The Cry Of My Heart.

[Jonah]

I do feel that god has changed me in some respects over the past few years and I'm grateful. But I still feel no motivation to live for god, and my prayer for salvation seems unanswered. I have tried not to lose hope and I pray a lot, but I feel almost ignored. Whoever comes to Jesus is welcomed, but I don't really know what it means to come to Jesus. I understand it means loving and believing in him and repenting, but I repent with no feeling of guilt or remorse in my heart. I pray that God would show me myself, and he doesn't. It does worry me. I feel as if I want Jesus for the wrong reasons like I just don't want to go to hell. I ask god to change my veiw of things and... nothing. I sometimes feel hopeful and inspired, but most of the time I just pray/ worship without meaning.
Please help,
Jonah

 

[imajw4life]

The right prayers

I do feel that god has changed me in some respects over the past few years and I'm grateful. But I still feel no motivation to live for god, and my prayer for salvation seems unanswered. I have tried not to lose hope and I pray a lot, but I feel almost ignored. Whoever comes to Jesus is welcomed, but I don't really know what it means to come to Jesus. I understand it means loving and believing in him and repenting, but I repent with no feeling of guilt or remorse in my heart. I pray that God would show me myself, and he doesn't. It does worry me. I feel as if I want Jesus for the wrong reasons like I just don't want to go to hell. I ask god to change my veiw of things and... nothing. I sometimes feel hopeful and inspired, but most of the time I just pray/ worship without meaning.
Please help,
Jonah

My heart went out to you when I read your post. 1 John 5:14 comes to mind. "This is the confidence that we have toward him, that, no matter what it is that we ask according to his will, he hears us." To have confidence, however, you must first know God's will. Then be sure that your requests are in harmony with it. I hope this helps.

 

[LoveStory]

Dear @Jonah,

Jesus didn't die on the cross to make the perfect and godly righteous [right standing with God]. Jesus died to make the ungodly righteous [right standing with God]. (Romans 4:5) Coming to Jesus means to receive the free gift of righteousness [right standing with God] and grace [unmerited favor with God] through our faith in what Jesus did for us on the cross [salvation]. God's love for you and me is based completely on HIM and HIS promises and work; not ours. (John 3:16, Ephesians 2:8)

The conscience, which calls for punishment when you fail [or sin], has in truth been silenced by the blood of the Lamb of God (Jesus), who was punished and judged in your place. (Hebrews 10:2)

God's love is not just a theological concept; God's love is an emotion that you can feel in your heart and one of the easiest ways to feel God's love is to surrender your heart completely to him in worship and thankfulness for what Jesus has done for you [salvation]. Fill your heart with psalms full of God's love and grace; or you can just sing the children’s song, "Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so." The "Jesus loves me" song is simple and powerful. BELIEVE not just with your mind, but with all of your heart that God loves you and that all of your sins are forgiven [past, present, and future]; you are completely and irrevocably forgiven. You cannot lose your salvation; BELIEVE Jesus died for all of your sins forever.

You may not have ethereal feelings all of the time and that's perfectly normal; many people don't.

No matter how many mistakes you make, God has unconditional love for you. He is always with you and always for you. God hears your prayers; sometimes they may take a while to answer, sometimes the answer is 'no', but realize God does have your best interest at heart, and he works all things together for your good. (Romans 8:28)

I hope this truth imparts faith, hope, and love in your heart.

You will not be forgotten by Me. I have wiped out your transgressions like a thick cloud and your sins like a heavy mist. Return to Me, for I have redeemed you. Shout for joy, O heavens, for the LORD has done it! Shout joyfully... Isaiah 44:22-23

 

[Jonah]

Thank you very much both of you, a real incouragement, I do need to imbrace gods grace more, and I have felt that.

 

[Brighthouse]

Brother Jonah. Feel like you are inside of a great fish and cannot get out?? What does it take for a man to look at his own heart, and make a change? Indeed good brother!! Indeed! It took this for me as well bro! I spent so much time complaining and running I did not have time to spend with the Lord,because good brother I really did not wish to spend the time! Why brother if I would of, I would not have any excuse! But the Lord himself brought me to a place i could not run from any longer,and was in to much confusion to complain either! LOL

The difference in our lives is measured by how mature we wish to become,both in life and in Spirit. For without Holy Spirit our life not only seems unbalanced, but is! We wish to find a way ourselves! I sure did! For many years i blamed other people for my problems, like well they told me to do this or that,so it is there fault I am in the mess i am in! But why would I pay attention to someone who's own life is a mess? And what am I prepared to do myself to change in the first place? So I took a real hard look at myself in the mirror bro, the mirror reflects upon you what you believe you are seeing,namely yourself,but the Word of God goes beyond a mere reflection,Jesus goes straight to the heart of man!( 1 sam 16:7)

And if we have enough courage to see what he sees,then and only then can we be willing to be released from the fishes mouth. The name Jonah means dove,and seems he was always fleeing, as many of us do.( Jonah 1:1-3) Even though he ran as we do,the Lord who has chosen you, goes with you as well!verse 17 Jonah had no place to run to now!

The Lord waited with Jonah for 3 days and nights! until Jonah came to an end of himself! Same was true with me bro but the Lord waited for 22 years for me!! hehe When Jonah understood why, and for the purpose of him being where he was at,he was now ready for the Masters hand to touch him,and in chapter 3:1-3 Jonah had his wings cut off and he had no more doubt or fear but he could only do what all of us must learn and mature in!! Depend upon Jesus in every area of our lives!( 1 cor 12:20) Now dwell on this!!

You have been in a great fishes mouth for three days and nights,the acid from the fish must of turned poor Jonah almost pure white!,perhaps a bit of seaweed was hanging from his hair as well,and when the people saw Jonah and heard the words of the Lord from Jonah, they repented!! Who wouldn't!! LOL( Jonah 3:5-10) Now Jonah is not done being upset either!! He is still, like many of us, in development!!( phil 1:6) Jonah 4:1-3) Jonah had forgotten something very important! Jonah life was spared!( jonah 4:5) He waited 40 days for Nineveh to fall!

Why should the Lord not also spare Nineveh?( jonah4:9-11!!) A final touch of irony as if to say, Jonah even if you approve of the destruction of hundreds of thousands of people,think of the waste of livestock that would be involved! LOL The point!

How long we choose to stay in the fishes mouth depends greatly upon how important Jesus wants to become in our lives! When you are chosen by God( john 15:16) God's love has no limits to saving you, first from yourself,then to others as well,to become a beacon of his light, so all those around you can bear witness to Christ's true love just for you brother Jonah!!( matt 5:14-16) My life now has great purpose brother,and so do my words,for if I believed for one second that the Lord was through with you,do you think I would write to you??

I do not write to you hoping Jesus will move upon you brother, I know he already has! And so do you! The biggest and greatest lie I ever told was to myself good brother! I will try?? What did try ever do for us brother?? We do, or do not! Try is a lukewarm word,a word used with expectation to fail at something!Another words doubt! And we all know what happens to lukewarm people!( rev 3:16)

We good brother are indeed without excuse!( rom 1:20!) try is an excuse! SO!! We deal with reality brother,for if we do not,our lives are indeed a dream,a dream never fulfilled because we ourselves never look to become completed!( phil 1:6) I truly know the Lord has something wonderful in store for you brother,I do not waste words! it starts by becoming humble rather the arrogant( rom 12:3) It starts by receiving Jesus love for you,so that you now have something to give another through him,it starts by waking up from our sleep!!( rom 13:11-14!!) It starts today brother!! God bless you!! Jesus loves you, as so do we all here!!

 

[RJ]

I do feel that god has changed me in some respects over the past few years

In what ways has he changed you?

I repent with no feeling of guilt or remorse in my heart

That is not repenting!

but most of the time I just pray/ worship without meaning.

It sounds like you are lost.

 

[mecco]

Hello Jonah!

I didn't read all of Brighthouses post (it was too wordy) but he has a good point...

"I did not have time to spend with the Lord because, good brother, I did not wish to spend the time."

when I was very young, I started getting up at 5:30 to "pray"...which was really mumbling in my half sleep, but it was a discipline that has grown into wonderful prayer experiences.

Some people devote whole "Sabbaths" to contemplate God, some, like me, do it every day in little bits. But make sure God has a place in your schedule...a God time.

He is working in you, but not the way He is in someone else. He is creative like that.