Communicating With God 2
(week 33/04)
Olubi Johnson
In our article last week, we saw that communicating effectively with God can be difficult and complicated because God is invisible and also because He hides Himself in hidden wisdom in His written Word, the Bible.
However, we also saw that communicating with God is vital for a victorious and fulfilled life because God is the source of all life, wisdom and power and because God made us for His pleasure to enjoy fellowship with him through conscious, intelligent, regular, purposeful communication.
How then do we do this?
We, in the physical realm, communicate with God who is a spirit in the spiritual realm, through words and thoughts, which have spiritual substance. In fact words are simply spoken thoughts.
John 6:63 NKJV: It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.
Ephesians 3:20 NKJV: Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us,
God communicates back to us through thoughts confirmed by His written Word and corresponding supernatural physical circumstances.
We see this truth in
John 5:36-39 KJV: But I have greater witness than that of John: for the works which the Father hath given me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father hath sent me. 37 And the Father himself, which hath sent me, hath borne witness of me. Ye have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his shape. 38 And ye have not his word abiding in you: for whom he hath sent, him ye believe not. 39 Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they, which testify of me.
Here, the Lord Jesus tells us that He has a greater witness than that of John the Baptist: John had declared that Jesus was the Lamb of God (Jn. 1.32-36) confirming as a prophet what Jesus already knew: that He was the Lamb of God. God had communicated this to him, the Lord Jesus, by 3 things:
A witness or thought in his heart.
Confirmation of this witness by the testimony of the scriptures: the written Word.
The miraculous works: corresponding supernatural circumstances.
So to communicate consciously, intelligently, effectively and regularly with God you need to
Maintain a humble heart and pure motives (Mt. 5.8) because God gives wisdom to the lowly in heart (Pr. 11.2) and only those with a pure heart or honest motives will ‘see’ God or communicate effectively with Him.
Read, study, confess (i.e. speak out loud), meditate (i.e. think upon with a determination to practice) God’s Word daily, especially on the love of God as revealed in 1 Cor. 13.4-8.
Pray frequently in tongues each day, watching or thinking on God as you pray (Lu. 21.36, 1Cor. 14.5,18).
4. If you want to talk to God about some specific issue, start thinking (Pr.4.26) about it in line with principles and examples of scripture about the issue especially while you are praying in tongues.
As you practice these things daily God will:
Put thoughts or a witness into your mind concerning whatever He wants you to know. The Holy Spirit bears witness (Rom.8. 16) to these thoughts in your heart by a deep inner sense of peace (Col.3.15) indicating to you that these are not just your thoughts or devil’s thoughts. The more you think on these thoughts the more you sense that deep inner peace. When thoughts are either conceived by you or from the devil the more you think on them and pray about them the less inner peace you have: the Holy Spirit uses this to witness to you that those thoughts are not from Him.
Confirm this witness or thoughts through His written Word interpreted in the light of the character of God (Ja.3.17): loving-kindness, righteousness and judgement (Jer.9.24), firstly, that you have personally read, and secondly when necessary, like in cases of major decisions like, marriage, career, ministry, major investments etc. through independent prophetic sources. These sources will include personal prophecy, prophetic teaching, visions, and dreams. We are not led by prophets, but in major leadings that can affect our destiny we do need prophets to confirm the leading of the Spirit that we think we are receiving. For instance Paul’s leading by Spirit (Ac. 21.4-14) to go to Rome was confirmed by Agabus a developed prophet with the added warning that he would face imprisonment in Rome. When others who, really though they prophesied, were not developed prophets, brought the same message to Paul through prophecy made a mistake by saying Paul should not go to Rome by adding their emotions to what God had said. However Paul already had the leading of Spirit so he ‘despised not the prophecies that came, but he proved all things, and only held fast to that which was in line with witness and the written Word. (1Th. 5.20-21).
So the lesson here is this we need prophets for confirmation on major decisions and spiritual growth into higher operations in God however we are not led by prophets so we judge what they say by the witness we have received and the written Word and only hold fast to that which is in line with the Word and character of God.
Furthermore, we are not to go and seek out a prophet to give us a Word rather it is God who will supernaturally send us a confirming prophetic Word, through a personal prophecy or prophetic teachings, dreams or visions.
One reason why there is so much distortion and very low development in the operation of the prophetic ministry today is because the saints themselves do not pray and read the Word enough so there is very little for the genuine prophetic ministry to confirm. Consequently Satan takes advantage of those that go seeking for a prophetic Word by false or corrupt prophecies through either false or corrupted prophets.
On decisions that are everyday decisions you do not need prophets: the Holy Spirit himself will give you a confirming Word through the written Word. So the more the Word you read and understand the more and the better God can communicate with you.
3. When He has given you a witness or thought and a confirming Word, He will now give you a corresponding supernatural physical circumstance. Sometimes this circumstance will be spectacular, like when God sends you personal prophetic Word by a prophet you do not know or who knows nothing in the natural about your situation. Many times it will not be spectacular and to an external observer may seem like a coincidence but to you it is a confirmation.
It is vital to note that sometimes it takes time between when you receive a witness, a confirming Word and corresponding circumstances, so effective communication with God requires trusting God and patience, which come by staying in prayer and the Word. The will of God for some things are immediately clear from scripture, for other things it may take some time to know the will of God so be patient: he that believeth shall not make haste (Is.28.16).
Also God leads from the inside out and not from the outside in: He will give you a witness and written Word before the circumstances. So do not depend on circumstances until you have first received the inner witness confirmed by the written Word.
Furthermore the degree of the clarity and effectiveness of your communication with God will increase with the degree of the purity of your motives and lowliness of your heart (Jn. 7.17)
Also note that even when you have the witness, the Word and corresponding circumstances some things may still not be clear or certain to you: God will not show us everything (Dt. 29.29) and so we have to step out in faith trusting Him. Do not be afraid to make mistakes or you will never learn to walk with God: remember God’s mercy will preserve even when you miss God (Ps.37.23-24). So do your best: diligently check that the witness of your heart is not contrary to the written Word interpreted in the light of the character of God (Jam. 3.17) and obtain corresponding circumstances where necessary (some things are immediately clear from the Word not even needing circumstances for confirmation: like not marrying an unbeliever (2Cor. 6.14)).
So if you make mistakes do not be discouraged and feel you cannot commune with God. Rather repent of them and learn from them and continue to apply these principles and gradually over time you will come to communicate with and so know God even better than you communicate with and know some loved one like your wife or children.
