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Hi, is it normal to be afraid of praying to god ? Because everything that I prayed for He always gave the opposite things. I know we cannot think prayer as atm machine where we only ask without effort and hardwork. Its just that everything that I ve been working for all these past years now suddenly falling apart. And whenever I prayed to god the bad news keep bombing. Am I really that bad and so low that god is treating me like garbage?
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It seems you do not understand the very purpose for which God has given prayer. God does not bear witness to the prayers of those who, while serving Him mixed with the world and material things, ask only for family problems, business problems, workplace problems, relationship problems, children’s problems, or health problems to be solved. In other words, a fleshly faith that seeks only one’s own happiness, blessing, success, and prosperity is not the work of God but the work of demons. Depending on what one seeks, either God works or demons work. The works of demons disguised as though they were God are revealed in those who seek the lust of the eyes and the pride of life. Therefore, we are commanded to seek the love and righteousness that follow God’s love, not to seek our own lusts and desires. Truth is to lead us to receive the power of God that comes by pursuing His love.
That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness; Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:(Colossians 1 : 10~14)
God is love. He rules over us, guides us, and works in us in order to lead us into the kingdom of love. Therefore, fleshly faiths that can only conceive sin, which is contrary to love, are merely for one’s own blessing, happiness, and success. Such faith can never bring about repentance that results in being born again, changed, and transformed.
Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.(1 John 4 : 7~8)
Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him. Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous. He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.(1 John 3 :6~10)
But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness. I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness. For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness. What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death. But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life. For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.(Romans 6 : 17~23)
God is love. Those who abide in love do not commit sin and are also set free from sin. All the forms of Christianity that endlessly repeat sin until death—sinning and repenting, sinning and repenting—are nothing more than the repetition of meaningless repentance. This is not the faith of Christ. The faith of Christ is not to commit sin.
When I repeat sin and feel fear before God, this is natural—it is the same as confessing that I am a sinner. To repeat sin is evidence that one is not fully abiding in God. It is God who is holding such a person, not that the person is truly believing in God. Yet Christians are under the illusion that they are disciples of Christ.
Without living the life of Christ, they pursue the life of the flesh, spending their entire lives repeating sin and repentance. This proud and false faith is rationalized and excused as though it were the faith of Christ, and its result is utter ruin. Such people only grow old bearing fruit of depriviation, emptiness, and anxiety.
The faith of Christ is one in which abundant liberality, overflowing thanksgiving, and the deep humility of continually recognizing oneself as a sinner are engraved in the heart. A faith that merely understands and realizes in the mind is a dead faith, for it always turns back to pursue only desires of self-interest within relationships of gain. Therefore, all Christians alike remain unable to escape the faith of the flesh that inevitably repeats sinning and repenting, sinning and repenting.
For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.(Titus 2 : 11~14)
By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope: And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.(Romans 5 : 2~10)
Christ said to take up the cross and follow Him. Only the one who denies even his own life and everything in it, and sets the hope of Christ—pursued through the love of God—as his goal, can experience the power revealed in God’s love, breaking free from the members and habits that make it inevitable to repeat sinning and repenting. Therefore, when He commands all who are in the flesh to repent, He is speaking to you.