- Date posted
- 23w ago
Spiritual Question
Just wondering if anyone else’s spiritual OCD seems to also effect your relationship with God and push you farther away from God when you really would rather be closer?
Just wondering if anyone else’s spiritual OCD seems to also effect your relationship with God and push you farther away from God when you really would rather be closer?
Yes! I struggled for a long time with this. Acts of faith actually became a compulsion for me and I didn't even realize it. It wasn't until I began to experience freedom from the OCD cycle that I began to really draw close to my Lord. It's very common. I'd actually like to start a group to support others going through this very thing.
Here's a list of 10 affirmations from God's word that have helped me tremendously over the years. God's word is true and unchanging. Please be careful to not use this as a compulsion, maybe in personal devotion time take 1 at a time. :-) WHO I AM IN CHRIST THE WORD OF GOD SAYS: 1. I am God's child for I am born again of the incorruptible seed of the Word of God that lives and abides forever. (1 Peter 1:23) 2. I am forgiven of all my sins and washed in the blood. (Ephesians 1:7; Hebrews 9:14; Colossians 1:14; 1 John 2:12; 1 John 1:9) 3. I am a new creation. (2 Corinthians 5:17) 4. I am a temple where the Holy Spirit lives. (1 Corinthians 6:19) 5. I am delivered from the power of darkness; Christ brings me into God's kingdom. (Colossians 1:13) 6. I am redeemed from the curse of the law. (1 Peter 1:18-19) 7. I am holy and without blame before God. (Ephesians 1:4) 8. I am established to the end. (1 Corinthians 1:8) 9. I have been brought closer to God through the blood of Christ. (Ephesians 2:13) 10. I am victorious. (Revelation 21:7)
I'll share this as my story, which was very specific. I actually walked away from the faith because of OCD. I am now slowly coming back in a healthy way. I'll not thrilled that happened, but for me specifically, with my specific obsessions around faith, it was probably the best thing that could have happened to me personally. So yes, I have some understanding of what you are saying. I never went into it wanting to leave my faith. I was very dedicated to it.
I’ve been going through this lately
OCD also causes us to judge and condemn ourselves, which takes us farther away from God.
Hello! It has been well documented that OCD can manifest itself in the form of religious rituals. There is a fine line between genuine piety and OCD. For those of you who have struggled or are still struggling with this, have you sought the guidance of a religious figure in addition to a therapist? Meaning, that you attend therapy with a therapist who works with you on ERP exercises, but also have a rabbi, priest, or imam who you use for guidance in determining what is actual piety versus behavior that is OCD?
TW religious ocd OCD is turning innapropriate desires into prayers. Essentially the best way I can describe it is everyone has innapropriate desires sometimes. One example is if I’m suicidal, I wouldn’t mind if a meteor hit while I was asleep. Obviously that affects other people too, but if it’s not my fault, selfishly I want it. Well, it essentially turns that “I want this” thought into me thinking towards god “this would be nice if it happens.” Especially if it wasn’t my fault at all, I wouldn’t mind. My brain can VERY easily turn that into a prayer. All I have to do is direct it for a second towards god, and boom, technically it’s a prayer. Has anyone else had this? It really seems like ocd, even if it is VERY technically a prayer. It doesn’t seem like a normal, thought out prayer
I suffer from religious ocd. My only goal in life is to live in God's will and to serve Him - to live and enjoy His eternal purposes & His presence. Jesus Christ is my life. That is my only desire on this earth, this short trip into eternity, and it's being stripped by ocd thoughts and intrusive thoughts 24-7. I have read many times that ocd can 'feel real', and this is true, our minds lie to us because of fear and anxiety we can't and were never meant to carry. I have begged and tormented myself in every way to find an answer from God. I think His answer may be that this is OCD, but I'm not sure. I started therapy again because I am so exhausted and this had stolen so much of my life in a spiral of negativity, depression, and constant anxiety & intrusive thoughts. I have spent about 2 years trying to figure out if my thoughts are real or not, especially with ocd it can deceive so easily as a spiritual matter when in reality it is just a thought, which is confusing and scary to say the least. Can anyone share their experiences with this sensation? No matter what the theme is... Thank you & Praying for your comfort
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