Have you ever had bad thoughts about God? Like thoughts that say he isn't powerful, he isn't real, heaven isn't real, if God loved you he would help you, etc?

Those thoughts are hurting me daily and I can't seem to get rid of them. They really discourage me to stop reading my bible and giving up on God and I really don't want that. Im struggling with doubts also and they won't go away to and it really makes me feel like there's not reason to read the bible if they won't go away. I know there's punishment if you don't believe and I don't want to go to hell. Why won't God help me with disbelief? Why would he wait at such a horrible time like this which causes me to give up on Him and Jesus?

Hi
It all happens in life. Just believe in god.

Devotion and faith, if you believe he is real, then he is.

It's not disbelief; it's doubts, and we all go through that. A theologian named Frederick Buechner once wrote something that I carry in my heart all the time -- "Doubts are the ants in the pants of faith."

He goes on to say that, if you didn't have faith, there would be no doubts. Doubts are actually a good thing and help each Christian reexamine his beliefs, read the Bible, talk with other Christians, pray more, and work through those doubts -- until new ones show up.

You know what scares me? A Christian who says he never has any doubts and never struggles with his faith.

Here's Buechner's full quote:

"Whether your faith is that there is a God or that there is not a God, if you don't have any doubts, you are either kidding yourself or asleep. Doubts are the ants in the pants of faith. They keep it awake and moving."

– Frederick Buechner, Wishful Thinking: A Seeker's ABC"

And here is a sermon based on that quote: DOUBT: The Ants in the Pants of Faith 2-26-2012 (http://www.trinityumc.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=291:sermondoubt&catid=42:sermons&Itemid=59)

As WG said, we've all been there. I have a bipolar daughter who went through a 5 year stretch where she concluded that she didn't believe in God. I knew her spiritual history, was there when she gave her life to Christ as a child, got to baptize her, and watched her grow. She thought she was going to get a rise out of me by saying she didn't believe in God any more. But Jesus said that once you're his, nobody and nothing can yank you out of his hand. So I just said, "That's okay. He believes in you." I'll tell you the same thing. You may be having doubts about God; that's not a problem. God believes in you. And just like my daughter, he'll get you through this, however long it takes.