Property Of God
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- Oct 13, 2007
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Do You Need to Hear From God?
By Joe Vigliano
Hearing from God is often missing from the lives of otherwise active Christians. To be in relationship with someone--God included--means to have two-way communication. You speak; the other listens. The other speaks; you listen. When you hear from God, you are no longer in a one-sided relationship. There are four key parts of truly being able to hear from God. They are belief that it can happen; being properly positioned; getting confirmation; and faithful persistence. In this article I'd like to share information about how to hear from God so that more Christians can enjoy a meaningful, vibrant relationship with their Heavenly Father.
Belief is the foundation for hearing from God. He did not stop speaking to us thousands of years ago with the completion of the Bible. The gift of the Holy Spirit ensures our relationship with God and assures us that we will hear from Him. All we need to do is listen.
A quiet mind positions us to better listen. Begin with quieting your surroundings--going into your "prayer closet"--and shutting out the world as much as possible. Music helps many quiet their mind. Meditative prayer, especially based upon scripture, can also get you into a receptive state of mind. Be sure to have pen and paper ready to jot down what you hear. Chances are, it won't be an audible voice.
Thoughts come into our minds from only 3 places: God, Satan, or ourselves. Our own thoughts are typically strung together in a more or less logical fashion, one thought building upon another. A thought that just pops into your head, not part of your "train of thought," will be from God or Satan. It's easy to tell the difference. Loving, affirming, life-giving thoughts are from God. Even if we're being corrected for something. Write down those thoughts.
Even with good intentions, sometimes it's possible to mix our own words with those from God. So it's best to get confirmation. That can come from other mature Christians you trust. And you can compare what you've heard to what you read in the Bible. God will never contradict Himself.
Faithful persistence is the final key to hearing from God. Most Christians experience periods of "silence" from time to time. Recognize that this is not God pulling away from you. You may have inadvertently pulled away from Him. Perhaps He wants you to work on something on your own. Just continue to knock. He has assured us He will answer. To hear from God is not only possible, it's an important part of the relationship with our Heavenly Father. While there is much to learn about positioning ourselves, getting confirmation, and being faithfully persistent, it is all within our reach. Pray for help with this. Your efforts will be repaid a thousand-fold in a closer relationship with God. The God you hear from.
By Joe Vigliano
Hearing from God is often missing from the lives of otherwise active Christians. To be in relationship with someone--God included--means to have two-way communication. You speak; the other listens. The other speaks; you listen. When you hear from God, you are no longer in a one-sided relationship. There are four key parts of truly being able to hear from God. They are belief that it can happen; being properly positioned; getting confirmation; and faithful persistence. In this article I'd like to share information about how to hear from God so that more Christians can enjoy a meaningful, vibrant relationship with their Heavenly Father.
Belief is the foundation for hearing from God. He did not stop speaking to us thousands of years ago with the completion of the Bible. The gift of the Holy Spirit ensures our relationship with God and assures us that we will hear from Him. All we need to do is listen.
A quiet mind positions us to better listen. Begin with quieting your surroundings--going into your "prayer closet"--and shutting out the world as much as possible. Music helps many quiet their mind. Meditative prayer, especially based upon scripture, can also get you into a receptive state of mind. Be sure to have pen and paper ready to jot down what you hear. Chances are, it won't be an audible voice.
Thoughts come into our minds from only 3 places: God, Satan, or ourselves. Our own thoughts are typically strung together in a more or less logical fashion, one thought building upon another. A thought that just pops into your head, not part of your "train of thought," will be from God or Satan. It's easy to tell the difference. Loving, affirming, life-giving thoughts are from God. Even if we're being corrected for something. Write down those thoughts.
Even with good intentions, sometimes it's possible to mix our own words with those from God. So it's best to get confirmation. That can come from other mature Christians you trust. And you can compare what you've heard to what you read in the Bible. God will never contradict Himself.
Faithful persistence is the final key to hearing from God. Most Christians experience periods of "silence" from time to time. Recognize that this is not God pulling away from you. You may have inadvertently pulled away from Him. Perhaps He wants you to work on something on your own. Just continue to knock. He has assured us He will answer. To hear from God is not only possible, it's an important part of the relationship with our Heavenly Father. While there is much to learn about positioning ourselves, getting confirmation, and being faithfully persistent, it is all within our reach. Pray for help with this. Your efforts will be repaid a thousand-fold in a closer relationship with God. The God you hear from.
