How does God speak to us?

  • Thread starter Thread starter natewhipple
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
N

natewhipple

Guest
Hi all,

I recently went with my youth group as a chaperone to the Steubenville East Youth Conference. It was a great experience, and many of them had powerful, personal experiences with/of God. For some it was their first experience like this. There is a danger, I think, that they could come away thinking that experiences like these are the only way that God communicates with us…

In light of this, I felt called (and was asked) to give a short talk on how God speaks to us in our daily lives in ways that we might not recognize, so that our young people can be empowered with the knowledge that their God is speaking to them every day, even if they don’t hear Him. I was going to talk about consolation and desolation and the movements of our hearts, but I think that might be a bit too heady for our teens.

If you were in my position, what would you share with our teens to help them see, hear, experience, keep track of, etc. how God is speaking to them in their daily lives in equally profound yet more subtle ways than what they might have experienced at Steubenville East?

Thank you and God bless!
In Christ,

nate
 
A priest once told me that “The hallmark of the holy spirit is a gentle tap” He would say god speaks to us everyday in the pause before a bad decision or the happiness you get from loving someone else.
 
My university chaplain (a Theology and History professor) once said, in passing, that there are arguments that our conscience is God 🙂
 
God speaks to us in every moment of our lives, if we open our hearts and minds to accept that every experience, encounter, thought, motivation can be God-moved if we are in line with his will.

So, if you are doing the dishes, see God in the cleansing of the plates, how we need daily cleansing of our sins. If you meet someone who is in need or hurting, see God speaking to us to help them. The very air we breath is God-given. He’s in the majesty of the mountains and the delicacy of an insect’s wings. “The heavens declare the glory of God. Day unto day speaks the message and night unto night tells the tale of God’s works.”

God doesn’t just speak to us in prayer, in singing hymns, or homilies, or even in the Eucharist (although he is closest to us in it), rather he speaks to us in the every day things we think mundane because we are dull of heart, slow to see, and lacking in gratitude for our lives and all we have/can do. Yes? 🙂
 
God speaks to us In a “still quiet voice”.

Perhaps use the story of Elijah who was waiting to hear God in a big wind or in an earthquake, but instead was in the gentle whisper. (1kings 19)

God speaks to us in his Word - proclaimed and preached. He speaks to us in the teachings of the church. He speaks to us through people who love is enough to tell us the things we need to hear, rather than what we want to hear.

Sometimes it is more of listening with your heart than with your ears.
 
God will always speak to us. The reason we may not think so is that we are not listening.
We need to be like Samuel, “speak Lord, for your servant is listening.”
Only if we listen will we hear, in the silence of our heart and mind for he speaks softly.

Just a thought.
 
God doesn’t want to talk to me. He gives me the silent treatment, so I’d like to know how to convince God to talk to me.
 
Justicia_et_Pax said:
My university chaplain (a Theology and History professor) once said, in passing, that there are arguments that our conscience is God 🙂
Click to expand...
So someone who has a lax conscience that is poorly formed and tells them it’s okay for them to stab people is God?

Just because a chaplain is a theology and history professor doesn’t mean he knows what he’s talking about and doesn’t teach heresy.
 
natewhipple said:
Hi all,

I recently went with my youth group as a chaperone to the Steubenville East Youth Conference. It was a great experience, and many of them had powerful, personal experiences with/of God. For some it was their first experience like this. There is a danger, I think, that they could come away thinking that experiences like these are the only way that God communicates with us…

In light of this, I felt called (and was asked) to give a short talk on how God speaks to us in our daily lives in ways that we might not recognize, so that our young people can be empowered with the knowledge that their God is speaking to them every day, even if they don’t hear Him. I was going to talk about consolation and desolation and the movements of our hearts, but I think that might be a bit too heady for our teens.

If you were in my position, what would you share with our teens to help them see, hear, experience, keep track of, etc. how God is speaking to them in their daily lives in equally profound yet more subtle ways than what they might have experienced at Steubenville East?

Thank you and God bless!
In Christ,

nate
Click to expand...
When you pray,you speak to God.When you read about Him,He speaks back to you.
 
God sometimes speaks to me though reading or when I randomly turn on the TV onto the religious channel and it’s like hes talking to me.
 
BobCatholic said:
God doesn’t want to talk to me. He gives me the silent treatment, so I’d like to know how to convince God to talk to me.
Click to expand...
I have felt that frustration and wondered why God wouldn’t just speak to me in a voice that a regular person could understand.

Here’s what I can offer from my own journey:

God DOES want to talk to you. There is no way we will ever convince God to do anything! Much easier to change ourselves than to change God.

When I have mentioned God’s silence (at times) in my life, my confessor’s response was helpful: " God does that sometimes to draw forth something greater from us… When God plays ‘hide-n-seek’ it’s because He wants us to seek Him." When I reflected on that, I realized that I was showing up at Adoration or at Mass or in front of the Tabernacle, but I was really expecting God to just drop whatever in my life. I wasn’t seeking Him or looking. Just waiting like a little bird. (And maybe there is a place, too, for that in our spiritual lives).

In order to “seek” I found it helpful to reflect on Scripture - the reading for the day or the daily office (morning prayer/evening prayer) was a good place to start. Scripture is, after all, God’s love letter to each of us.

If it’s been a while, go to confession. Nothing like clearing out some of the obstacles to make it easier to hear God. I find often that he speaks through the advice or the penance of the priest in the confessional, and always through absolution.

If you have the chance - enroll in a good Catholic Bible Study. The Great Adventure Series has been used in my parish, and I have learned SO much over the past 5 years. It makes the scriptures “accessible” and more understandable.

Find quiet. Some people may be able to, but it is hard for me to hear God while driving down Main Street.

Talk to his momma. The Blessed Mother wants to lead us to her son.

Surrender. God, I don’t understand, but whatever…
 
Deo_Gratias42 said:
So someone who has a lax conscience that is poorly formed and tells them it’s okay for them to stab people is God?

Just because a chaplain is a theology and history professor doesn’t mean he knows what he’s talking about and doesn’t teach heresy.
Click to expand...
Well obviously not :rolleyes: I presume he meant something like discernment of the spirits. As I said, it was a passing comment. I don’t know what exactly he meant by it. I was just throwing it out there for the OP.

Guess haters are gonna hate 🤷
 
Justicia_et_Pax said:
My university chaplain (a Theology and History professor) once said, in passing, that there are arguments that our conscience is God 🙂
Click to expand...
I can imagine what your professor meant.Our conscience cannot be God,rather,his voice.God speaks very clearly through conscience and that’s why it’s important to have it formed well."And some seed fell on rich soil and produced fruit.it came up and grew,and yielded thirty,sixty,and a hundredfold."Mk 4:8
 
BobCatholic said:
God doesn’t want to talk to me. He gives me the silent treatment, so I’d like to know how to convince God to talk to me.
Click to expand...
Ask Him to speak to you, and tell Him that you will be open to hear His voice and to respond to what ever He asks of you when He does … and mean it with all your heart. God bless you.
 
God speaks to us in various ways as Hebrews 1:1 points out.
To everyone,He speaks through conscience and also through the complex design of his creation.
To his children in Christ,he mostly speaks to the heart which is the most intimate way for lovers…the Holy Spirit keeps our faith in Christ and gives us inspirations to love without counting the cost,to show mercy,to comfort,to bear difficulties,to forgive,to be aware of sin and to detest it,to seek God,to seek truth,to surrender to His will,to forgive etc
More specific ways in my experience include:some coincidences,startling instincts,insight upon reflection on his Words,through other people,some dreams,infusion into the spirit where you just know,through ordinary events in nature,but most frequently through what we experience in our hearts once we resolve to do His Will.Ref John 14:15-24 summarizes it better.
 
Justicia_et_Pax said:
My university chaplain (a Theology and History professor) once said, in passing, that there are arguments that our conscience is God 🙂
Click to expand...
Our conscience is not God, but God does speak through our conscience. He also speaks through the Church and her ministers, through people and circumstances, through the Scriptures, through spiritual reading, etc… God bless you.
 
smetobo said:
Our conscience cannot be God,rather,his voice.God speaks very clearly through conscience and that’s why it’s important to have it formed well."And some seed fell on rich soil and produced fruit.it came up and grew,and yielded thirty,sixty,and a hundredfold."Mk 4:8
Click to expand...
👍
 
One of the good ways to evangelize is to share your personal experiences. When I taught the teens in faith formation, I share with them my personal stories. Two real stories fascinated them.

One summer evening when I picked up my daughter from pre-school when she was four years old, she told me she prayed in the school play ground to see a real rainbow. Up till then she had never seen a real rainbow but the pictures in the story books. I was afraid she would be disappointed so I quickly assured her that “someday” she would see one, but probably not right away. As soon as I finished my words, rain drops fell from the bright sunny sky and a huge rainbow immediately appeared on the left side of my car window. I was awe struck and my daughter had a big smile on her face saying “I knew it.” This experience made a long lasting impact on both my daughter and I. It is the surest way of God answering an innocent little girl’s prayer and telling me – the well intentioned mother – that He does not need me to cover Him up.

Another true experience happened with my son. I did grocery shopping one afternoon with my middle school son. On our way back home, the sunny sky started to rain. I quickly prayed for a rainbow. I heard God ask me “Why should I give you a rainbow today?” I silently said “Lord, just let me know that my earnest prayer will soon come true.” God was silent. I sensed he was displeasing. So I said, “Oh, Lord, just because I love you.” I kept on looking at the sky; there was no sign of rainbow. When my car was approaching home, I said, “Lord, if you are giving me a rainbow, please let me see it now. After I enter into the garage, I won’t be able to see it.” When my car turned onto our drive way, a very light rainbow appeared right above our house as if just for my son and me to see it. We watched it together with awe. Then the mystic rainbow quickly disappeared as the way it was appearing. My son told me that he was also silently prayed for a rainbow in his heart. That is a very obvious answer from God who heard and granted both my and my son’s silent prayers. There could be no more concrete conversation proved by this physical sign in the sky.

God speak to us in different ways. Personal experiences are the most effective way of sharing. In addition to theories, think of some of your own experiences – how God speaks to you - and share them with the teens. God bless!
 
smetobo said:
God speaks to us in various ways as Hebrews 1:1 points out.
To everyone,He speaks through conscience and also through the complex design of his creation.
To his children in Christ,he mostly speaks to the heart which is the most intimate way for lovers…the Holy Spirit keeps our faith in Christ and gives us inspirations to love without counting the cost,to show mercy,to comfort,to bear difficulties,to forgive,to be aware of sin and to detest it,to seek God,to seek truth,to surrender to His will,to forgive etc
More specific ways in my experience include:some coincidences,startling instincts,insight upon reflection on his Words,through other people,some dreams,infusion into the spirit where you just know,through ordinary events in nature,but most frequently through what we experience in our hearts once we resolve to do His Will.Ref John 14:15-24 summarizes it better.
Click to expand...
👍
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top