How God speaks to us

Jesus encouraged us to address God as "Our Father". If we envision God as the perfect all-loving Parent, He will certainly communicate with His children, and He does so, in many different ways.

"He who has ears, let him hear."  Matthew 11:15

God speaks to us:

(a) Through His Word

Christians believe that the Bible is the inspired word of God. They make Bible reading an important part of their prayer life.

"All scripture, inspired of God, is profitable to teach, to reprove, to correct, to instruct in justice.." 2 Timothy 3:16

The New Testament is especially important because it is a record of the life and teachings of Jesus Christ whom Christians believe is God Himself, the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity.

(b) Through Conscience

Conscience is the quiet, small voice that whispers to your heart when you are about to do something wrong, or that guides you to see opportunities to do something good. Christians believe that conscience is the voice of the Holy Spirit, guiding you to act in a manner that is pleasing to God.

It is important to listen and act on the promptings of conscience, because it can become warped or even silenced if it is repeatedly ignored.

(c) Through Other People

How often has a friend or relative come up with a good idea which can solve a problem which has been troubling you? For many of us, it happens quite often.

Sometimes you walk into church on Sunday, only to hear the priest or minister address some topic which has been puzzling you, or preach on an issue which is of major concern to you at the moment. It happens too often to be a coincidence.

(d) Through Nature

When you see a beautiful sunset, billions of stars sparkling in the night sky, the brilliant colors of autumn leaves, you are drawn to wonder about the Source of such beauty.

When you ponder the diversity of plant and animal life on the planet, and reflect on how each is endowed with the ability to reproduce and provided with the means to combat its enemies, you have to marvel at the creativity and wisdom of the Originator.

When you see a new baby, and reflect on how it developed an intricate circulatory system, respiratory system, nervous system, and skeletal system all within nine months, without any human intervention, you have to realize that an all-powerful and all-wise Creator was guiding the process.

"For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb". Psalm 139:13

(e) Through Events

After you set your sights on a certain goal and obstacles begin to disappear from your path, God is approving your choice. When you decide on a plan of action, and major obstructions suddenly appear, He may be directing you to choose another strategy.

When you're rushed, and find a convenient parking spot right in front of your destination, God is lending a helping hand, When you're unavoidably delayed, and because of it, you miss an accident or an unpleasant family argument, God has protected you. Don't forget to thank Him.

God does indeed communicate with His children every day. He doesn't usually use a human voice that is heard with the ear. He is Spirit. He doesn't intrude in the midst of the noise and bustle of daily life. He speaks to the heart, when the listener is quiet, at prayer, or in a reflective mood.

"Whenever I see sunbeams coming through clouds, it always looks to me like God shining himself down onto us. The thing about sunbeams is they're always there even though we can't always see them. Same with God."                   Terri Guillemets