having a relationship with god
The idea of a relationship with God might sound weird to you. After all, God isn’t a physical person who you can see and touch. Maybe you grew up thinking of God as some far-off, unreachable being who doesn’t have much to do with you. But that’s far from the truth.
God created you. He loves you so much He sent Jesus to die for you (Learn More). He wants you to love Him too. You can think of God like a loving parent or a best friend. He wants you to tell Him all about how you’re feeling, what you’re happy about, what’s troubling you. He wants you to ask Him for help and to pour all your miseries out on Him. No matter what else happens in your life, God is someone who will always be there for you.
Talking to God is usually called praying. It can be done out loud or silently. A prayer doesn’t have to be formal or follow any specific format. You can talk to God the same way you’d talk to a really close friend. You don’t have to hide anything from God. He already knows everything about you. But He likes hearing from you anyway.
The Bible (a collection of letters, poems, and historical documents which many people believe to be the word of God) tells us that prayer is powerful and that God wants us to come to Him with our requests. There are many examples in the Bible about God answering people’s prayers. However, sometimes God doesn’t answer your prayers in the way you want Him to. Don’t worry. When God doesn’t give you what you want, it’s because He has something better in mind. You may not know what it is yet, but someday it’ll come clear.
Relationships are two-sided. God wants you to talk to Him, but He also has things to say to you. He doesn’t usually say these things in audible words, but if you take the time to listen, you may suddenly remember a phrase or an image, or feel a nudge to do a particular thing. This might be God speaking to you.
God created you. He loves you so much He sent Jesus to die for you (Learn More). He wants you to love Him too. You can think of God like a loving parent or a best friend. He wants you to tell Him all about how you’re feeling, what you’re happy about, what’s troubling you. He wants you to ask Him for help and to pour all your miseries out on Him. No matter what else happens in your life, God is someone who will always be there for you.
Talking to God is usually called praying. It can be done out loud or silently. A prayer doesn’t have to be formal or follow any specific format. You can talk to God the same way you’d talk to a really close friend. You don’t have to hide anything from God. He already knows everything about you. But He likes hearing from you anyway.
The Bible (a collection of letters, poems, and historical documents which many people believe to be the word of God) tells us that prayer is powerful and that God wants us to come to Him with our requests. There are many examples in the Bible about God answering people’s prayers. However, sometimes God doesn’t answer your prayers in the way you want Him to. Don’t worry. When God doesn’t give you what you want, it’s because He has something better in mind. You may not know what it is yet, but someday it’ll come clear.
Relationships are two-sided. God wants you to talk to Him, but He also has things to say to you. He doesn’t usually say these things in audible words, but if you take the time to listen, you may suddenly remember a phrase or an image, or feel a nudge to do a particular thing. This might be God speaking to you.
how do i listen for God's voice?
Even though God sometimes speaks to people who aren’t actively listening for Him, it’s a good idea to set apart some time each day in which you intentionally listen. Start small—maybe just five minutes at a time. Go somewhere quiet and close your eyes to block out distractions. Ask God a question, and be attentive for an answer. Don’t be discouraged if you don’t hear one. God speaks in many different ways, and being able to determine when He’s speaking to you sometimes takes practice.
Ideas for questions you can ask God:
Ideas for questions you can ask God:
- What do You want me to know about You?
- What do You want me to know about me?
- What should I do about ________?
- What do You want to tell me today?
- How can I please You?
- What do You want me to pray about?
- Who do You want me to pray for?
- What do You want me to do?
how can i tell if God is speaking to me?
A lot of the time when I feel the urge to do a particular thing, I can’t tell if it’s God speaking or just my own mind making things up. If you’re in the same boat, a good thing to do is to become familiar with what the Bible says about God’s traits and what He’s said to people in the past. Then, when you have the urge to do something, think about whether it’s something you think God would want you to do. If it’s something He wouldn’t want you to do, don’t do it. If it’s something that seems neutral or that you think He might want you to do, give it a go.
a personal example
In 2016, my grandfather moved in with my family because he was no longer able to care for himself. For seventeen days, we enjoyed his company, playing cards with him, talking and laughing and listening to his stories. On the seventeenth day, he fell asleep around noon and slept through the night. We knew the time was coming soon. The following morning, I woke up around 7:45, considered going downstairs to visit my still-sleeping grandfather one final time, and then just decided, “Nah, I’ll go back to sleep now and tell him in a couple hours.”
But I couldn’t get back to sleep. I kept thinking, “What if he dies before I have the chance to say goodbye to him?” I was pretty sure that wouldn’t happen. He’d live into the afternoon, for sure. But the “what if” kept rolling around in my head, so around 8:00 I went downstairs and into his room, where I kissed him on the head and said everything I wanted to say.
I went back to sleep after that, and when I woke up to my alarm at 9:30, my dad told me the news: at some point while I’d been sleeping, my grandfather had passed away.
I believe that my inability to get back to sleep the first time around, and my constant thoughts about “what if?” were God’s way of telling me to GET DOWN THERE AND VISIT MY GRANDPA, because if I’d waited until my alarm went off, it would’ve been too late. I’m so grateful for God’s nudge, and that I decided to follow it.
But I couldn’t get back to sleep. I kept thinking, “What if he dies before I have the chance to say goodbye to him?” I was pretty sure that wouldn’t happen. He’d live into the afternoon, for sure. But the “what if” kept rolling around in my head, so around 8:00 I went downstairs and into his room, where I kissed him on the head and said everything I wanted to say.
I went back to sleep after that, and when I woke up to my alarm at 9:30, my dad told me the news: at some point while I’d been sleeping, my grandfather had passed away.
I believe that my inability to get back to sleep the first time around, and my constant thoughts about “what if?” were God’s way of telling me to GET DOWN THERE AND VISIT MY GRANDPA, because if I’d waited until my alarm went off, it would’ve been too late. I’m so grateful for God’s nudge, and that I decided to follow it.
choosing not to act
There have been many, many times when I’ve felt like God wants me to do a particular thing and I haven’t done it. Usually because I’m scared or lazy or because I second-guess. It’s a very disappointing feeling when you realize you’ve let God down.
But don’t dwell on those feelings. God forgives you, so forgive yourself and move on. And be prepared to jump right in and do what He’s asking of you next time.
But don’t dwell on those feelings. God forgives you, so forgive yourself and move on. And be prepared to jump right in and do what He’s asking of you next time.
