We live in a world that is FULL of noise… Not only around us, but IN us. Do you know what I mean? We live in a microwave society, where we want what we want when we want it! Now! Now! Now! That coupled with the ramped spirit of entitlement that is REALLY present in this day and age makes it difficult for us to comprehend what God IS speaking and dear reader – I mean it when I say, God desires to converse with you! We just have to get past ALL the noise around us, including quieting our hearts to be able to listen. And sometimes this is no easy task!
When I was a young girl, my first experience with learning how God wanted me to talk with Him was (unbeknownst to me, living in a family that did not go to church, my father was a non-practicing Catholic, my mom identified herself at that time as agnostic) came in the form of a secular book by author Judy Blume, entitled, “Are You There God? It is Me, Margaret.” Margaret was a young girl who prayed conversationally with God. The way you would converse with a GOOD friend. This was my introduction into having a “normal” conversation with God. It would start something like this:
“Hi God, it’s me, Kelly…”
God doesn’t want us to come to Him in pretense or trying to “impress” Him. He wants us to come to Him just as we are. He wants to know what is on your heart. What is on your mind. He wants YOU to be YOU with Him. You CAN be YOU with God. You can be transparent. You can be honest. You can be real! Listen, the Bible tells us in Psalm 139:4:
“Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O LORD, you know it altogether.”
There is NO point coming to God in pretense. That’s like trying to fool someone who knows you REALLY well by acting like you are something you are not. If one of my friends came to me acting in a way that I knew wasn’t like them, I would either roll my eyes and snort, or I would in concern ask them, “are you okay?” God ALREADY knows you – but to develop a personal relationship with Him, He wants you to freely come to Him, be yourself, and talk to Him about whatever it is that is on your heart. And then, since a relationship is a two-way street, quiet yourself so that YOU can hear what He has to say. (I find that part the hardest to do, but the most rewarding).
The spirit of Religion has made it seem as though God is unapproachable. That you must talk with Him in a “fancy” way or that you can’t talk to Him yourself but need an interim person to do the talking for you. While that may have been true in the Old Testament days, the Bible tells us in Hebrews 4:14-15:
“So then, since we have a great High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”
Jesus restored a right relationship for us with the Father through His death on the cross and resurrection from the dead. Even RIGHT now Jesus is seated at the right-hand of the Father interceding on OUR behalf. So, if you have made a profession of faith, by accepting Jesus Christ as Savior and making Him Lord over your life, you (through His shed blood) have the authority as a child of the utmost high God, to freely speak to Him. Boldly come before the Father’s throne. It is the whole purpose why God left the glories of Heaven to meet us RIGHT here where we are at! He came in the form of man (Jesus) was born of the virgin Mary, lived a sin-less life, was crucified on the cross for forgiveness of OUR sins and rose from the dead defeating satan and restoring a right relationship for us so that we can be in fellowship with God. And He’s coming again! So, walking in that freedom that Jesus made possible, by the leading of the Holy Spirit enables us to converse with God and hear from Him. We only have to believe.
Can I tell you that God has a GREAT sense of humor? Can I tell you that hearing from God IS the best kind of peace and freedom there is? The Bible says in Psalm 34:8 says:
“Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!”
God doesn’t love as “we” love. God’s love is abundant! God’s love is healing! God’s love is filling! There is joy and peace and contentment in developing a deeper relationship with Him. We only need to get out of our own heads to do it! And the beauty of it is that God’s love is personal and individual. The way that I need God’s love in my relationship with Him may be in a different way than the love YOU need from Him. Just like each of the people in our lives that we care for and love is different – not the same – so is it with having a personal relationship with God. You don’t have to BE me; you can BE you!!!
And when we find a way to quiet our minds, quiet our hearts, quiet our settings and really LISTEN – We can hear God speak. Sometimes it is in finding a quiet place to pull out your Bible and pray:
“Here I am Father, speak to me, give me ears to hear, eyes to see and a heart to understand what You are saying to me.”
Sometimes it may be going for a quiet walk with the Lord – cell phone off, just going for a walk with the Father and waiting on Him to reveal Himself to you, believing that He will…
My best times of conversing with the Father has been in the early morning hours, before even the sun has arisen, as I am driving to work. I put on praise and worship music, and I begin to thank God for another day. For a fresh sheet of life to write upon. I then go through what I am thankful for, and I worship Him. I then give the day to Him, I ask Him for favor, I ask Him for blessings, I remind Him that He has called me to be one of His scribes, that Holy Spirit can use me as His vessel (and I left my hands up in surrender), I ask Him to fill my heart, mind and spirit with what He would have me write about this new day that He has given me. I ask that He forgive me for my sins, that if there is anything displeasing to Him, that He would remove it. As long as we have breath in our bodies and we allow Holy Spirit to do His work in us, He is transforming our minds. Renewing our hearts. Showing us areas within us that need changing (or healing). I bring loved ones that I am interceding on behalf of, to His throne. I bring before Him ANYTHING that is hard pressed on my heart. Jesus tells us in Matthew 11:28-30:
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
In other words, Jesus wants you to allow Him to pull up a chair next to you and listen intently to ALL that is on your heart. Revelations 3:20 tells us:
“Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.”
Does that sound like an “impersonal” God? No, it is One that has done EVERYTHING to foster a personal one-on-One relationship with a God who loved you ENOUGH to die for you. And once you have poured your heart out to Him in conversational prayer, taking time to hear His response. He WILL respond. You just have to pull YOUR chair closer (so to speak) and take time to listen to what God has to say to you… God created us to fellowship with Him. He loves you, He cares, and He is speaking. It may be with the still quiet voice of Holy Spirit as we sit in joyful expectation that we have a God we CAN experience a personal relationship with… It *may* be Him speaking as you open up the Bible (the living Word of God) and appropriate scriptures seem to JUMP off the pages of the Bible. Hey – it *may* even be that God IS speaking to you RIGHT now as you read THIS post! Holy Spirit directed you here for a reason – to show you that God IS here. That God LOVES you and that He desires you to take time to say:
“Hey God, it’s me ___________________ (PUT YOUR NAME THERE), can we talk?”
And pour your heart out to Him. And then wait and see what He says. He IS speaking to you; you JUST have to listen. 🙂
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