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christian
Im a christian.
But i feel like, i need to do something to make my prayers heard. Or something its really hard to explain, i almost feel like i have no connect with god.
How do i become a "better" christian?
i suppose thats what im asking.
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Dear christian,
I want to preface this by saying this is only my opinion and my opinion is not the most popular one amongst the "God-fearing Christians..." First of all, I want to say that your question is awesome because it shows that you know where you want to go, you're just not sure how to get there and knowing where you want to be is half the battle. Most people have a lot of rules concerning being a Christian. I believe, however, that when you talk to God, he will hear you no matter where you are, what you are saying, etc. The disconnect that you're feeling is just doubt. But the way to get rid of the doubt is let down your defenses a little. Don't believe everything you hear. Believe the things that "feel" right to you. I began my spiritual journey by just sitting and contemplating on...nothing. Just meditating in a sense. Then I began to just thank God and the universe for all the people, relationships and things in my life. Everything I could think of because when you are unsure how to pray, gratitude is a great place to start, and I believe it is actually the highest form of prayer. When you begin to be grateful for everything in your life, an amazing thing begins to happen. Things actually start going better for you, things are easier to attain, relationships mend, all sorts of neat things happen. I believe this is because when you are giving thanks to God, you are essentially showing your belief in him. And with belief, there is no doubt. Just my opinion. But you may want to start out just being quiet with your thoughts first so you can learn to adjust your thinking. A lot of us don't even know what we think about and are at the mercy of our thoughts, which turn into feelings. Start to redirect those thoughts into good things and then begin to thank God for everything in your life. You will begin to feel a great connection and friendship with God, and I feel that this is the most important connection you can make. So, keep the faith! Linda
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First off, God always hears your prayers and yes He may take awhile to answer and it may not be the answer you want, but He always answer.
and, it depends on what you mean.
if my "better" you mean Holier, then know that no one is perfect except God and everyone makes mistakes.... but that's why God sent His son Jesus to die for our sins so we will be forgiven and we don't have to be perfect.
if by "better" you mean knowing more about God, then the best ways to be "better" are:
1) Pray.
2) Read the Bible
3) Go to church (be amongst other believers)
Wishes,
Believin' in Him together and forever,
~**~Kalada Leigh~**~
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This may not be the answer you are looking for but its the best i got..
for me sometimes it takes a really big cry for me to get out everything I want to say to god. and I have conversations some what even though I know I cant hear him that is how I feel he can hear me. I talk to my angels my gardians my loved ones that have passed and to god etc.
Just open your self up. Tell him what you want him to hear and make him hear it.
good luck hun..
I know I might not of helped..
but i tryd
<3maddie
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You jsut have to have faith..dont feel like your the only one..not hearing from God..Abraham didnt hear from God for almost 15 years..then God spoke to him...you just have to have faith...God is hearing everything your saying...read your bible that answers all your questions! There have been many times where im talkin to God...and im like God i need you..i need u too tell me wut am i suppose to do..and he always provides...you dont even know it...but he does...he will never let his children down..or have them feeling lonely! Becoming a better christian means..being strong in the word..know what God can do...and the best way to learn all that is ..READ THE HOLY WORD...well i pray i have blessed u.. be blessed
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Get connected with a good youth group. they can really lead you through a christian life and realize things youve never have before. remember fellowship is important. and just talk to god like hes your best friend. cry to him and say god i really need you this time. he is a very understandible god and you probably have this relationship with him you just havent opened your eyes. and maybe another reason is, is taht you arent following his laws or loving other people. idk. but it does say you can not have a relation ship with god if you do not love his people! and a lil hint the bibles a good place to start but loving his words. and once you start a love for him your relationship will get stronger.
a "better" christian follows his laws and loves his people not just prays to him! hope this can help! ill be praying for you!
<3
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Here are some things that have helped me.
The most important thing we have done in these past few years, is to start using the actual names of God and Christ when praying. This may get a little long, but believe me, this is important.
God's name used to appear nearly 7,000 times in the Bible, but somewhere along the line someone decided His name was too sacred, so they substituted it with the words Lord and The Lord. My personal opinion is that if God didn't want us to use His name, he wouldn't have had it in the Bible 1,000s of times, and indeed, we wouldn't even know His name. It's hard to have a relationship when you can't even call someone by name.
His name appears in the old Hebrew Scriptures as four Hebrew letters, which are most closely represented by the letters YHVH (aka the Tetragammaton). The most accepted pronunciation of this is Yahweh. (sounds like YAH-way).
Try addressing God by His name, Yahweh. He had it in the Bible nearly 7,000 times, that makes me think He would like us to use it.
Here is a link with some more info on that:
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And another discussing why using His real name is a good thing:
[Link](Mouse over link to see full location)
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Next we have the issue with Christ's name. When Christ walked this earth, nobody called Him "Jesus" because that wasn't His name. The name "Jesus" is a twice removed translation of Christ's real name. Which is silly because a name is a name, you're not supposed to translate those. It's kind of like if my name is Sabrina, I don't want people calling me Brittany because that's not my name. I don't care how many thousands of years it's been, my name still isn't Brittany!
Christ's real Hebrew name, what they actually called Him while He was here in the flesh on earth, is Yeshua. (sounds like yeh-SHOE-a). It's sometimes spelled a little differently, depending on who you ask (Yahushua, Yahshua, Y'shuah, Yehoshua), but it's pronounced pretty much the same.
He is also referred to more formally as Yeshua HaMashiach. The last word, (sounds like ha-mah-SHE-ock) means "The Messiah".
I cannot begin to explain how much closer I feel to Yahweh and Yeshua now that I am using Their real names.
If you are more comfortable, you can use both names for Christ when praying. For instance, ending a prayer with something like: "In the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, Yeshua HaMashiach, I pray. Amen."
We personally plan on finding a church where we can be baptized in Yeshua's name, we feel that strongly about it.
For more info on the names, see this link:
[Link](Mouse over link to see full location)
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Though you probably already know this, it's important enough that I'll say it anyway. Yahweh listens to a repentant heart.
"1 Peter 3:12 For the eyes of the Lord [are] over the righteous, and his ears [are open] unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord [is] against them that do evil."
We all do things we shouldn't. We all have wicked thoughts. We have all sinned, and we all struggle against it. That's why we need to humbly repent and ask forgiveness.
Might I suggest that the next time you pray, you repent and ask forgiveness in the name of Yeshua HaMashiach.
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One more thing has to do with your state of mind. Anger and resentment can weigh you down and interfere with your prayers. Let go of any anger or resentments you have. Forgive the ones you are angry towards. We are supposed to love our enemies. Try letting these things go, and forgiving anyone you have a grudge against. Realize that even though you may feel those people don't deserve it, none of us deserve what He did for us, but He did it anyway.
I sincerely hope this helps. If you need anything else, or you would like to provide any further details about what is happening and need an outside opinion about it, email me at DangerWench@gmail.com
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If your church has a choir try joining. I'm no great singer but I sang in the choir when I was in the Army and it helped me so much, especially when I was feeling lost or afraid. At first I only sang on stage with the whole choir and it felt great to be up there singing His praises, but then I started singing or even just humming the songs everywhere! In the barracks, during training, even during live fire exercises and it really made me ,and some of the other men, feel more energized, motivated, and dedicated.
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If you pray to God everynight, you are a GREAT christian. You might feel like nothing is happening, but God is always there. He is constantly helping you in many more ways than you think. Keep praying and thanking God as much as possibe. Also, pray to him everynight before going to bed. Dream good dreams about him and things can't go wrong. You are constatly being helped and saved. Most Christians don't even pray unless they are asked to in church, so you have the upperhand. Plus, God has so many people to care for, you are important, it just might take a while for the responce you are looking for.
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One realizes a very deep connection with God, in my humble opinion, when you realize that God is within you not outside you. That's why I see my heart as my soul, so if I allow my heart to guide my choices, following my heart you might say and allowing its deepest desires to surface and to be met.... then I am one with my God. I'm not a Christian... I haven't read the good book, because my heart is my good book but I do live by the Golden Rule.... and I hope this helps just a little.... I almost died and I was given this second chance and during my recuperation I spent many hourse exploring myself and life and have come up with my perspective on life!!! I wish you well dear heart!
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Okay, I may not be a Christian, but I have experimented with many different religions (including Christianity) and I do know how you feel.
That said, I don't think you can become a better Christian. You have to be the best you can be. If you already feel like you're at a spiritual road block, constantly reading your Bible and just praying isn't going to help. Neither is "putting your heart into it" since you're not sure where your heart is at the moment. I think it would be best to take a break. Don't put so much pressure on yourself to get close to God. God is your Father, He's always watching you. God is everywhere, I don't think it's possible to be any closer to Him than we already are. It's not God you need a break from, anyway. It's the religion. If you do something your entire life it is bound to grow old sometime. Try different things, just to refresh yourself. You may try reading about other religions, or writing in a journal. He won't think any less of you. And about your prayers not being heard--did you ever hear the expression "God helps those who help themselves."? Basically it means that you can't just sit and pray and expect God to fix your problems. You have to sit, pray, think about the situation, and then go out and do something about it.
It also helps to not rate yourself based on other people. Just because they seem like a better Christian than you are doesn't mean it's true. My friend can dance better than I can, but I can write better than her. Like I said, you have to be the best YOU can be.
-tasuki
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you should pray alot..like every night before you go to sleep..read some of the bible, go to church as much as you can. thats a big one. hope i helped!
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Be open and willing to accept God's message. If you have a bible try this: open up to the gospel (in the New Testament, the books: Matthew, Mark, Luke, John) and flip open to a random page and put your finger somewhere on the page. Read the scripture passage (they are usually short). Read it over a few times if you need to, and try to look for a message in the passage. There might not always be one, but whether there is or isn't, try to apply it to your life. Ask yourself: hmm has this happened to me? or can I do this? is there a lesson to be learned here?
I know its in the gospel, but I fogot which book. It goes something like this: "Don't be like the the pharasees and pray out loud in the church to be heard by all. Instead go to your room alone, lock the door, and pray by yourself." Patience and heart is sometimes all you need behind your prayers - whether it seems like it or not, your prayers are always being heard. Hope that helped, feel free to drop one in my inbox if you'd like, good luck.
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Read your Bible...yeah I know it can be boring, but the more you do it the easier it is.Talk to God more.Join in at worship,but really mean it..let it come from your heart.I told my youth group leader your same question and she told me the holy spirit is already working in you, and letting you know you need to get your realtionship with God right..so youre on the right track!Good luck
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