Looking for a closer relationship with God

davebloggs

I discovered God during a time of profound personal turmoil, and He seemed to be the answer to all my problems and questions and concerns, however after years of experiencing Him through scripture and the majesty of his creation and those moments where you just know there was a guiding hand involved I have hit a wall.

I wish to have a personal experience with Him, I want to have a one to one chat, not merely to experience things that may point to an intervening hand.
I wish to sit down and talk to Him as I would to a family member or friend.

Is this possible ? I have prayed every night sometimes for hours and invited him to come sit down with me and meet my family but I have not had an explicit response of any kind.

I can't help but wonder why, sometimes I think hey he has more important things to do than meet my family but then I remember he is omnipotent, he can do everything else and still sit down and talk to me. The logistics are of no concern.

I find myself wondering how He could send His son to die for me yet not even say hello, it doesn't add up and has me concerned that my notions of God are merely a figment of my imagination. I hope this is not so.

Jester Minute

God's voice is a still, small voice. When you are close to God, walking with Him, you will have joy in your heart. You will experience a wellspring of joy from which issues forth the water of life. Even in darkness His voice can be 'heard'.

I like this quotation:

My love so delights the soul that it destroys every other joy which can be expressed by man here below. The taste of Me extinguishes every other taste; My light blinds all who behold it . . .

—as told to Saint Catherine of Genoa
Spiritual Doctrine, Part III, Chapter VII

Onesimus

davebloggs wrote: »

I discovered God during a time of profound personal turmoil, and He seemed to be the answer to all my problems and questions and concerns, however after years of experiencing Him through scripture and the majesty of his creation and those moments where you just know there was a guiding hand involved I have hit a wall.

I wish to have a personal experience with Him, I want to have a one to one chat, not merely to experience things that may point to an intervening hand.
I wish to sit down and talk to Him as I would to a family member or friend.

Is this possible ? I have prayed every night sometimes for hours and invited him to come sit down with me and meet my family but I have not had an explicit response of any kind.

I can't help but wonder why, sometimes I think hey he has more important things to do than meet my family but then I remember he is omnipotent, he can do everything else and still sit down and talk to me. The logistics are of no concern.

I find myself wondering how He could send His son to die for me yet not even say hello, it doesn't add up and has me concerned that my notions of God are merely a figment of my imagination. I hope this is not so.

Ah the joys of being introduced to Jesus Christ and such a blessed time for you also seeing as it is Christmas.

My advice is to ask God to guide you to a piece of scripture he would like you to read. It helps me and it is a mystical experience. I love you!

Onesimus

wolfsbane

davebloggs wrote: »

I discovered God during a time of profound personal turmoil, and He seemed to be the answer to all my problems and questions and concerns, however after years of experiencing Him through scripture and the majesty of his creation and those moments where you just know there was a guiding hand involved I have hit a wall.

I wish to have a personal experience with Him, I want to have a one to one chat, not merely to experience things that may point to an intervening hand.
I wish to sit down and talk to Him as I would to a family member or friend.

Is this possible ? I have prayed every night sometimes for hours and invited him to come sit down with me and meet my family but I have not had an explicit response of any kind.

I can't help but wonder why, sometimes I think hey he has more important things to do than meet my family but then I remember he is omnipotent, he can do everything else and still sit down and talk to me. The logistics are of no concern.

I find myself wondering how He could send His son to die for me yet not even say hello, it doesn't add up and has me concerned that my notions of God are merely a figment of my imagination. I hope this is not so.

He sent the Holy Spirit to bring His presence to us - and He speaks to us primarily through the word of God. He brings the truth we read there to our minds, assuring us of them, of God's love for us, etc.

What you are looking for is not what He has promised, but a false mystical experience that will lead you into error and delusion.
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Hebrews 11:27 By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured as seeing Him who is invisible.

Splendour

wolfsbane wrote: »

He sent the Holy Spirit to bring His presence to us - and He speaks to us primarily through the word of God. He brings the truth we read there to our minds, assuring us of them, of God's love for us, etc.

What you are looking for is not what He has promised, but a false mystical experience that will lead you into error and delusion.
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Hebrews 11:27 By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured as seeing Him who is invisible.

Is it a false mystical experience though? Do we not read of such experiences in the bible? I too long for a personal relationship with God yet despite praying and reading the bible this has not happened...

dvae

All scripture is inspired by God 2 Timothy 3:16.
The Bible is Gods word inspired. Everything we read in the Bible was put there by God through its many authors.
The Bible is full of direction and answers put there by God.
Point being when we read the Bible we are communicating with God.
If you want to converse with God i think the only way is to read his word in the Bible.

davebloggs

dvae wrote: »

If you want to converse with God i think the only way is to read his word in the Bible.

Why is that though, I have read the bible but I haven't come across anything which would lead me to believe He will be absent until we meet after death God willing.

I have a hard time reconciling his omnipotence with his absence, it would seem to be a choice by God to be distant, I can't but wonder why though.

antiskeptic

davebloggs wrote: »

Why is that though, I have read the bible but I haven't come across anything which would lead me to believe He will be absent until we meet after death God willing.

Why would using the word as the medium of connection lead you to suppose he would be absent? If the word is mere word on a page then I would see your point. But if more than mere word on a page, if a means of personal connection, where his thought and heart come alive within you then then it strikes me as just the intimate ticket. I mean, how more intimate can you be than have his heart warm yours?

I have a hard time reconciling his omnipotence with his absence, it would seem to be a choice by God to be distant, I can't but wonder why though.

What kind of connection are you looking for - if not the intimate, personal one-to-one connection made possible through his word?

wolfsbane

Splendour wrote: »

Is it a false mystical experience though? Do we not read of such experiences in the bible? I too long for a personal relationship with God yet despite praying and reading the bible this has not happened...

The experiences in the Bible of direct contact with the ascended Christ are not in response to our initiative, but solely to God's. He is still free to do so when He pleases, but we are not to seek for such. We are to pray and meditate on His word, then His Spirit will direct our hearts and comfort us by applying that word to us. That is what is promised by Christ. Not visions or trips to heaven.

We are to live by faith, not sight.

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2 Corinthians 5:6 So we are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord. 7 For we walk by faith, not by sight.

Splendour

wolfsbane wrote: »

The experiences in the Bible of direct contact with the ascended Christ are not in response to our initiative, but solely to God's. He is still free to do so when He pleases, but we are not to seek for such. We are to pray and meditate on His word, then His Spirit will direct our hearts and comfort us by applying that word to us. That is what is promised by Christ. Not visions or trips to heaven.

We are to live by faith, not sight.

_________________________________________________________________
2 Corinthians 5:6 So we are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord. 7 For we walk by faith, not by sight.

Thanks wolfsbane, I appreciate your reply but why then do we tell people Christianity is about having a personal relationship with God if,for some, that is not always possible...

PDN

Splendour wrote: »

Thanks wolfsbane, I appreciate your reply but why then do we tell people Christianity is about having a personal relationship with God if,for some, that is not always possible...

I think it is always possible. A personal relationship with God is not necessarily about hearing voices or seeing visions. It can be about spending time in prayer, during which we not only ask for things but we allow God's Spirit to direct our thoughts. We also read and meditate on His Word and allow His Spirit to give us an understanding of the Word and realise how we should apply it.

Blueboyd

davebloggs wrote: »

I discovered God during a time of profound personal turmoil, and He seemed to be the answer to all my problems and questions and concerns, however after years of experiencing Him through scripture and the majesty of his creation and those moments where you just know there was a guiding hand involved I have hit a wall.

I wish to have a personal experience with Him, I want to have a one to one chat, not merely to experience things that may point to an intervening hand.
I wish to sit down and talk to Him as I would to a family member or friend.

Is this possible ? I have prayed every night sometimes for hours and invited him to come sit down with me and meet my family but I have not had an explicit response of any kind.

I can't help but wonder why, sometimes I think hey he has more important things to do than meet my family but then I remember he is omnipotent, he can do everything else and still sit down and talk to me. The logistics are of no concern.

I find myself wondering how He could send His son to die for me yet not even say hello, it doesn't add up and has me concerned that my notions of God are merely a figment of my imagination. I hope this is not so.

When you start seeing that God is part of every person you meet, everything living and everything dead, then the relationship comes more interesting. Threre are Heaven and Hell in every one of us inside and when you push the Hell away and help others to do so also it might get a bit more intimate. What works for me doesn't necceraily work for you though.

Jesus said, "If your leaders say to you, 'Look, the kingdom is in the sky,' then the birds of the sky will precede you. If they say to you, 'It is in the sea,' then the fish will precede you. Rather, the kingdom is within you and it is outside you."

"When you know yourselves, then you will be known, and you will understand that you are children of the living Father. But if you do not know yourselves, then you live in poverty, and you are the poverty."

His disciples said to him, "When will the kingdom come?"

"It will not come by watching for it. It will not be said, 'Look, here!' or 'Look, there!' Rather, the Father's kingdom is spread out upon the earth, and people don't see it."

wolfsbane

Splendour wrote: »

Thanks wolfsbane, I appreciate your reply but why then do we tell people Christianity is about having a personal relationship with God if,for some, that is not always possible...

PDN put it well. The Holy Spirit's presence in our hearts is that personal relationship with God. He brings Christ and the Father to us in this life:
John 14:16 And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. 18 I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.

John 14:22 Judas (not Iscariot) said to Him, “Lord, how is it that You will manifest Yourself to us, and not to the world?”
23 Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.

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Our blest Redeemer, ere He breathed
His tender last farewell,
A Guide, a Comforter, bequeathed
With us to dwell.

He came in semblance of a dove,
With sheltering wings outspread,
The holy balm of peace and love
On earth to shed.

He came in tongues of living flame
To teach, convince, subdue,
All powerful as the wind He came
As viewless too.

He came sweet influence to impart,
A gracious, willing Guest,
While He can find one humble heart
Wherein to rest.

And His that gentle voice we hear,
Soft as the breath of even,
That checks each fault, that calms each fear,
And speaks of Heav’n.

And every virtue we possess,
And every conquest won,
And every thought of holiness,
Are His alone.

Spirit of purity and grace,
Our weakness, pitying, see:
O make our hearts Thy dwelling place
And worthier Thee.

Harriet Auber, 1773-1862

TravelJunkie

There is some confusion by the OP.

Visions, audible voices, etc. are not a norm for a christian.

This would be exceptional circumstances, usually for a particular purpose, say if someone was called to do something and would be more like a gift of the spirit, eg. the gift of prophecy.

Secondly, all I would say to you in terms of a personal relationship, is that you mention family - this is not a personal relationship. God will only speak to you internally (ie. in your head, through thoughts or scripture), not audibly or through you officially.

What you need to recognise in searching for your personal relationship is a) be confident in your salvation b) recognise the person of your saviour - Jesus Christ c) Be thankful for the Holy Spirit and the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

Then, on a practical level, when you have a quiet time, and you are reading the Bible, spend some time in prayer. Then ask God to speak to you, but first ask him to block any outside thoughts and any of your own thoughts so that you can hear his voice clearly. And you will, it is a gentle voice, and what he says might start with your name and usually you know it's God because its not what you would come up with yourself and its surprising. Also, you can test if something is Gods voice because it will bring you a feeling of peace in your heart. Always praying in Jesus name.

Splendour

PDN wrote: »

I think it is always possible. A personal relationship with God is not necessarily about hearing voices or seeing visions. It can be about spending time in prayer, during which we not only ask for things but we allow God's Spirit to direct our thoughts. We also read and meditate on His Word and allow His Spirit to give us an understanding of the Word and realise how we should apply it.

I'm not looking for voices/visions etc. What I would like is some guidance/advice when I need it but even after prayer and bible reading, I'm never any wiser.
Incidentally,can anyone tell me where in the bible, are the words 'relationship' with God mentioned?

PDN

Splendour wrote: »

Incidentally,can anyone tell me where in the bible, are the words 'relationship' with God mentioned?

I would think that being called 'the Bride of Christ' and His 'Beloved' probably imply a relationship.

Splendour

PDN wrote: »

I would think that being called 'the Bride of Christ' and His 'Beloved' probably imply a relationship.

This is true-I must be just having marital difficulties so...;)

antiskeptic

Splendour wrote: »

This is true-I must be just having marital difficulties so...;)

Or, given yet another kind of relationship: that of Father/Son, you're distanced by prodigality or older-son-syndrome. They tend to be my weapons of choice.

wayfarers

I don't really want to be the person to drop the bomb on this post but have any of you actually considered the very likely possibility that there is no 'God' and all your discussions about being in communion with 'Him' are little more than the signs of a mental illness?

antiskeptic

wayfarers wrote: »

I don't really want to be the person to drop the bomb

...more like ball bearing thrown against the side of an ocean liner. But go on...

.. on this post but have any of you actually considered the very likely possibility that there is no 'God' and all your discussions about being in communion with 'Him' are little more than the signs of a mental illness?

How can a God who is known by me to exist be considered by me to very likely not exist?

Fanny Cradock

wayfarers wrote: »

I don't really want to be the person to drop the bomb on this post but have any of you actually considered the very likely possibility that there is no 'God'

Yes. Do you have a point other than providing examples that we have already considered?

wayfarers wrote: »

and all your discussions about being in communion with 'Him' are little more than the signs of a mental illness?

No. I haven't thought that.

Funny, though, that you should accuse us of suffering from mental illness given that the overwhelming of humanity over the aeons have subscribed to some form of supernatural existence. Either the majority of mankind remains mentally ill or your own particular metaphysical outlook is a perversion of the natural order (for the sake of argument I'm assuming that God is just a evolutionary artefact). Alternatively, if there is a God then that rather chops the foundations from under your worldview.

If you are are going to throw about the puerile and thoughtless insults you should first look to yourself. Whatever the truth about God's existence (I happen to believe he does exist and Christianity offers the best explanation of his nature and will) your mental illness statement is either supremely arrogant or plain old wrong. Either way it doesn't look good for you.

Now read the charter.

Splendour

antiskeptic wrote: »

Or, given yet another kind of relationship: that of Father/Son, you're distanced by prodigality or older-son-syndrome. They tend to be my weapons of choice.

I don't feel like I'm in the shadow of the prodigal brother nor do I have such an inferiority about myself that I wish to be centre stage á la prodigal. I would just like once in a while for a wee semblance of guidance.

wolfsbane

Splendour wrote: »

I don't feel like I'm in the shadow of the prodigal brother nor do I have such an inferiority about myself that I wish to be centre stage á la prodigal. I would just like once in a while for a wee semblance of guidance.

The guidance given to the seeker comes from the Holy Spirit - but may not be immediately evident. That is, many times one earnestly asks God to guide with a particular issue and He gives a clear understanding of it soon after. At other times we seem to be left alone to decide. Yet our decisions then can be just as enlightened by God as those that we consciously recognise as such - He has directed our ways, though we did not know it.

Remember too, we get all our principles from the Bible, and many of the specifics. So when we ask for guidance, we must be prepared to study what the Bible says on the issue, and put the principles or specifics into action.

No need to ask for guidance about having an affair with our neighbour's wife. Guidance is only for when we are unsure what principle applies, or how to choose the best from several good alternatives.

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Psalm 119:9 How can a young man cleanse his way?
By taking heed according to Your word.
10 With my whole heart I have sought You;
Oh, let me not wander from Your commandments!
11 Your word I have hidden in my heart,
That I might not sin against You.

didi murray

How can we have a closer relationship with Jesus Christ than to abide in Him and He in us? I John 3:22-24. "And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight. And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment. And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us."

antiskeptic

wolfsbane wrote: »

No need to ask for guidance about having an affair with our neighbour's wife...

Lord, if it is not your will that I have this affair could you please give me a sign?

No?

Cheers!

didi murray

antiskeptic wrote: »

Lord, if it is not your will that I have this affair could you please give me a sign?

No?

Cheers!

Didn't God already answer that in "Thou shalt not commit adultery" ?

and... the last one: Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife...

booksale

Splendour wrote: »

I would just like once in a while for a wee semblance of guidance.

I really want to echo this. I feel the same. So, now I pray and ask but then I make my own decision as I hear nothing from God and sometimes I can't wait forever to take action. Sometimes the decisions are very stupidly made. But I think after time, I would know even my stupid decisions are within God's plan...!