Drifting away from god

edited June 2017 in Faith Issues
I was just wondering if someone could help me out. I feel like I'm drifting away from god and things like music and movies are proirtiesed over reading the bible or listing to hymns. I dont feel like I have a strong connection with god anymore. I know it sounds bad but honestly I prefer songs over hymns and I know I shouldn't. Anyone has any advice how to rebuild a stronger connection with god?

By the way I'm a teenager currently sitting my alevels

Comments

  • If you want you can return to Egypt who live the 85% of Copts in the world).I am a muslim egyptian who convert secret to coptic christianity and live here in Egypt.In Egypt live 9-15 milions Copts(10-15% of egyptian population).
  • The copts of diaspora are only 1-2 milions.But the Copts of Egypt are 9-15 milions.If you dont want to live in Egypt you can answer your priest.And of course this forum have got many Copt priests(and not only priests).How many times on the week go to church?The majority of Copts(95%) go to church 2-3 times on week but other go only 1 time a week to church.
  • I go 1-2 times to church depending on how busy I'm with school work
  • I am a college student in Egypt.I was born as muslim but i convert secret to coptic christianity.I find in Christianity the happy who i dont find in Islam.I am 20 yeras old(i was born in 1997).How old are you?
    Sorry for my bad english but i speak arabs.
  • You can stop to see(for days,weeks or months) many films and music.You speak with your priest?What he tell to you?
  • I haven't spoken to my priest in a very long time as he is always busy and I don't want to interrupt him
  • I feel like I would get very bored if I don't watch movies or listen to songs
  • I am a French atheist girl 19 yeras old .Maybe i am not the true peoople who can speak to you.My boyfriend is Copt.He listen music and see films and read the bibble and go of course to his church.
  • Mf1999 said:

    I haven't spoken to my priest in a very long time as he is always busy and I don't want to interrupt him

    But the work of priest is listen to your problems.I ask my priest(who is the peoople who tell me about christianity and convert to Coptic church) every time who i have got problem.
  • I do exactly what your boyfriend does it's just over a period of time I didn't feel close to God anymore. It might just be me I don't know. And I don't know whether I should stop listening to music completely. I just feel lost
  • I will try to speak to him when I next see him
  • edited June 2017
    Have you got an Bible app? Sometimes it better for me to read the Bible by using an app. If you download one you can have it with you where ever you go and you can find any verse within seconds. Sure you can do that with a book version too, but it can be simpler with an app for sure. If you are not reading in the Bible daily now, just start by reading one verse or two verses at least each day, the most important is that you are reading each day not how much.

    As for hymns, try to find hymns you didnt hear before and listen to other worship music like Coptic Christian choir song. There are so many beautiful ones, i will send a post with some music when i am in a wifi zone

    Are there other additional ways you can worship and become closer to God? If you like poetry you can write worship poems. If you like drawing or crafting things you can make mages and creations with scenes from the Bible, or decorated Bible verses you can give to someone to bring more light in their life

    Remember to always be thankful to God, for all small things and for the grey days and the difficult times, find what you need to be grateful for like being able to see and walk and hear, for the people you know for having things to do each day and so on
    I iust find that i become closer to God the more grateful i am and i become happier and in this happiness full of worship and more gratefulness so it is an ever increasing process ❤️

    Also remember to be a servant by heart, focus less of the feeling of driftng away and more on what you can do for the people around you to bring them closer to God

    Hug people and pray with them this will bring you closer to God so much

    I pray God will lift your spirit and strengthen your soul and fill your heart with more and more love for him

  • I do read the bible daily but I feel like nothing goes in my head when I do. And thank you so much for your advice it makes so much sense to me and I already feel much better.
  • Oh Im so so happy some of it was helpful and that you are feeling better !
  • edited June 2017
    By reading daily do you read book after book or different verses? Sometimes when i read book after book i loose concentration but by also reading different verses from
    different books i become awake and have to think more

    And its so good to hear you are reading daily
  • Thank you again I felt like god is disappointed in me
  • I read random chapters and I would read a whole paragraph daily
  • Thats great I really admire you are concerned already because most will drift soooo far away before realising, while you are still rooted in the faith and only starting to drift, for sure by this attitude you will become closer

    Btw did you listen to Fadia Bazzy?
  • No actually when I was little my mum used to listen to her and I used to sing along I used to absolutely love her
  • Yeah she is so good singer, her way of singing and her voice and i love that her songs are about Jesus
  • Yh but I like her old songs more then her new once
  • Anyone else that you would recommend I listen to
  • Have you heard about The Better Life group ?
  • edited June 2017
    No I haven't do they do songs actually I have I just looked them up and I have

  • Here is some other music:

    Christos Santikai - Axion Esti
    Dvina ljubojević - Agni Partene
    Gabriels message - Good sheperd band

    I can send more later, but now i have to go

    May our Lord shine upon you and hear your prayers


  • edited June 2017





  • edited June 2017
    Dear mf1999,

    I prefer not to listen to Christian "pop music". That just makes things worse, especially the Arabic examples given.

    If you are bored, it could be because you exerted yourself too much into the practice of spirituality. Have you ever tried to exercise or lift weights? Do you start big or small? When you jog, do you begin jogging a quarter mile or one mile? And if not a quarter mile, how about a tenth of a mile?

    I recommend picking up Metropolitan Anthony Bloom's book "Beginning to Pray". It's a short book, and very simple. Utilize the practical steps in this book for your spiritual life, and do so also with LITURGICAL hymns (not the pop music nonsense; secular music does pop way better anyway). Start small, and try to take these hymns to heart. Understand them, and make them part of your prayer routine. You don't need to start with the Agpeya, or if you do, also start very small in the Agpeya.

    The simplest prayer, The Lord's Prayer..."Our Father who art in heaven", say it slowly and consciously. If you lose concentration on one part of it, say it again.

    If one chapter in the Bible is too much, read one verse and contemplate. If you can't get anything from that one verse, read the next one, and sit there and think about how this verse can be applied to your life, and pray about it. Christ is more joyful with one who can be more fruitful with the person who applies something very small in his life than the one who reads a lot and applies nothing.

    Boredom means either you are way too challenged by what you do or you are not challenged enough. Prayer is always challenging, and so I would posit that you need to start small and build yourself up slowly. Take your time. There's no rushing in spirituality.

    Spirituality, like exercise, is not about what is entertaining, but about what is good for you for health. Secular music is not wrong. It has its time and place. But maintaining good health is more important.


    God bless.
  • edited June 2017
    One more thing:

    It's never wrong to tell your spiritual father that you need to see him as soon as you can. You are not "annoying" him when you say that, and he will never be annoyed by it either. However, if it takes months after saying that to him, you may need to consider seeing someone else. Not that anything is wrong with your present spiritual father, but it is an indication that he is so busy, he needs help, and that means another priest is necessary to adopt as your father. But once you adopt him, you can't go back. Find one who isn't as busy for you.
  • edited June 2017
    Really great advice, ideas and instructions from Minasoliman, hope you will follow it and become renewed and closer to God by that Mf1999 and hope you will soon again feel the hapiness of knowing that you are close to our Heavenly Father

    Some fitting verses about this

    Proverbs 4:13
    Hold my instruction fast and do not forsake her; keep her because she is your life.

    James 4:8
    Draw near to God and he will draw near to you. Purify your hands, you sinners; sanctify your hearts, doubting souls.

    Luke 9:23
    He said to all, "If anyone desires to come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow me

    Zephaniah 3:17
    The LORD your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.

    Peter 5:6-7
    Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.

    1 John 3:1 See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him


    With love and blessing and hope,
    M
Sign In or Register to comment.