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A personal relationship with God.

A

Aardverk

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Over the last few years it has become fashionable to claim that you have 'a personal relationship with God'.

I wonder if anyone can explain a little more? I am currently in a state of doubt about many things but even in my most devout, 'I believe everything' days when I prayed morning, noon and night, I never had the slightest indication that God was talking to me. Maybe he wasn't. I had, and I have, a very strong sense of right and wrong which some claim to be the influence of the Holy Spirit but I really do feel that it is a combination of animal instinct and upbringing.

Given that I had not the remotest feeling of God ever talking to me, I could never have claimed to have a 'relationship' with Him as relationships are a two way thing, or have I misunderstood again?
 
You pose a very good question Mr. Aardverk and a very difficult one to answer.
I think one needs to distinguish between what our own thoughts are and when those thoughts are dictated by God.
But how do we do that?
If we are seeking to hear from God and he answers us but we don't hear him, he will then speak to us another way.
When Gideon asked God to show him the dew on the ground, was he doubting God or was he doubting whether he was actually hearing from God?
I once had a vision in a dream that without a doubt in my mind came from God.
Did he speak to me first and I didn't hear him?
Quite possibly so.
As time has gone on, I feel that I can sometimes distinguish when God is speaking to me.
If this is true, he always backs it up somehow.
Also, if God is speaking to you, whatever he says will be consistent with his word.
But before all this happens, it is generally accepted that you should be seeking to hear from God first.
I'm sure there is more to all this but I hope I am on the right track.
 
allenwynne said:
I'm sure there is more to all this but I hope I am on the right track.
Click to expand...
Thank you allenwynne. I have no idea if there is more or not but it sounds as if, to you, God is talking in 'visions' and 'thoughts', not in voices.

You make the point that you may not know that God is talking to you to start with but how do you 'know' later on? Is there some turning point and from then onwards you can tell when some of your thoughts are actually messages from God? I know you said 'sometimes' you know. Are you able to explain how you know - sometimes?

I am genuinely grateful for you trying to explain.
 
Personal experience:
My M-I-L was hateful to me I married her only child...I tried to be the good D-I-L and keep my mouth shut.... after about 30 years I was at the end of my rope..... I was turning to her to let her have it.... when I turned what I saw, setting at the kitchen table, was the 'vision' of a baby bird just coming out of his shell ,wet, frail, transparent , helpless ... By His Grace I kept my mouth shut... I was never sorry I did so...
 
Aardverk said:
I really am not being rude but, are you saying that you actually hear the voice of God in your head?
Click to expand...

Not necessarily, but there are times when I can feel He is talking to me. I am not saying I hear actual words, but I gain an understanding of what He wants me to say or do.
 
To Mr. Aardverk

It is difficult to explain.
We need to distinguish between our thoughts, our consciences, and when it is God speaking.
I am one with God in prayer, I am talking to him, I ask him questions, I try to reason things in my mind.
Then a thought passes by that is relevent to what I am doing.
It seems foreign like I hadn't thought of that.
It is good, it is like a directive.
I can and have proven it is right by the word of God.
If I follow it, it always works out for the best.
I may not think it is best but because I believe it is from God, I follow it.
And then it proves itself by being the right thing to do.
Sometimes it is not a directive, maybe a reassurance of something I may doubt.
God always proves it right.
Somehow, someway, God shows me that he is speaking to me.
I need to listen, I need to be alert, I need to stay close to him.
If I stray off the path, his voice becomes dim.
If I never go back on the path, his voice will become null and void in my life.
I know there are exceptions to all this, but I believe I am getting my point across as best I can.
 
A personal relationship with God is just sitting and talking with him like you would sit and talk with a friend. It's like when you first meet someone. You sit and talk with them to get to know them better as they tell you about themselves. God is the same way as we sit and talk with Him through His word that He will reveal to you who he is by what he has already spoken of himself as the prophets and apostles have written His words. It becomes personal by the way we hear Him speak whether it be audible by His Holy Spirit speaking to us through His word, by dreams or just hearing that still small voice speak to us. However way God choices to speak to us we must recognize His voice.
 
I was recently following the discussion on these forums about who the magi were. On reading the surrounding sections of Matthew one night, I started to likewise concentrate on Joseph. Here's a man so chosen among all others to take the role of father for the Messiah, so is it odd I never asked who was this man? What should a man who questions his own path learn from that life? So, I thought it would be good to do some study on this or post something about it on these forums. The Bible is brief on him, but I've found that what can be known about his character is helpful. The next morning the sermon happened to be on who Joseph was. Even though I don't think I've heard a sermon wholly on Joseph (the NT one) before, you may dismiss this as a coincidence being near Christmas, ask what immediately the effect of this was (it didn't bring any major insights beyond what could be seen in the Word or anything I immediately acted upon), and point to all cases where God seemed silent. But you may grant at least the hint of God's presence. So, I think this is the smallest of mundane examples, which I nearly forgot about, from someone who has been weak in prayer, of how God may respond in his own way with what we need, if we are receptive in the tiniest amount (like Matthew 7:7-11; Matthew 17:20).
 
Sometimes God speaks to us through other people. Providence's post made me think of this example.

A couple months ago my seven yr.old grandson got up one morning. He said to his mom and I, "It is sad to be poor." We both agreed with Him and I said. "yes there are people who don't even have enough to eat." He frowned and began rubbing his chest and said, "No, I mean inside."
About a half hour later I was listening and watching a pastor online giving a sermon called Nuggets of Gold as I worked in the kitchen. I heard him say, "I'm not talking about be financially poor, I'm talking about being poor in here, inside." I stopped and rewound the message, and as he spoke he was patting his chest. I called my grandson into the room and had him listen and watch. When he saw and heard what the pastor said and did his face lit up and he said, "See, I told you grandma I was right." I asked him as I have many times before, "Who told you that?" He looked at me with that look he gets and just said "you know, God" and went off to play.

God taught him a powerful truth and then a witness to comfirm His Word to this little boy. This wasn't the first time and I believe it won't be the last that God shows Himself to this boy. But it always seems to be while he is sleeping. He told me about hell before he knew to call it hell or even knew such a place existed, he told me he had seen the "bad heaven" and with tears in his eyes said that he didn't want anyone to have to go there. That was almost three yrs ago now.
 
Deborah13 said:
Sometimes God speaks to us through other people. Providence's post made me think of this example.

A couple months ago my seven yr.old grandson got up one morning. He said to his mom and I, "It is sad to be poor." We both agreed with Him and I said. "yes there are people who don't even have enough to eat." He frowned and began rubbing his chest and said, "No, I mean inside."
About a half hour later I was listening and watching a pastor online giving a sermon called Nuggets of Gold as I worked in the kitchen. I heard him say, "I'm not talking about be financially poor, I'm talking about being poor in here, inside." I stopped and rewound the message, and as he spoke he was patting his chest. I called my grandson into the room and had him listen and watch. When he saw and heard what the pastor said and did his face lit up and he said, "See, I told you grandma I was right." I asked him as I have many times before, "Who told you that?" He looked at me with that look he gets and just said "you know, God" and went off to play.

God taught him a powerful truth and then a witness to comfirm His Word to this little boy. This wasn't the first time and I believe it won't be the last that God shows Himself to this boy. But it always seems to be while he is sleeping. He told me about hell before he knew to call it hell or even knew such a place existed, he told me he had seen the "bad heaven" and with tears in his eyes said that he didn't want anyone to have to go there. That was almost three yrs ago now.
Click to expand...

This reminds me of this verse, Isaiah 11:6 The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. This is the way we need to understand scripture as in the innocence and simplistic as your grandson has as he truly hears God better than most adults.
 
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