katDo you feel God?
I think this is something we all struggle with. Maybe you never felt connected to God. Or maybe your connection deteriorated with time. Either way, it’s a really difficult feeling. You literally feel like you’re dying and it’s because in a way you are. God who is the source of love, is like breathing. We can’t live without him.
I’m in that place right now. I’m hoping I will learn a lesson from this. Sometimes the answer comes when you search for it.
It’s like this. Some days you feel like you’re on cloud nine, spewing rainbows and sunshine; it’s like only words of love can come out of your mouth and you feel united with the almighty God. Nothing can stop you! But some days it’s like there’s a cloud following you around dumping a shower of negativity, and it just won’t leave you. Everything feels dark and you can barely get yourself to worship or call out to God. Sometimes you succumb to the darkness. Sometimes you worship anyway.
So what are we to do when we feel this way? What’s the solution?
You do the next right thing (that’s from Frozen, yes!). You cry and you allow yourself to feel whatever you feel in that moment without shame or guilt.
Then you get back up and you fight back. When I feel down I think about why I feel that way and I try to find the root of my pain. It’s very difficult to do that on your own. You need a mediator.
But who?
Make Jesus your mediator.
You need to talk about it. I’ve found the best therapy to be the kind you don’t pay for (haha) and the one that comes from those who genuinely love you and care for you. It’s the best of both worlds. Talking to a trusted family member or friend is great, but the best therapy is direct conversation with God because he will never interrupt you, it’s free, and he can change things for you in the blink of an eye, in a way no one else can.
Sometimes God answers you through your own thoughts during prayer. One time I was praying to God in tears about an insecurity of mine and suddenly the song “Perfect” by Pink came to mind. I hadn’t heard that song in like 10 years! But God suddenly inspired me to think of it. The chorus came to my mind.
“Pretty, pretty please
Don’t you ever, ever feel
Like you’re less than, less than perfect
Pretty, pretty please
If you ever, ever feel
Like you’re nothing, you are perfect to me“
I couldn’t remember the title or the artist at the moment, and yet I found myself singing it during prayer. God told me something he wanted me to know through my own thoughts. You know it’s the Holy Spirit when you are in such a sad state and the thought comes out of nowhere and imbues itself into your mind like a ray of sunshine. It makes all the negative thoughts freeze even if for just one second.
But what if you don’t feel like you can go to God, or you don’t want to speak to him directly? Well, you go to the next mediator in line: God works through people. The best people to go to are people of faith and people who are empathetic. It can be a trusted friend or mentor (emphasis on trusted), or even a pastor; they’re filled with so much wisdom and love. God can really use them to speak to you.
Sometimes we’re upset at God or want direct answers from him immediately. We feel like we pray and pray but God isn’t hearing us!
Did you know God is actually always speaking to us? God is Spirit, however, so sometimes it’s hard to hear him. God is always sending messages to us, things he needs to tell us, through our heart and thoughts. You just have to focus and seek the answer. One time I wrote this story about revelations for my English class. My professor said “Aren’t revelations things that come to you? Not things you seek?” I pondered on his comment.
You see, I realize now he was wrong! You can’t realize something if you don’t try. God can send you signs and messages all day but if you don’t focus, and if you don’t search for him you will never find him. His truth will go over your head because you’re searching in wrong places, looking for a different answer-perhaps a more comforting untruth.
If you don’t try to realize, you will just think of your life and everything that happens as ordinary, or a conincidence. You will not know God is taking action with you. You must know God is always next to you-not just in special times. He’s waiting for you to realize.
So try to realize. When it’s hard to hear him ask him to send the right people. God uses people and speaks through them. He can use them to say just the thing you need to hear. However, always check what they say to you with God through prayer, and make sure what they say aligns with God’s words. Check and check again with God. He can set the right people on your path. That person you meet could be God’s great act of love to you.
By now you might’ve gotten your answer and your heart might be resolved, or maybe it’s not and there are still all kinds of knots in your heart that need untying. Sometimes you think that problem in your heart is resolved, but it comes back months later and you find yourself in a broken state again. Either way, whichever it is, you gotta repeat these steps again and again at every point and stage of your life.
After all, life is made up of ups and downs. You must make peace with this and find the beauty and lesson in every season. Keep a positive mindset and believe that everything is working in your favor, because God wants only the best for you. Believe that! Not because whatever situation you are going through is making you feel ‘favored’ in the moment. No, not for that reason. If you think your suffering means God doesn’t love you read the bible and you’ll be in for a rude awakening. People of the utmost faith are often the ones who suffer the most. Instead, believe because in the end if you work hard and follow God he will make it work in your favor whether on this earth or in eternity. Or believe because you’re just that kind of person. The kind who takes bad situations and turns them into gold opportunities. This is what the Lord encourages us to do.
You’re not going to stay connected with God through just one conversation. Don’t get me wrong, one conversation can REconnect you to God and inspire you, but maintenance is necessary in any relationship. If you yourself don’t maintain your connection with God and take care of your faith, no matter how much people help you, you will lose that connection again. There’s only so much people can do, but with God all things in his will are possible.
The first and perhaps hardest step is to talk to God. You need to converse with God everyday through prayer. But once you do it you’ve done half the work. You will start to feel God. Because you’ve initiated a conversation there will be a response.
After someone gives you advice, listens, or counsels you, then go to God and bring him your grievances, just as you shared them with that person, with that same vulnerable heart. God wants you to feel comfortable confiding to him like you do to those closest to you. He wants you to come to him to the point you start to tell him first, before anyone else. He wants you to go to him first because he’s the one who can solve it best, and it’s only when you pray to him that you will recognize his work in your life once he answers your prayer. It’s only then you will realize his great love and that he is truly always next to you.
That’s on reconnecting your relationship with God. Now I’m gonna go practice what I preach.
Thank you God for helping me figure things out by writing this blog post.
Love to God and everyone,
Kat
Playlist based on today’s blog:
Even When It Hurts-Hillsong Worship
The Next Right Thing-Frozen II
I’m not Alone-Riley Clemmons
Remember-Riley Clemmons
Godsend- Riley Clemmons
Say You Won’t Let Go-James Arthur
BTS-Stay Gold
Unbreakable Smile- Tori Kelly
Be Alright- Evan Craft, Danny Gokey & Redimi2
Do you feel God?
I think this is something we all struggle with. Maybe you never felt connected to God. Or maybe your connection deteriorated with time. Either way, it’s a really difficult feeling. You literally feel like you’re dying and it’s because in a way you are. God who is the source of love, is like breathing. We can’t live without him.
I’m in that place right now. I’m hoping I will learn a lesson from this. Sometimes the answer comes when you search for it.
It’s like this. Some days you feel like you’re on cloud nine, spewing rainbows and sunshine; it’s like only words of love can come out of your mouth and you feel united with the almighty God. Nothing can stop you! But some days it’s like there’s a cloud following you around dumping a shower of negativity, and it just won’t leave you. Everything feels dark and you can barely get yourself to worship or call out to God. Sometimes you succumb to the darkness. Sometimes you worship anyway.
So what are we to do when we feel this way? What’s the solution?
You do the next right thing (that’s from Frozen, yes!). You cry and you allow yourself to feel whatever you feel in that moment without shame or guilt.
Then you get back up and you fight back. When I feel down I think about why I feel that way and I try to find the root of my pain. It’s very difficult to do that on your own. You need a mediator.
But who?
Make Jesus your mediator.
You need to talk about it. I’ve found the best therapy to be the kind you don’t pay for (haha) and the one that comes from those who genuinely love you and care for you. It’s the best of both worlds. Talking to a trusted family member or friend is great, but the best therapy is direct conversation with God because he will never interrupt you, it’s free, and he can change things for you in the blink of an eye, in a way no one else can.
Sometimes God answers you through your own thoughts during prayer. One time I was praying to God in tears about an insecurity of mine and suddenly the song “Perfect” by Pink came to mind. I hadn’t heard that song in like 10 years! But God suddenly inspired me to think of it. The chorus came to my mind.
“Pretty, pretty please
Don’t you ever, ever feel
Like you’re less than, less than perfect
Pretty, pretty please
If you ever, ever feel
Like you’re nothing, you are perfect to me“
I couldn’t remember the title or the artist at the moment, and yet I found myself singing it during prayer. God told me something he wanted me to know through my own thoughts. You know it’s the Holy Spirit when you are in such a sad state and the thought comes out of nowhere and imbues itself into your mind like a ray of sunshine. It makes all the negative thoughts freeze even if for just one second.
But what if you don’t feel like you can go to God, or you don’t want to speak to him directly? Well, you go to the next mediator in line: God works through people. The best people to go to are people of faith and people who are empathetic. It can be a trusted friend or mentor (emphasis on trusted), or even a pastor; they’re filled with so much wisdom and love. God can really use them to speak to you.
Sometimes we’re upset at God or want direct answers from him immediately. We feel like we pray and pray but God isn’t hearing us!
Did you know God is actually always speaking to us? God is Spirit, however, so sometimes it’s hard to hear him. God is always sending messages to us, things he needs to tell us, through our heart and thoughts. You just have to focus and seek the answer. One time I wrote this story about revelations for my English class. My professor said “Aren’t revelations things that come to you? Not things you seek?” I pondered on his comment.
You see, I realize now he was wrong! You can’t realize something if you don’t try. God can send you signs and messages all day but if you don’t focus, and if you don’t search for him you will never find him. His truth will go over your head because you’re searching in wrong places, looking for a different answer-perhaps a more comforting untruth.
If you don’t try to realize, you will just think of your life and everything that happens as ordinary, or a conincidence. You will not know God is taking action with you. You must know God is always next to you-not just in special times. He’s waiting for you to realize.
So try to realize. When it’s hard to hear him ask him to send the right people. God uses people and speaks through them. He can use them to say just the thing you need to hear. However, always check what they say to you with God through prayer, and make sure what they say aligns with God’s words. Check and check again with God. He can set the right people on your path. That person you meet could be God’s great act of love to you.
By now you might’ve gotten your answer and your heart might be resolved, or maybe it’s not and there are still all kinds of knots in your heart that need untying. Sometimes you think that problem in your heart is resolved, but it comes back months later and you find yourself in a broken state again. Either way, whichever it is, you gotta repeat these steps again and again at every point and stage of your life.
After all, life is made up of ups and downs. You must make peace with this and find the beauty and lesson in every season. Keep a positive mindset and believe that everything is working in your favor, because God wants only the best for you. Believe that! Not because whatever situation you are going through is making you feel ‘favored’ in the moment. No, not for that reason. If you think your suffering means God doesn’t love you read the bible and you’ll be in for a rude awakening. People of the utmost faith are often the ones who suffer the most. Instead, believe because in the end if you work hard and follow God he will make it work in your favor whether on this earth or in eternity. Or believe because you’re just that kind of person. The kind who takes bad situations and turns them into gold opportunities. This is what the Lord encourages us to do.
You’re not going to stay connected with God through just one conversation. Don’t get me wrong, one conversation can REconnect you to God and inspire you, but maintenance is necessary in any relationship. If you yourself don’t maintain your connection with God and take care of your faith, no matter how much people help you, you will lose that connection again. There’s only so much people can do, but with God all things in his will are possible.
The first and perhaps hardest step is to talk to God. You need to converse with God everyday through prayer. But once you do it you’ve done half the work. You will start to feel God. Because you’ve initiated a conversation there will be a response.
After someone gives you advice, listens, or counsels you, then go to God and bring him your grievances, just as you shared them with that person, with that same vulnerable heart. God wants you to feel comfortable confiding to him like you do to those closest to you. He wants you to come to him to the point you start to tell him first, before anyone else. He wants you to go to him first because he’s the one who can solve it best, and it’s only when you pray to him that you will recognize his work in your life once he answers your prayer. It’s only then you will realize his great love and that he is truly always next to you.
That’s on reconnecting your relationship with God. Now I’m gonna go practice what I preach.
Thank you God for helping me figure things out by writing this blog post.
Love to God and everyone,
Kat
Playlist based on today’s blog:
Even When It Hurts-Hillsong Worship
The Next Right Thing-Frozen II
I’m not Alone-Riley Clemmons
Remember-Riley Clemmons
Godsend- Riley Clemmons
Say You Won’t Let Go-James Arthur
BTS-Stay Gold
Unbreakable Smile- Tori Kelly
Be Alright- Evan Craft, Danny Gokey & Redimi2
