Lost the Faith of a Child or Kept the Faith

Reading through religion forums these many years, it seems many people lose faith because they don’t like how God is portrayed in the Old Testament, because they can’t accept the suffering and injuries in this world as something God would do, unanswered prayers, or they cannot see God’s hand in their own life.

What caused you to either keep the faith or lose faith? For me, it was easy to keep the faith because I did notice God’s hand in my own life. Could noticing God’s work be the key in whether a person keeps the faith, and not noticing be the key to lost faith?

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Many, many, many times in my life thus far, I’ve encountered challenges for which I do not have the answer. I pray to The Lord for His Will to be done in my life and to bless me with the tools necessary to overcome. I wish there was a lie detector on this forum in which I could put my finger in so that any and all could witness the truth of what I’m about to say? Each and every time that I can remember, it was like my “personal Red Sea” parting…and it was unexplainable. Observing it, I’d ask myself…was that a miracle? My answer is no…but I concluded it sure was highly improbable. When it happens over and over and over, my faith continues to grow and I then ask myself…how many times does this have to happen before I’d label it a miracle? All I can say is, as I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil. For thou art with me.

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I contend that for many people who say they lost their faith, it’s a loss by their own choice, and not because of reasons you listed. Instead, they use those factors to convince themselves that their choice was a correct choice.

That’s awesome. What makes you more deserving of God answering your prayers versus answering the prayers of a parent of a child dying of leukemia? Kids die every day of leukemia and many of their parents pray.

What makes you deserving of special providence from God yet those parent are not?

This question altered the meaning of his post.

What did Smyrna say he prays for? Not for miracles. He prays for God’s will to be done, and for the ability to overcome what doesn’t go the way he wants it.

And nowhere did Smyrna say that everything he wants, he gets. Likewise, you make a huge assumption that the parents of an ill child does NOT get God’s intervention in their lives.

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I never said nor implied everything Smyrna wants he gets. I think we can all assume that is not true. But Smyrna is crediting God with answering his prayer, perhaps not with miracles but by “parting his personal Red Sea”.

If God sees fit to help clear some of his obstacles and show him the way, He could similarly heal a child. It is within His power. The point is, why does God intervene for Smyra but not for the child?

If you want to say that God intervenes for those parents despite their child dying…good luck on that logic.

I am not “more deserving”. I pray for those parents and although it’s out of my hands, there may be something I can do to help in some small way? That’s what I tend to look for. I’m not comparing who is more deserved of what? We’re all in this together. Let’s help each other along the way as best we can, pray incessantly and give our best efforts to The Lord and our fellow brothers and sisters.

That said, you’re right, my last post to you was too personal and I apologize.

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Again, you are changing the meaning of what he said.

He didn’t say he prays for a parting of his personal Red Sea. He prays for God’s will and for the ability to overcome what doesn’t go the way he wants.

This is now the second time I’ve corrected you on that. Please be more careful about conducting this discussion honestly.

As for the Red Sea, that’s a reference to recognition of some miracle in his personal life. He could have said it’s an epiphany. Or an “Aha” moment. Something unexplainable (which he directly said), just like it was for the Israelites escaping Pharaoh’s chariots. They weren’t praying for that (except for Moses), and in fact they were all over Moses’ case that they were in that predicament. But it happened, and it was the ultimate “Aha” moment for them. Practically an entire chapter of Exodus is dedicated to the song of wonder and praise for that miracle afterward.

Not only through the valley of the shadow of death, but also through the valley of the shadow of indecision. Prayer can be awesome when searching for God’s will in a decision, but I also learned that when there is silence when praying for God’s will in making a decision, it means God is with me through either of the options before me. We not only can trust God when He points us in a particular direction, we can trust Him to be with us when the direction is in our own hands.

Well said. A relationship with God takes not only time, but commitment. One may feel he/she needs a good reason for not committing to such a relationship.

I grew up in a protestant church going family, we would go to Church every weekend, observed the Sabbath, studied the bible, myself and my siblings grew up around church.

What made me lose the faith has nothing to do with the Old Testament, simply as I grew older I could not consolidate the fantastical events of the bible and real life.

No disrespect on the bible or Christianity

It isn’t “more deserving” in your eyes but in God’s eyes. Why would God choose to intervene in some way with you and not intervene with the parents of a child with leukemia? It seems rather random.

That being said, I do agree we are all in this together and helping each other out as much as possible is a great goal.

Most of us learn in childhood that praying for a miracle is the most superficial form of prayer there is. Did you ever pray to be healed from a sore throat, an earache, a rash?

When I was a child, a little girl down the street was dying from leukemia–she was a friend of one of my little brothers. “God, heal Annie from leukemia” and then going about our lives would have been inane. Instead, “God help me to discover something that will bring Annie some pleasure in her illness” made a lot more sense. As Smyrna noted in his post, it is amazing what almost leaps into our hands when this is our prayer. And, also what we can find to lift the spirits of her mom and dad.

Was the Commandment “Do not take the Lord’s name in vain” ever explained to you? It doesn’t just mean don’t swear. It means don’t treat God as a Genii, expecting Him to do our will.

Death is not always punishment, mistakes, evil intentions or random illness. Sometimes “Death” is like a kid being put ahead a few grades in school due to Genius.

Things are not always what they seem.

When put that way it makes it easy to rationalize anything…in the end it is always “gods will” and part of some unseen plan

I see religion to be a way to cope and find comfort with the ugly side of life

Why do people want to see God in large events when the Bible tells us early on that it is not in the huge events we will find God, but in the tiny ones that pass by with barely a whisper?

Further, scripture also points out it is for us to do God’s will, not for God to do our will. What are we doing for those who are ill and infirm? What comes into our lives that we can pass on to others? For example, should I say, “God, please heal him” and go on with my life? Or should I travel miles to bring a loved one something he would enjoy, that would brighten his day a tiny bit? What would God have me do, what is His will? Say a vain prayer or do something?

How did the simple wisdom lose its impact? Such things such as searching for God’s will in the small happenings in daily life; living the Beatitudes, the Commandments; or the peace and inspiration that comes from prayer and scripture?

Maybe I discarded the great miracles at such a young age they never had much impact on me. I mean, it’s great the Red Sea parted, but I lived nowhere near that sea or any other. I did not need wine from water or for anyone to hold up their hands so I could win a great battle. I did not need the walls around a city to fall down or to fell a giant with a sling shot. I did need to learn how to get along in a large family. That is where the Bible handed me many amazing ideas. Who needs a miracle or two when showered with tons of ideas?

They didn’t, I would say they certainly contributed with what I would consider to be a great family. Growing up in the church, taught me a great many things and I am thankful for the moral compass that came from it.

But the belief of some cosmic being which ultimately decides what will happen and when lost its luster.

What you have never seemed to understand is that God does intervene in the lives of the parents and friends of a child with leukemia. The ways are too small to see for those looking for one great event. They seem to see the small events as worthless. And that, I think, is sad.

Only if its his will…it could be that it is his will the child passes

The only thing we can do in prayer is to ask for his will to be done and for the wisdom to understand his will