Where for art thou God?

 

Photo Via INSTAPRAY     

     Let's start this one off with a quote. I stumbled across this one recently and immediately connected with it, this post topic has been sitting in my drafts for about a month now and I feel as if God is now giving me the "go ahead" to address this topic, seeing as I am currently experiencing it myself: 

“There are days or weeks or even months when I read the Bible and there are no grand epiphanies.

There are whole seasons of Sundays when I sing praise and feel nothing.

There are times of prayer where the silence kills me.

There are great Christian books and podcasts that I eat up which don’t budge my spiritual life.

There are too many times when I doubt the very existence of God and the sending of His Son. It can all feel like a crazy lie.

I’m probably being too honest — but I’ve found that I’m not the only one who feels this way.

It’s in those times that I ask myself, “Am I out of love with God somehow? Am I losing my faith here? How do I get back to where I used to be?”

But I keep reading my Bible. I keep singing on Sundays. I keep praying. I soak in books and sermons. I serve. I enjoy the company of mature Christians. I enjoy the fellowship of the broken.

And you know what? Sometimes the clouds part and God comes through and His love squeezes my heart and I fall to my knees remembering how good He is. Then I read Scripture and can’t stop weeping and I turn on Christian songs in my car full blast and sing loud enough to scare the traffic. I serve with shaking hands and get convicted by those sermons and soak in God’s goodness all over again.

So I’ve learned over time: I wasn’t really out of love with God. I’m just a fragile human being who changes as much as the weather. I was setting a ridiculous standard for myself that can’t be defined by self-pressuring parameters. I was tricked by the enemy into judging my flesh. My faith is based on His grace and not my feelings. And I think I need to relax.

” 

- J.S Park (Not too sure who J.S. is exactly but that was the only name the quote was addressed under. )

    This quote basically personifies some of how I have been feeling lately... Let's first clarify the fact that I am in no way shape or form wavering in my faith, I have simply been feeling Distant from God in a sense and I know that is probably due to a mass compilation of poor time management and impatience. I pray every day, attend church every Sunday, try my best to read my bible daily as well and apply it to my own life, calm my spirit with worship music and talk to God all throughout the day yet sometimes I can't shake the feeling of distance or as if I'm doing something wrong or not enough. In all honesty, sometimes I feel guilty because of the fact and feel as if I'm, not being a "good enough Christian" not realizing that those thoughts are a blatant lies from the enemy, trying to make me feel as if I am not good enough in God's eyes when in fact that couldn't be farther from the truth.

( Also, I want to make it clear that if any of you Asking/having questions does not mean you are doubting God or are wavering in your faith, It's natural to want to know more especially as a young adult growing in his or her faith, and all the answers can be found in God's word, or by simply asking Him. I also encourage you to find a mature figure in Christ for example a pastor or youth leader and to not be afraid to present them with your questions and I am sure they will be willing to guide you through scripture in order to find answers.You can proceed to ask God for clarity in his word and to provide you with wisdom and understanding of who He is, who you are and what role he wants you to play in his kingdom. If anything, I believe asking questions allows you to strengthen your faith, clarity is something we all naturally long for and God is more than willing to provide you with.) 
One thing I've been asking God for a lot lately is direction and to feel his presence more abundantly and one of the unfortunate things that get me worked up is the fact that I am a part of this "microwave generation", wanting instant gratification and answers to everything, growing anxious when I don't get them. The thing about that is, God doesn't work on our timing, he knows exactly what we need and when we need it; it is our job to have faith in him that he will deliver and have faith in his promise and wait patiently on The Lord, for he will undoubtedly come through for you. God surely has not left me, or you and if you feel distant from him, that may be him prompting you to seek him more and involve him in your daily life much more; God should not have to be fit into your schedule, your schedule should be made around God. Or, this can simply be a test of your faith and your patience. Often times we look for outrageous, over-the-top "Gatsby-like" signs from God as well, like a spontaneous explosion of fireworks spelling out your divine purpose to you in flickering red lights, when in fact, God shows you he is there and working in your life daily in simple ways if you simply look and ask him to reveal himself to you throughout the day. A few nights ago I was unable to sleep so I decided to put on some worship music and and just sit in the presence of God for a while and was finally able to feel his presence just long enough to let me know he is still there and working in my life, enough to keep me going. I put all my worries aside and designated that time to belong to none other than The Lord and I was rewarded with his reassuring presence.
Spend time in his word, continue to pray and have faith in him, I promise you he has not and will never leave you, take his word for it; your obedience will not go in vain. Here on Natvice I strive to be 100% open and honest with all of you in hopes that I'll be able to show to whether it be you reading this or other readers, that they are not the only ones experiencing these things, being a Christian does not equate to being perfect and that is the beautiful thing about it. Despite your flaws, despite every and anything you have done, God's love for you remains the same: at maximum capacity. He wants absolutely nothing but the best for you, please keep that in mind while you are waiting on him, the fact that his plans for you are far beyond anything you can ever imagine, they are worth the wait. Despite how you may feel, continue to serve God wholeheartedly and you will see him work through you in beautiful ways. 
GOD IS ALWAYS ON TIME.
~ Nathia

Jeremy Camp - I Still Believe

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"INSTAPRAY": Jesus takes over social networking.

Photo via INSTAPRAY on Instagram

     Ladies and Gentlemen, I have hit the mother-load. This post just may turn out to be another short and sweet one but I  promise it will be 100% impactful...a life transforming tool if you chose it to be. I can confidently say I have found us all a digital Utopian society.. Okay, well maybe that's not the best analogy but I can definitely say I have found a community I am jumping out of my "burrito-style" wrapped blankets in order to get more and more involved in and am so eager to share it with you all. A few days back I decided to download the "Instapray" app, after following their instagram for a while and seeing it mentioned on their profile. Today, I opened the app, made an account and my heart was instantly warmed and bursting with excitement at first glance, and If you know me you know I am not that easily intrigued. To break it down, Instapray is essentially, a Christian community in which you can go to seek answers, encouragement, prayer, positivity, love and give those same things away to others. As I began to scroll I saw prayer requests, inspirational photos, quotes and lots and lots of nothing but love and support. I then took it upon myself to publish a personal prayer request and almost instantaneously, I received responses; people praying with me, sharing my request and encouraging me and to put it plainly, it honestly made me feel so...happy. It's a simple word and a just as simply feeling but possesses so much beauty. It was so beautiful to see God's people supporting one another and spreading the love in which he instructed us to. Not only that, but It allows you to see that you are not alone in your circumstances and that you have a community of people praying for you and rooting you on, assuring you that whatever you have been led to, God will lead you through. There's just something so touching, seeing "*insert username here* has prayed with you" pop up on your home-screen notifications; much more fulfilling and beneficial than *so and so has favorited your tweet* if I do say so myself. I was in awe of the fact that people who probably can't even pronounce my name (most people can't on first attempt) actually cared for me and my circumstances enough to take time out of their day in order to let me know I am love and they are thinking of me, praying for me. Everyone is open and accepting, non judgmental and willing to listen. It is a place in which we all acknowledge we are nowhere near perfection however, we serve a God who is and has not placed us on this earth to co-exist but to help one another and provide each other with what each of us are lacking. Unity. This community-wide acknowledgment of imperfection allows me to feel so much more comfortable reaching out for prayer and sharing my circumstances with others because I know 1. I have a cyber support system and 2. My story just may help someone else realize the fact that they are not alone and encourage them to stand firm in their faith, that they will soon be brought out of their season. Ultimately, Instpray is a glorious, well-ballanced compilation of Twitter, Instgram and the love of God infused in an app and I am so blessed to now be a part of this uplifting community. Thank you so much to the founder, Fryd for creating such a place of fellowship, love and community.
~ Nathia