Im Done With God? Best 191 Answer

Do you worry that you have angered God? Or do you want to confirm if He is angry with you? This could be a worrying thought and needs to be addressed urgently. The last thing you want is to be outside of God’s favor.

What Makes God Angry?

Before we confirm whether or not God is angry with you, let’s first find out what makes Him angry. What could a man do to anger a loving God?

Sin makes God angry. He gets upset when his people disobey his commandments and choose to live apart from his will. When people do evil and unjust things in his eyes, he is saddened.

Genesis 6:5-6 reveals: “The Lord saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time. The Lord regretted that He had made man upon the earth, and his heart was deeply troubled.”

In these verses in Genesis, it was mankind’s wickedness that caused God to repent for creating them. Because of this, He sent the great flood and destroyed everything except those in Noah’s ark.

As you study the Bible, you will learn about the various sins that God hates. By acquiring this knowledge, you can avoid displeasing the Lord.

Signs of God’s wrath

If you think you’ve done something wrong — or aren’t sure — and want to know if God is mad at you, you can check the following signs.

1. God is silent.

Have your quiet times been dry lately? A quiet time is a moment you spend with God that involves reading His Word, praying, and worshiping Him. If you’re not enjoying your quiet times lately—because you don’t seem to be getting anything out of what you read in the Bible and your prayer time is dry—then maybe God is choosing to be quiet.

If God is silent to you, there may be sin that is causing the gulf between you and the Lord. He hates sin and is not content with a person who knowingly continues to sin against him.

2. You no longer feel guilty about your sin.

If you are a true believer, the Holy Spirit is in you. It helps you discern what is right and wrong before the Lord. He warns you whenever there is temptation or danger. And He brings you to repentance whenever you have sinned.

A Christian with an unfeeling heart to sin has turned his back on the Lord. If you can’t feel guilty about something you know to be wrong, God must be angry with you for choosing sin over obeying Him.

3. They keep tripping over Bible verses that call for repentance.

Do you keep coming across verses about repentance lately? If you sin consciously, they really are meant for you. They could be a warning of God’s wrath. He may be angry, but he’s still merciful. So it is not surprising when he gives you opportunities to repent and turn to him again.

2 Peter 3:9 says, “The Lord is not slow in fulfilling his promise, as some think it is slow, but is patient with you, desiring not that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”

4. You are humbled.

If pride is the sin keeping you from God, expect Him to do something about it. The Lord despises the proud and exalts the humble. Don’t be surprised if he has allowed you to embarrass yourself in front of others because you are proud. He will never tolerate pride.

James 4:6 says, “But he gives us more grace. That is why the Scriptures say, ‘God opposes the proud, but shows favor to the humble.’”

5. You face the consequences of your sin.

Since God abhors sin, don’t expect Him to protect you from its consequences. He may be loving and gracious, but he just is. He lets you reap what you sow. If you sow corruption, lies and deception, one day the truth will prevail and those who deceived you will pay you back. If you’ve dealt with immorality, don’t be shocked if you later have to deal with shame and pain.

Aside from expressing His wrath, God leaves you to face the consequences of your sins because He wants you to repent. Just like a loving father, he wants you to be corrected and disciplined.

6. There is calm before the storm.

If you haven’t received the consequences of your wrong actions, don’t celebrate yet. Sometimes God would allow you to enjoy life in sin the longest. You would feel so good that you would think everything would be fine – that nothing terrible would happen. And at the most unexpected time, things start to fall apart.

This is usually the case with corrupt people. God permits them to enjoy their spoils for a time and boast of the riches they have not honestly acquired. You may be able to travel the world, own luxurious mansions and eat the most delicious dishes, but that won’t last.

7. Your heart is filled with resentment.

In God’s presence there is peace and joy in abundance. Therefore, if your heart is currently poisoned with resentment, jealousy, and bitterness, the Lord’s presence has probably deserted you. However, if the Holy Spirit is in you, He will help you overcome your resentment towards others. So now, if you’re comfortable being bitter towards other people, it means you’re on your own.

It’s also possible that the grudges you’re holding are the reason God is angry. Christ instructed his followers to love their neighbors (Matthew 22:37-39), even their enemies (Matthew 5:43-45). So holding on to offenses and unforgiveness is a sin. God will not forgive you until you have forgiven others (Matthew 6:14-15).

8. Your prayers are not answered.

Don’t expect him to graciously answer your prayers if you continue to anger God with unconfessed and ongoing sins. He will turn a deaf ear to you. The Bible tells us that prayers are effective only when righteous people pray them.

James 5:16 says, “Therefore confess your sins to one another and pray for one another that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.”

9. All efforts to do the service are in vain.

If God is angry with you, don’t expect your ministry to be fruitful. Rather than experiencing joy and passion while serving Him, you will be more likely to be burned out. Why? Supplies for ministry are scarce, the people you serve rarely grow or show up, and you are in constant opposition with other leaders or volunteers. In short, you are not effective on duty.

Yes, it is alarming that the ministry will be affected by God’s wrath on a single person. However, God cannot be mocked. You may deceive those around you, but the Lord sees everything you do. He is holy and will not allow sin to stain his work. Although he does not need someone perfect to participate in his ministry, he does want someone who will strive not to sin against him.

Repentance while there is time

If these signs confirm that God is really angry with you, then don’t waste time. Instead, choose to repent and turn from every sin that displeases the Lord. He is merciful and He will forgive you if you will only humble yourself and return to Him.

First John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

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are you mad at god

I have to believe that at some point in your life you raised your fist and yelled at God in anger. Most of us have.

Perhaps your parent died, or a friend became seriously ill or even killed. Maybe you have cancer or some kind of disability. These and other serious issues come into our lives and make it easy to target God for our pain.

Someone has described anger this way: Anger is a human emotional response to situations that are either beyond our control or beyond our ability to understand, or both.

Have you ever wondered why we get so angry with God? I want to talk about that because I can assure you that while God allows us to cry out to him, he doesn’t want us to get stuck in anger at him.

What are some of the reasons we get angry with God?

The main reason we get so upset with God is that we think he owes us something. This usually happens in two ways:

1. We don’t get what we want.

Have you ever really wanted a relationship with that perfect girl or guy? Or did you really want the job that you knew for sure would be the perfect fit for you? When those things didn’t work, you were undoubtedly hurt and disappointed. Our first impulse is almost always to blame God.

Daphne wrote: Getting mad at God is really like a 2 year old throwing a tantrum because Mom or Dad won’t let them put their finger in the outlet. The two-year-old can only see what he wants, the parents see the big picture and the danger. When we are angry with God, we show our immaturity, ignorance and short-sightedness.

2. We get something we are NOT expecting.

When something bad happens to someone we love or to us, or someone gets really sick or even dies, we ask ourselves why these things have to happen. We imagine God as a great spirit in heaven who should only give us good and prevent bad.

I received a comment from someone who said, Some people wonder why their lives are ending the way they are, and they blame God for that, because if God really cared about them, He wouldn’t let them suffer.

We think, “If God is so loving, why am I in so much pain? Is he punishing me for no reason by allowing terrible things to happen to me, to the people I love, or even to the world?”

3. We think that God owes us something.

Both situations can make a person feel like God doesn’t care about us. After all the prayers we prayed, God still hasn’t healed your brother’s cancer or got you the job you wanted.

Joe wrote: I have to admit that I am angry with God. The more I’ve prayed for help and guidance, the more I get nothing. He ignores me. It’s his right to do what he wants with me, but I’m frustrated because I’ve done what I think I should do and yet no response, no help.

We get angry when we think that God owes us something. In fact, God owes us nothing.

A few other reasons:

We get angry with God when we don’t know all the facts. It’s so easy to believe we know everything, yet we can only see a very small part of the picture.

We get angry with God when we see others claiming to know Him and then act like hypocrites. It is easy to blame God for the mistakes of others.

These are just some of the reasons people get angry with God. Of course there are many more.

How to get over being angry with God – knowing what to expect from him.

If we believe that God is our genie and makes everything in our life right, we will get mad at God when something bad happens. Belief in God is not insurance against hardship.

In the Bible Jesus says, “I told you these things so that you might have peace in me. In this world you will have problems. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)

So what can we expect from God?

His Peace – If we trust and believe in Him, we will have peace even in difficult times. Do you want to know how to find that peace? Start your journey to peace with this great Peace with God resource.

If we trust and believe in him, we will have peace even in difficult times. Do you want to know how to find that peace? Start your journey to peace with this great Peace with God resource. God wins in the end – This world is filled with sin, hatred and death and that comes from the enemy, Satan, not God. But for all who believe in Jesus, there is glorious, eternal life in heaven.

– This world is full of sin, hate and death and that comes from the enemy Satan, not from God. But for all who believe in Jesus, there is glorious, eternal life in heaven. His comfort – He promises to be close to those who are hurt. “The Lord is near to the broken, and saves the bruised.” (Psalm 34:18)

– He promises to be close to those who are hurt. (Psalm 34:18) His love – He promises us His love. “God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.” (1 John 4:16) He loves your heart and is with you no matter what the situation.

– He promises us his love. (1 John 4:16) He loves your heart and is with you no matter what the situation. Live with Greater Purpose and Meaning – If we got everything we thought we wanted, we would be spoiled and selfish. God is a wise Father who knows what it takes for us to become the best men and women we can be.

What can you do when you are angry with God?

1. Tell him how you feel.

The best thing you can do is tell God what you are angry about. He wants to hear from you what you think and feel. Tell God honestly where you stand. God knows what’s on your mind, but he wants you to be able to come to him with honesty and openness.

2. Blame Satan for evil, not God.

God is good and holy and perfect and loving. He is the opposite of evil. You may be angry with God for not preventing the bad thing from happening to you, but the bad thing isn’t his fault, it’s Satan’s. Jesus says in the Bible, “The thief’s intent is to steal, kill, and destroy. My purpose is to give life in all its fullness.” (John 10:10)

3. Pray for courage, strength and peace to get through the day.

Betsy wrote: I find it easiest to put everything in God’s hands and pray that He will take care of me and do what is best for me, not what I want but the best. It’s very difficult and I struggle with it sometimes, but that’s my overall goal.

4. Trust that God will use a need for something beyond what you can see.

So can God use everything we are going through for a greater purpose? I believe he can. Ask God for understanding to see the bigger picture. In time you may see more clearly how God has used your trial for good.

Jill honestly wrote: I feel like I have a daily tug of war with God. I know everything happens for a reason, but when you’re lonely, broke, bored, and helpless, it’s really hard to say, okay, God, I know you’re doing this for a reason.

Betsy echoed Jill’s thoughts: After many trials, I’ve learned that it’s best to accept what God has done and believe that it’s for my best, whether I like it or not.

Believing that He has a reason for everything we’re going through helps us trust that something bigger is at work here, even more than we can probably comprehend. But I’m not God, he is. And I’ll just trust that he knows what’s going on with me.

5. Participate in other people’s lives.

Much of our anger and frustration in life comes from thinking too much about ourselves – thinking about how things are and how different they are from what we want them to be.

Yevgenia wrote: One of the best things I learned while going through this is that God will not pull you through something unless He knows you will be able to overcome it. Another way I’ve used these things in a positive way is to use my experiences to help others who are going through similar things in their lives.

The best way to find joy and peace from life’s trials is to get involved in other people’s lives. Take an interest in other people and their circumstances. Share their joy and their pain.

6. Decide on a relationship with God.

The Bible says that the only way to know God is to know his Son Jesus. Jesus was essentially God in the skin and gave us a way of knowing who He is, His love, and how we can be in a relationship with Him.

Lucas wrote: Sometimes only God will know why He allowed a trial, and sometimes He will reveal its purpose to us. Sometimes it’s because He’s preparing us for something bigger. Sometimes to show us how little we really love him and to allow us to change. Trials give us an opportunity to build our faith in ways that nothing else can.

How have you dealt with your personal anger towards God? I would like to hear from you. Please let me know how you got over getting upset with God.

It’s hard to have faith when life is tough, but God understands your pain. For more help, see this blog: Life is Hard, God Understands

To learn more about balancing the goodness of God and the bad things in the world, read these blogs from organizations we work with:

abstract

Abstract:

Some Christian literature aimed at those suffering from depression connects depression with sin, claiming that depression is a sin or the result of sin. Although this idea has been criticized by many Christians and non-Christians alike, it is difficult to determine exactly what is wrong with it. This paper attempts to address this issue by focusing on a common premise of the “depression is a sin” claim: that it is within a person’s power to recover, so staying depressed is a choice. This claim is made not only by Christians who believe that depression is a sin, but also by other volunteers, religious and non-religious, who believe that depression is under the control of the will. I disagree with this idea, pointing to reports that suggest that a common feature of depression is the experience of diminished free will, and arguing that this means that asserting the ability to make choices is misplaced to meet that are relevant to recovery in the context of all depression. I then turn from whether the “depression is a choice” claims are true to whether they are helpful, and argue that while it could be argued that they are helpful in some cases, this argument is not would be conclusive and would not apply to all cases and not to more severe forms of depression. Finally, I reflect on the pastoral and clinical implications of the discussion.

Experiencing a pandemic, natural disasters, racial discrimination, and the sporadic adversities of everyday life can often feel like losing faith. Not only could you lose faith in the higher power you worship, but you could also feel a loss of faith in humanity, your loved ones, or in yourself.

Many people experience such feelings, especially when it feels like you have no control over what is going on in your life and the world around you. When we are consumed by all of life’s uncertainties, faith is needed most, but also when it is most elusive. It’s definitely easier to have faith when things are going well, but it’s a lot harder when things aren’t.

That’s why it’s important that we recognize when we’re starting to have these feelings and work to restore or hold on to our faith, especially during difficult times.

This article provides insight into the practice of faith and what to do when you feel that faith is being lost.

what is belief

First, let’s look at what faith is, exactly. The term “belief” is defined as “a strong belief in something or someone” or a “belief in the existence of God; strong religious beliefs or feelings”.

According to the Journal of the Society of Christian Philosophers, belief is believing in something for no apparent reason.

The Christian Bible describes faith as “the substance of things hoped for, and the proof of things unseen.” (Hebrew 11:1 KJV).

Most people associate faith with trust in God, the universe, or a higher power. Faith is believing in the existence and presence of our higher powers in our lives, even when we cannot physically see them. Since a higher power is not something you see in a physical sense (like other sources we sometimes trust), you can start to lose faith in them when you stop feeling the effects of these things in your life.

Many religious texts associate faith with belief and trust in God and seeking God in difficult times. The Book of Psalms of the Christian Holy Bible, as well as the Jewish sacred text, the Tanakh, the Book of Misheli says: “When I am afraid, I will put my trust in you.” (Psalms 56:3, Misheli 56:3)

There may be times when you don’t feel the presence of God or your loved ones. When you feel disconnected from these things, the most you can draw on is your faith.

Most people express that they have faith, but when faith is tested, only words need bear fruit. When a person has no reason to believe in something, they can often practice the virtue of belief.

The Islamic Holy Quran says: “But those who believe and do good deeds – their Lord will guide them because of their faith.” (Quran, 10:10)

Believing that God will work a miracle in an insurmountable situation, trusting that the impossible is possible, or trusting that what is happening is part of a larger plan—these are examples of faith.

Reasons why you feel a loss of confidence

There are various reasons why one can start to lose faith, some examples are:

Emphasize

depression

Loss

Illness

uncertainty

trauma

Treason

fear

lonliness

What to do when you feel like you are losing your faith

Faith is very important in spirituality, which is beneficial to both mental and physical well-being. A research study found that engaging in spiritual activities was beneficial for those who thought depression was caused by a loss of faith. Many often equate feelings of depression with a loss of faith.

If you ever feel like you are losing your faith, consider the following suggestions.

Recognize and accept what you are feeling

In these moments it is important not to judge yourself for these feelings at first. They are justified and you should not feel guilty or ashamed. Accept that these are your feelings and show yourself compassion.

It’s best to acknowledge your feelings, accept them for what they are, and then address them by exploring what might be causing them. Then you can seek help from others, such as a loved one or a counselor, if needed.

Try meditation or prayer

Take time for yourself to meditate and pray. This can help you get more in tune with your spirituality and can be really powerful when you feel like you are losing faith.

Meditation and prayer are excellent practices for connecting to a higher power and your faith as they can deepen presence, acceptance and peace.

you can be thankful

Gratitude goes far! Whenever you feel a little lost or unfulfilled, try to think of the people and things in your life that you are grateful for.

There’s always something to appreciate in life, sometimes you have to step back to appreciate what’s right in front of you.

Gratitude is an amazing trait and offers great well-being benefits. So try writing in a gratitude journal to list everything you are grateful for.

Speak it out

Consider turning to someone you trust for advice. Sometimes when you’re feeling confused or overwhelmed, speaking out and getting opinions from reliable sources really helps.

There are times in everyone’s life when they can use a listening ear and open arms from the people they care about. Sometimes people put on a tough exterior and don’t reach out to people who genuinely care about them because they don’t want to burden them or make them feel vulnerable.

It may be time to break down walls and open up about your feelings, you never know, this person could use this conversation as much as you do.

Spend time with your loved ones

During times when individuals aren’t doing so well, they shouldn’t rule out the option of just hanging out with people who just feel good to be with.

Social support is often a powerful aspect of a person’s spiritual being that offers great quality of life (QoL) benefits. A community of people who are there for one another, showing up when it matters most and striving to make a positive impact in one another’s lives, that is social support.

Especially in difficult times, support systems do justice to their role in a person’s life. A little social interaction with those you enjoy spending time with can help you feel more connected to spirituality and faith.

Consider advice

A faith-based therapist or spiritual counselor can help you identify why you feel you are losing your faith. In your sessions you will be able to safely sort your emotions and feel them without judgement.

Participating in counseling or therapy can help you deepen your understanding of your relationship to your faith. When your faith has been shaken or broken, it may take time for your faith to heal and be restored and you are encouraged to be patient with yourself and the process.

Participate in acts of kindness

Sometimes all of the troubling circumstances that are going on around someone begin to affect them more than they realize. When the world starts to look hopeless, it can be beneficial for a person to feel like they have some control over the good that is being contributed to the world.

Getting involved in genuine acts of kindness, like volunteering or giving donations, can help regain some faith in humanity. Kind actions are associated with life satisfaction. With acts of kindness, people can get out of their own minds and be reminded that they are part of a larger whole.

Visit a place of worship

Religious institutions—such as a church, temple, mosque, synagogue, or other place of worship—represent a community of people with a common belief who can come together in worship and the enrichment of faith.

Meeting with people who have beliefs similar to yours can help when you feel like you are losing your faith.

Research shows that people who go to church often feel a sense of encouragement, strength, and belonging. Moreover, even belief in their higher power could be restored.

Take a break

Sometimes people need a reset button to remind themselves of who they are and what they believe in. It is easy to become so absorbed in everyday life that a person begins to lose touch with themselves and their beliefs.

It is therefore important to switch off from everyday life and take a deep breath. Consider spending some time in nature, which is a great way to connect with your spirituality. This can instill a sense of serenity.

You might even want to consider a nature retreat or a little getaway to reconnect with yourself and what matters most to you.

Take time to think

Take the time to think about what exactly might be causing you to feel the way you do. It is possible that there are a variety of things in your life that are causing you to lose your faith. Whether it’s stress, trauma, grief, or simply feeling disconnected from God and the world around you, it’s important to assess these emotions. Talking to a therapist or loved one can also help you figure out why you’re feeling this way and gain a better understanding of why.

It can be helpful to reflect on your relationship with God and your belief systems. It’s possible that others have had a greater impact on your beliefs than you realize or are comfortable with. It is common to have religious beliefs that were taught during childhood and throughout your life that may conflict with you or no longer resonate with you at this time.

Remember that your beliefs and beliefs may evolve or change as you grow, so try not to judge yourself as they develop. Take the time to think about what you believe is working, what isn’t working anymore, and what you think is the best way to proceed.

A word from Verywell

Feeling lost, uncomfortable, and withdrawn happens to the best of us, sometimes at the most unexpected of times. While you’re not always in control of what’s going on in the world around you, or even situations happening in your own life, you still have authority over how you perceive and respond to those experiences.

One should not judge or dismiss their feelings, but it is important that they do not dwell too long on thoughts that lead to the amplification of negative emotions, as they are easily overwhelmed by them.

When challenging moments arise, consider engaging in activities that help you reconnect with yourself, the people you care about, and your relationship with your ever-evolving spirituality and faith.

We all want to avoid making mistakes, because nobody wants to be afflicted by the failures and disappointments of others. However, human beings as we are, it is impossible never to make a mistake. Even the smartest people in the world have their share of mistakes.

Because of this, dedicated Christians draw closer to God. They earnestly ask Him for wisdom in their situations. They want to make the right decisions according to His will. But even the most godly people still make mistakes. Again, we are all human.

When God doesn’t speak

It is not true that God does not care for or guide his people. Some believers blame God for their circumstances and say He should have prevented them from making the wrong decisions. The question is, have they asked God for wisdom?

One of the reasons Christians make mistakes is failure to listen to what God is telling them. Sometimes people are bombarded by problems or beset by emotions that they can no longer hear God.

When we are busy or our hearts are hardened toward God, He may not speak. But we must always keep lines of communication open because He wants to talk to us all the time!

A great way to keep in touch is to read his word every day and talk to him in prayer.

As we do this, God will be with us every step of the day! Therefore, we should always listen to his guidance; it can change our lives forever.

God loves you! It’s exciting to see how much he cares for us and to know that he wants the best for his children. Remember that God will speak to you in different ways at different times. You have to listen!

Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him and he with me. (Revelation 3:20 NIV)

Why is God speaking to you?

God has a plan for all of us. He knows our strengths and weaknesses, so he chooses to speak to us in different ways. For some people, God speaks through the Bible even if they don’t read it. Others hear him when they pray quietly or meditate on his word.

He can communicate with you in so many ways, and everyone has a different way that God speaks to them.

It’s exciting because if we hear from him in any way, it means he loves us and is thinking of us!

My sheep listen to my voice; I know them and they follow me. (John 10:27, NIV)

Why should I take seriously what God says?

God will never tell you to do anything that goes against His Word (the Bible). Although the Lord often tells people to do things that create fear or doubt, He would never ask us to sin. We must always follow what we know deep down is right and consistent with its standards of behavior.

It can be frightening when we feel that someone other than God is speaking to us, but there is no need to fear. We understand how much God loves us and that he will never tell us to do anything wrong.

I came to you weak, with great fear and trembling. (1 Corinthians 2:3, NIV)

How can we tell if someone is really hearing about God and not just imagining it?

We must always compare the inspiration with what is written in the Bible. This is because God will not lie or contradict himself. The Lord always tells us the truth because He loves us too much to deceive us. If our actions go against His Word, then we hear nothing from God.

If our actions are consistent with what the Bible says, it must be of God! We can always trust him to guide us because he will never lead us astray. We may not know why we were asked or how He planned it – but God WILL take care of everything on His schedule!

The ways of the Lord are inscrutable. We don’t always know what he’s doing or why, but we can trust he has a plan and it will be for our good.

The boy Samuel ministered before the LORD under Eli. In those days the word of the LORD was rare; there were not many visions. (1 Samuel 3:1, NIV)

9 signs God is speaking to you

If you are concerned that you may be missing God’s messages for you, you can check these signs that He is speaking to you:

1. He speaks through the Bible.

The moment you read the Scriptures, God is already speaking to you. The Bible is not just a self-help book. It is a compilation of the Lord’s love letters to you. So whenever you study God’s Word, listen to His instructions on how to live your life so that you will experience His blessings.

Joshua 1:8 says, “This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but meditate upon it day and night, that you may be careful to obey all that is written in it. Because then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.”

2. A certain Bible verse keeps coming to mind.

Have you ever found yourself being reminded of the same verse over and over again? If a certain Bible verse keeps popping up in front of you wherever you go, take it as a sign. The Lord may use this verse as a reminder or warning regarding your current situation.

If you keep getting the same verse, pray and ask God to open your eyes to what He wants to show you. Meditate on the verse and see how it applies to your circumstances. You can also ask a spiritual leader to explain the verse to you.

3. You feel that a sermon or scripture is meant for you.

Have you ever attended a service and the sermon made you uncomfortable? If you ever feel like the preacher is speaking directly to you, God is actually speaking through that person. If the sermon or a highlighted passage makes you guilty of your sin and gives you a desire to change, it means the Holy Spirit is at work in you.

Therefore, whenever you are in church, it is important to listen carefully to the sermon. Then embrace the message and find ways to apply it in your life.

4. You feel uncomfortable about something that leads you to prayer.

When you have the Holy Spirit within you, supernatural beliefs sometimes await you. It’s one way God can communicate with you. For example, it can warn you of an impending danger by making you feel uncomfortable.

The sudden discomfort you feel should make you ask God for wisdom. You must pray fervently and ask the Lord to reveal His will in this situation. Or if you suddenly feel fear or concern about a certain person, God may want you to pray for them.

5. He speaks through His church.

The church serves as the body of Christ (since he is the head). Therefore, you should not take fellowship with other believers for granted. Being surrounded by mature Christians will not only help you in your spiritual growth. It can also help you to better discern God’s will in your life to avoid sin or mistakes.

For this reason it is important to have accountability partners in the church. They can be your spiritual leaders, fellow servants, or small group brothers. Whenever you have problem or confused about some things, you can tell them. Then when they pray with you, you have no idea how God gives them the wisdom to counsel you in your situation.

6. There is an inexplicable belief about something.

Most spiritually mature people have the gift of discernment. It is the ability to judge a situation wisely, even beyond what can be perceived with the senses. For example, you can tell whether or not a person is sincere in expressing their feelings for you. Or you can tell when a friend is struggling with a problem, even as they try to appear happy in front of you.

God can convey His message to you through discernment. Through this, He can give you the wisdom you need to make the right decision in a matter. Therefore, whenever you discern something, you must ask God to help you fully understand His will.

7. The same problem keeps popping up.

Tired of having the same problem over and over again? Have you ever felt like God is teaching you something through a recurring situation? Well, it might actually be true.

Sometimes God allows you to go through the same situation multiple times to help you learn a lesson. It’s possible that you made the same mistakes and don’t change your reaction to a similar situation. If this happens again, be more sensitive to God’s leading. Ask Him for wisdom on how to improve your approach to such recurring concerns.

8. He can speak through strange dreams or visions.

Some may not believe it, but there are Christians who claim that they have received prophetic visions from the Lord. These can be dreams while you are asleep or sudden flashes of images while you are awake.

Not everyone is blessed with it. Also, one must be careful about interpreting what one has seen as messages from God. If you think you have that kind of gift, you need to be more prayerful. It is also important to be guided by the Word of God to know if what you have seen is really from the Lord or just ordinary dreams and hallucinations. Prophecies from God will never contradict Scripture, so be more critical.

9. He gives you validation through circumstances.

God can speak through your circumstances too. Remember that God is in control. He can orchestrate things around you to fulfill his intentions. So when you wait for God’s “yes” or “no,” you should open your eyes to how He makes things happen. If the situation doesn’t go according to your plan, it could be a “no.”

So how should you respond to God’s “no”? would you rebel against him? nope If you truly trust God and honor his sovereignty, you would not doubt his will. You know the Lord knows what He is doing, and He knows it better than you do.

How do I know if God heard my prayer or not?

How do I know if God is speaking to me?

There are so many signs that show me how much God loves us and there are so many ways He is trying to tell us something.

Call me and I will answer you and tell you awesome and unfathomable things you don’t know. (Jeremiah 33:3, NIV)

The Holy Spirit is an active guide in our daily life. The Lord speaks to us through many means: the Bible, prayer, and nature (the things we see and feel). However, we must be sensitive enough to hear his voice.

We should always ask ourselves what deep down we know to be right or wrong before acting on a prompting. God will not strike us down with lightning or whisper an answer in our ear. Instead, when the Lord speaks, He is asking us to do something that feels right.

How do I get an answer from God?

1. Seek confirmation from the Bible.

2. Make sure what you are asking is God’s will.

3. Pray for wisdom.

4. Reach out to spiritually mature people.

5. Prepare your heart to receive His answer.

6. Search your heart for what is preventing you from hearing God.

7. Don’t insist on what you want.

8. Go to prayer and fasting.

9. Wait patiently for God’s timetable.

Please visit Ways to Receive an Answer from God for the details.

Be sensitive to God’s voice

You may not hear Him with your ears, but God can actually speak to you. In fact, he speaks to you every day. Whenever you have to decide between right and wrong, He speaks. Whenever you need guidance and wisdom, He speaks too. God also speaks whenever you need strength and comfort.

To hear God you must keep your heart pure. Repent and ask forgiveness for your sins. Do your best to live up to His Word. Moreover, you must intentionally approach Him daily.

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When we lived in Tennessee a few years ago, my wife visited her parents in Georgia. She went in after she was out with the kids and she called for our dog but he didn’t come. After looking around, she went behind her father’s wood shop and spotted a coyote holding Chipper, our little 6 pound Shih Tzu (who was 10 years old at the time of the attack), in its mouth. She immediately started clapping her hands and as she approached the coyote, he dropped Chipper and ran away into the woods. After a lengthy operation and a hefty bill at the local vet, little Chipper survived. After more than 6 years the exact same thing happened to my in-laws dog a few weeks ago. He was rescued by my father-in-law behind his shop where a coyote had locked him firmly in his jaws with a deadly grip. After a visit to the same vet, it looks like her dog is making a full recovery as well.

As I thought about the coyote’s hunting strategy, it occurred to me that they prey on the isolated pet or animal that is separated from its mother. Isolation is the key strategy for the coyote. When we look at the Christian life, we need to remember that isolation is the key strategy for the devil as well. If he can somehow create circumstances and divisions that lead to isolation, he will go on the offensive. How many times have you observed people becoming isolated because of relationship issues, work commitments, or other factors that put a distance between a person and their church? In many cases, this particular case does not end well. The person eventually drifts away or joins another church in search of close ties with another group of Christians. However, if it is a broken relationship that has caused the isolation, the same pattern is likely to follow the person from church to church. Satan is good at what he does and places great importance on creating division and isolation.

What causes isolation?

There are a variety of reasons why isolation can creep into the life of a Christian, and not all open doors to isolation are sin. A good job promotion can be the cause, or a sick family member who needs a lot of attention and care. There are also sinful patterns that create isolation from the church, and obviously both isolation and root cause need to be properly addressed. As with many other sins, isolation from the church can creep into a family without notice.

Is it a sin to have relationships with people outside of the church? Absolutely not, but it is sinful to neglect the Church and focus primarily on relationships at work, in business circles, or in leisure activities. Isolation is one of those sins that can go undetected for a while, and before long a sudden coldness and unhealthy wall builds between a person and their church family.

In short, isolation is the devil’s oldest trick in his black book of sinful temptations. Remember the apostle Paul’s words to the church in Corinth in his second letter: “But I am afraid, as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts will be diverted from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ” (2 Cor 11:3). If Satan can lure a person into an isolated wilderness, he is likely to do great harm to that person before the person can escape. This happens in a person’s thought life, in a person’s relationships, in a person’s finances, and on the Internet in the dark hours of the night. Beware – Satan’s goal is to destroy you (1 Peter 5:8).

Why is isolation from the Church dangerous?

Isolation creates distance from the church body. Isolation kills community. Isolation makes a person or family vulnerable to Satan’s attacks. Isolation can cause a person to make wrong decisions based on carnal motives. Isolation from the Church opens the mind to the influence of the world, the flesh, and the devil. Isolation can lead a person to depression. Isolation inhibits service. Isolation makes a person or family selfish and self-centered. Isolation can often cause a person or family to have negative attitudes toward the Church. Isolation creates a rogue attitude of independence that is misguided and deceptively wrong. Isolation builds isolation, which prevents accountability. Isolation creates loneliness and increases the stresses of life.

Solving the problem of isolation

Just like any other sin, isolation must be addressed or it will continue to separate and divide. Mortification of sin is a necessary practice and ongoing commitment to sanctification in a believer’s life. Isolation must be killed as well as other sins that can harm the church of Jesus Christ. The isolated person or family needs to be corrected by the church. You must not remain in a state of perpetual isolation. Ultimately, the deciding factor will be the isolated family’s response to that particular sin. Will they admit it? Will they recover well within the Church instead of drifting further?

We must learn to see church as a blessing from God and not an inconvenience. We must never view the Church as a violation of our spiritual fence. We were never called to walk the path of the Christian life alone. Surround yourself with gospel preaching, gospel singing, and gospel friends who are honest with you. If the church is honest with you, accept it. Be careful not to fall (1 Cor 10:12). We all need the church.

Resolving the problem requires a church committed to holding members accountable and Christians willing to receive correction. Unfortunately, today many Christians live their lives behind high privacy fences, without the view and interaction of outside influences. As a Christian, that shouldn’t be the case. We all tend to get lost. In some cases, it can be sinful temptation or just plain laziness. Just as John Bunyan portrayed in The Pilgrim’s Progress as a Christian and Hopeful, he followed Vain-Confidence from the true path to another path that eventually led them astray. They got lost and were eventually captured by Giant Despair. They found themselves prisoners in the dungeons of Doubting Castle. In desperation, Hopeful said, “Oh, that I would have stayed on the true path!” Avoiding isolation is a constant work of sanctification. Robert Robinson wrote these words in his hymn in 1758, and we often sing them as a reminder of the danger of straying from God:

Tend to wander, Lord, I feel it

Tend to forsake the God I love;

Here is my heart, o take and seal it,

Seal it up for your dishes.

Related

Author Josh Buice Pastor of Pray’s Mill Baptist Church Josh Buice is the Founder and President of G3 Ministries and serves as pastor of Pray’s Mill Baptist Church in west Atlanta. He enjoys theology, preaching, church history and is deeply committed to the local church. He also enjoys many sports and the outdoors, including long distance running and upland hunting. He has been writing Delivered by Grace since he was in seminary and it has grown by a large readership over the years.

An emotional god

Anger is a human emotion. It’s a feeling of adrenaline that comes with increased blood flow to your muscles. Your muscles contract, your skin heats up, and your mind focuses on the problem at hand. In fact, the most important way to say one is angry in Hebrew is “your nose was on fire.” Yes that’s right. One of the most important Hebrew words for “anger” is “nose”! This Hebrew metaphor is based on our physical experience of anger: when you are angry, your face gets hot, including your nose.

We are all familiar with this feeling – the body’s reaction to anger. And in Hebrew it is common to say about anger that one has “a big nose” or that one has a “hot nose”.

The gracious hand of our God is upon everyone who looks upon him, but his great wrath [literally in Hebrew, “his big nose”] is directed against all who forsake him. (Ezra 8:22)

He poured out his burning wrath [literally “the heat of his nose”] on them. (Isaiah 42:25)

… the wrath of the Lord burned [literally “his nose burned hot”]. (Deuteronomy 29:27)

But God doesn’t have a nose, and He doesn’t feel heat the way humans do, right? The literary device involved here is called anthropomorphism – taking something that is not human and describing it with distinctly human characteristics. It’s a way for us to understand God’s emotional responses and shape them into how we experience emotions as human beings. Even though God is not human, he gets angry. And he has good reason to react with anger to human behavior. In fact, God would not be good if he did not respond strongly to evil and injustice.

But we have to be careful here. That God experiences anger does not mean that we can take all of our human experience of anger and apply it to God. Divine anger is not exactly what human anger is.

“The prophets never portray God’s anger as something that cannot be explained, that is unpredictable, that it is irrational. It is never a spontaneous outburst, but a reaction caused by human behavior…motivated by concern for right and wrong.” –– Abraham Heschel, The Prophets Vol. 2, “The Theology of Pathos”, p. 362.

Why does God get angry?

In the Bible, God gets angry at human violence. He gets angry with powerful leaders who oppress other people. And what angers God more than anything else in the Bible is Israel’s constant covenant betrayal.

All of these examples have something in common: they are all expressions of God’s anger at mankind’s idolatry. People don’t take seriously the fact that we are made in the image of God. Rather, we elevate power, wealth, sex, and many other things to the status of gods. And then, in the name of our deified ideals and idols, we create communities and institutions that neglect, marginalize, and even destroy other human beings made in God’s image. And all these consequences and pains caused by human idolatry enrage God, and rightly so. There are things worth getting angry about.

Think about it like this. Although anger can be a destructive force, there are times when we see anger as necessary and right. When someone sees injustice happening, getting angry is a legitimate reaction. In fact, most of us would say that a person who doesn’t feel anything when they see terrible injustice isn’t emotionally or mentally healthy. Anger can be a protective energy. This is how God’s wrath is expressed in the Bible. God is not a fleeting, angry being who occasionally loses his temper. Rather, God’s wrath is a measured and reasonable response to injustice and evil. So how does the God of the Bible express his anger?

What does God’s anger look like?

The first thing to know about God’s anger is that it is slow. Look at how God describes His own character in Exodus 34:6.

Yahweh, Yahweh, a merciful and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in loyal love and faithfulness.

The phrase “slow to anger” literally means “long nose” in Hebrew, since it takes a long time for God’s nose to get hot! God is patient and gives people many chances to reconsider and change their decisions.

One of the greatest villains in the Bible is the pharaoh in the book of Exodus. He is responsible for the enslavement of Israel and the attempted genocide of the infant sons of the Israelites. But despite all this evil, God gives him ten chances to change his behavior.

The apostle Paul reflects on how great is God’s patience with mankind that we as humans easily benefit from it. That is why he rhetorically asks this question in his letter to the Romans:

Do you think little of the riches of His kindness, forbearance, and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness leads you to repentance? (Romans 2:4).

God is patient, yes, but his patience has a limit.

You had one of those days. You know her. The kind where you wake up late and have nothing to work with. Once at work, your boss is looking after you about a project you just found out about this morning, you’re stuck in traffic on your way home, and then your house is swarming with demands and noise and everything is threatening to overwhelm you toss the heap edge. Anger rises and you can feel that the next person who asks you for something will get it. When you finally snap, you feel guilty and wonder how you managed to get back to this point. Where can you go when your struggle with anger feels like a daily…maybe even hourly event? godsword! Scripture points us to the danger and foolishness of anger, but it also guides us with Bible verses about peace, Bible verses about stress, and Bible verses about perseverance. And not all anger is bad. Jesus got angry, but angry for all the right reasons: the things that dishonor God and people who take advantage of others. Let these verses guide you to healing, peace, and the right kind of anger.

Finding Recovery from Anger

As the veteran and his wife sat down in my office, the atmosphere of anger, hostility, and pent-up frustration filled the room before a word was spoken. The couple had contacted me and told me they were looking for spiritual guidance to address the hopelessness they felt in their life and marriage. Both described the extreme anger they felt at one another, and they were convinced that divorce was best for both of them. At the request of a family member, they agreed to speak to a chaplain or pastor.

First, the veteran announced, “I really don’t want to talk about anything, but my wife thinks my anger is getting dangerously out of control.” When asked how he felt about his behavior, he admitted he was crazy at times, Pounding holes in the wall, slamming doors, and being overwhelmed by an extremely aggressive spirit. He admitted his inability to control this restless rage. He reiterated that he was deeply angry at himself for what he had done, who he had become and what he was doing to his wife.

When I asked his wife how she felt, she explained, “I grew up in a household where anger was seen as a negative emotion. I really don’t remember seeing my parents fight. I feel like a failure in our marriage.”

Anger, hostility, or even fury can be emotions you experience from time to time. These intense feelings and associated behaviors can wreak havoc in a person’s life and in the lives of others. Many people may try to deny their anger and self-medicate destructively to ease the deep pain behind the anger. Other people can take out their anger on those they love the most. And some people may have grown up with the misperception that anger is an emotion that spiritually minded people don’t show. In the case of the couple in my office, he went back and forth between denying his anger and taking it out on his wife. Unfortunately, she blamed herself for being angry.

So when we feel anger… what is a spiritual response to that anger?

Learn Why We’re Angry: It was important for this particular veteran to acknowledge, accept, and address where the anger is coming from in their life.

Understanding that there is “righteous” anger: It was necessary for his wife to recognize, believe, and allow righteous anger in her life.

Make an effort and let go of anger and resentment: Trusting them, developing faith, and hoping that God’s Holy Spirit can empower them to let go of anger and resentment and receive peace that heals was essential.

In this topic we will reflect on why we are angry, find out what righteous anger looks like, and learn how to let go of anger and resentment.

BY CHAPAIN JULIANA LESHER, M.DIV., BCC, AND CHAPAIN DICK MILLSPAUGH

A series about anger.

Wouldn’t it be nice if your anger wasn’t so mysterious: understanding yourself better, knowing why, and anticipating the onset of anger? We’re going to use our story from Part 1 of this series—that angry outburst leaving the church parking lot after Sunday service—to help you predict the onset of an outbreak, understand its causes, and proactively counteract it before it gets carried away thereby.

Let’s re-imagine the scenario of exiting the church parking lot. This time when you feel the anger, your awareness kicks in. You can feel the anger accelerating and heating up. You follow the 4 steps from the previous article: slow down, ask yourself: “What am I feeling?”, “What am I thinking?” and “What is happening inside and around me?”. So good job! You prevented an outbreak! BUT…

What is my anger telling me? And why was I angry at all?

Did you know that behind every argument or outburst of anger you find prevailing expectations/desires that get frustrated? We’ll unpack it. Knowledge is power brother in this case!

What does Scripture say about anger?

In our hearts and minds we all have desires and motivations. This determines our attitude and our behavior. James 4:1-3:

“What causes strife and what causes strife among you? Isn’t it that your passions are at war within you? You desire and do not have, therefore you murder. You desire and cannot obtain, therefore you fight and argue. You don’t have to, because you don’t ask. You ask and do not receive because you ask unjustly to spend on your passions.”

AND

James 1:13-16:

“Let no one say when he is being tempted, ‘I am being tempted by God,’ for God cannot be tempted to evil, and He Himself tempts no one. But every man is tempted when he is enticed and enticed by his own desire. Then lust, when conceived, gives birth to sin, and sin, when mature, produces death. Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren.”

What is “passions” in James 4:1?

James 4:1-3 and 1:13-16 teach that “passions/desires/pleasures” (the word in James 4:1 depending on your Bible translation) = our desires/motives. And these desires/motives underlie conflicts. why are you fighting It’s not your wife, your mother, your father, your child, your friend, your colleague or your neighbor. It’s something inside you! In all of us!

What are you requesting?

what rules you

What is dominating you at this moment?

In contemporary language, sinful passions/cravings/pleasures are often presented as “drives, demands, felt needs, expectations, goals, desires, desires,” and so on. People talk about motives in ways that are meaningful to themselves and others true meaning of what they describe, anesthetize (stupefy). So what happens to my wishes?

Back to the outburst of anger when leaving the church parking lot. Behind the anger was a desire and a motivation. For example, we use our need to be respected or to control our results. (These are two common desires, but you could put any common desire in the _____ and it would apply.) When our desire for respect became frustrated and didn’t materialize the way we wanted, we acted angrily. Why? Because we had ungodly reasons and we did it in ungodly ways. But what makes our desires bad when they are good?

Note: A great resource to help us understand our desires and motivations within a biblical framework is a book called See with New Eyes: Counseling and the Human Condition Through the Lens of Scripture. (This is an Amazon affiliate link.) By David Powlison. Specifically, Chapter 8, “I am motivated when I feel desire.”

Winning desires shape behavior.

The desire to win shapes our behavior. Anger is (mostly) caused by legitimate desires that mistakenly come to dominate us. These desires could be termed “natural desires” such as love, fear, hope, longing, respect, control, etc. Natural desires for good things are meant to remain beneath our desire to please God.

It is important to realize that evil is in the dominant position of desire and not in temptation (your wife, children, boss, etc.) for here our will supersedes God’s will.

To illustrate, let’s look at an excerpt from the Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:9b-10):

“Our Father who art in heaven, hallow be thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”

Now let’s replace God’s will and demand our own. “Get be MY name. my kingdom come MY will be ready. HERE, NOW, NOT in Heaven!” See how we reverse the passage when we get selfish? (See my article “Communication: A Revelation of What We Really Love” to see how this topic relates to how we communicate with others.)

Have it your way.

Natural desires are part of human existence, but we must keep them open. What? All human desires must be subordinated to a higher purpose, the desires of God and His kingdom.

The problem.

The trouble with craving is that with “sinners” (me and you) it quickly turns into a demand; internally we say, “I must.” Thus, demand becomes like clenching our fists over a particular desire. This is how it happens in us:

The demand turns into a need (I must have). Needs inevitably create expectations (I should have ____). Expectations lead to disappointment when they are not met. Disappointment leads to punishment – a point of judgment (remember anger is judgmental) that leads to an outburst or negative action of some sort.

At this point we are no longer motivated by love for God and those around us (remember the 1st and 2nd Great Commandments – Matthew 22:37-40). As Christians, when we love God and others, we use ourselves and the things in our lives to express that love. But in our moment of anger we love ourselves (or things) and manipulate people and even the Lord – to get our desires done and get angry when they get in the way of that goal. Our hearts have been conquered! We are now serving ourselves or something else in this creation, not God, and the result can only bring chaos and conflict.

Note: A great resource that breaks this down further is a book called Instruments in the Redeemer’s Hands. By Paul Tripp. (Particularly pages 85-87). This is an affiliate Amazon link.

How can something like the need for respect get so ugly? Think of a vertical volume slider. When natural desires are elevated above our desire to please God (not to please Him) – then those natural desires become evil; This is how a good thing can turn into a bad thing. As humans, we are always doing something with our desires – increasing them, decreasing them – we are always interpreting our world and experiences, including our desires. This is how respect or control can become evil or sinful!

This is not “help for self-help”.

If some of this is new knowledge, then as a Christian, pray that your heart and mind will put this into words and deeds to help you love God and the people He has placed in your life. Be encouraged that you are united with Christ in the here and now. That the Holy Spirit will work in you to transform you into the image of Christ. Both in will and in your deeds, He conforms them – for His good pleasure. Philippians 2:12-13:

Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now also, not only as in my presence, but much more in my absence, work with fear and trembling for your own salvation, for it is God at work in you, both wanting to work as well as for his pleasure.

So let’s all be aware and know where we are going in sin so we can anticipate when we are heating up and accelerating before we get angry.

Scripture says that anger comes from within us when a desire we have becomes frustrated. Understand that the desire to win shapes our behavior. In the next article in the series (part 3) we will talk about how anger is a great diagnosis – it points to our loyalty. Did you know that this has a lot to do with worship?

If you need more personal help dealing with anger, don’t hesitate to contact us for biblical counseling at https://www.providencebiblicalcounseling.org/.

Here is a link to part 1 and part 3 of this series.

When life gets us down, it’s easy to harbor anger about the things that happened. These powerful prayers for overcoming anger and resentment are perfect examples of the types of prayers you can say to ask for relief from the Lord.

Overcoming Anger Prayer

Eternal God, your peace is beyond my understanding. When anger rises in me, please calm my mind and heart with your gentle words. Fill my whole life with your perfect peace. May my personality be shaped by your peace rather than my frustration. With your Holy Spirit in my life I can overcome anger. May I reflect your character, slow to anger and rich in unwavering love. Look at me and let your face shine over me. Through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.

Remove my grudge prayer

O Lord my God, you are my shepherd. You guide me and take care of me. When I start to feel resentment for the circumstances around me, remind me that you have prepared a table for me and you can give me peace. Your anointing and blessings are on every aspect of my life. Remove my grudges and release me from frustration. May your goodness and mercy follow me all the days of my life so that I may dwell in the house of the Lord forever. Through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.

Calm my prayer of anger

Sovereign Lord, bring peace to my mind and heart while I resent the situation I find myself in. May I accept your promise that you will never leave me or let me down. Whatever circumstances I am faced with that stir up anger in my heart, remind me that you have not left my side and never will. When you’re with me I can trust you to fight my battles, I don’t have to let anger take control. Give me your peace father, may it rule over my life. Through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.

Free from grudge prayer

Mighty God, thank you for giving us the gift of everlasting life in abundance. May my life be free from resentment and filled with gratitude and praise for Your countless blessings. The Bible teaches that you never fail to care for your people. Release resentment from me as I give thanks for your blessings and rest assured that you will continue to generously provide me with whatever I need. May grace, mercy and peace be upon me from God the Father and Jesus Christ the Son in truth and love. Through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.

Calming Spirit Prayer

Almighty and Almighty Father, help me calm down when I get angry. When I feel surrounded by pressure and conflict, remind me that I am surrounded by Your presence. When you’re with me, I don’t have to lash out in anger. Please take my anger at other people and replace it with trust in your provision and caring. May trust in your love replace any anger at my circumstances. When I fret over unfulfilled expectations, remind me that happiness can only be found in you. May the Father’s love, the Son’s grace, and the power of the Holy Spirit be with me today. Through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.

gratitude prayer

Abba, Father, thank you for being gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love. Jesus said that just as we delight in giving good gifts to our children, you also delight in giving us good gifts. May I begin each day by giving thanks for your blessings. May I end each day with gratitude for your grace. Fill my life with thanksgiving that will relieve me of resentment. To you be the glory now and forever. Through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.

Peaceful Life Prayer

Lord Jesus Christ, angels proclaimed that your birth was good news of great joy that would bring peace to the earth. You are the only lasting source of peace in a world filled with anger and frustration. I don’t know what will happen in the future, my life is full of ups and downs that I don’t understand. Help me not to sin in my anger. May I believe in your peace that will never fail. May your word refresh my spirit, renew my soul and empower me to live like you. In your mighty name, amen.

Overcome grudges prayer

Heavenly Father, your store of wisdom, peace and strength never runs dry. Please help me as I struggle to overcome resentment in my life. Every part of my life is a gift that demonstrates your kindness and grace. I can’t do anything without you. Fill my heart with thanksgiving that it may overflow with praise. Help me to experience satisfaction in the life you gave me instead of resentment toward other people. May you establish my heart before you in purity and holiness. Through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.

Victory over the anger prayer

Dear God, you made me and you love me. You said not to let the sun go down on my anger. At the end of this day, I ask you to replace my anger with a calm mind. Take away my frustration and fill me with faith in you. Help me bring everything in my life before you. When I’m unsure, help me look at you. Teach me and teach me, Lord, the way to go and the ways to take. Through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.

Blessed prayer beyond measure

Creator God, thank you that I have nowhere to go that is outside of your presence. As I have started to get angry with other people, please remind me that I have everything I need in your presence. Instead of bitter words, I pray that you will fill my mouth with praise for your immeasurable blessings. May your love be the passion in my heart, your joy my strength in hard times, and your presence the overflowing peace. Through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.

striving for peace prayer

Compassionate Father, you are the God of all peace and love. Help me turn away from anger and irritation and seek peace and harmony. The Bible says words are powerful and I pray that I will speak words of peace instead of anger. May I use my words to build up instead of tear down. When I’m under pressure, help me stay compassionate and gentle. Protect me from sin when I’m angry. Lord, bless me and keep me, let your face shine upon me. Turn your face to me and give me peace. Through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.

freedom prayer

Lord Jesus Christ, thank you that everything in heaven and everything on earth was created through you, visible and invisible. You have experienced righteous anger at injustice and oppression. So often my anger stems from selfish dissatisfaction with my circumstances. Please cleanse my heart of a sinful focus on myself. I pray my anger will subside and I can live a life of worship for you. May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord. In your mighty name, amen.

Perfect Peace Prayer

Prince of Peace, thank you for hearing and answering my prayers. Today I come before you as I experience anger and resentment and ask you to bless me with perfect peace. Remove anger and hostility from my life and replace them with unwavering trust in you. Fill my heart with compassion instead of conflict, humility instead of hate, and faith instead of anger. Rise above the heavens, O God. Let your glory be over all the earth. Through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.

When I go to heaven, I have a few questions I want to ask God. The questions have changed over the years.

When I was a kid, I asked a religion teacher why God created snakes. It made no sense to me. When I first read Genesis, it made perfect sense to me that the devil was a serpent. I hate snakes more than little spiders.

I can’t remember my religion teacher’s name or what she looks like. But I remember that she answered me kindly. She lovingly told me that snakes are not all bad and that we may never understand why God creates or allows things, people and situations in our lives that seem to destroy all that is good. Then she gave me the answer my mother and father gave me when they didn’t seem to understand my endless questions about life and God: “Some things are a mystery. Trust God.”

My preadolescent brain was satisfied with that answer. But as my life experiences grew deeper, so did the questions.

“Why are there wars and poverty? Why are people so broken? Why do we hurt those we love” and the proverbial “Why do good people suffer?”

Amidst these profound questions and frustrated with teenage acne, I asked God, “Why can’t you just make this better?” In that seemingly wasted moment, I had an inner sense of God’s love as those words came to me, “I want, that you see that your beauty is deeper than your looks and that you know that you are loved.” Good answer.

When acne finally subsided well into young adulthood and my girlish figure gave way to motherhood, I was grateful for the lesson learned that my beauty and worth are not defined by age or looks.

Knowing that we are loved unconditionally gives us the courage to trust God for the unanswered questions and to know that one day we will understand. Reading and studying the Bible is also helpful.

The Psalms are full of questions and expressions of every emotion known to man. I try to read the Psalms first thing in the morning and last thing before bed. There are always verses that I can relate to because they touch on experiences I’ve had throughout my day.

Every great person in the Bible who was called by God for a purpose had a few questions when God called them. Most of the questions came from a place of humility and faith – ultimately trusting that God can draw good out of even the bad things the evil one intends for our destruction.

God allows and even desires our questions because He knows that sometimes we need clarification to understand His will.

An example is the disciple often referred to as “Doubting Thomas.” Thomas missed Jesus’ resurrected appearance before his disciples.

When the disciples said to Thomas, “We have seen the Lord!” Thomas replied, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were and put my hand in his side, I will not to believe.”

Jesus agreed to Thomas’ questions and even showed up a week later to allow Thomas to see and touch His wounds.

Then Jesus made this one promise to each disciple—and each of us:

“Because you saw me, you believed; blessed are they that have not seen, and yet believed.” (John 20:24-29)

God knows we are human and we are looking for answers. But God also knows that we are created in the image of God, and there is more to this life than meets the eye.

Trusting God with unanswered prayers since my youth helped me prepare for the challenges I would face as an adult and as a mother of a child with a rare disease.

I have personally experienced the blessings that Jesus promised because I am someone who “has not seen but believed.” Faith has made me stronger, more resilient, and more persistent in my prayers. My faith has grown not only from the miracles I have witnessed, but also from the endurance that grows when we choose to believe even when we don’t see.

Between Christmas and Thanksgiving, my daughter had two surgeries to fix the shunt in her brain. At the second operation, I was tired and depressed that another vacation was spent in and out of the hospital.

We’ve gotten used to life being interrupted – especially around the holidays. But try as I may, walking my daughter into the operating room to pray with her and kiss her goodbye as she falls asleep is not an experience that parents could or should ever get used to, no matter how often they do it . It’s never been easy.

I usually wait in the waiting room because we’ve been in surgeries where emergencies happen and it’s going from a simple procedure to a life threatening event. But on that late cold December evening I had to leave the hospital to feel the cold and go to my favorite little chapel a block away.

The streets of Manhattan were buzzing with people walking and driving fast, eager to get home or to shop for the holidays. But I was elsewhere in a hope beyond the fight.

When I got to the chapel, the doors were locked. Thankfully, the chapel’s windows are floor-to-ceiling and I could still see inside. I leaned against the glass and clenched my whole body to see all that God is.

In the dimly lit chapel I could still see the glorious mural of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the flickering lights of votive candles signaling the prayers of those who came to visit before me. In my view from the window I could also see the gilded tabernacle where the presence of Jesus is known by the sanctuary lamp standing awake.

With my face pressed against the glass, I knelt to pray my rosary and offer all the unanswered questions before the throne of God. In that moment, the hustle and bustle of the busy Manhattan streets merged with stillness as God answered all my questions and doubts with the grace to believe.

There is no sin in questioning God—search the scriptures when in doubt. I believe God wants us to question his plan and ways. He removes our doubts by giving us faith that his ways are not always our ways. The good and bad in this life can lead us to a deeper faith and trust in God—a blessing to all who choose to believe.

Yesterday I had a conversation with a dear friend about how our families are coping with this pandemic. Our (text-based) conversation started with her saying something like this, “I feel bad about it, but right now I’m just so angry and mad at God for allowing this pandemic.1 I’m absolutely miserable…”

My immediate reaction was to hug her tight and tell her I got her and that sometimes it feels really impossible; We are community creatures, created for relationships, not isolation. Social distancing is necessary to protect the vulnerable, but it is intolerable in many ways. I was going to climb down the pit with her but due to the reality of our situation there is currently no hope of doing so personally.

Instead, after some empathy, I offered a little advice from my time as a theology student and my experience as a theology teacher. This expanded advice led to this article.

The key takeaway from our conversation is that it’s okay to be angry with God because prayer is a living relationship. God would rather you be honest about where you are than hide what you are going through. Furthermore, the biblical tradition (and the saints who follow it!) is full of saints, patriarchs, heroes, and women and men who throughout their lives have expressed their anger and desperate need toward God.

God would rather you be honest about where you are than hide what you are going through.

prayer defined

It’s easy to think about prayer, like the words we say, or how many rosaries we say, or how much time we spend reading scriptures. The fullness of prayer, however, is the “living relationship of the children of God with their exceedingly good Father, with his Son Jesus Christ, and with the Holy Spirit” (CCC 2565). Prayer is not just what we say and when we say it; Prayer encompasses our entire relationship with God. That’s why Saint Paul says we can “pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17).

The whole Christian life is meant to foster our relationship with the one God who is Father, Son and Spirit and who created us out of love. If the purpose of all Christian living is to relate, then it follows that we want to be authentic in our relationship with God as we hope to be in any other. If I find it important to be honest with my spouse and dear friends when trying not to hold back but to let them know how I really feel (even when I’m angry at them), how much more should I do I be honest with the God who created me and who already knows what is in my heart (Psalm 139)?

If the purpose of all Christian living is to relate, then it follows that we want to be authentic in our relationship with God as we hope to be in any other.

Simcha Fisher puts it this way:

“I know that lying to God is never useful. It never makes sense to lie to ourselves about how our relationship with God is. There is never any point in running away from God and refusing to talk to Him when we feel we cannot say the right things or feel the right things. No one has time for that, and it is an insult to God to even try. If you feel like hiding, tell him. If you feel like he’s not fair, tell him. If you’re not even sure he exists, tell him. For less than the truth there is no time.”

In summary, prayer is not just what we do or what we say; Prayer consists of our living relationship with the God who made me and everyone and everything else where God calls me and I answer him, who first loved us (John 4:19). I should respond relationally and cry out to God in my joy, in my sorrow, and yes, even in my anger, because the Holy Spirit has made it possible for me to respond to God. I should – I must – be honest with God for this relationship to continue to grow (Romans 8).

I should respond relationally and cry out to God in my joy, in my sorrow, and yes, even in my anger, because the Holy Spirit has made it possible for me to respond to God.

The witness of the biblical and Christian tradition

Now that we’ve established that prayer is a living relationship (not just the words we say), that the Holy Spirit helps us pray in the first place, and that honesty with God is of the utmost importance, let’s move on to the second concern .

I may have convinced you that you can be honest with God (even if that honesty includes your anger), but you still feel alone. You might be thinking something like, “Truly holy people don’t have problems like that, do they? If I had more faith, maybe I wouldn’t be angry with God? What if I’m so angry I want to curse God and be done with Him for now?”

You are not alone in this! Biblical tradition and the witness of the saints outside of Scripture show us that despair, sadness, and even anger at God are moments in the lives of those who love God. Hear the words of the psalmist:

“How long, Lord? will you forget me completely

How long will you hide your face from me?

How long must I bear sorrow in my soul,

Sorrow in my heart day after day?

How long will my enemy triumph over me?

Look at me, answer me, O LORD my God!

Enlighten my eyes lest I sleep in death,

Lest my enemy say: “I have conquered,

lest my enemies rejoice at my downfall.”2 (Psalm 13:2-5)

Others in the biblical narrative who struggle with dejection and anger at God include the prophet Jeremiah and the famous Job3. As Jeremiah copes with the imprisonment and isolation imposed on him after preaching what God has called him to do, Jeremiah angrily cries out to God, “You have deceived me, O Lord, and I have been deceived!” (Jeremiah 20:7). Jeremiah goes on to detail the extent of his isolation, doubts, and loneliness. In 1 Samuel 1 Anna, the mother of the prophet Samuel, complains so “bitterly” in her prayer that the temple priest Eli thinks she is drunk!

We know that many of the saints, in the midst of their lives of heroic virtue, also experienced anger at God. Take, for example, this popular anecdote about Saint Teresa of Avila (one of the Church’s doctors):

“When St. Teresa … was walking to her monastery during a heavy rainstorm, she slipped down an embankment and fell straight into the mud. The irrepressible nun looked up to heaven and admonished her Maker: ‘If you treat your friends like this, no wonder you have so few of them!'”

Most importantly, God Himself in the incarnation assumes human nature in the person of the Son. He bends down and walks with us in the totality of what it means to be human (other than sin). Jesus understood the depth of the suffering and loneliness of the human condition, and in his human nature he too experiences wrath (righteous, not sinful).

Jesus understood the depth of the suffering and loneliness of the human condition, and in his human nature he too experiences wrath (righteous, not sinful).

I suspect that sometimes the anger we feel toward God at times like these is rooted in our fear of what is happening. If so, that is a fear Jesus understood when He cried out in the Garden of Gethsemane on the eve of His passion: “Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me” (Matthew 26:39). God himself knows what it’s like to scream out in fear.

I’ll say it again: Anger at circumstances in our lives, and even anger at God, is something we can be really honest with God about. When we find ourselves in anger, we should be open about it with all our hearts. God would rather see the bluntness of our lamentation and anger than walk away from Him.

It doesn’t end in anger

If you’ve made it this far, I would be remiss if I didn’t tell you the true ending to all the prayers of those who came before us: You may express your fear and anger in all honesty before God, but you are called don’t stop here. I encourage you not to be discouraged with the following words from the same prophets, saints and heroes of the faith I have already mentioned.

You can express your fear and anger in all honesty to God, but you are called not to stop.

The Psalms of Lament do not end with cries of anger, sorrow, or despair; they almost always end in a feeling of hope and trust in God4. As he rails against God, Jeremiah recalls that “the Lord is with [him] as a mighty warrior.” (Jeremiah 20:11). Hannah, after the priest Eli had blessed her, “left [the temple]. She went to her quarters, ate and drank with her husband, and seemed no longer depressed” (1 Samuel 1:18). And Jesus, who is not only our example but who enables us to become true sons and daughters of God, ends his prayer in the garden with: “Not as I want, but as you want” – three times (Matthew 26:39 ).

So yes, it is permissible to be angry with God and to be open with Him about your anger. But whatever you do, don’t stop praying. If possible, I encourage you to end your own “Psalms” of lamentation and anger against God, as the psalmist does in Psalm 42: “Hope in God, I will still praise him, my Savior and my God.”

Nothing – not the “normal” worries and trials of our lives and families, not our individual anger at God, not war, not social isolation, not our own illness or death or that of our loved ones, not even the effects of a global pandemic – can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:35-39). You can be angry and honest with God about anything, but fear and anger are not the end of the story. The end of history is God’s victory over everything that holds us back, including death and all its effects (1 Corinthians 15:26).

You can be angry and honest with God about anything, but fear and anger are not the end of the story. The end of history is God’s victory over everything that holds us back, including death and all its effects.

And for now, in this time of pandemic, as we struggle in everyday life? Because right now, when you’re there, it’s okay to be angry with God. He can handle it.

1. This merits several other pieces in and of itself, but we should be absolutely clear that God does not want our death and suffering; In fact, the entire history of salvation is after the fall of God reaching out to overcome sin and death and be restored to right relationship with Him, one another, and creation! The Christian tradition distinguishes between God’s active and liberating will. When we talk about occurring evils, tradition distinguishes between natural and moral evil. I can’t possibly do this justice in a footnote, but tradition would say that a pandemic is a natural evil that God does not want, but that God allows for reasons we cannot fully understand now. “For God considered it better to make good out of evil than to allow no evil to exist” (Augustine, Enchiridion on Faith, Hope, and Love).

2. If you’re thinking, “But I don’t have any ‘enemies’ in my daily life right now,” one of the many ways to read and interpret Scripture (a biblical hermeneutic) is “the enemies” of the soul as sin or Death. Consider how, even outside of the faith narrative, the medical community has labeled the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic as “warfare.”

3. Job’s story is covered in detail elsewhere, so I leave it aside, apart from mentioning it now.

4. However, if at the moment you cannot imagine going beyond a lament of grief or anger, you still have a place in the narrative of Scripture: The Book of Lamentations contains no such hopeful ending. Although there are moments in the short book to remember God’s promises, it ends with this: “Why have you completely forgotten us, forsaken us for so long? Bring us back to you, Lord, that we may return: renew our days as of old. For now you have indeed rejected us and turned your anger against us completely” (Lamentations 5:20-22).