Zero Faith

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Kount_C

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I think I’ve come into the point into my life where I have Zero faith.
I’m coming to terms with it. I realized that I do not have that special testimony that people have. Where they say. “God got me through this” or " God blessed me" .
So I’m either confused on exactly what that relationship is suppose to be, or I do not have it.
I do not consider myself to be a man, born with any talents. So, if I had that self awareness maybe my relationship would be developed? Does anyone else have this issue with their religion? or christian existence?

I used to pray and praise every day, daily rosary’s, divine mercy chaplet. I used to think that God had helped me out, but I feel looking back now, I must have been delusional Because there are a large population of people born genetically advantaged with zero acknowledgement of God, whom have what some would say his blessing. I know that in my current situation in life, I have set back after set back, where genetically stronger people from birth do not have these “Trials”. So therefore, as a result I do not believe in prayer. But I do believe in God, this is quite troubling.
 
I guess it would depend on your definition of blessing. Having been born “genetically advantaged” does not mean they are blessed or happy or healthy in their souls or any number of adjectives. Finding blessings in things and knowing that God sends me blessings is what gets me through my days. Even if the blessings are disguised as trials or sufferings. I believe now that everything that happens is for my greater good.

Of course, I had a long time away from my faith and during that time I envied people that seemed more blessed than me. They had it easy financially or were beautiful and thin and perfect (:rolleyes: ) or whatever I thought at the time spelled out success and happiness. Since coming back to my faith I am more happy than I have ever been and more content with what I have and do.

Prayer works even if you do not believe it works. God hears our prayers.
 
China123 said:
I guess it would depend on your definition of blessing. Having been born “genetically advantaged” does not mean they are blessed or happy or healthy in their souls or any number of adjectives. Finding blessings in things and knowing that God sends me blessings is what gets me through my days. Even if the blessings are disguised as trials or sufferings. I believe now that everything that happens is for my greater good.

Of course, I had a long time away from my faith and during that time I envied people that seemed more blessed than me. They had it easy financially or were beautiful and thin and perfect (:rolleyes: ) or whatever I thought at the time spelled out success and happiness. Since coming back to my faith I am more happy than I have ever been and more content with what I have and do.

Prayer works even if you do not believe it works. God hears our prayers.
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Thank you for the response. I am just hardened to any forum of prayer being sincere.
I can’t explain it, I feel that life’s reality hit me and I found out how much God is not in my life rather then what I thought he was.
So therefore, I find it absence in terms of helping. If that makes sense
 
Kount_C said:
I think I’ve come into the point into my life where I have Zero faith.
I’m coming to terms with it. I realized that I do not have that special testimony that people have. Where they say. “God got me through this” or " God blessed me" .
So I’m either confused on exactly what that relationship is suppose to be, or I do not have it.
I do not consider myself to be a man, born with any talents. So, if I had that self awareness maybe my relationship would be developed? Does anyone else have this issue with their religion? or christian existence?

I used to pray and praise every day, daily rosary’s, divine mercy chaplet. I used to think that God had helped me out, but I feel looking back now, I must have been delusional Because there are a large population of people born genetically advantaged with zero acknowledgement of God, whom have what some would say his blessing. I know that in my current situation in life, I have set back after set back, where genetically stronger people from birth do not have these “Trials”. So therefore, as a result I do not believe in prayer. But I do believe in God, this is quite troubling.
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I’m like you in many ways. A million fervent prayers will never be worth a couple of talents, strong personality, physical strength, a gift to make money, to build a great life for myself and my loved ones. Many here (and elsewhere) will rationalize, saying: easy life down here=unpleasant afterlife (read: hell). In truth, I would think many people who have been given next to nothing at birth will grow bitter with life and God. That’s where I’m at right now. The only solution is to lower our expectations and ask for acceptance of our lot from God. I can’t resign myself to do that. Same with the “trial” hogwash, God is not trying to purify me, test me, the only reason I’m having hardship is simply because I’m weak at all levels. If you’re smart, relatively good-looking, strong personality, learn quickly, are self-confident, what exactly do you have to fear in life? People on forums for social anxiety are not God’s favourites just because they’re having diffculties at every turn, their condition promises difficulties at every turn. I’m expected to believe God loves me every bit as much as that junior high guy who thought I was a subhuman back in the days*, who is/has now what I could have only hoped in my wildest dreams of being/having. He’s not going to hell, I may very well end up there because of my opinion of God.
*Those were awesome days, willed by God for my purification.:rolleyes: God knows a 14 year-old nervous wreck needs a whole lot of purification, any idiot knows that. Yeah, right.
 
Robertanthony said:
I’m like you in many ways. A million fervent prayers will never be worth a couple of talents, strong personality, physical strength, a gift to make money, to build a great life for myself and my loved ones. Many here (and elsewhere) will rationalize, saying: easy life down here=unpleasant afterlife (read: hell). In truth, I would think many people who have been given next to nothing at birth will grow bitter with life and God. That’s where I’m at right now. The only solution is to lower our expectations and ask for acceptance of our lot from God. I can’t resign myself to do that. Same with the “trial” hogwash, God is not trying to purify me, test me, the only reason I’m having hardship is simply because I’m weak at all levels. If you’re smart, relatively good-looking, strong personality, learn quickly, are self-confident, what exactly do you have to fear in life? People on forums fro social anxiety are not god, sfavourites just because they’re having diffculties at every turn, their condition promises difficulties at every turn.
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I think that is what I’m trying to articulate. I find that I get more inspiration now in my life for hope, reading about the work ethics of Arnold Schwarzenegger, or Nepolean Bonaparte. Having learned that much of the system in life is set up to be cheated, but
its never talked about. At least in the educational systems.
Code: 
  Much like, the graduation in Sparta, where the warriors trial, was to kill a slave with out getting caught because murdering a slave was illegal;  but to also return home successful in his tasks to have assassinated a slave to become a fully recognized Spartan warrior.  However I will say, that inspiration from martyrs, have given me strength to endure much more pain, then what I think would normally be tolerated.
Cheers!
 
I hate praying and feeling like I’m talking to nothing and like I’m getting no response.

Some seasons are like that.

However, given the choice between giving up on God or keeping God in my life, I will choose God every time.

Why? Because after a season of going w/out God, I realized his hand was on my life and I didn’t notice until it was gone. I’d prefer not to go through that emptiness again. These days, I thank God for being there, even if I don’t feel him or sense his nearness. I know He’s there and he’s real and I tell him so in my prayers. I will never live my life w/out God again. Period.

Wrestling with God will make your faith stronger, even if you don’t see it right at this moment. I always have to fight God on things because that’s just my personality.
 
I am not the best at putting words on paper but I can understand where you are as I too was also there before. To be honest I am relatively successful for my area of the country but I was truly un happy with life. God does do any harm or evil but he will take the harm from sin to create a good even if we may not recognize it.

A real turning point for me is when I watched the movie “The Way” with Martin Sheen. I was not Catholic at the time but had grown up in born again denoms and thought I had a handle on that area , but why was I so unhappy? Why did I lose my house? I believed in God! I asked him into my heart at 13; but why is this happening to me!
I became agnostic, not sure what the truth was. I found myself agreeing with Bill Maher and the like.
My oldest daughter was a very popular girl with a huge heart then she then went to jr. high and people who were her friends turned on her. Teachers found notes from past friends circulating talking about how they wish she would just die and all other sorts of things.

At the same time was going through a most horrendous time at work and ended a up more or less having a breakdown. I ended up renting that movie and something struck me! Something was so genuine about it. We all know the trials of Charlie Sheen and can only imagine the nights Martin and his son Emilio and other brother, family et all have gone through and from what I understand was a bit of premise as to why this movie was done.

Longer story story short I joined the RCC with my wife and kids about a year ago and have been giving it up to God ever since. I know those bad things that happened were not Gods doing but the healing power that came after was all his doing. Healing waters came over me and although life is far from dreamy it is alive with him.

When things are bad with me I try and remember what was said about the Birds not reap or sow but yet he feeds them. We are on this world but not of it.
Please give the movie a chance, I know it’s on Netflix or can be rented. Another great one is an older play about St. Francis on Netflix that was very endearing also. I will pray for you.
 
Kount_C said:
Thank you for the response. I am just hardened to any forum of prayer being sincere.
I can’t explain it, I feel that life’s reality hit me and I found out how much God is not in my life rather then what I thought he was.
So therefore, I find it absence in terms of helping. If that makes sense
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You need to pray for an increase in Faith for it is impossible to please God without it.
Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

I will ask Our Lady of Good Success to grant you the grace of increased Faith.
 
Kal2012 said:
I hate praying and feeling like I’m talking to nothing and like I’m getting no response.
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I love praying.

I think I used to over do it and it would feel like a chore especially when I left all the praying until before I went to bed when I was tired.

Now I pray more but I enjoy it.
 
Kount_C said:
I think I’ve come into the point into my life where I have Zero faith.
I’m coming to terms with it. I realized that I do not have that special testimony that people have. Where they say. “God got me through this” or " God blessed me" .
So I’m either confused on exactly what that relationship is suppose to be, or I do not have it.
I do not consider myself to be a man, born with any talents. So, if I had that self awareness maybe my relationship would be developed? Does anyone else have this issue with their religion? or christian existence?

I used to pray and praise every day, daily rosary’s, divine mercy chaplet. I used to think that God had helped me out, but I feel looking back now, I must have been delusional Because there are a large population of people born genetically advantaged with zero acknowledgement of God, whom have what some would say his blessing. I know that in my current situation in life, I have set back after set back, where genetically stronger people from birth do not have these “Trials”. So therefore, as a result I do not believe in prayer. But I do believe in God, this is quite troubling.
Click to expand...
I know exactly what you are talking about…Im going thru the same thing, and have been since I was a kid, I was raised in a catholic home, the rest of my family is devout and attends mass regularly, and when I ask them about it, they say they can truly feel a ‘filled up’ feeling after mass, or going to confession, receiving communion, etc, but literally every single time Ive tried praying in the past, I get absolutely nothing, no feelings either way, no sudden inner peace, etc.

There have even been a few times, when i was going thru really bad times and I got down on my knees, in tears, asking God to come into my heart, and life, begging him for help, but again, I got nothing, no response, nothing changed…??

Im at the point of trying to figure out what I should do…Ive always been told if a person sincerely asks God to come into their lives, they are changed and God does come into their life, but I guess I am different, and appears you are too!

The best thing I can think of is to come on a website like this and at least try to get some answers about life, God and w our purpose, and in general, I have learned alot on here and enjoy coming here and discussing the issues, but in my life, Im still at the same point, I still pray often, but have yet to feel anything.

I should also mention, I do not have any problems with my beliefs, as I TRULY believe God is our creator, the creator of the entire universe and died on the cross for us, so it is not my beliefs that are the problem…Im not sure what is though.

Someone on here in the past mentioned a saint that also had literally no feeling or response from God thru her whole life, yet she still kept at it until she died.
 
It is very easy to doubt when things are tough and it doesn’t seem like prayer is resulting in any change. So sometimes a person has to step back and re-evaluate what he/she is doing. Maybe expectations have to change. Prayer can be comforting for its own sake rather than just being something to use to petition God to change our circumstances.
 
I have never believed in the problem shared is a problem halved but where God is concerned it does help.
 
Sunbreak said:
It is very easy to doubt when things are tough and it doesn’t seem like prayer is resulting in any change. So sometimes a person has to step back and re-evaluate what he/she is doing. Maybe expectations have to change. Prayer can be comforting for its own sake rather than just being something to use to petition God to change our circumstances.
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I have not found prayer alone to be comforting, the act of prayer is a request to God to help us in our daily lives, guidance, or with something we are struggling with…if we pray and pray over the years, but still receive no help or answers, it gets to be mundane and useless imo.
 
Prayer is simply conversation with God. I suppose it would be nice if every time we prayed we would experience the “warm fuzzies” that come with answered prayer…especially when the prayer is answered in the way we desire. Unfortunately, we do not always have that experience. In the beginning God’s plan for us was to be more in the “warm fuzzie” zone but the devil and our original parents had other plans. We are living with the results of Adam and Eve’s choice. It’s called “original sin”; and as a result we sometimes find ourselves in the “dark night” that you are now experiencing. You are in good company, many a great saint went through the same experience.
I have found that when I am in that “place” one thing that helps in not to focus so much on my self and my problems and what I should be and force myself to focus on others and what they are going through. It’s kind of amazing how something as simple as a kind word or a simple helping hand that brings a smile to someone who is hurting’s face also helps us forget about our own problems. I sometimes just try to do something as simple as give away something every day to someone…no it’s not a cure all; but it sure helps me feel a little better about myself and my relationship with a loving God that truly wants us to be happy.
 
Lion_IRC said:
Kount C
Do you feel like you no longer need God?
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Hello,

Interesting question; thank you.
No I do not feel that I no longer need God. I feel that in the past, prayer has been more of a delusional babbling and belief. As I have never had one of these relationships where you pray and things work out for you.
I think it is foolish, to think that God is not needed. I feel that God’s absolute laws are infallible in terms of marriage, family, ect. Those things do not exist with out the intentions being in God’s plans.
Code: 
I feel for myself, prayer does not change anything, and in past instances I had been disillusion into thinking that prayer was an answer.
Does that make any sense?
Thank you,
 
So just to continue on.
Is zero faith. then the first step towards athiestim?

I am pretty sure there are no atheist with faith.
 
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