Why am I "turning away" from God?

[diamantinehoneybunch]

Since a few months ago (last year) I have been doubting His intervention in other creature's life or at least my own life. I still believe He exists but I hardly pray because I often don't feel He would answer.

What should I do?
What is your proof that He answers your prayer and intervenes in your life?

[good logic]

Peace Yuliana.

You are the only one who has control over your choices. We can give you our opinion/advice in the hope you make the right choices. And  We all have preferences.

Our Creator has expressed for us that He, too, has His own preferences. He has cited for us His favorite traits and detailed for us who exactly is worthy of earning His love or His condemnation. Within Qoran, God has stated who He loves or abhors, what He likes or dislikes.
He also chooses  to who / and when to answer prayers.

By our own volition, we end up either close to or favored by God , or far from Him . We either follow His criteria of love or face the consequences of our own man-made criteria of love. This system is clearly spelled out :

[Qoran 3:30] The day will come when each soul will find all the good works it had done brought forth. As for the evil works, it will wish that they were far, far removed. God alerts you that you shall reverence Him alone. God is Compassionate towards the people.


For example, there is a big list of what GOD loves or dislikes:
....
- God advocates justice and loves those who are just (49:9) and equitable (5:42). He doesn't love the unjust (3:57).

- He loves the steadfast (3:146) and He loves those who put their trust in Him (3:159).

- He doesn't love those who are arrogant (16:23, 4:36, 31:18) nor does He love those who are boastful, proud (57:23).

- God loves the charitable (2:195) and doesn't love the transgressors (7:55, 5:87), the corrupt (28:77), the betrayers or the unappreciative (4:107, 22:38).
...And so on...

He said He answers the prayers of His devoted servants? It is His promise.
But  of course GOD tries everyone first. Do we have the patience to persevere?

May the Lord grant you more patience and help you in your quest.

GOD bless you.

Peace.

[JavaLatte]

What should I do?

My advice is keep patience and steadfast and keep put your trust in God, don't give up in this.

Do not be weak in faith.

Good advice from brother MoF. 

What is your proof that He answers your prayer and intervenes in your life?

When I believe and hope to God, I always get positive results. 

Don't forget that our prayer is to ask for something good/useful (don't hope for bad things for yourself).

There was moment where I only have short wish in my heart, but it was granted fairly quickly.

There was moment where I prayed very seriously and finally granted after some time.

There is also where I pray very, very serious, and very hopeful to God, but still not granted until very long time, but it doesn't make me loss. 

The waiting time (until prayer be granted/answered) is also beneficial for us, because that's the valuable time when we practice to be patient and steadfast, two qualities that are very important and very useful for our lives, and I think we need to practice these.

Sometimes our prayers are still not answered, but the waiting period we through in patience and steadfastness can 'forge/made' us develop to become better and stronger soul in healthy and correct manner, and I think that's how we undergo our purification process on earth.

If you remain believe in God, remain patient, remain put your trust in God, and always try to surrender to God to the extent you can, then God willing:

? you will have peace/serenity in your mind and heart,
? your faith will stronger from time to time, 
? God's signs become more clear for you to be seen and sensed,
? you will know that God is near and He doesn't leave you.

And for me, reading/studying the Qur'an regularly is very useful to know about God and very useful for many other things.

He said He answers the prayers of His devoted servants? It is His promise.
But  of course GOD tries everyone first. Do we have the patience to persevere?

Very good reminder, brother.  I also need to be reminded about this.

Thank you very much.


Peace.

[Man of Faith]

Peace,

When I made a prayer it took two years until it was answered, but when it was answered it was in detail the way I had prayed. That was for my current wife and not did know that a person that I had prayed for might be bad for me either, but I soon got to learn when the prayer was answered in 2009.

There is much testing in our lives and God's intervention does not come like God waving from the skies saying: "Salaam! Here I am!". This is a test and God does not reveal anything so obvious unless we have much faith because then God has no reason to hide since confidence (faith) has entered our hearts. It is the individual person's responsibility to discover about God and to build up faith and to his/her help there is a sea of signs out there. Merely giving it some thought you might realize that this world cannot simply exist coincidentially. That was the path I approached God at fist. Organized religion I took as pathetic and I still do and never belonged to a sect (Islam, Christianity etc).

We need to be very determined about God and build up faith and know if it was not a test God would not hide around anywhere so your faith has to circulate around the "unseen" and the signs that there is a Creator ought to have you generate confidence. The recitation (Quran) could be a boost to your faith. But put your trust in God and be really really stubborn and patient even if you do not see God's marvels in your life for years and improve yourself in all the ways you can. Be good, kind and helpful and minimize and be mindful of your own ego and be a bit like Jesus when it comes to humbleness and respectfulness. God sees you for your good deeds and faith and not primarily because of your prayers and ritualistic devotion. When you manage to put a lid over your emotions and anger then God will see that you have faith.

And you have seen that I suddenly know more about what was written in the recitation (if you take a look in my thread) and I did not merely know that through wishful thinking but I prayed to have more knowledge of what the Arabic passage REALLY said and not what traditional interpretation had made it look like. I had been nearly frustrated because of the annoying impression it gave me and rituals like going to the "Restricted Temple" was not my God calling. But as you may see (if you read my thread) the passages do not at all refer to a building anywhere. They refer to a period when you leave your homes and travel (much like Jesus) to help other people and think about God. It is weird that the sectarians managed to twist around their meaning that badly. Another book nearly took shape when I "broke the code".

My qualified guess is that the book called Quran has been laying forgotten for years at some point and people just tried to interpret it later when their meaning was no longer as obvious. And they took their own wicked interpretation from it.

God bless you

[Existential1]

Since a few months ago (last year) I have been doubting His intervention in other creature's life or at least my own life. I still believe He exists but I hardly pray because I often don't feel He would answer.

What should I do?
What is your proof that He answers your prayer and intervenes in your life?

Salaam Yuliana,

I believe God will help you as long as you stay humble and sincere in your devotion to Him.  I do not feel as though our prayers are always answered immediately, as we are not always completely prepared for that which we request. 

For example, I read the first three surah's when I was 19, and it did nothing for me.  I put down that Quran, and didn't read another until I was 23.  That time, before I began reading, I asked God to help me find something in this book (I was a confused and somewhere between atheist and deist).  By the time I got to the same point I had reached the last time I opened the Quran, I knew I was a Muslim all-along.  That was 4 years later. 

I think about that often.  Had I found the enlightenment at the age of 19, I was not in a place where I could have properly critiqued and learned as I have now.  I was completely pigeonholed into a very restrictive schedule with no time or money, or support from fellow Muslims.  When I found Allah at 23, I fully embraced Him and haven't looked back. 

If you sincerely come to Him with a request, and remain humble and patient, I believe you will receive that which you have requested.

[BobaFett]

Since a few months ago (last year) I have been doubting His intervention in other creature's life or at least my own life. I still believe He exists but I hardly pray because I often don't feel He would answer.

So He hasn't answered your prayers in the way you think He should and therefor you doubt His existence, or at least His willingness to help people?

No offence but that seems a little naive.. God isn't a wish granting genie. Maybe it is better for your soul if your prayer is not granted yet.. or ever. I have prayed many times and not had my prayer answered, when this happens I assume that God either answered my prayer in a way I do not recognise or the answer to my prayer was "No", either way I assume that God has done what is best for me.

Your belief in God should not depend on whether you have your prayers answered imho.

What should I do?

Just be honest to yourself.


What is your proof that He answers your prayer and intervenes in your life?

I've had a few but my favourite was when I was a kid around 6:

I had just started at a new school, the night before I was watching tv and a Sherlock Holmes show or movie was on. In the scene I saw by chance as I was flicking through the channels Holmes walks into a warehouse type building, he stepped through the entrance looked around nods to himself then took one step back and a whole bunch of crates fell right where he was standing.

The next day at school I was walking through the yard by myself when all of a sudden that scene came to my mind, I don't know why but I stopped, looked around and took one step back just like Holmes did, a bird crapped right where I had been standing.

[diamantinehoneybunch]

No offence but that seems a little naive.. God isn't a wish granting genie.

BobaFett,
You were saying this like if I expected every prayer that I have to be fulfilled. That's not what I meant.
I created this thread because God almost NEVER answered my prayers.
Furthermore, the sadness that I often have is another reason I created this thread.

[BobaFett]

My apologies, I hope I didn't upset you. The way I look at it, even if our prayers are not answered, what does it cost us to try our luck?

[huruf]

God always answers prayers, but may be the answer is not what you expect. You must trust that whatever God. We are so immersed on our own expectations, that may be do not realise that in fact our prayers have been answered but that in fact the answer is not what we expected. I am sure, if you have prayed that God has answered to perfection. But may be your own idea of what is good and Godly for you is off. May be youhave to change samething to realise that what you asked for in fact has been accomplished.

On the other hand we must be aware that if we ask for something in this world for this world, the answer will also be in this world and in this world nothing is perfect. There is nothing thatis only all advantages and no disadvantage.

At any rate, there has been such a glamour made of youth that it would seem that youth is a magic thing for happinesss, but it is not so. Young age is very trying, very hard, the vehemence wit which things are felt is too strong. It doe snot leave much peace.

You have to be patient with yourself, not demand of yourself that you "be happy". If we start with such demands, we do ot get anywhere. We have the right to be unhappy, we have the right to fail. Take it easy on yourself.

Salaam

[amin]

The only thing i ask with God is guidance to me and every one.
I try to learn from the signs, no books would help in deciding whats right and wrong for me. The guidance is live and straight before our senses. All the best.
By the way what you had asked for or what you expected him to answer with?