Thank you for your interesting and inspirational article. I have been looking everywhere online for help. It’s not possible to pray harder than I am for help to rise above my situation. I feel so frightened and alone. I never thought in a million years that I would become a drug addict. But I trusted doctors. And pharmaceuticals. And now I feel like the worst fool in the world. I have – to make the story short- become very weakened at every level physically mentally emotionally and even it seems spiritually by antidepressants over the years without realising what was happening. Now after my life has fallen into profound devastation I have been doing a great deal of research online and learn what a terrible lie these drugs are. I have fallen way beyond what I now know to be tardive dysphoria -antidepressant induced chronic depression – among other numerous problems. I have fallen onto homeless accommodation. My family is bewildered as to what has happened to my mental state. I pray beg and plead and cry for healing. And for the suicide visions of despair to stop. I think if a triad gang member and opium addict can be healed surely I am deserving. I have been believing that I must be undeserving for leaning on antidepressants for too long and for many mistakes I have made. I will continue to pray for a miracle. Thank you with love and blessings. Michele from Adelaide Australia
Hello Michele,
I’m sorry to here of your difficulties, and I will pray that you find relief and healing. I feel sure it has nothing to do with being undeserving, but I don’t understand why God heals some and not others.
I wonder too if there is some professional help you can get that won’t take you in a wrong direction. Maybe you could find a christian counsellor, maybe through a good church.
Keep hanging in there, keep praying and make sure you get some support from good people.
Eric
How to interpret dreams? Is it a message from God or just our mind?
Charles, on his website had recently looked at this matter also. I had long heard stories about Muslims having dreams of Jesus. I found this quite compelling. Charles then considered what Muslim’s say on the matter. A quick search showed that Muslims report stories of Christians having Mohammad related dreams and converting to Islam.
I had never thought about this working both ways. Once I did, it caused me to be more cautious in regard to the Christian reports of such dreams.
Charles’ discussion can be found at the following link
Hi Peter, thanks for reading and commenting. And thanks for the link. Full marks for reading more than one side of this question!
I was very interested to read your link because I haven’t seen anything like that before. I have done a bit of Googling on the matter and I think I will post on it when I have searched some more. My initial impression is that the Muslim and Christian reports are not really comparable – the reports of Muslim conversions to christianity seem of a different nature and much more prevalent (on the internet at least).
But that is just my first impression and I will be looking at the matter a bit more yet. I hope you hang around to see what I find. Thanks again.
Enjoyed reading this and I enjoyed your open-minded approach. In my experience, open-mindedness is rather rare in believers and non-believers.
Thank you. I have my own strongly held viewpoint, otherwise I’d never have set up this blog. But I do believe each of us has to make our own choices, and it is good to be open to others who think or experience differently. So I am encouraged that you find some of my stuff to be that way.
Well I totally believe TRUTH is mixed up and has to be sorted out bible declares we work out our salvation either fear and trembling.
I myself saw a vision of Jesus while I was praying at around 9pm before bedtime.As i was praying with my eyes closed, I suddenly felt transported in a different place..i found myself standing behind Jesus who was dressed in a white robe.i could not see His face but i instincly knew it was Him.Before i could even react, there came a woman who was also dressed in white with a white cloak on her head.She walked towards Jesus and stood before Him.at first i could hardly figure out who the woman was, but then after a while it became clear to me who she was.This woman was active on television many years back but had left the country to seek medical treatment abroad for colon cancer. The next day, I told my sister about the vision.She thought i was hallucinating.I grew restless and though i was still unsure if the vision was real or not..i waited for the news of her death on tv..two days from when i had that vision..reports of her death was all over the news. My sister and I were flabbergasted upon learning of her demise.That vision has greatly strengthened and deepened my faith In Christ.
Thank you for sharing this.
My mother, a lifelong Presbyterian who died about a decade ago at the age of 90 (and had read the entire KJV of the bible at the age of 15), said she thought prayer was for the person praying, that they wanted to help but didn’t know anything to actually make a difference (when I asked about her declining to join a prayer chain in her women’s group, but my sister, a busy teacher, participated in hers).
Most of the prayer studies (possible exception the huge 2996 Harvard study which had results that nobody predicted) are poorly designed. There are simply too many conflating factors.
One has to wonder if the Miel Garcia’s vision of Jesus matched the photographs of him! I think the memory and perception studies are far more interesting (and scientific).
There is good progress going on with addiction research too, (after decades of propaganda leading only to ever increasing wrongful incarceration of minorities and the poor). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PY9DcIMGxMs
Hi Ruth, thanks for visiting. You have touched on several interesting matters.
1. I grew up Presbyterian and I think those Presbyterians had a wrong attitude to prayer.
2. Yes, prayer studies are difficult to design scientifically. I think the best may be to look at individual healings and see if a natural explanation can be found. In some case, it cannot. (I have looked at some of these in Healing miracles and God.)
3. I don’t think memory and perception studies say much about whether healings or visions occur, but only suggest that some of the details won’t be remembered well. Is that what you were thinking?
4. The longevity project actually found that religious people do indeed tend to live longer, though it suggested that the main reasons were their good social connections, their healthier lifestyle and their life of purpose and serving others that made the difference.
5. That TED talk on addiction was very good – thanks.
I enjoy reading of others experiences, words spoken by Jesus and the undeniable feelings of LOVE which he exudes.
I am a 54 year old RN. I grew up in a lutheran household. My parents adopted the three of us kids as babies, my two brothers and myself, all from different mothers. We were brought up in a middle class environment and always had clothes on our back and food on the table. To the contrary, alcohol and a severe temper in my father effected us all. As well, my mother (whom the Lord has since BLESSED me by answering my prayers and making her my best friend) as a child always made me feel like she was disappointed in me and felt a daughter of her own blood would’ve been better than what she got with me. We never missed church on Sunday. I think the three of us kids had a hard time accepting all that we were being taught in church and applying it once we got home to the dysfunction.
As a result, I rebelled and started experimenting with drugs and alcohol and moved away at 19. I was going to college at the time but I was told if I moved away, there would be no help and was assured “I’d be back and there would be rules on the table”. Well, hearing that sealed my fate as I knew I’d NEVER go back. Needless to say, moving away proved my parents to be right. Things were hard and progressively worsened to the point of getting food from a church and doing whatever I could to bring money and food.
Finally, I realized I had to do something drastic. I went to a recruiter to join the Navy. I’d never known anyone in the military but it provided the GI bill to help with education. The Navy recruiter sent me to the AF saying Navy wasn’t a good place for women (not only would we never hear that comment now but it was DEFINITELY Gods hand). I called my mom to get her opinion and she said “why not, you’re not doing anything with your life”. I remember being so offended by her comment but again, another driving force.
The night before I was to go home, I had what I call a vision although many would call it a dream. I CANNOT consider it a dream because I was COMPLETELY ALERT in my surroundings. I felt something “hovering” overhead and knew that the whole world could see it. As I attempted to determine what it was, it move back at quite a distance yet my vision was perfected to see wood grain…. this large object was made of wood. At that very moment, a cross rose up from it that was also made of wood but was surrounded with blue neon lights. Once again, I knew ALL could see it. I was utterly HORRIFIED because I knew in my mind that it was “The End” and I’d been living SO wrong and this would condemn me! At that moment, I saw Jesus starting to descend from that cross and then started RUNNING in the other direction which at that point was a desert. I was SO scared. As I ran, I looked back and could see him descending in a white robe thru the dark stormy looking clouds. When I turned my head back as I was running to the course ahead, I was stopped dead in my tracks as HE was directly in front of me – FACE TO FACE. His face was beyond beautiful, His eyes enveloped me in His love. My tears were freely falling. The funny thing is, I don’t recall any words being “spoken”. It was as if His MIND docked into mine. My words to Him “I’m not ready, I know I’ve not been living my life right – I don’t want to go to Hell!” All of this as I cried – tears POURING down my cheeks. At that moment, He placed His hand on my right cheek and His words back to me were “Don’t be afraid, you’re doing the right thing. Everything will be OK”. Again, I just felt this IMMENSE LOVE AND SUPPORT from Him which I never wanted to leave but with that I was sitting up in bed with tears flowing as if I was just transported from the desert back to the bedroom. I knew that very moment that joining the AF was the right thing and that I was following my destiny.
I ended up on the Medical Recovery Team for the Space Shuttle at Edward’s AFB. Although I still have experienced numerous challenges with a marriage, death of a spouse and health concerns (this message cannot hold much more!!) I finished my education as a nurse and continue to help others which I truly believe is my purpose by the HAND OD GOD. I will tell you, I’ve made it thru it ALL because of the fact that I KNOW Jesus is walking thru it ALL with me! He has continued to ANSWER ALL MY PRAYERS. I am blessed beyond words and it ALL stemmed from Jesus CARING ENOUGH AND LOVING ME to SHOW UP when I needed Him MOST!
Thank you for sharing these experiences!!
Thanks for sharing your experience, Kathryn. I’m so glad you ended up in a good place in your life, and with God.
Thank you for a beautiful synopsis of Nabeel Qureshi’s testimony and life lived for our Glorious LORD Jesus 🙏🏽🙏🙏🏻🙏🏼
Thank you for your interesting and inspirational article. I have been looking everywhere online for help. It’s not possible to pray harder than I am for help to rise above my situation. I feel so frightened and alone. I never thought in a million years that I would become a drug addict. But I trusted doctors. And pharmaceuticals. And now
I feel like the worst fool in the world. I have – to make the story short- become very weakened at every level physically mentally emotionally and even it seems spiritually by antidepressants over the years without realising what was happening. Now after my
life has fallen into profound devastation I have been doing a great deal of research online and learn what a terrible lie these drugs are. I have fallen way beyond what I now know to be tardive dysphoria -antidepressant induced chronic depression – among other numerous problems. I have fallen onto homeless accommodation. My family is bewildered as to what has happened to my mental state. I pray beg and plead and cry for healing. And for the suicide visions of despair to stop. I think if a triad gang member and opium addict can be healed surely I am deserving. I have been believing that I must be undeserving for leaning on antidepressants for too long and for many mistakes I have made. I will continue to pray for a miracle. Thank you with love and blessings. Michele from Adelaide Australia
Hello Michele,
I’m sorry to here of your difficulties, and I will pray that you find relief and healing. I feel sure it has nothing to do with being undeserving, but I don’t understand why God heals some and not others.
I wonder too if there is some professional help you can get that won’t take you in a wrong direction. Maybe you could find a christian counsellor, maybe through a good church.
Keep hanging in there, keep praying and make sure you get some support from good people.
Eric
How to interpret dreams? Is it a message from God or just our mind?
Charles, on his website had recently looked at this matter also. I had long heard stories about Muslims having dreams of Jesus. I found this quite compelling. Charles then considered what Muslim’s say on the matter. A quick search showed that Muslims report stories of Christians having Mohammad related dreams and converting to Islam.
I had never thought about this working both ways. Once I did, it caused me to be more cautious in regard to the Christian reports of such dreams.
Charles’ discussion can be found at the following link
https://skepticjourney.wordpress.com/2015/03/15/well-meaning-friends-dreams/
Hi Peter, thanks for reading and commenting. And thanks for the link. Full marks for reading more than one side of this question!
I was very interested to read your link because I haven’t seen anything like that before. I have done a bit of Googling on the matter and I think I will post on it when I have searched some more. My initial impression is that the Muslim and Christian reports are not really comparable – the reports of Muslim conversions to christianity seem of a different nature and much more prevalent (on the internet at least).
But that is just my first impression and I will be looking at the matter a bit more yet. I hope you hang around to see what I find. Thanks again.
Enjoyed reading this and I enjoyed your open-minded approach. In my experience, open-mindedness
is rather rare in believers and non-believers.
Thank you. I have my own strongly held viewpoint, otherwise I’d never have set up this blog. But I do believe each of us has to make our own choices, and it is good to be open to others who think or experience differently. So I am encouraged that you find some of my stuff to be that way.
Well I totally believe TRUTH is mixed up and has to be sorted out bible declares we work out our salvation either fear and trembling.
I myself saw a vision of Jesus while I was praying at around 9pm before bedtime.As i was praying with my eyes closed, I suddenly felt transported in a different place..i found myself standing behind Jesus who was dressed in a white robe.i could not see His face but i instincly knew it was Him.Before i could even react, there came a woman who was also dressed in white with a white cloak on her head.She walked towards Jesus and stood before Him.at first i could hardly figure out who the woman was, but then after a while it became clear to me who she was.This woman was active on television many years back but had left the country to seek medical treatment abroad for colon cancer. The next day, I told my sister about the vision.She thought i was hallucinating.I grew restless and though i was still unsure if the vision was real or not..i waited for the news of her death on tv..two days from when i had that vision..reports of her death was all over the news. My sister and I were flabbergasted upon learning of her demise.That vision has greatly strengthened and deepened my faith In Christ.
Thank you for sharing this.
My mother, a lifelong Presbyterian who died about a decade ago at the age of 90 (and had read the entire KJV of the bible at the age of 15), said she thought prayer was for the person praying, that they wanted to help but didn’t know anything to actually make a difference (when I asked about her declining to join a prayer chain in her women’s group, but my sister, a busy teacher, participated in hers).
Most of the prayer studies (possible exception the huge 2996 Harvard study which had results that nobody predicted) are poorly designed. There are simply too many conflating factors.
One has to wonder if the Miel Garcia’s vision of Jesus matched the photographs of him! I think the memory and perception studies are far more interesting (and scientific).
http://www.newyorker.com/science/maria-konnikova/idea-happened-memory-recollection
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fzi_AKIny1k
If there were health benefits from prayer, it should have been reflected in the 8-decade-long longevity. project. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/19/science/19longevity.html
There is good progress going on with addiction research too, (after decades of propaganda leading only to ever increasing wrongful incarceration of minorities and the poor). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PY9DcIMGxMs
Hi Ruth, thanks for visiting. You have touched on several interesting matters.
1. I grew up Presbyterian and I think those Presbyterians had a wrong attitude to prayer.
2. Yes, prayer studies are difficult to design scientifically. I think the best may be to look at individual healings and see if a natural explanation can be found. In some case, it cannot. (I have looked at some of these in Healing miracles and God.)
3. I don’t think memory and perception studies say much about whether healings or visions occur, but only suggest that some of the details won’t be remembered well. Is that what you were thinking?
4. The longevity project actually found that religious people do indeed tend to live longer, though it suggested that the main reasons were their good social connections, their healthier lifestyle and their life of purpose and serving others that made the difference.
5. That TED talk on addiction was very good – thanks.
I enjoy reading of others experiences, words spoken by Jesus and the undeniable feelings of LOVE which he exudes.
I am a 54 year old RN. I grew up in a lutheran household. My parents adopted the three of us kids as babies, my two brothers and myself, all from different mothers. We were brought up in a middle class environment and always had clothes on our back and food on the table. To the contrary, alcohol and a severe temper in my father effected us all. As well, my mother (whom the Lord has since BLESSED me by answering my prayers and making her my best friend) as a child always made me feel like she was disappointed in me and felt a daughter of her own blood would’ve been better than what she got with me. We never missed church on Sunday. I think the three of us kids had a hard time accepting all that we were being taught in church and applying it once we got home to the dysfunction.
As a result, I rebelled and started experimenting with drugs and alcohol and moved away at 19. I was going to college at the time but I was told if I moved away, there would be no help and was assured “I’d be back and there would be rules on the table”. Well, hearing that sealed my fate as I knew I’d NEVER go back. Needless to say, moving away proved my parents to be right. Things were hard and progressively worsened to the point of getting food from a church and doing whatever I could to bring money and food.
Finally, I realized I had to do something drastic. I went to a recruiter to join the Navy. I’d never known anyone in the military but it provided the GI bill to help with education. The Navy recruiter sent me to the AF saying Navy wasn’t a good place for women (not only would we never hear that comment now but it was DEFINITELY Gods hand). I called my mom to get her opinion and she said “why not, you’re not doing anything with your life”. I remember being so offended by her comment but again, another driving force.
The night before I was to go home, I had what I call a vision although many would call it a dream. I CANNOT consider it a dream because I was COMPLETELY ALERT in my surroundings. I felt something “hovering” overhead and knew that the whole world could see it. As I attempted to determine what it was, it move back at quite a distance yet my vision was perfected to see wood grain…. this large object was made of wood. At that very moment, a cross rose up from it that was also made of wood but was surrounded with blue neon lights. Once again, I knew ALL could see it. I was utterly HORRIFIED because I knew in my mind that it was “The End” and I’d been living SO wrong and this would condemn me! At that moment, I saw Jesus starting to descend from that cross and then started RUNNING in the other direction which at that point was a desert. I was SO scared. As I ran, I looked back and could see him descending in a white robe thru the dark stormy looking clouds. When I turned my head back as I was running to the course ahead, I was stopped dead in my tracks as HE was directly in front of me – FACE TO FACE. His face was beyond beautiful, His eyes enveloped me in His love. My tears were freely falling. The funny thing is, I don’t recall any words being “spoken”. It was as if His MIND docked into mine. My words to Him “I’m not ready, I know I’ve not been living my life right – I don’t want to go to Hell!” All of this as I cried – tears POURING down my cheeks. At that moment, He placed His hand on my right cheek and His words back to me were “Don’t be afraid, you’re doing the right thing. Everything will be OK”. Again, I just felt this IMMENSE LOVE AND SUPPORT from Him which I never wanted to leave but with that I was sitting up in bed with tears flowing as if I was just transported from the desert back to the bedroom. I knew that very moment that joining the AF was the right thing and that I was following my destiny.
I ended up on the Medical Recovery Team for the Space Shuttle at Edward’s AFB. Although I still have experienced numerous challenges with a marriage, death of a spouse and health concerns (this message cannot hold much more!!) I finished my education as a nurse and continue to help others which I truly believe is my purpose by the HAND OD GOD. I will tell you, I’ve made it thru it ALL because of the fact that I KNOW Jesus is walking thru it ALL with me! He has continued to ANSWER ALL MY PRAYERS. I am blessed beyond words and it ALL stemmed from Jesus CARING ENOUGH AND LOVING ME to SHOW UP when I needed Him MOST!
Thank you for sharing these experiences!!
Thanks for sharing your experience, Kathryn. I’m so glad you ended up in a good place in your life, and with God.
Thank you for a beautiful synopsis of Nabeel Qureshi’s testimony and life lived for our Glorious LORD Jesus 🙏🏽🙏🙏🏻🙏🏼