You can believe what you want but God isn’t a vending machine. He doesn’t answer prayers the way you would think and frankly you have to believe and give control of your life to him before he answers in any way. Putting him to a test doesn’t work. When he does answer It’s different for every one. It may be a simple quiet feeling all the way to a vocal answer.
My best friend had a fire in her house when her husband was away. She and two kids were awakened by a literal, out loud voice, telling them to wake up. She believes it was God. Especially since they lost the house and her great grandmothers Bible remained untouched on her beside table.
When my son was young he wanted a fun buggy that was for sale in a neighbors yard. I had been laid off and money was too tight to buy such an extravagance and explained that to him. Every time we drove past he pressed his nose against the window and we felt bad. He never whine or pestered about it. Just looked with hungry eyes. Several months later I was returning to work. We had just gotten the bills back under control and had some breathing room with our budget. One day there was a knock on the door and our neighbor stood on our porch. He made us an offer to buy the dune buggy because he knew our son had dreamed of it. My son was on top of the moon. Later that night as I was tucking him in a saying prayers over him. He said he had been praying to God all summer and that He had finally answered. My child understood that he couldn’t expect God to answer him in his time but Gods. No voice, no nudge in a certain direction. Just a precious child praying.
You’ll never get me to believe God has to answer in a prescribed way. Sometimes you just have to have faith and listen.
The subject wasn’t whether you believe. It was about ways God speaks to us. I could tell you about tons more occasions that He has spoken to me. But in truth
I feel sorry for you. Until you humble yourself enough to listen you truly go through life alone.
He doesn't understand. I was like him: a 40-year career atheist, and all was well--- until my spouse of 30 years walked out on me. All those decades of togetherness and supposed love were...nothing. All the moral aboveness-of-it-all, like a house of cards. Sometimes it takes a hard collision with reality for the pride to be shattered and the ears to become unstopped. There is no way atheism can restore 30 years of lost life.
Or, try unpreparedly finding yourself on a gurney, alone, abandoned for minutes on end, staring at the ceiling, wondering if you had just experienced a heart attack.
My father, who had gone through World War II, had a pithy saying: "There are no atheists in foxholes."
As for me, I don't worry so much about how God talks to me. There are many ways: the beauty of a sunset, the appeal of my cats for food, the smile of my wife, the events of the day, the fact that I awaken at all. I am more concerned about how I talk to God, and that I not fail to do it, whether in words, thoughts, or actions. We need Him more than He needs us...but it is more important for us to talk to Him, for although He knows our heart, talking to Him is how we discover what is in our heart. It took me years to understand that.
Well, not all the time, God does say no some of the time for reasons we can't fathom, besides, the stuff I pray for isn't anything big, just to keep me safe, guide me and protect my fam, friends and neigbours. The guidance can be rather painful however.
When he speaks do you hear the words distinctly? It sounds like from what you said you understand life events as god speaking.
You can believe what you want but God isn’t a vending machine. He doesn’t answer prayers the way you would think and frankly you have to believe and give control of your life to him before he answers in any way. Putting him to a test doesn’t work. When he does answer It’s different for every one. It may be a simple quiet feeling all the way to a vocal answer.
My best friend had a fire in her house when her husband was away. She and two kids were awakened by a literal, out loud voice, telling them to wake up. She believes it was God. Especially since they lost the house and her great grandmothers Bible remained untouched on her beside table.
When my son was young he wanted a fun buggy that was for sale in a neighbors yard. I had been laid off and money was too tight to buy such an extravagance and explained that to him. Every time we drove past he pressed his nose against the window and we felt bad. He never whine or pestered about it. Just looked with hungry eyes. Several months later I was returning to work. We had just gotten the bills back under control and had some breathing room with our budget. One day there was a knock on the door and our neighbor stood on our porch. He made us an offer to buy the dune buggy because he knew our son had dreamed of it. My son was on top of the moon. Later that night as I was tucking him in a saying prayers over him. He said he had been praying to God all summer and that He had finally answered. My child understood that he couldn’t expect God to answer him in his time but Gods. No voice, no nudge in a certain direction. Just a precious child praying.
You’ll never get me to believe God has to answer in a prescribed way. Sometimes you just have to have faith and listen.
I should believe it because of hokey things like that? Millions of human beings in this world believe that Santa leaves them gifts if they are good.
The subject wasn’t whether you believe. It was about ways God speaks to us. I could tell you about tons more occasions that He has spoken to me. But in truth I feel sorry for you. Until you humble yourself enough to listen you truly go through life alone.
He doesn't understand. I was like him: a 40-year career atheist, and all was well--- until my spouse of 30 years walked out on me. All those decades of togetherness and supposed love were...nothing. All the moral aboveness-of-it-all, like a house of cards. Sometimes it takes a hard collision with reality for the pride to be shattered and the ears to become unstopped. There is no way atheism can restore 30 years of lost life.
Or, try unpreparedly finding yourself on a gurney, alone, abandoned for minutes on end, staring at the ceiling, wondering if you had just experienced a heart attack.
My father, who had gone through World War II, had a pithy saying: "There are no atheists in foxholes."
As for me, I don't worry so much about how God talks to me. There are many ways: the beauty of a sunset, the appeal of my cats for food, the smile of my wife, the events of the day, the fact that I awaken at all. I am more concerned about how I talk to God, and that I not fail to do it, whether in words, thoughts, or actions. We need Him more than He needs us...but it is more important for us to talk to Him, for although He knows our heart, talking to Him is how we discover what is in our heart. It took me years to understand that.
I have a beautiful family and good old friends. It's wild how condescending you are about your beliefs.
I do hear them clearly. I don't mean that ordinary life events are from God, its when I pray for something it comes true.
Really, everything you pray for gets answered? Hotline to the big guy wow!
Well, not all the time, God does say no some of the time for reasons we can't fathom, besides, the stuff I pray for isn't anything big, just to keep me safe, guide me and protect my fam, friends and neigbours. The guidance can be rather painful however.
So it's nothing you and the others couldn't do on your own.