Hello all.

Hi, I am a 62 year old male in Florida. I'm married for the third and final time. With the way the world is developing and what limited knowledge I have of the Bible, It seems the end times are close and something is urging me develop faith. For the past ten years or so I have been feeling an increasing urge to develop a faith- belief that what religion and the Bible teach are true. That God does exist and the Bible is true.

I have gone to church off and on throughout my life. But my past which was very sinful and has been hard to forgive myself for, has I'm sure been and continues to be a self imposed prison keeping me from achieving a happiness or content.
I have been searching different churches for years and go to small church now. I like it there because its small and its easy to know everyone.

There have been a number of times in my life where I really feel like a prayer was answered or I would get a thought come into my head from out of the blue and be left thinking, where did that thought come from? Because it wasn't me.

Sometimes I think that I am starting to develop a little faith and then other times I feel like I'm getting nowhere with it. It seems I've noticed a cycle too. I'll start to feel like a little faith is building then either I'll do something sinful or I'll just get frustrated because the faith has plateaued and I can't get any further with it. I don't think I'm going to give up the search but I don't know what else to do.

So God if your listening...……. Please help!

Welcome Dan.

True faith is given to Christians by God. It's not always a feeling. Its an action. Something we do because we trust in the One we are serving.

How do we come to trust God or develop faith? By reading the Bible and listening to Bible based teachings.

When you get baptized, you are washed clean. God remembers your sins no more. So you can move on from your past. Cry out to God, and He will lead the way.

Welcome and Blessings! I too have been exactly where you find yourself! I am praying that His powerful light will shine upon your life to guide your way! It is His will that NONE should perish. I will continue to lift you before our Lord that you may see in faith more clearly🙏🙏🙏

Welcome to CC Forums, Dan. Glad you came. Just leave the past behind and surrender completely to Jesus. He loves you. He is waiting for you. Do this, and you will know He is for real.

Welcome to CC and nice to meet you. We all have faith when we accept the fact that through Jesus our past is wiped clean and He remembers our sin no more. 'Faith comes by hearing and hearing the Word of God' Rom 10:17. Devote time each day to read the Bible and your faith will grow, b/c the Holy Spirit will be fed, God bless!

Greetings and Welcome Danimal!

I know how difficult it is to forgive ourselves for past sins, but believing it is part of having faith. Regarding our sins the word of God says the following:

"If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us." - 1 John 1:8-10

His word also says that He casts our sins as far as the east is from the west. Though we have memory of our past sins and that we are sinners in general, we need to look past that knowing that the word of God says that because we trust that His Son paid the penalty for all of our sins through faith, then we are forgiven indeed. Whenever I would remember past sins and begin to feel guilty for them, I would just go back and read the promises of forgiveness to reinforce my faith. Believing that Jesus paid the penalty for your sins is having faith.

When we received Christ, we were credited with His righteousness and reconciled to God, i.e. brought back into right relationship with Him.

Remember also that, our salvation is in Christ and not in the church. Within the church we as believers have fellowship with one another, but we are not saved by our gathering.

If you have received Christ, then you are already having faith. And as you continue from faith to faith you, as well as all believers, are being transformed into the image of Christ, which is a life-long process, where we continue to take on the characteristics of Christ, which is the fruit of the Spirit.

Blessings in Christ!

Welcome Dan!

I'm glad to read that you're seeking Christ, the only God who can save us. If you can look back to days when you didn't even know or care about God, and now you do, you've already made much progress in your faith. By believing and living by the truth we received from God in the scriptures we are gradually becoming more like God wants us to be. Many years of unbelief and sinful habits from our past lives can slow down our progress, and sometimes we forget what's important with all the distractions of life and family around us. Even though there are many obstacles in our way God's plan has already started in us and He can never fail, surely He will succeed, because with Him nothing is impossible. Don't listen to thoughts that say you can't do it, because God says you can! I hope you will find this forum helpful. I am also new here.

Hello Dan, welcome to Christian Chat. I hope you'll enjoy your stay here.