Conversing with God - Part 3 - by P.K.Odendaal - 23 June 2011.
The question I wish to ask is - How can we fulfill our obligation towards God to strike up a conversation with Him ?
My view is that we need all the skills we can muster to communicate all these things to God. He wants to know what our problems and aspirations are, how we feel, what we think of Him, what we like, how we adore His creation, how we adore our fellow men, what He can do for us. what do we like and what don't we like and a myriad other things. We need to communicate with Him on all levels.
Chris Barnard wrote a very basic prayer (Prayer for the Earth) by someone he knew, and I repeat and translate it here as best I can :
'Lord, These lemon trees below the second dam - the trees we planted last year - oh, almost all of them died. And even the older orchards. I just walked this afternoon through the tangerine - no not those on the river edge, Lord, they can pass - but the tangerines near the stone patches, You know ? They look horrible. I said again tonight to the wife, Lord, said I to her, if there is no relief for them this week, then I don't know. Lord, I wish I can take you with me tomorrow morning early to the other side of the river. Those poor avocados there ! Those avocados must bear fruit now. And how can they bear fruit if they do not get water. Those trees look at me the whole day. I wish you could see how they look at me. I actually have to go there again tomorrow to weed and hoe, but I almost do not see my way open to have them look at me that way again. Now I ask you tonight - I ask you straight - why ? What have we done to you ? I mean, let us talk straight for a change ! '
Ok - that is basic and mundane and simple, but straight from the heart. Can you and I do that on another level that suits us - God can meet us at any level.
Let us then practice to communicate with God in sessions of communion rather than in simple conversations, but lets start with the simple conversation and try to progress it to intimate communion. After all - that is what a love affair is all about.
Where shall I start ? If I do not know how do communicate with God and get His attention, I will look at what we do on earth. Say I see a woman whom I wish to marry - love at first sight. I do not talk to her like I do to an old friend. It will all start with a look and a touch and other scarcely noticeable hints known as body language - maybe you did not know - but God uses body language as well, known as discernment in the body.
There are quite a few methods God uses to catch our attention and they are :
1. A sudden realisation that something strange is busy happening to me - given into my spirit by the indwelling and working of the Holy Spirit. A realisation that I cannot walk this road of life alone, realising that I miss something in my spirit, realising that after all - there is a God - by watching other children of God or watching His creation and realising how great and beautiful it is and that no-one I know could have created that.
2. Body language. If you are attentive you will start to realise that certain parts of your body starts to ache or pain or get numb for no apparent reason. This is discernment in the body and it takes time to practise or experiment with that, but after a time you will realise that certain same parts of your body sends certain same messages. As an example I can cite that a numb right arm means victory in the spirit. There are many telltales of this kind and I know of many people who get these body language telltales .
3. Discernment in the mind. Have you ever found that you suddenly thi nk about something that you do not know why you think about it because it is totally unrelated to your present line of thought. That is discernment in the mind and it is given in by the Holy Spirit. It can get so strong that I takes possession of your thoughts totally. It is a very common way of God talking to us and we seldom realise it. This is also known as God speaking in our ear.
4. He places words in our mouth literally. Have you found that soemtimes you say something - maybe not even audibly - and you do not know what you say. It is God taking command of your tongue and saying something to you through you. With me it gets very audible at times.
5. Visions and dreams. Many people get visions and dreams and disregard their meaning argueing that they had too much meat to eat the previous night. That may be so - but they may also be warnings and promises from God. One needs to practise these by trying connecting the vision to the reality. After many years one gets quite good at this like Joseph did.
6. Circumstances. God speaks through circumstances, specially when He has exhausted the others and we have not listened. Are you diappointed about where you are, who you are, what is happening to you, your circumstances etc.. This is God talking to you. Remember - my disappointment is His appointment - even as you stand next to a grave. When this happens to you, it is normally best to become quiet, go into prayer and wrestle with God until you find the answer. I you truly seek you shall find.
7. God speaks to us through His prophets - people (children of God) accustomed to speaking to Him in the abovementioned ways. There are many ways these prophets speak to us, known as the gifts or manifestations of the Holy Spirit and are :
1Co 12:7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. v:8 For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; v:9 To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; v:10 To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues: v:11 But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.
8. His Holy Spirit envelops you. It will sometimes happen when you see the beauty of His creation or hear a testimony of His works that the Holy Spirit takes control of your body starting with goose bumps from the back of your head down. In those circumstances you usually wish to start crying or laughing and the tears of both will run slowly down your cheeks. These are times when you come into communion with God and there is no need to speak to God then, because He speaks to you on these occasions, opening your mind and spirit to Him and His works, transforming you in ways man do not understand, but after some time you will realise that you have changed. It is like a doctor doing an operation on you while you are under aneasthetics. He works similarly. Some necessary changes in us which are hard for us to undergo or understand, He can only do in this way with our approval of course, which we normally give with the words : Have thine own way Lord , have thine own way.
If you practice this which I have put down here in these eight paragraphs (there are others too), you are well on your way to become like Moses with whom God spoke from mouth to ear, or through a burning bush or through a donkey as He spoke to Balaam.
Good luck and God bless you.
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