I couldn’t understand some parts of this article, but it sounds interesting…

Sorry, it just sounds like a crazy idea for me :)…

God has chosen to speak to us firstly through His word - the Bible. It is His communication to us. Through the Bible, we are able to learn the character of God. With this knowledge, we can distinguish between God’s “voice” and our own thoughts. Not that we can ever say that we now know the character of God. He is too vast, His character too deep for us to have “achieved knowledge” of Him. This is why the best way to learn His character is by reading about His interactions with others. When I read a biography or an autobiography of someone, I learn more about that person than if they just described themselves and stated their beliefs or value systems. “Seeing it in action” is what reveals their character. This is true of God in the Bible.

Often God gives me understanding of things that I didn’t understand. I ask Him and they become clear to me with no other outside influences. One could argue that I “discovered the knowledge I needed inside myself”, but I find that takes as much faith as believing the clarity comes from God. All of my experiences with communication from God are very easy to “explain away” and yet, I am certain they are from Him. One of my favorite times God communicated directly to me happened about 4 years ago. I was in the midst of post-partum depression. I had begun to read a book that encouraged me greatly. This book showed me the necessity of seeking God for myself; the importance of relating to Him as myself, not as a mother or wife or anything else. I was on my way to visit my aunt and uncle - an hour and a half drive. It was a rainy afternoon and my two girls were asleep in the backseat. So, prompted by the book I had been reading, I turned off the radio and talked aloud to God. At first I thought I would just try it - out loud wasn’t the norm for me, and I figured I would run out of things to say after a few minutes. But the more I prayed out loud, the more I felt I had to share. It was a good exercise (even from a psychologist’s point of view, I’m sure) to air out my frustrations and worries, and I held them up before the very Throne of Heaven. After and hour and about ten minutes I had nothing left to pray about. I had shared everything I could possibly worry about or care about with God. Most importantly, my children and their futures, the depression I was still struggling to comprehend - everything. Within seconds of realizing I had nothing left, I had prayed about everything I could possibly pray about, the sun came out and I was driving inside the arc of the most amazing rainbow I have ever seen. It was so close. I was filled with awe and deep peace that God had heard my every word and had given this “promise” that He loved me. This “sign” that God heard me was a special circumstance; I was in the middle of the most difficult thing I have ever experienced - depression. Usually, I just know that God is listening - I don’t need a sign, and I didn’t expect one that day, but He gave me that beautiful symbol as a promise that He always hears my prayers. Often God speaks so quietly and without physical evidence. He can teach me things with nothing at all - just pushing thoughts into my brain. And the more I listen to Him/for Him, the more I realize He is speaking all the time.

One of my favorite books - the one that taught me a lot about how real and practical God’s answers to prayer are - is the autobiography of Hudson Taylor (a missionary to China - He started the China Inland Mission). Hudson Taylor didn’t just believe that God could meet all of his physical needs, he tested it! He stepped out into situations where he had no “backup plan” and allowed God to show him how real He really is. I read this book as a young girl (in my early teens) and I’m sure it taught me to expect God to answer my prayers (not always, actually not usually, in the way I expect, but always answered).

**how do you know for sure? For some of us, the faith to say “yea that was god and not just a bum saying thank you” frankly just doesn’t seem to be there most days. ** Some days, I do know for sure, and other days, I’m where you are. I just don’t see that I would be capable of generating some of the responses I get, such as my ‘impression’ example. But there are days when I wonder if I’m preconceiving myself to see something as God’s response.

That deserves repeating also. When I am alone in prayer and I let go of my agitations I have received such information many times. The fascinating thing is that my own intuition is wrong more often than it is right. I’ve come back from praying thinking “Hey, I’ve been smacked back into place.”

Constantly studying the Word enhances this experience, which is another reason why I believe it to be the Word of God. Every week in bible study there is some new understanding that I didn’t have or understood wrongly before.

Another way God speaks to me is through other people. One example: I used to struggle with how to treat a bum who’s asked me for money. I was embarrassed once when the homeless man bought beer with my five bucks right in front of me. The cashier scolded me for that. The next time a bum asked me for money, I asked him what he needed - he said beer and food. So I said, “I can’t get you beer so I’ll get you food.” On the way out I handed him two taquitos and he thanked me. I forgot to say the usual “that’s on Jesus’ account” (instead I said “no problem”). On my way to my car, the man shouted, “Hey!” I turned around and he said “God bless you!” God was more or less saying, OK, now that’s the way to do it.

So there. God speaks to me by speaking directly to my mind, speaking through His Word, and speaking through the voices of other people.

Heather said**Since I see the Bible more as man’s response to God, that’s not as important to me. I see my encounters with God measuring up to the spirit of the New Testament, in terms of God being love.**

Man’s response to God, or God’s response to man? If the former were true, wouldn’t the Bible read as if it was from man’s point of view? Wouldn’t the powerful kings and patriarchs of the OT be portrayed in a less embarrassing light if it was written from man’s point of view? Don’t like the OT? How do you explain the ridiculous impression the disciples leave of themselves? Why do the stories of the Bible embarrass the very people who wrote them?

For example, someone may be considering a career change by taking a position with Acme Corporation. “Talking” with God will not reveal the vital fact that Acme is in the process of filing for bankruptcy – but an actual conversation with an actual person just might.

just a personal struggle relating to the subject. thanks for the blog
R

**What sorts of things does he say? Do you check what you hear against God’s word (The Bible)? Have you ever heard anything that did not pass that test?** Since I see the Bible more as man’s response to God, that’s not as important to me. I see my encounters with God measuring up to the spirit of the New Testament, in terms of God being love.

**Does he give you direction in life? How do you disinguish God’s wisdom in direction from your own wisdom? Is there a difference?
How do you know it is God talking to you? How do you know it is not your own subconscious? How do you know it is not something else? ** Direction, yes. I’ll give you an example from the last time. I’ve kind of been having a disagreement with someone I know, and want to convince her that I’m right (who doesn’t ;)) Well, while at work one day, this ‘impression’ broke through to me. It was one of those things that was ‘above words,’ yet I knew the impression was telling me it doesn’t matter who’s right or who’s wrong, things like that don’t change what Is. Human opinions and human concepts of right/wrong don’t affect that. And then the impression went away, and I was back to ‘normal.’ I believe it was God, because it was like I went outside of myself for a second. So I don’t see how it could be my own wisdom, because before that impression, I wasn’t willing to let my desire to be right go.