call bollocks on the good that prayer does. To cement this belief I just watched a video that was so awful about why humans are lost and in it they showed a 2 year old baby girl get run over several times with people just walking right by seeing but doing nothing. One person picks the girl up eventually and pulls her to the side of the road but does nothing after. The 2 year old eventually died. I think of my own child and my heart breaks in TWO. Now first of all, it is sad that no one helped the child. There was no good Samaritan there. But, the next issue just shows that there is SOOOOOOOO much evil in the world and god seems absent. I want to help and I try and pray for help but none comes. I have prayed for many years for many different issues and people and nothing ever changes and in some cases things have gotten worse. I am despairing and that is a sin. How can I keep the faith? I feel so sick after seeing that video and at the same time powerless…worse things are happening every day and nothing ever changes. :crying:

I believe prayer is mostly about changing our own hearts, not about insisting God change the outside world.

First, why are you exposing your soul to that kind of negativity? It will do nothing but sap your power and eventually corrode and destroy your faith. My spiritual mentor once told me “what gets your attention, gets you”. Very true words.

Our job is to heal the world through the power of Christ. God will inspire each of us to do some little piece of good throughout our days. That might mean listening to a neighbor, loving her, seeing Christ in her. It might mean volunteering to feed the hungry. It might mean visiting a retirement home to spend time with people who don’t get visitors.

Please start exposing yourself to beauty. I go for walk every day in nature that my soul can commune with His Creation. I listen to beautiful music. I listen to the scriptures that uplift me. I do not allow myself to contaminate my soul with the negativity of the news, or seek it out online. I know that would sap my strength and make it impossible to serve the Lord.

You are in my heart and prayers.

 

[CalCatholic]

I have been struggling the past few weeks with my faith. My belief in the power of prayer is gone. My prayers feel empty and useless as I have seen no change. I remember seeing how long many of the Patriarchs waited until their prayers were answered. I try and remember St. Monica and how she persevered in prayer. Many of personal petitions have not been answered but what REALLY is bugging me are the petitions that I have made for other people or different parts of the world even (Syria and Egypt). If multiple people are praying for those countries shouldn’t a change have occurred already in those peoples lives? I am starting to call bollocks on the good that prayer does. To cement this belief I just watched a video that was so awful about why humans are lost and in it they showed a 2 year old baby girl get run over several times with people just walking right by seeing but doing nothing. One person picks the girl up eventually and pulls her to the side of the road but does nothing after. The 2 year old eventually died. I think of my own child and my heart breaks in TWO. Now first of all, it is sad that no one helped the child. There was no good Samaritan there. But, the next issue just shows that there is SOOOOOOOO much evil in the world and god seems absent. I want to help and I try and pray for help but none comes. I have prayed for many years for many different issues and people and nothing ever changes and in some cases things have gotten worse. I am despairing and that is a sin. How can I keep the faith? I feel so sick after seeing that video and at the same time powerless…worse things are happening every day and nothing ever changes. :crying:

If this world and its existence was our only reality, I would join you in giving up. But as Christians, we live for our eternal life after our death, with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit in Heaven!

 

[Bookcat]

You do not know what good comes from your prayers…

Prayer is yes not a “vending machine” what we can push a button and get a result -but it IS a way we can exercise* our* free will for the good --against so much misuse of free will by those who do evil.

Yes good can come from ones prayers --yes let us pray! and “not loose heart”.

 

[CalCatholic]

I believe prayer is mostly about changing our own hearts, not about insisting God change the outside world.

First, why are you exposing your soul to that kind of negativity? It will do nothing but sap your power and eventually corrode and destroy your faith. My spiritual mentor once told me “what gets your attention, gets you”. Very true words.

Our job is to heal the world through the power of Christ. God will inspire each of us to do some little piece of good throughout our days. That might mean listening to a neighbor, loving her, seeing Christ in her. It might mean volunteering to feed the hungry. It might mean visiting a retirement home to spend time with people who don’t get visitors.

Please start exposing yourself to beauty. I go for walk every day in nature that my soul can commune with His Creation. I listen to beautiful music. I listen to the scriptures that uplift me. I do not allow myself to contaminate my soul with the negativity of the news, or seek it out online. I know that would sap my strength and make it impossible to serve the Lord.

You are in my heart and prayers.

Well said!

 

[Bookcat]

Please start exposing yourself to beauty. I go for walk every day in nature that my soul can commune with His Creation. I listen to beautiful music. I listen to the scriptures that uplift me. I do not allow myself to contaminate my soul with the negativity of the news, or seek it out online. I know that would sap my strength and make it impossible to serve the Lord.

.

 

[Bookcat]

Do not loose faith – in Jesus of Nazareth is true life --here even in the midst of the trials and joys of this life – and in the life to come and the Resurrection.

He entered into our suffering…en to the point of death on the cross so that we can come to that life!

 

[HumblePilgrim]

I believe prayer is mostly about changing our own hearts, not about insisting God change the outside world.

First, why are you exposing your soul to that kind of negativity? It will do nothing but sap your power and eventually corrode and destroy your faith. My spiritual mentor once told me “what gets your attention, gets you”. Very true words.

Our job is to heal the world through the power of Christ. God will inspire each of us to do some little piece of good throughout our days. That might mean listening to a neighbor, loving her, seeing Christ in her. It might mean volunteering to feed the hungry. It might mean visiting a retirement home to spend time with people who don’t get visitors.

Please start exposing yourself to beauty. I go for walk every day in nature that my soul can commune with His Creation. I listen to beautiful music. I listen to the scriptures that uplift me. I do not allow myself to contaminate my soul with the negativity of the news, or seek it out online. I know that would sap my strength and make it impossible to serve the Lord.

You are in my heart and prayers.

But wouldn’t I be sticking my head in the sand. I don’t see suffering and therefore it does not exist. I did not PURPOSEFULLY go out to see this kind of video but a friend posted it and there it is. The news is also all around me. I could choose not to watch the news but then I am being sort of Pollyanna-ish. I am limited in the time and money I can send to support good works for the Lord. But I can pray. Prayer is not a vending machine but then why petition in prayer or why pray for intercession? There is nought much I can do to help a child in China per se but I can pray but are my prayers helping? It doesn’t seem so.

 

[nevaehniko]

But wouldn’t I be sticking my head in the sand. I don’t see suffering and therefore it does not exist. I did not PURPOSEFULLY go out to see this kind of video but a friend posted it and there it is. The news is also all around me. I could choose not to watch the news but then I am being sort of Pollyanna-ish. I am limited in the time and money I can send to support good works for the Lord. But I can pray. Prayer is not a vending machine but then why petition in prayer or why pray for intercession? There is nought much I can do to help a child in China per se but I can pray but are my prayers helping? It doesn’t seem so.

I’m sorry that you are having such a hard time. I am just beginning to learn about Catholicism and I have had a few days where I questioned everything and felt like I was losing faith.

As for the video, I know it’s hard to see that stuff… but keep in mind that MANY of the videos people post on FB or YouTube or hoaxes or taken out of context. Either way, it’s best to not watch videos that you know will disturb you.

Your prayers could help a child in China. Maybe he or she will have a good day, get well from an illness, find food to eat, or have strength for what they believe in because YOU prayed for them.

 

[Bookcat]

But I can pray. Prayer is not a vending machine but then why petition in prayer or why pray for intercession? There is nought much I can do to help a child in China per se but I can pray but are my prayers helping? It doesn’t seem so.

Yes prayer helps! Pray!

Prayer does not have to be a “vending machine” (insert prayer and out comes exactly what you picked in the window) to be important and a help!

Yes “pray” and “not loose heart”…

 

[HumblePilgrim]

I’m sorry that you are having such a hard time. I am just beginning to learn about Catholicism and I have had a few days where I questioned everything and felt like I was losing faith.

As for the video, I know it’s hard to see that stuff… but keep in mind that MANY of the videos people post on FB or YouTube or hoaxes or taken out of context. Either way, it’s best to not watch videos that you know will disturb you.

Your prayers could help a child in China. Maybe he or she will have a good day, get well from an illness, find food to eat, or have strength for what they believe in because YOU prayed for them.

I assure you that the video is not a hoax but regardless that just cemented what I have been feeling for weeks now. I just feel that my prayers are useless. I don’t really need that much prayer for myself so I try and concentrate on others. Especially in some of the worst places in the world there is not much we can do except to pray but there so many of us doing so…does anyone feel like they are making a difference praying?

 

[Bookcat]

A couple of readings:

vatican.va/latest/sub_index/hf_ben-xvi_aud_20120620_en.html

vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/audiences/2012/documents/hf_ben-xvi_aud_20120516_en.html

 

[Matthew_Light]

I assure you that the video is not a hoax but regardless that just cemented what I have been feeling for weeks now. I just feel that my prayers are useless. I don’t really need that much prayer for myself so I try and concentrate on others. Especially in some of the worst places in the world there is not much we can do except to pray but there so many of us doing so…does anyone feel like they are making a difference praying?

I mostly pray about the things I am engaged with. For example, I have a friend who is struggling with drug addiction. I pray for him. I work with depressed and suicidal teenagers and young adults. I say prayers for them, especially when they are struggling.

I feel it is good and important to pray. But also so critically important to act as well.

Re: Facebook, I would not recommend viewing the negativity that other people post on their Facebook pages. I mostly avoid Facebook myself, I use it to chat with some of the suicidal people I work with but a lot of people are stuck in very negative ways of thinking and living, and I don’t want to gratuitously expose myself to that unless there is a purpose behind doing so.
I believe that faith is mostly a matter of which direction we choose to face ourselves.

 

[Bookcat]

I just feel that my prayers are useless.

Thankfully such feelings are --well feelings. While painful they --they do not represent not reality.

Prayers are not useless…yours or others.

 

[Bookcat]

I

A couple of readings (do not “run through them”):

vatican.va/latest/sub_index/hf_ben-xvi_aud_20120620_en.html

vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/audiences/2012/documents/hf_ben-xvi_aud_20120516_en.html

 

[Casilda]

I assure you that the video is not a hoax but regardless that just cemented what I have been feeling for weeks now. I just feel that my prayers are useless. I don’t really need that much prayer for myself so I try and concentrate on others. Especially in some of the worst places in the world there is not much we can do except to pray but there so many of us doing so…does anyone feel like they are making a difference praying?

YES!

A sobering thought…when God destroyed all that was upon the earth in the days of Noah, everything was so corrupt that only 8 human souls were left. Yes, we live in an increasingly evil world, but thanks to your prayers and other faithfuls, it is no where near as bad as in the days of Noah. Take heart…and give your heart in prayer to our Father in heaven.

 

[Bookcat]

I

A couple of readings (do not “run through them -or skim”):

vatican.va/latest/sub_index/hf_ben-xvi_aud_20120620_en.html

vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/audiences/2012/documents/hf_ben-xvi_aud_20120516_en.html

 

[Bookcat]

Of those 2 -this one in particular: vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/audiences/2012/documents/hf_ben-xvi_aud_20120516_en.htm

 

[Bookcat]

A reading for you: vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/audiences/2012/documents/hf_ben-xvi_aud_20120516_en.html

 

[Bookcat]

Prayer is not a vending machine but then why petition in prayer or why pray for intercession? There is nought much I can do to help a child in China per se but I can pray but are my prayers helping? It doesn’t seem so.

Pray…you do not know what good the gift of your prayers is.

If we do something good for another in other ways – we also do not always see the good effect it has.

We still do the good.