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
Sorry for my bad english but i speak arabs.
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
different books i become awake and have to think more
And its so good to hear you are reading daily
Btw did you listen to Fadia Bazzy?
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
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.
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.
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