Christian prayer and chat thread Open to all

[Dutchoma]

The old thread was nearly full, so here is a new one. Oldies and newbies, chat or prayer, all welcome.

Praying especially for MHD and JanFeb’s daughter.
Also praying for all who are preparing Holy Week/Easter services.

been a christian for several years and have suffered from intrusive thoughts on and off throughout this time. Recently, I was watching This Morning and they had an exorcist on talking about demons. An involuntary thought popped up into my head of "The demons can have my dog," and now I'm scared that God will send my dog to hell because I said that they could have her. And while she is my best friend, God might see her as just an animal.

I don't often comment on here (and have gone through various user names) but didn't want to to read and run. I don't want you to keep worrying about this.

We are not perfected yet and that includes our minds. Just rebuke the thought, it does not come from your best self (which is in unity with God) ask for forgiveness (as the thought is incorrect) and for God to change you according to His will (this is His will) and then you can disassociate from it.

During my prayers, I ask that I think according to God's will and that I dismiss any thoughts which are against His will and forget them quickly. This is a prayer that you can have faith for as it is Gods will that you concentrate your mind on the things which are according to His will.

And God is love so loves your dog too.

Hope this helps.

And you can believe God will answer your prayers.

Matthew 21:22
"And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive."

@glimpsing - thankyou

@Prescottdanni123, you're very welcome. Hope it helps.

Prescottdanni You are very welcome, I am glad you have found your way here. I have had several days of not being able to get into Mumsnet, so didn’t see your post until just now.
It is difficult to deal with intrusive thoughts, but they happen to all of us, it is just a part of our mind pattern, good thoughts and bad thought all mixed up.
Might I suggest you stay away from programmes like the one you watched with an exorcist, such things have no place in the life of a Christian, next time just turn the telly off and don’t give it another thought..
The other thing I would say is that God does not think like we do, so He would certainly not take your dog, just because you had bad thoughts.
And the last thing: Do not be afraid is the sentence that happens the most in the Bible. Cast all your anxiety on Him. That takes a lot of practice, because every time these anxious thoughts come into your mind, you will have to say that you will not entertain them, that you KNOW that God loves you and there is no need to be afraid.
Selwyn Hughes once said: “You cannot stop birds landing on your head, but you can stop them making nests in your hair.”
What kind of support do you get from your church? I hope there are kind people there who love and support you.

Thanks. I'm fortunate to be part of a great church full of supportive friends.

I do usually avoid programmes about demons etc. My mum was watching This Morning with Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby and they were interviewing the exorcist. I unfortunately caught the tail end of it when I was looking for my keys and it triggered some intrusive thoughts.

@Sudokuzebra

I'm on a waiting list to speak to a counsellor through a christian organisation but been told that it could take a couple of months

@RafaIsTheKingOfClay praying now that your sister returns safely. 🙏❤️

@Prescottdanni123 welcome. I definitely echo the advice of glimpsing and Oma. Our minds often lead us in directions that aren't helpful, and God wants us to turn to him and find peace in him. There's a verse that talks about taking hold of thoughts and turning them to Christ and it's really helpful for just finding God in that moment with us. Please don't allow that programme to rob your joy in your dog. God created and loves animals for our companionship as well as other purposes. He knows the dog is important to you and that matters to him too, and he's not a God that would do a trade off like that - please don't worry that those thoughts are from God. But I would agree about accessing counselling and speaking to your GP for some further support.

Praying for your sister Rafals, that she come back safely.

Adding my prayers for your sister Rafals.

SudokuZebra I tried to send a personal message but could not get through. Just to let you know that you are in my prayers today.

Hi all,
I haven't been on Mumsnet for a bit.
I just wanted to ask for prayer, sounds a bit wish-washy but I've just been feeling low and would appreciate a prayer if you have any going spare.

I have a bit of a fraught relationship with churchgoing due to direct and family experience of abuse/trauma but anyway I have been praying about whether to try to find a church I/we feel comfortable in and could be a part of.

We've visited somewhere new which was great, although not what I've been used to. And I've tried to reengage (although I'm wary) where we have been involved for a little while. I'm finding decision making very difficult in this area.

I hope you are all okay and enjoying preparing for Christmas x

Hi Coffeecup, the prayer thread has been very quiet for a bit.
Finding a church where you can both receive and contribute is very hard, especially if you are not the only person who needs to be happy with the choice.
And of course, if you find the ‘perfect’ church, don’t join it: you might spoil it. There will be a lot going on in the next few weeks, I would suggest taking it slowly and not to rely too much on attending.

While you are waiting there may be personal devotions you can excercise, there have been several suggestions upthread.

Oh I know better than anyone that no church is perfect, without a doubt! But there is still a pull to gathering with others sometimes.

I have just thought maybe joining a small group would be more managable, what do you think?

I think that meeting with others is an essential part of being a Christian. But it is not always possible. Sometimes being a part of a small group within a church setting, like a housegroup, is more satisfactory than attending the bigger services, but not all churches have them and at the moment they are not all meeting. Just for now, over Christmas and the New Year I would go with the flow and, if that is not too lazy, leave it to the weather and the way you feel to decide when and where to go.

Please pray for me as I face the sorrow of ending my abusive marriage in the new year.

I have been married for 21 years and the abuse is emotional, not physical.

I feel lost and frightened and I am calling out for prayer.

Praying for you now, Battygirll. I pray for you to feel peace and courage and that you will be free of the emotional abuse.

@Donhill

Praying for you now, Battygirll. I pray for you to feel peace and courage and that you will be free of the emotional abuse.

Thank you so much.

@Battygirll You are in my prayers.

@languagelover96 thank you 🙏

Just seen this and I will pray for you too. Ending a longstanding marriage is extremely painful. Are there children involved? I pray for your strength and courage, especially over the ‘festive’ season, which no doubt will make things even harder for you

@Battygirll Prayers from me as well. I ended my very long marriage this year and it's really hard. But God was there walking with me and there in the prayers and support of my friends. I hope you can find Him there too.

@DreamingOfTheSouthOfFrance

Thanks so much