Jeremiah 29:11

@suzianne said
Do you really think one can pray effectively "without faith"?

Faith that God exists?
Faith that He hears prayers?
Faith that He will answer?

I'm okay with the first two, but not so much that He answers. I explained some doubts in my previous post.

@chaney3 said
Faith that God exists?
Faith that He hears prayers?
Faith that He will answer?

I'm okay with the first two, but not so much that He answers. I explained some doubts in my previous post.

How big is God in your eyes, how powerful, how loving, how faithful, how
knowledgeable? Can you know God?

@sonship said
@divegeester

After these things the word of the Lord came unto Abram in a vision, saying, “Fear not, Abram. I am thy shield and thy exceeding great reward.”
Gen 15:1

The promise is that God Himself is the reward.
That's a reward. Right ?

“Fear not, Abram. I am ... thy exceeding great reward.” (See Gen. 15:1)

Yes, that is correct. That is what the scripture says.

@chaney3 said
In Dive's case yes. He is one of the only Christians on this forum who, by use of his words, doesn't really act like a Christian.

Yes I’m a rubbish Christian.

Are you aware of the analogy of the potter and the clay from the bible? I am honest and forthright I’m my posting and I try to be so all the time. Honesty and forthrightness are no substitute for the spirit of Christ, I will absolutely concede that.

I am aware that I am clay in the potters hand but I don’t subscribe to the idea that when the potter throws away the clay because it has become unworkable that he is throwing away the person. The clay is a metaphor for something else, it is the person’s pride of life, of self, the old man which clings to us like a corpse we drag around. I am aware that the hand of the Lord is upon me, but scripture tells me not to be fearful even though I may be...

Deuteronomy 31:8
The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.

Proverbs 3:12 (try all of proverbs 3)
The LORD disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in.

These scriptures were not written contemporary with your or my existence, but they are still for you because if the spirit quickens them, brings them to life inside you. The book is just a book, it has no power in itself.

I will be bold here and say that the Jeremiah scripture is exactly for you chaney3. I will go further and suggest that you even feel that it is, but you are fearful to believe it. If so try not to be, because at those moments when the spirit of Christ touches your life he is irresistible.

@chaney3 said
Faith that God exists?
Faith that He hears prayers?
Faith that He will answer?

I'm okay with the first two, but not so much that He answers. I explained some doubts in my previous post.

Ponder this for a moment.
God knows everything, God is everywhere, God is All powerful, God is eternal
without beginning or end. So when Jesus came because the Father sent Him He
knew you, He even knew you at your worst, while we were all sinners Christ died
for us, died for you. If He did this for you, for us why would He close His ears to
your prayers? Can you trust Him with whatever answer He gives, no, wait, or yes?

@chaney3 said
Faith that God exists?
Faith that He hears prayers?
Faith that He will answer?

I'm okay with the first two, but not so much that He answers. I explained some doubts in my previous post.

Seems you simply have doubts about veracity of the dogma in which many Christians believe. Seems truth is more important to you than it is to them. They believe the dogma because it's self-serving system of beliefs. They delude themselves into believing that darkness is light because it's self-serving to do so.

@thinkofone said
Seems you simply have doubts about veracity of the dogma in which many Christians believe. Seems truth is more important to you than it is to them. They believe the dogma because it's self-serving system of beliefs. They delude themselves into believing that darkness is light because it's self-serving to do so.

Judging the beliefs within other's hearts? You know what is the motivation in other's
hearts? You know why they do the things they do, you accuse plenty of doing
things for self-serving interests. You have no clue, none-what-so-ever, yet you bad
mouth others as if you do.

@kellyjay said
Judging the beliefs within other's hearts? You know what is the motivation in other's
hearts? You know why they do the things they do, you accuse plenty of doing
things for self-serving interests. You have no clue, none-what-so-ever, yet you bad
mouth others as if you do.

The dogma that many Christians believe IS a self-serving system of beliefs. That's
just a fact.

That many Christians believe the dogma because it's self-serving system of beliefs is a more than reasonable conclusion to draw.

@thinkofone said
The dogma that many Christians believe IS a self-serving system of beliefs. That's
just a fact.

That many Christians believe the dogma because it's self-serving system of beliefs is a more than reasonable conclusion to draw.

Giving your life over the Lord is not self-serving, walking as a living sacrifice is not
self-serving. You again, do not know what is in other's hearts, yet you judge them
as if you have some insight only God has.

@divegeester said
Yes I’m a rubbish Christian.

Are you aware of the analogy of the potter and the clay from the bible? I am honest and forthright I’m my posting and I try to be so all the time. Honesty and forthrightness are no substitute for the spirit of Christ, I will absolutely concede that.

I am aware that I am clay in the potters hand but I don’t subscribe to the idea that wh ...[text shortened]... not to be, because at those moments when the spirit of Christ touches your life he is irresistible.

I'll get personal here, even though I'll likely regret it.

I have not prospered in this life, and much disaster has come my way.

Now.....either it's all my fault through bad decisions, and self will, or God was not speaking to me in that verse.

Either way, the question remains, can my free will ruin God's supposed good plans for me?

@chaney3 said
I'll get personal here, even though I'll likely regret it.

I have not prospered in this life, and much disaster has come my way.

Now.....either it's all my fault through bad decisions, and self will, or God was not speaking to me in that verse.

Either way, the question remains, can my free will ruin God's supposed good plans for me?

A few years back my family made meticulous, though secret, plans for my birthday (40th) which I managed to ruin by going out after work with some colleagues for a drink and turning off my work mobile.

So yes, good plans can be ruined by the free choices we make.

@chaney3 said
I have not prospered in this life, and much disaster has come my way.

Now.....either it's all my fault through bad decisions, and self will, or God was not speaking to me in that verse.

Either way, the question remains, can my free will ruin God's supposed good plans for me?

You've boiled it down to only two possibilities. But there is another boiled-down possibility: that there is no god or "God" or gods that have interacted or interfered with you, or directed you, or planned anything for you, or that expects anything from you. There is the hard boiled possibility that no such deity has revealed it her them himself to humans.

@ghost-of-a-duke said
A few years back my family made meticulous, though secret, plans for my birthday (40th) which I managed to ruin by going out after work with some colleagues for a drink and turning off my work mobile.

So yes, good plans can be ruined by the free choices we make.

Your story is a perfect example of the dilemma of believers:

God may have plans for us, known only to Him, as was the case with your family, but because those plans are unknown to us, we have NO choice but to live our lives the best we can and make decisions accordingly.

The dilemma always is trying to figure out if your decisions somehow align with "God's will". Mine have not.

***I knew you meant newspaper. 😀

@chaney3 said
Your story is a perfect example of the dilemma of believers:

God may have plans for us, known only to Him, as was the case with your family, but because those plans are unknown to us, we have NO choice but to live our lives the best we can and make decisions accordingly.

The dilemma always is trying to figure out if your decisions somehow align with "God's will". Mine have not.

***I knew you meant newspaper. 😀

I know sir, and I am genuinely sorry to hear things have not worked out for you in life. (Still time though to turn things around).