Can We Talk?

We've been told that God talks to us through the Bible and the Holy Spirit. Some people even say God talks to them through other people (I happen to believe that's true). What about our talking to Him?

Is it possible to talk to God?

It's hard to talk to someone you can't see. With faith you believe in what you can't see. You know in your heart God exists and that He desires a personal relationship with each of us. A relationship requires good two-way communication.

Yes, you can talk to God.

Most people would say that prayer is the way you talk to God. I'd agree with that, but I'd also say that prayer is more than talking to God. Prayer is raising our hearts to God, sometimes in union with others, expressing gratitude and love for our Creator. There's a great quote from Mother Teresa that says, "God speaks in the silence of the heart. Listening is the beginning of prayer."

Talking and Praying

Talking with someone is not always praying. Our attitude when we talk to God should be reverent. However, God is big. He can take whatever language or attitude we bring. It may not be proper, but I don't believe God refuses to listen if we are angry or upset and crying out. In fact, He's glad when we are honest.

How do you talk to God? The answer to that may be as varied as there are people. It's a personal thing. Maybe we can suggest some approaches.

Get Real

When I talk to God I try to be real. Honesty allows me to say what's really on my mind. Usually I'm not mad at God and so I try to have an attitude of humility, gratitude and love. But, I'm only human, so it varies. You can yell at Him if you must. Crying out to God is usually heartfelt-and God likes hearing from our hearts.

Some people talk to God internally. There is nothing wrong, however, with talking to Him out loud. You might get some weird looks if others hear you. If you find that troublesome then go someplace where you can be alone. By all means, if you feel your communication is improved by speaking out loud then do so!

I know some people who talk to God as natural as speaking with a friend sitting next to them. They tell God what's going on with them and ask what they should do about things in their life. It's real and honest.

Others find a more formal approach comforting. They feel the need to be in a church or chapel to approach God. I don't think the environment is so important, as long as we are reverential and our dialogue is meaningful.

Whatever your approach I hope that you do spend time talking to God. He already knows you and your heart, but, like a good parent, is happy when you want to chat. The more you do it the more natural it will seem.

Tell God how you feel. Let him know if you are happy (give praise) or remorseful (confess your wrongs), troubled (put your trust in him), sad, fearful…all of it. When you've had your say be sure to spend time in meditation. This is listening to God. As our prayer life grows we discover that answers do come and God does talk to us-to our heart through the Holy Spirit, through scripture and through other people.

Dear Palm:

You have written a nice article but however, I do not agree with few things. As I have always stated, "Do not go beyond what is written" (1 Corn 4:6)

It's hard to talk to someone you can't see. With faith you believe in what you can't see. You know in your heart God exists and that He desires a personal relationship with each of us. A relationship requires good two-way communication.

First thing is that who says that you cannot see God? If you truly seek God, you can see Him. When we pray in Spirit, we feel presence of God all around us. It is a promise of God that whoever seeks Him, will find Him. And do remember God is not a man that He lies. He is faithful to His promises and all His promises are YES in Jesus name.

He can take whatever language or attitude we bring. It may not be proper, but I don't believe God refuses to listen if we are angry or upset and crying out. In fact, He's glad when we are honest.

This is totally against the teaching of the Bible. The Bible says that we need to humble ourselves first and David wrote in Psalms, "I worship You in fear and rejoice in trembling".

To approach God, we need to be respectful and second why do we get angry with God, when in good times we remember God?

To modern day Christians, praying to Jesus is only an escape goat. If hard times fall on us, due to our own reasons, we start blaming God.

The Bible says that whether we face good times, or bad times, we must be thankful to God and pray unceasingly. So where is the attitude you are talking of?

Jesus said first seek the kingdom of God and then rest will be added to you. See the difference, Bible says, God does not treat us what our sins deserve and you talk of getting angry with God.

Please do remember, we are all sinners and we sin every second of our life. If I apply your theory that we can get angry with God, then imagine, how would God treat us.

Please do read Bible and ask for knowledge from God instead of using your own understanding and reasoning.

God bless you and your family.

I totally agree with you Daniel here, Palmtree is wrong and it is un-Biblical to say such a thing that we can get angry with God. Who are we to get angry with Him? We do not care when we sin - so why to blame God for our own wrong actions.

God said, "I am God Almighty; walk before me and be blameless" (Genesis 17:1)

Can anyone say that he or she is blameless?

God bless you

I also agree with you Daniel. This is a wrong preaching and must be stopped. There is no room for blasphemy and what she calls "getting angry with God" is totally un-Biblical.

The most disturbing part I found in the whole article is

He can take whatever language or attitude we bring

Lady you are talking of God here, I cannot talk to my Boss with an attitude or use bad language in front of him, so how can I have an attitude and use whatever language with the God Almighty and Creator.

You must think before you speak and as the saying goes "Little knowledge is dangerous knowledge"

Take care

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Talking with someone is not always praying. Our attitude when we talk to God should be reverent. However, God is big. He can take whatever language or attitude we bring. It may not be proper, but I don't believe God refuses to listen if we are angry or upset and crying out. In fact, He's glad when we are honest.

In my opinion, the article is a very good one especially in your format of asking the question and then answering them.

As you rightly stated, our attitude towards God should be reverend. That is the bottom line. But we do not all begin from there. Babies will talk and behave like babies. The same applies to our walk with the Lord. That is what I think Palmtree meant. And just as you would not throw your baby away with your bathwater, "God will not refuse to listen if we are angry or upset and crying out..."

However God expects us to grow out of our tantrums like you would your children.

How long, O LORD ? Will you forget me forever?
How long will you hide your face from me?
2 How long must I wrestle with my thoughts
and every day have sorrow in my heart?
How long will my enemy triumph over me?
3 Look on me and answer, O LORD my God.
Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death;
4 my enemy will say, "I have overcome him,"
and my foes will rejoice when I fall.
5 But I trust in your unfailing love;
my heart rejoices in your salvation.
6 I will sing to the LORD,
for he has been good to me.

The psalmist, David, the man after God's own heart, begins here irreverendly, interrogating God. There no doubt that he was angry in his tone. He was open and honest with God. But He grows out of it in the end and expresses his trust in the unfailing love of God.

As we grow in the Lord, we can be misguided in the way we approach God in prayer but God is merciful and compassionate, extra-ordinarily patient and abundant in goodness and in truth. He teaches us by His Spirit so that whereas

11When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me.

Thank you deat members for all your input. Please do understand that we learn through discussions and there is no fight about anything.

However, I must say that is blasphemy, when we say that we can get angry at God.

Remember Fenny, the Psalm you quoted are not David's words but Holy Spirit's words. If it would have been David's words then why do we call Psalms inspired words.

The problem is that I have found people can treat God the way they want but they would never like to be treated in the same way.

Teach me your way, O LORD,
and I will walk in Your truth;
give me an undivided heart,
so that I may fear your name (Psalm 86:11)

Here we are taught to fear His name. Moreover, when said:

How long, O LORD ? Will you forget me forever?
How long will you hide your face from me?
2 How long must I wrestle with my thoughts
and every day have sorrow in my heart?
How long will my enemy triumph over me?
3 Look on me and answer, O LORD my God.
Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death;
4 my enemy will say, "I have overcome him,"
and my foes will rejoice when I fall.
5 But I trust in your unfailing love;
my heart rejoices in your salvation.
6 I will sing to the LORD,
for he has been good to me.

David never showed his attitude or anger but he makes a request to God and believes that God will save Him as David trusts His unfailing love. I do not find this statement to show any attitude or anger. Read it once again and you will understand it. Surely there is a huge difference in making a request and showing your attitude.

If this theory of "attitude and anger" is true and Biblical then how shall I put this verse?

By joyfull always; pray continually, give thanks in ALL circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus (1 Thess 5:16)

This will be an interesting discussion if we are all open to be corrected where possible.



First of all do we agree that there are babes in Christ or not? If we do, as I think, then babes would behave differently from those who are more mature. And all truths are parallel.

If you have children you would know that children throw tantrums. Even if you don’t have children you must have come across some children who throw tantrums at their parents; get angry at them, even abuse them. Very few parents would disown their children because of such behaviour. Why? They are children and we did the same when we were their age. If we have forgotten, then we can ask mum or dad if they are alive and they will tell us. Now if we being evil (natural) will not throw our children away when they throw tantrums at us, why do we think God will? Is it because we are better?; far from it.



As we grow up our parents would expect us to grow out of our childish behaviour. Similarly, as we grow in Christ God expects us to know Him better and grow out of getting angry at Him because He expects us to understand that He knows better. If we have prayed for something and it is not coming our way for too long, it may be because it is not good for us or the season is not right or because we are asking it from impure motives and He wants our motives to be right. Why? Because He is more interested in our character than in our comfort. Children take time to understand motives, character –building, seasons for blessing and the like. If they want something, it is NOW! or the whole world must come to a halt.



Getting angry at God is like throwing a tantrum. It is not good. It should not be encouraged and babes in Christ should be encouraged to grow up; grow out of it. Some will get the message straight away. Others will take a while to get it, because we are different. Also our parental upbringing has a part to play in it. If your parents allowed you to do what you liked the tendency is for you to think you can behave the same with God. This does not take away from the fact that a child will behave like a child. For some of us, we may have grown in the area of prayer but babes in other areas. Hence we need to identify those areas where we are babes, acknowledge that we need to grow in those areas and pray for the help of the Holy Spirit in those areas. That was why Paul said:

11 When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things.

On the question of inspiration of the Psalms being inspired:

The Whole Bible is inspired by the Holy Spirit.

Inspiration does not imply, the actual words of the Holy Spirit.

It means: to influence, move, or guide by divine or supernatural inspiration b: to exert an animating, enlivening, or exalting influence on( Merriam Webster)

As a result of this we have :



The Words of God :

And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light. Gen1:3

The Words of Satan

4 "You will not surely die," the serpent said to the woman. 5 "For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." Gen3:4

</SPAN>

13 For you have said in your heart:

‘ I will ascend into heaven,
I will exalt my throne above the stars of God;
I will also sit on the mount of the congregation
On the farthest sides of the north;
14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds,
I will be like the Most High.’Isa14:13

The words of man:

12 The man said, "The woman you put here with me—she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it."Gen.3:12

</SPAN>The words of Woman:

The woman said, "The serpent deceived me, and I ate." Gen3:13

The Words of angels to Gideon:

12 When the angel of the LORD appeared to Gideon, he said, "The LORD is with you, mighty warrior." Judges6:12

</SPAN>

The words of animals-(donkey)



Balaam’s donkey

“So the donkey said to Balaam, “Am I not your donkey on which you have ridden, ever since I became yours, to this day? Was I ever disposed to do this to you?” And he said, “No.”Num22:30

So the Holy Spirit inspired the recording of the Whole Bible like it actually happened even though the people whom He used may not have been where the event took place or He may remind them the details He so desires, as it is with the different emphasis of the accounts of the four Gospels.



God allowed even the wrong attitudes and anger towards Him to be preserved to teach us to grow out of it if we find ourselves in that situation. We are not to condemn people who are still babes in Christ but help them out of it, using godly wisdom.



Could you imagine Peter getting angry at Jesus when He told him that He was going to Jerusalem and would die there. Jesus had to put him straight.

21 From that time Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day.
22 Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, “Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!”
23 But He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.” (Matt16:21-23)

The words that came out of Peter's mouth were Peter’s. One moment he was in tune with God and declared accurately who Christ was, the next moment he was operating in the flesh and in tune with Satan. But the Holy Spirit inspired the writers to preserve what actually happened for us.

Why?

All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. 2Tim3:15-17

In Psalm 89 we see the Psalmist who started well praising the Lord at the beginning, then going on to impugn (question) the integrity of God. I believe he did that out of anger. The tone of that prayer says it all. He did not need to say,' Lord I am angry with you.' for us to see.

30 “If his sons forsake My law
And do not walk in My judgments,
31 If they break My statutes
And do not keep My commandments,
32 Then I will punish their transgression with the rod,
And their iniquity with stripes.
33 Nevertheless My lovingkindness I will not utterly take from him,
Nor allow My faithfulness to fail.
34 My covenant I will not break,
Nor alter the word that has gone out of My lips.
35 Once I have sworn by My holiness;
I will not lie to David:
36 His seed shall endure forever,
And his throne as the sun before Me;
37 It shall be established forever like the moon,
Even like the faithful witness in the sky.” Selah

38 But You have cast off and abhorred,
You have been furious with Your anointed.
39 You have renounced the covenant of Your servant;
You have profaned his crown by casting it to the ground.
40 You have broken down all his hedges;
You have brought his strongholds to ruin.
41 All who pass by the way plunder him;
He is a reproach to his neighbors.
42 You have exalted the right hand of his adversaries;
You have made all his enemies rejoice.
43 You have also turned back the edge of his sword,
And have not sustained him in the battle.
44 You have made his glory cease,
And cast his throne down to the ground.
45 The days of his youth You have shortened;
You have covered him with shame. Selah

46 How long, LORD?
Will You hide Yourself forever?
Will Your wrath burn like fire?
47 Remember how short my time is;
For what futility have You created all the children of men?
48 What man can live and not see death?
Can he deliver his life from the power of the grave? Selah

49 Lord, where are Your former lovingkindnesses,
Which You swore to David in Your truth?
50 Remember, Lord, the reproach of Your servants—
How I bear in my bosom the reproach of all the many peoples,
51 With which Your enemies have reproached, O LORD,
With which they have reproached the footsteps of Your anointed.

52 Blessed be the LORD forevermore!
Amen and Amen.

He was quoting the promises of God from Vs 30-37and in verses39-49 he is in effect was saying ‘You lied to us.’



Now that was not the right thing to do, but he did it. We were not told that he was struck dead although he redeemed himself with the last verse:

“52</SPAN> Blessed be the LORD forevermore!
Amen and Amen”

In conclusion we need to be patient with those who are babes in Christ by teaching them, in gentleness, to grow out of throwing tantrums or getting angry at God. Heavy-handedness will turn people off or inadvertently show us off as ‘holier than thou.’

11</SPAN> When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. 1cor13:11

of whom we have much to say, and hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing.
Spiritual Immaturity


12 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food. 13 For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. 14 But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.
Hebrews 6
The Peril of Not Progressing
1 Therefore, leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, 2 of the doctrine of baptisms, of laying on of hands, of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. 3 And this we will do if God permits. Heb5:11-6:3

Dear Fenny:

I agree with you that this has become an interesting teaching, I would not say debate. We are all Christians, and we learn from each other. I have learnt many things from people.

Finally brothers whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy (Phil 4:8)

Jesus Christ is our role model and apart from that I as a Christian do not take any other diety or person as role model. When Jesus cried to Heavnely Father, did He use His attitude? Was He rude to Him? The answer is NO.

The second thing is that "Do not go beyond what is written" (1 Cor 4:6)

And please do not compare Heavenly Father with earthly parents. People just give birth out of pleasure and then throw their kids on streets. I can give you scores of personal references here but I do not want to name people.

Why I call this whole article un-Biblical, because it is written in the Bible:

We must pay moe attention, therfore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away (Heb 2:1)

Here I would agree with The Rock when he said that we know how to behave in front of our boss. We know that if we throw tantrums, we will be kicked out of our jobs. But surely, we do not know how to talk to God.

Let me tell you a personal story. In year 2000, I was to be awarded "The Best Teacher" award by the President of Pakistan. Twoo weeks before that ecermony, I was sent a list of 4 page that stated "Dos and Donts".

I had to wear a certain color of suit, I was told what to say, how to behave, and what should be the distance between the President and me. Even that list stated what color socks should be.

But now we come to God, we take Him so unforgranted that we can say anything to Him, we can blaspheme and say this is our right.

I do not think so, when we given so much respect to the Head of a State or cleberity - Why not to give respect to the Creator of Heavens and Earth and whatever there is in Heavens and on Earth.

This is just making God so small. We can talk good to our pets, we can talk good to our partners, we can give all respect to clebs and Heads of States but then we say - "Oh God won't say anything".

Is there an Biblical proof of tantrums?

The Bible says,

Do not follow the crowd in doing wrong (Exodus 23:2)

God bless you all and your families

I will go with Daniel and the rest of guys. I do not understand what we are talking about. When Bible does not say of such a thing, then there is no explanation and reasoning.

I would suggest to read the story of Aaron's sons who died.

God bless

Dear members I may be wrong in this statement which I realised when I read all the scriptures quoted. However, I never meant that we can be rude.

I liked the prayer of Fenny in Helpful Prayers "Prayer for Protection"

God bless you all for your input and correcting me