A question about talking to God

[lovelychops]

I hope it's ok to post here ?

Today I attended a local church as they have a great soft play on. I'm not religious, but it is open to all and very welcoming.

I had a conversation with a lady about when she was going through a life threatening illness. She was explaining that her faith got her through and whilst she was anxious she prayed and that God 'spoke to her'.

My question is, if you are religious do you actually hear your God's voice ? Or is it more of a reassurance in your mind?
I hope I'm wording this correctly and I really don't men to offend anyone.
This is an aspect of religion that I struggle with. Do vicars and priests hear an actual voice telling them what to do ?i suppose it's more of a 'how do you know' sort of question.

FWIW all of my family (in laws) are religious and I'm curious. My daughter has a life threatening illness so I've felt angry with 'God' but I've also found comfort in knowing she is in people's prayers and I have spoke to someone in the spiritual care team at hospital.

Thanks in advance

Vulcan this thread is not about free will or why do children suffer. The question was specifically for people of faith to describe how they experience God. If you want a answer to your question then by all means feel free to start a thread rather than engaging in a deliberate attempt to derail this thread. Incidentally I say this as someone who lost their son to failed brain surgery for a aggressive tumour nearly two years ago. Therefore I feel that I would know pretty darn well about the suffering of children and I am getting sick and tired of people like my son being used as a weapon time and again for hardline atheists to have a pop. Of course there is nothing wrong with posing the question but it's about phrasing it in a respectful manner and in the appropriate place. Yet again another interesting topic gets taken off point and I am probably as bad for replying rather than ignoring.
On the subject of the op I find that God often speaks to me through sermons I may hear at mass or through something I may read that will seems to apply directly to a situation in my life. I have, however, experienced a couple of quite intense spiritual experiences at mass when praying.

Atheists have suffered loss too though, although it's a question outside of this thread I don't think that poster was referring to a particular loss, but such painful loss in general in light of a God who supposedly cares enough to talk to his followers.

What I mean is I don't think that when atheists say that that they assume believers have never had loss, I guess they are interested in how the believer explains it to themselves, not that they think they are pointing out a fact that won't have occurred to a believer.

When god talks to people, or in some cases appears before them, why are they always alone? Same with aliens and UFOs. And ghosts. Why always up a mountain, or in a deserted field in Arkansas, or walking down a dark country lane late at night.

Why not in Asda on a Tuesday afternoon?

When god talks to people, or in some cases appears before them, why are they always alone? Same with aliens and UFOs. And ghosts. Why always up a mountain, or in a deserted field in Arkansas, or walking down a dark country lane late at night.

They're not always alone TTWK. There are accounts of group experiences of God, in the Bible and since, for example the Welsh 'awakening' or 'revival'.

It is true many also encounter God in isolation though, hence mountains etc being seen as holy places and people becoming hermits and some nuns and monks practicing silent contemplation. I think this may be due to a matter of aiding focus on God as opposed to anything which might compete with this.

buffyp, I wasn't directing any question at you personally, so don't feel the need to comment or answer the question, of which you didn't.
I'm not sure why you would presume I'm an Atheist either.

I never go up mountains or anywhere deserted so if I'm talking to God and I 'hear' Him, it will most likely be in Asda (actually, my local Tesco). The Bible books were written thousands of years ago, I guess it was more deserted in those days.

Sorry, I'm teasing you. But it is true that on the whole, being a Christian is as pedestrian a life as the next person. Big revelation moments like those described in the Bible are rare. But small moments of comfort and hope and joy can be a regular occurrence in the midst of normal and difficult lives. We do believe that God is real, that Jesus and the Holy Spirit can be talked to just like any other person. I like many others find it really tough that they happen to not be visible right now.

But there have been times in my life, when I was seriously doubting the existence of God, that things happened that were just uncanny, and that is when the 'faith' bit comes into play. Many times, I have passed some random thought, experience or event as a coincidence or just an odd thing that happened, and sometimes it's just not been possible for me to do so with my rational mind (and I am a very rational person, quite cynical and having to wrestle with doubt regularly).

I once was in a job in the middle of winter where I didn't see the light of day at all for days, as I would arrive to work in the dark in the morning and leave in darkness as well, and I felt very depressed. There was one evening when it just hit me, I felt very homesick and sad and depressed and I prayed to God to help me cope with it. It's hard to describe the instant feeling of complete peace and joy that I experienced at that very moment. It was very odd and incredible. I could totally pass it off as a weird emotional response, but in faith I believed it to be a response from God to my distress.

I like many others find it really tough that they happen to not be visible right now.

That's the problem. The invisible and the non existent look so much alike.

It's really difficult to describe how I feel God speaks with me as it's obviously pretty subjective and personal, but I'll do my best to give some idea.

It seems to me that God very rarely talks 'outright' to a person. My experience of communicating with God has been through words in the bible, songs, poetry, pictures and other people. It might be through nature or something that strikes me in a book. So far, so impossible to put down to anything remotely rational, but this can only be experiential.

Often I find that these words or impressions come at times I desperately need them or someone else does. Often I've had an impression which helps or encourages someone else and occasionally that speaks into a situation I knew nothing about. It's lovely when this happens. :)

I have only once in my life heard something actually audible, and it was a whisper. Life changing but a one word whisper. I'm fully aware this puts me into the ranks of the deluded which others have referred to, who would question my mental stability at this point. But I can only share my experience, and this is it.

What I would say about hearing from God is that if what is 'heard' does not tie in with the teaching of Jesus and is contrary then it is not in any sense hearing from God. So isis, those who use God as an excuse towards violence or oppression in any form. If hearing God causes someone to better defend the weak, show forgiveness and grace and encourage others, then, even if the hearer is deluded, it cannot be a bad thing. People like Wilberforce famously heard from God and began the road toward the abolition of slavery.

So no, I don't believe everyone who asserts that God has spoken to them. Anyone in fact - I tend to take more note of those who say they think that they might have heard from God, and only then if what they have heard stands in accord with the faith I profess - a faith of love and grace.

I tend to take more note of those who say they think that they might have heard from God, and only then if what they have heard stands in accord with the faith I profess - a faith of love and grace.

So someone who hears from god but the message is not one you approve of hasn't actually heard from god at all, but on the other hand, someone who hears from god with a message along the lines that you think is acceptable might be genuine?

God might be talking to people, but only if the message meets your criteria.

Well I don't know what god would think of that, but I'm speechless!

Not my criteria, but a standard against the life and ministry of Jesus. I take note, not outright believe. I do not claim myself to outright hear from God. I sometimes think so and circumstances bear it out. But again not quantifiable.

Wonder if God told Wilberforce to try and convert the Hindus.

The odd thing is when a creationist asked me "if man evolved from monkeys, why are there still monkeys?" and I replied "because evolution works in mysterious ways", he didn't think it was a sensible answer.

Do you think that "god works in mysterious ways" is a sensible answer to your questions TTWK?

Dione, no I don't, ........it's called irony.

Not my criteria, but a standard against the life and ministry of Jesus.

No, against your interpretation of the life and ministry of Jesus, which is a slightly different thing.

And Jesus wasn't all sweetness and fluffy kittens. He says many times that he has not come to override the Old testament, but to add to it. And that the OT is the word of god. The OT promotes murder of non believers, slavery and all kinds of nastiness.

Also,Matthew 10:34 and 35 where Jesus says:

"Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I came to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter in law against her mother in law.

TTWK, a bit off point again. The op asked about hearing the voice of God, people's experiences of God communicating and how believers discern what is from God as opposed to themselves.

The nature of God is not up for dispute here, apart from linking in with the discerning of what comes from God aspect. You are right though Jesus isn't all 'sweetness and fluffy kittens' precisely because people do disagree amongst each other and with God, which inevitably causes conflict at some point. The church should aim for unity though, to be 'at one' amongst themselves and with God, in love.

"2 With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;
3 Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
4 There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;
5 One Lord, one faith, one baptism,
6 One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all." (Ephesians 4:2-6 KJV)

Jesus preached love for one another, over all else.

"13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love." (1 Corinthians 13:13 NIV)

This unity in love is the approach Christians should take, when seeking to discern God, according to my understanding.

OP, I was in the same position as you a few months ago. I know it sounds ridiculous to someone who doesn't believe, but one of the ways God starting talking to me was through this board and the many kind women - some of them pp above - who talked to me here. Also the atheists who never stop ridiculing us and whose arguments gave me something to (mentally) fight against. Other ways God talks to me include when I get sudden clarity through prayer, scripture, literature, music, art, nature ....

I don't understand TTWK, are you saying that the exchange you recount didn't happen at all and you were lying in your post to make an "ironic" point?

Edith :)

Capsium is right, there will always be disagreements. And Jesus is certainly not all fluffy kittens. Jesus is a heck of a lot more than that, so much deeper and wider and difficult to fathom or explain. Jesus knew that those who chose to follow him would probably face intense hardship and persecution, even within their own families. He knew he came to bring a 'sword' in this sense, but also at other times talked of the peace he came to bring, a peace the world could not know or understand.

It's the sense of that peace which drives me onward in my faith. It is beyond understanding and totally beyond explanation, but it is there, and it is powerful, and it is beautiful. Following Jesus makes sense of everything, contains all the unanswered questions, continues to fill me with hope and purpose and complete and perfect love. I can't explain hearing God much beyond this - a sense of rightness, of peace, of utter satisfaction and a cease to restlessness.

This does not mean I have all the answers or go round life with utter serenity at all times. I'm human and flawed. I often despair at my lack of understanding and yearn for more. But there is something underlying it all which fills my deepest places. I'm not merely basing my faith on feelings, though. I base it on deep thinking and robust argument, on conviction that Jesus existed, healed people, died and rose again. I'm aware of all the arguments against this, but remain convinced, the further I study the deeper my surety.

That's so encouraging, Edith! My original answer to OP's question was rather literal and having read the responses of greenheart, capsium and Madhairday to name a few, I would agree that God also "speaks" to me through sources as diverse as Bible verses and the lyrics of pop songs. They resonate and, because I have faith in God, I believe He is causing me to take particular notice of them. I am also fortunate to have felt the peaceful, comforting presence others have described upthread. I'm not saying this to boast, just to reassure OP that if she starts to have honest conversations with God, He will respond.