How does one get to KNOW God?

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dizzy_dave

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To be honest my spiritual life is a joke.

I hear it said we must know God before we can love Him. I guess I am trying to figure out how to know God. I know He is there but I feel so far away from him, its almost like He’s non-existant.

Can anyone help me with this? Thank you.
 
Read the Bible. That’s one of the main ways He reveals Himself to us. Start with one of the Gospels (I like Luke, but you can choose any one of them). Read slowly and prayerfully, a little bit at a time. Take time to think about what Jesus’s words and actions in the Gospel mean in your life. Ask Him what He wants you to learn from these words, how He wants you to respond. Then do so!
 
dizzy_dave said:
To be honest my spiritual life is a joke.

I hear it said we must know God before we can love Him. I guess I am trying to figure out how to know God. I know He is there but I feel so far away from him, its almost like He’s non-existant.

Can anyone help me with this? Thank you.
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Hello,Since we are created by a Being that has more intelligence then we do but has given us clues to what He wants,we must search for those clues. Our Creator must be all Truth,all kindness,always constant …I have experienced so many things in lifel and the light of my Creator has penetrated the darkness of doubt and dispair time and time again! Hints come along…I am in the midst of a series of presentations at the local senior center Re: keeping a diary…happenings,wishes,co-incidence etc I am advising them to write down their life and as many experiences as they can…many have seen me and thanked the concept…realizing there is a ‘plan’ after all in their lives…todays on co-incidence or … (the dots stand for my guardian angel) caused a lot of oohhs and ahhhs…as they remembered times and times when they also had strange wonderful things happen in their lives as well…open your heart to your Creator.He will give you clues for the path to follow…amen and amen
 
dizzy_dave said:
To be honest my spiritual life is a joke.

I hear it said we must know God before we can love Him. I guess I am trying to figure out how to know God. I know He is there but I feel so far away from him, its almost like He’s non-existant.

Can anyone help me with this? Thank you.
Click to expand...
Hi dave!

I grew away from God about 10 years ago…for a variety of reasons that I won’t bore you with. I decided one day to go to a nearby parish, and just sit before the altar, and ask God what He wanted for my life. A priest was walking around, and stopped…said hello. I wasn’t kneeling or praying, so he talked with me. I had been crying. I said that I felt very apart from God and I didn’t know how to ‘come back.’ He said something I will never forget…‘Don’t feel like you have to do everything in one day. Bite off a little of your faith every day, digest it…and do this daily…until you are ready for more.’ He explained to start reading Scripture…to add prayer to my mornings…to attend mass weekly…to listen to Catholic talk radio. (but do these things one at a time each week) Soon…I not only grew in my faith, but started attending mass every Sunday…praying the Rosary…giving to the poor…becoming less concerned with myself, and became a better wife and mom.

So…I will pass on that priest’s advice to you now. ’Don’t feel like you have to do everything in one day. Bite off a little of your faith every day, digest it…and do this daily…until you are ready for more.' In these daily activities…you will grow closer to God. God bless.
 
  1. Spend time in prayer.
  2. Read:
    a) the Bible
    b) books that explain Catholicism, such as Catholicism for Dummies, or anything by Scott Hahn
  3. Go to Mass every Sunday, and to daily Mass when possible.
  4. And not only go to Mass, but learn about the Mass. Read books and articles that explain the parts of the Mass and what they mean and why we do them. Understand the Mass. Understand it well enough to explain it to a friend.
  5. Go to Confession. Start out by going, say, every 4 months. You will learn about God when you truly try to live life according to His will.
 
My dad quoted this Bible verse to me today in reference to his spiritual life. He says it helps him a lot. I’m quoting from memory so this may not be exactly right, but you can get the gist of it.

"The secret of the Lord is with them that seek Him and He will show them His covenant."

I don’t know what part of the Bible it is from, but it seems to fit your situation.

God Bless
Joyful_1
 
Take a class on prayer and then pray every day
At least 30 minutes and let God do most the talking. It will change your life.

I took a class in Spanish “Talleres de Oracion y Vida” - Worshops of Prayer & Life. There are 15 weekly meetings where you learn and practice a different method of prayer, scripture and life-application. They start with simple vocal prayer and progress to contemplative prayer.

You get to know God just how you get to know your spouse or best friend. By talking to them, by listening and spending lots of time together. How much time do you dedicate to this relationship? How much effort?

Live a full sacramental life, confession & the Eucharist.

This is what helps me pray:
(1) Make it a routine; first thing in the morning works best for me.
(2) Pray to the Holy Spirit to teach you how to pray
(3) Take some time to silence your mind & relax your body
(4) Read scripture at least 15 minutes. What is God trying to tell YOU right now?
(5) Then stop and listen; if its to hard at the beginning, use a book to help you with meditation - I like In Conversation with God by Francis Fernandez; again read it slowly and ask; what are you trying to tell me right now?
(6) keep a journal handy and write your thoughts.
(7) thank God for your time of prayer

Expect great days and days where nothing happens and you are just battling distractions; but stick with it. You’ll get to know Him soon.

God bless,
 
Hi Dave, perhaps a few visits here will get you back on track…

Our Lady of Mt. Carmel
343 Via Mount Carmel Ave
Youngstown, OH 44505-3096

24 hr Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration

therealpresence.org
 
don’t forget - get enough sleep!!!I think this was Mother Teresa’s
problem…
 
dizzy_dave said:
To be honest my spiritual life is a joke.

I hear it said we must know God before we can love Him. I guess I am trying to figure out how to know God. I know He is there but I feel so far away from him, its almost like He’s non-existant.

Can anyone help me with this? Thank you.
Click to expand...
In order for God to come into your life, you have to allow Him in.

This means, dying to self. All of your ambitions and ideas, let them go in exchange for following the will of God. This can be a scary notion, but whatever you give to God, he will multiply back to you, a thousand times over. So, if you give your life to God, he will give it back, and you will be a new person, a thousand times over. Its an extreme make-over, that nothing else can compare to. Many call this experience, being “born again.”

Remember, the path to God is through Jesus. And the path to Jesus is prayer.

God Bless
Jim
 
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