Have you ever been to the point that it seems impossible to get close to God again?
406097
When I was younger it always seemed so much easier to be close to God. After school I use to sneak into my church and lay under the pews in the sanctuary, leaving poems in the hymnals for people to find during the Sunday service. It was my little bit of quiet time with God. I felt that by being there, in his presence, he was listening to my every word. But now, I am disheartened by the whole "Christian" scene. \n\nI am a good person, I volunteer my time twice a week to causes that I believe in. I work with people with disabilities to help them gain independance. I love my family, friends, and all the people around me.  But people find out that I am a lesbian and all of a sudden I am this horrible awful person who is out to ruin their way of life, molest their children, and kill people. I had bible phrases thrown at me left and right, people telling me that I was going to Hell, that I would never be allowed in their life again. All of these things made me spiral into this horrible depression. I felt like throwing myself in front of a moving train.\n\nBut one day I went to church. I crawled under the pew like I use to when I was younger, and I wrote some poetry. And then, the next day I did it again. And after that first day, I reconnected with some old friends that I had forgotten about, and I left the negative people in my life behind. And I kept doing the things in my life that gave me joy. I stayed up late to count the stars, and I got up early to watch the early morning sun rise above the horizon. And then I remembered that God was there waiting to listen, that all I had to do was talk to him.
843465
I just cant make myself believe it...I tried, tried very hard indeed for years and still could not overcome doubt. I was raised christian but no matter how much I tried to force myself to believe, in my mind I knew it wasn't truth, wasn't reality and sounded more like a fairytale than anything else. I finally gave up and accepted myself for the Atheist I am whose mind was and is apparently not weak enough to throw logic and science out the window and buy into the god theory.
115083
At one point in my life I was really depressed. i'm talking clinical depression here, the kind you get when the chemicals in your brain get mixed up. i was a Christian at this point, but had been drifting away from God.\nanyway, i was standing by my window one day. at this point i was closer to committing suicide then i had ever been, and was contemplating the action right then. as i stood there, i suddenly felt this overwhelming prescence.\ni can't really describe what happened next, (it's too personal) but God came to me. i spent some time in prayer, just pouring out my heart. when i left my room, i felt like a completely different person. everything literally looked brighter.\n5 years later, i'm still following the Lord and couldn't be happier. i really believe that God saved my life that day, both spiritually and physically.
1057974
Not only true for God, but for our mamas who can post bail and get us out of trouble. Sad, but taking an advantage of the love, mercy and grace can only go so far with God.  For even God has His limits. One day that grace period that we are grazing in will come to a sudden halt. Then we would have to ponder, did I acknowledge God in my good times, when I was missing Him or just wanted to let Him know how much I appreciate all that He does in my life? Or do I just take Him for granted?
82842
I DO!!! This world keeps pulling us down doesn't it! But you know, being on Y! Answers has really helped me, here I can praise and worship God(with some fellow Christians and some none Christians) here I get to share my faith. It's great!!! For me the way I get close to God is listening to some really good music, sit down with my Bible, notepad, and pencil, start reading and write away! It's amazing how much more you notice when you write stuff down. God Bless you sister and hold strong to the faith!!!
293692
we are all equally close to god. However, some of us realize this, and others do not. For those of us who realize this, we feel god's closeness. but for the others who are close-minded, god appears far away and distant, when in fact, he is close at hand. Criminals may shun god their whole lives, and yet, when they need saving at some point during their lives, or at the end of their lives, god is there for them closeby. God never forsakes anyone. People can try to mentally distance themselves from him, but he is "omnipresent."
611509
I have had near-mystical experiences (in addition to intellectual reasons) that have contributed to my commitment to God (through what Jesus Christ has done for us on the cross).\n\nI have also had a hundred or more prayers answered by The Christian God (by his kindness and Grace).\n\nI used to be an atheist. Over a period of time however, I grew convinced of the existence of the Christian God, and ultimately committed my life to Christ. \n\nFor a draft-version of my journey from atheism to Christ, see http://www.godsci.org/gs/chri/testimony/seek.html\n\nThe near-mystical experiences are described at the link above (if you are interested).\n\nCordially,\nJohn
103924
As long as you have a breath left in you, you can always turn to God.  God never moves away, it's us that moves away from Him ans He would love to have you back.  All you have to do is relize your sins, confess them, repent and God does the rest.
78531
You can't really lose your faith you can drop it and turn away but you can not lose it. there are times were it feels like he is not there and so you think you have lost your faith but there are ecplamations for this you could just be so used to him being there or you could be pushing him away just keep praying, reading your Bible and growing stronger in God.
699772
well from what i can see alot....praise God.......i have only been a christian for 5 yrs now...there are ups and downs....but i can never nor do i want to go back to the way it was before..i cant imagine my life with out Christ in  it
10213
When do you remember GOD more than ever? When you are suffering...
828379
Did you ever lose your faith?
854737
Aparently something because this happened to me.\n\nSeveral years ago I had an unusual experience concerning an uncle, a distant relative who lived over a thousand miles away. \n\nWhile driving my car I suddenly felt the unmistakable presence of this relative that I hardly even knew. He was more like someone I had heard about than someone I knew. It was very strange; it felt as though I was momentarily lifted right out of my physical body. I seemed to be suspended somehow beyond space and time, bathed in a love so intense It felt like I could have just disappear into it at any moment if It would have let me. It only lasted for a few seconds, but it seemed to last forever at the same time. I realize how crazy this must sound. The experience was so strong that at first I was afraid I was loosing my grip on reality. I finally managed to chalk it up to an over active imagination.\n\nThree days later I got a call from my aunt telling me that this uncle we are talking about had gone into a coma and died the day I had the experience. It felt like ice water had been poured down my back when she told me this. I had lost any real ideas of God or faith and had become somewhat of an atheist. Needless to say this experience caused me to rethink some of the conclusions I had come to. \n\nI feel blessed to now understand that even in our darkest confusion something loves us so much that it went out of its way to assist me and bring me back to a state of absolute certainty about Gods love for us.\nDuring the experience it seemed like there was a vast amount of information that I was somehow allowed access to. One thing that I came away from this experience understanding beyond any shadow of a doubt was that any Idea that God is unhappy with us or would judge or allow us to be punished for any reason is simply impossible. \n\nI can’t explain the love I felt with words. They simply don’t make words big enough or complete enough to do this. The only way I can begin to convey this love to you is to say that there was simply nothing else there. Nothing but love. No hint of judgment, no displeasure of any sort. It is as though God sees us as being as perfect as we were the day we were created. It is only in our confused idea of ourselves that we seem to have changed.\n\n I hope this is of some help to you. Good luck. Love and blessings. \n\nYour brother don
1127499
Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. This is my part testimony. There is far too much to tell it all... it needs a book! \n\nMy first meeting with God was aged eight, I met Him inside a coma lasting months. I awoke, because the ambulance transferring me from one hospital to another, hit a bump in the road. I didn't want to be here, I just wanted to go back to the place I'd just left. \n\nA place, that was like no other place I've ever known before or since. Where love, and peace and joy, is so complete and pure, it affords us all the answers to all the questions, that you never knew you'd asked. It makes everything about us whole, and there is no feeling like it. Nothing in this life can ever match it. \n\nIt is the most non-judgemental love, forgiving and accepting, enveloping and safe, and without anybody telling me, I 'knew', I just 'knew', this was heaven, and I was in the arms of my Father, God. \n\nYet no one ever spoken in my home of God. Because, as I would learn much later, my dad was a serious atheist and mum was excommunicated from the Catholic Church, for marrying out. Religious believe, was a serious no go area in our home. \n\nI already had a happy disposition as a child, despite being bullied at home by older siblings. But, that first meeting with God (of many more since) would ensure, not only that I kept my optimistic and trusting nature, throughout many more varied and serious personal trials to come, it would afford me Faith... that would last forever. \n\nYou see, though the 'place' visually faded from my mind's eye, though the physical world intervened again and hurt me often, God allowed me to keep the 'vivid memory of the feelings' I had on the instant I awoke. In effect, He afforded me, the 'memory of the reality', which is, far more real to me, than anything in this sphere to this day. \n\nIt did and does, still afford me the personal knowledge and certainty of God's existence, of His love for me, of His constant protection, of an invisible shield, that stays around me forever. And I have never doubted since, though believe me, there is a power that tests me, to try and make me doubt, always trying to destroy my faith. But it never will. Though it never misses a trick. \n\nI am no one special. This shield is also yours to share. \n\nMy second experience of meeting God came through meeting Jesus, at age thirteen years. I was to discover exactly what the trilogy meant at a very young age. It was when I was asked by a friend to take her place teaching under fives at Sunday School one day, because she was away. \n\nI had never been to sunday School, let alone understood what the heck it meant. But I went in and did what she had said to do, read the nativity story to them from the bible, then let them draw a picture, then gave them stick on stars. \n\nBut I was troubled, I didn't think I was qualified to do what I was doing, I felt a burden of responsibilty for the children's hearts, what if I had done it wrong. \n\nI went home and pulled out the Bible that I'd never really read before (free school edition, supplied to all of us by the Gov back then) because, my Catholic Bible argued too much with C of E version when we had to do RE in class and read aloud. The teacher got fed up and was unable to answer my myriad questions about the differences. And, not least, I could not, would not, reconcile an angry old testament God, to the loving God I'd met. I was a rebel. \n\nSo, I stared at thirteen to read the story of the birth of Jesus, and I got caught inside His entire life, then through the whole of the New Testament, I couldn't put it down. \n\nIn between, when I had reached the crucifixion, I was on my knees in tears, wanting to be there, wanting to prevent it, angry, hurting, because this wonderful man had done such wonderful things and loved, even inhis dying, he forgave. \n\nAnd this man suited my heart, he felt as I felt about everyone,
610074
sure...i've been giving things up for God that i feel were keeping me away from Him or causing me to stumble...and now satan is trying to attack me in another area. i'll leave it anonymous..but please pray. :) thank you very much for that wonderful question...reaching out to others is very godly and sweet.
1001705
I know what it is like to be in your situation. I was away from God for a while last year, but God brought me through it. Just study your bible. I have found that it contains much more revelation then the typical sermons. I dont know of any churches in that area, but look around. I think if you are truly studying your bible,you will get back on track.
1085412
God showed these people that you can't get near Him in our own effort we have to go to God His way not ours