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"So why are you trying to find out the future by consulting mediums and psychics? Do not listen to their whisperings and mutterings. Can the living find out the future from the dead? Why not ask your God?" The Bible, Isaiah chapter 8 verse 9 |
We are created in such a way that we are constantly in touch with either of the spiritual realms, good or bad. It is as though each of us were an island in a spiritual sea which constantly throws up good or bad things on our "beaches."
God requires us to learn to distinguish between these good and bad things, and to accept the good and reject the bad. The basis for the sifting process must be the criteria which God has given us or which we must search further for.
We must not accept everything just because it happens to be supernatural!
So how do we communicate with God, and how does he communicate with us? The answer to this question can be summed up in two words: our thoughts. And our thoughts are dramatically affected by prayer, studying the Bible and other good books, the influence of other people, and dreams.
A little careful observation will soon reveal the fact that our inmost thoughts are continually active throughout the day. We reason and talk to ourselves all the time. Some people take this a step further and actually voice these thoughts aloud. We then say that such a person is "talking to himself" again.
In seeking and feeling after God, I have found that it is very beneficial and helpful to directly address my thoughts to God! For instance, if someone takes "my" parking place and I find myself wishing bad things on that person, then instead of fuming inwardly and entertaining wrong thoughts, I address the grievance to God instead. I say something like, "Well! That's not very nice, Father, is it?" And then I find that instead of wishing that person dead, I am praying for that person positively instead.
In this way, we can submit our thoughts to God. Perhaps this is what Jesus was indicating when he said, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, MIND, soul and strength."
Being human, I do not always react in the way described above. Sometimes I want to wallow in self-pity and to labour under a sense of having my "rights" violated! This, of course, is not good. If I don't put it right there and then, I have to do so that night, when the episode invariably comes back to haunt me.
To be blunt, prayer for most of us and for most of the time, is like having a one-way telephone conversation where the person at the other end of the line listens but never says a word. Against this apparently severe setback we must remember that God himself devised this system. From God's viewpoint, prayer is absolutely essential to mankind. He assures us that he always hears and always answers.
Problems arise when God appears not to hear us, or not to answer us, or to answer us in ways that we find unacceptable. It is as well to remember at this point that we are dealing with God, and not another human being. Because he is God, he knows infinitely more about us and any given situation than we can possibly imagine. He really does know best and he actually has our best interests at heart.
I know of people who say that God actually speaks to them in an audible voice when they pray. This seems a highly desirable asset to me, but I have never had the experience. The nearest I get to hearing a voice is when I am praying, when I suddenly become aware of a new thought which is very relevant, perhaps even the direct answer, to what is on my mind.
Like prayer, Bible study is absolutely essential for any meaningful relationship with God. How else do we know what he is like and what he requires of us? Such study is vital for a practical understanding of just about everything. Parallels can be found in the Bible for almost every situation in which we find ourselves.
The influence of other people on our thoughts is very important. We are subject to this type of influence for most of our waking lives, or even when we are asleep, if someone is troubling us in some way. We are influenced when we speak to someone; when we listen to the radio or watch TV; when we attend church; or when we read a book. The possibilities are endless and it is an advantage to be aware of this constant influence.
God requires that we test every influence or suggestion against his own viewpoint. We are to reject what he defines as bad and accept that which he defines as good. Often it is hard to know which is which and this is where we learn and grow.
Dreams can be very enlightening or downright misleading. Discernment is needed in this area perhaps more than any other. We can learn from dreams but we should not accept anything which is contrary to Bible teaching. Dreams should not be ignored nor should they be allowed to dictate our thoughts and actions without some sort of backup in the other areas mentioned here.
God's viewpoint on his means of communication with us includes the elements of prayer, Bible study, other people, good books and dreams. All of these things affect our thoughts, so our thoughts are obviously the key element in any meaningful communication with God.
Discernment is needed to distinguish between thoughts which come from God, thoughts which come from within ourselves, and thoughts which come from our arch-enemy, Satan. Here, as in all things, we must "seek and feel" after God.
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Page updated 12 May 2004