Forum - Community - Help from fellow Christians... Come here to tell stories, chat, and pray as fellow believers! | BraceletBook

Help from fellow Christians... Come here to tell stories, chat, and pray as fellow believers!

Reply

Cassie989 Bracelet King	2 weeks, 3 days ago by Cassie989 Hi, I'm having a bit of trouble, and I pray that people are able to find this and help me out with my walk with Jesus. First, a bit about me and my struggles: 1. I'm Cassie, 17 years old, and live a pretty simple life. I have been homeschooled my whole life (just about to graduate) and have always lived in a Christian household. My parents have always been pretty private about their faith with others but open with all of us which included Christian cartoons, Biblical school curriculums, and just having open conversations about God at any given time. Unfortunately, by the time I was 14, I hit rock bottom. I was lying, rebelling, and struggling with saul immorality. Once I turned 15, I had a pretty bad secret and kept it from my parents for almost a whole year. During it, I started to see God peeking through aspects of my life and I eventually prayed and got the courage to tell my parents about what I was keeping from them. After that, I was inspired to start going to church, doing Bible study (trying), listening to podcasts, getting rid of negative secular music, etc. Ever since then, my life has been so much better, but I feel like I am still missing something. Many people I talk to and hear about say how they were "transformed" by God through studying his word and built "relationships" with him. Where do I even begin? I want a relationship with Jesus but have no clue how to study the Bible without a devotional. I want to pick up the Bible, read, pray, and really meditate on his word but have no clue where to start. Would any of you tell me about your Bible study tips and how you do it for someone who may struggle to understand it like myself? Will this help me love the Lord with all my heart? How do I take time each day to study and stay on track? 2. Currently, I am also struggling with opinions from other Christians about what you should and shouldn't do as a Christian. I constantly see videos/ articles online about people's opinions on traditional vs contemporary Sunday services, which denomination is the best, Catholics are or aren't the true Christians, Christians shouldn't or should celebrate Christmas, etc and it is causing me so much anxiety that I question my faith sometimes. I want to be on the right side, not the wrong side but I have no clue which is right, wrong, or whatever!? Not to mention, people pull out Scripture to support all of these arguments so how can I consult the Bible? It's just really hard. I'm new to all of this. What can I do to help relieve the anxiety and worry? 3. I struggle with patiently waiting for prayers to be answered. How can I cope with this? 4. (WARNING: THIS IS PERSONAL BUT I REALLY DO NEED SOME GUIDANCE) For many years I have struggled with same-gender attraction and having bisual tendencies. Even to this day, I struggle and feed into these desires and it has led to addiction and an anxiety reliever. I have prayed to stop but it is still taking over. I desire to marry one day and have children, but this stupid sin is getting in the way, and I am really afraid. This has been something I have kept between God and I, but I feel better about getting this out to fellow believers who may be able to help me. Thank you for reading my story and problems and I pray this reaches many fellow believers. If you can't help me with these, I do ask that you please pray for me, and I will take any prayer requests for people who need it also. Feel free to share your stories too! This is a safe place to chat and talk as fellow believers. ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ❤️God be with you.
martha9999 Bracelet King	2 weeks, 3 days ago by martha9999 You can have faith in many ways. My poster just reached a sermon on Rahab. She has very imperfect faith she was a prostitute living in a terrible city, and God still helped her and saved her. I struggle with many of the same things you do. This story really helped me, and I would recommend reading it. As for the bi feelings thing, I don't support open displays of that kind of stuff. But it's not a sin to have them, I know many Christians who are gay, have always been like that, and just didn't get married. God always had a plan, and I hope peace finds you soon ❤️
2006_Mandy Bracelet King	2 weeks, 3 days ago by 2006_Mandy Personally I think that the best way to not feel stressed is to turn it all to God. People will tell you that as Christians you can and can't do this or that but with God those things shouldn't seem like rules that we dread having to follow but rather God's guidelines for our lives. Even if you think that God does not approve of certain things you do not need to go yelling in peoples faces that what they are doing is wrong because the only judge of our character is God. I don't see my faith as a burden because I believe that by following scripture I am following my creators will for me.
2006_Mandy Bracelet King	2 weeks, 3 days ago by 2006_Mandy Also as humans its natural to struggle with sin and to do things wrong but putting our trust in God can help. Even if it doesnt seem like hes answering your prayers now he does care for you and he does have a plan for your future.
Penguins24 Bracelet King	1 week, 5 days ago by Penguins24 I totally understand where you are coming from! I think that the most important thing you can do is pray to God and talk to him like you would talk to your best friend. As far as all the different opinions go, I would encourage you not to focus on all the debate too much. Sometimes scripture can be taken out of context or twisted, but the way that i see it, if it is not a “salvation issue,” it probably isn’t worth debating about.

BraceRacer Professional	1 week, 5 days ago by BraceRacer I completely understand what you are going through, I have grown up in a Christian family and have grown up with that light in my home and have experienced many of the same trials you have been experiencing, have you ever read anything by C.S Lewis? His life story is incredible and he also struggled with some of the same things you mentioned, his books are often very direct but have many important truths that are necessary to understand as a Christian. His books that I would recommend are: “The screwtape letters” this one helped me understand just how satan uses temptation, and how we can overcome it. “Mere Christianity” much of what I understand about Christianity and god can from this book. I really admire your strength in opening up about this, and your desire to turn to God, and as C.S Lewis put it: “Failures, repeated failures, are finger posts on the road to achievement. One fails forward toward success.” We will fail, that’s the point of our human existence, to learn the true value of repentance, if we never fail, we wouldn’t need God, Christ suffered for all of us, and everything we have ever done, it is our choice whether to accept it. In 3rd Nephi 18: 10-11 when Jesus is speaking to his disciples he tells: “And when the disciples had done this, Jesus said unto them: Blessed are ye for this thing which ye have done, for this is fulfilling my commandments, and this doth witness unto the Father that ye are willing to do that which I have commanded you. And this shall ye always do to those who repent and are baptized in my name; and ye shall do it in remembrance of my blood, which I have shed for you, that ye may witness unto the Father that ye do always remember me. And if ye do always remember me ye shall have my Spirit to be with you.“ If you are willing to live his commandments then you can access his power, and through your earnest efforts you can come unto him, and be perfected in him, and have his spirit to be with you, even if you do not always measure up. God loves you, unconditionally. And it is his earnest desire to have you return to him, seek him in prayer and he will answer, and it may not be in the way you expect. I will pray for you! ❤️❤️❤️
Penguins24 Bracelet King	1 week, 4 days ago by Penguins24 @BraceRacer is 3 Nephi in the book of Mormon???
BraceRacer Professional	1 week, 3 days ago by BraceRacer @Penguins24 yes it is!
ElinBeck22 Bracelet King	1 week, 3 days ago by ElinBeck22 I'll be praying! I've felt that feeling too just pray I can't say what u need to do u just need to pray and it'll get better ♡♡♡

Reply