Communication

For a long time people have been telling me that it’s important to understand how God communicates with each of us individually. I have always been confused by that. I would think, why wouldn’t He just talk to us normally? Why does it have to be a big secret? Why would He want to make it so difficult?

This morning it hit me. and I feel super happy about what I figured out and so I came right here to share it in case you have had those same thoughts.

God communicates with each of us in the perfect way for us. There is this whole one by one theme that runs through the scriptures. He is interested in each of us and He understands each of us as individuals. So understanding how He communicates with us isn’t really the hard part because He is already communicating in a way that will be most helpful to us as individuals. Some of us have dreams, some of us hear a voice, sometimes it’s a thought that feels good and sometimes it’s through other people or things we are led to read or hear. The hard part isn’t really the communications part. The most difficult part is actually hearing Him and knowing that it is from God.

We have to do the work of hearing. We need to put ourselves in positions to be able to hear better and do the things that are most helpful for us to understand. We need to be able to recognize that it is God speaking to us over the other noise and commotion in our lives.

I think that means we need to be able to find ways to get quiet. If you have little children the outside noise may seem to be constant but the noise in our heads is what I’m talking about. Are you angry/frustrated/worried about the election or this stinking pandemic or are you constantly worrying about the problems in your life? The important thing is to tune those things out. Most of it you have no control over anyway so being angry/frustrated/worried will not help in any way. But what will help is turning to God in prayer. Focus yourself on listening. On getting quiet.

The scriptures often help me do that. But not reading with a goal to get a certain amount read in a certain amount of time. The way I get real help with the scriptures is going deep. One or two verses at a time. Actually looking at each word and what it means in context. I look up the words, I look up the origin of the words that I may not fully understand. this gives me a better understanding of what’s there. Then I start to wonder what I can learn from the scriptures that is applicable to my own life. How can I apply the lessons being taught there to the things I am going through right now. Often I get some great insights.

Then I go back to prayer and I pray for all of the things in my life that are hard or are worrying me. I ask the questions of my heart. Almost all great revelations in history have come through questions.

Now, I almost never get answers to my prayers immediately. That’s just not how God works with me. I know there are some of you who have lovely conversations in your prayers. Not me. I have to wait unless it is an emergency. So I am patient and I ponder on my questions and I consider my options.

Here’s what I know for me personally about answers. When I have a new thought and I find myself asking was that God or was that me? I know it was God. I never ask that question when it is actually my own thought. It’s true. Here’s another thing. When you get a thought about another person that comes out of nowhere, assume it’s God and that you should reach out to that person and not put it off. If you have a specific thought of something to do for another person, don’t wait. Do it right away. It’s God helping that person through you.

And finally, as you serve others you will often be able to hear God’s voice more clearly. Funny thing about getting out of your own head and helping another person, it is super clarifying for your own stuff.

I hope this helped. I’m sure I’ll be writing more about it again. Prayer is something I have been working on improving for many years and I am learning more and more as time goes by. I am so grateful for prayer in my life and the things I have been able to learn about how God communicates with me. #givethanks

Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash

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