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how to know Jesus better - 9/20/2008 12:21:02 AM
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applemom
Posts: 33
Joined: 4/28/2005
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This may not be the right place to post this, please move if nec.
It seems to me what God wants from us is a personal relationship.
So how do you develop that? I am aware of God, He is never far from my thoughts. I know I have occasionally been directed by Him.
I have had Aha moments reading scripture or when thinking.
But still I feel an emptyness, not a complete nothing there, but something is missing.
To know His will for your life requires some degree of relationship and obedience.
How to know Him better? How do you try to stay conscious of Him throughout your day?
Who do you have a relationship with? God or Jesus, yes I do know they are One so does it matter?
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RE: how to know Jesus better - 9/20/2008 12:52:26 AM
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MrFribbles
Posts: 1616
Joined: 1/29/2007
From: Hawaii, but I've moved around since then
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applemom,
Let me assure you that if you are struggling, it's not a sign of weakness of immaturity on your part. If you are actively seeking God, then any difficulty you are facing is because you're growing up, not because you're growing weak. So first of all, I want to encourage you to keep at it! It's not easy, but neither was learning to walk, learning to ride a bike, learning to drive, etc., right?
quote:
To know His will for your life requires some degree of relationship and obedience.
How to know Him better?
Respond to the passions and gifts He's given you. God created you - He formed you special. He never made another you before, and never will again. God has designed you to accomplish purposes that nobody else He has created were designed for. So, with that in mind, listen to what you want to do. Listen to what calls out from inside you, that which says "I want to be doing this with my life - I can't really see myself being happy and fulfilled otherwise." Then, go for it - assuming, of course, it's not something directly against God's will (becoming a mafia hitman is probably not what God designed you for, in other words!).
If things go well, then you're well on your way to knowing Him better. We don't get to know other people by studying them. If, say, someone had written a book about my wife and I read that, it may have been helpful for developing my relationship with her, but it wouldn't have been a substitute for actually spending time with her, talking with her (or, in God's case, praying with Him) and doing things with her (or, again in God's case, doing good works and service for His glory - and that can be anything, from doing the dishes to witnesses in front of an entire stadium of people).
So, all that to say - pray and serve, and do it in a way that fits who you are.
quote:
Who do you have a relationship with? God or Jesus, yes I do know they are One so does it matter?
It really doesn't matter. You're developing a relationship with God, not just the Father, not just the Son, not just the Holy Spirit. Recognize the important parts all three persons play in your life, but also recognize that they are all God, and God wants to get to know you.
_____________________________
You're a door without a key,
A field without a fence.
You've made a holy fool of me,
And I've thanked you ever since.
- Aaron Weiss
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RE: how to know Jesus better - 9/20/2008 8:50:37 AM
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timf
Posts: 524
Joined: 10/20/2006
Status: offline
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how to know Jesus better
Drawing near to our Lord is spelled out in James;
James 4:6-10
But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.
Since Jesus is truth, we come to him in truth. Truth of who He is and truth of who we are can only produce humility. Consider the Pharisee and the tax collector (Luke 18).
We mostly give Jesus a "spare corner of our life". We have things like our marriage, work, education, church, children, and finances already defined in our lives and in our minds and never examine them. Just like the Pharisee, we start from a presumption of sufficiency.
We should stir our hearts to continually cry out to God for truth and wisdom. Everything else in the Christian life follows growing in truth. Because growing in truth is growing in Jesus. The Pharisee was blind because he would not see, it is this blindness for which humility is the cure.
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RE: how to know Jesus better - 9/29/2008 9:56:10 AM
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Liveloved
Posts: 1821
Status: offline
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quote:
It seems to me what God wants from us is a personal relationship.
So how do you develop that? I am aware of God, He is never far from my thoughts. I know I have occasionally been directed by Him.
I have had Aha moments reading scripture or when thinking.
But still I feel an emptyness, not a complete nothing there, but something is missing.
To know His will for your life requires some degree of relationship and obedience.
How to know Him better? How do you try to stay conscious of Him throughout your day?
Who do you have a relationship with? God or Jesus, yes I do know they are One so does it matter?
applemom,
You've asked some good and important questions. So I will ask you, how do you know anyone? What does relationship, really knowing another person, require?
You have the longing to know Jesus better. That's the first step.
Then you need to spend time with Him just as you do with any other person who you long to get to know. In another thread I just posted some of Proverbs 2 but read the first ten verses. He longs for us to seek Him and He promises that He will be found.
I think the most important thing I learned was that daily time in the word and fellowship with Jesus was something I had to discipline myself to do. Bible Study Fellowship helped me develop that discipline.
Once the habit is established, you find that you long for more and more fellowship because it is meeting that need within that you are speaking of. You are being filled up with all the fulness of God and that is sooooo good.
I have found psalm praying to be especially helpful to me but that has come later in my spiritual journey. I began with regular Bible study and reading. Many have reading plans where you read OT, NT, and a psalm each day. But when you do this, don't just read. Ask the Holy Spirit to lead you into intimacy with Jesus. He will.
Bless you, applemom. If you seek Him, He will be found and "wisdom will enter your heart and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul." And that's Jesus---a friend who sticks closer than a brother, an everpresent friend.  LL
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RE: how to know Jesus better - 10/1/2008 3:55:14 PM
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FuturePriest
Posts: 13
Joined: 5/19/2007
From: Canada
Status: offline
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applemom,
A personal relationship with God does seem like a big thing to achieve -believe you me, but the truth is, it’s not hard to do at all.
We, as believers and followers of God, – by telling others that Jesus Christ is Lord – and by believing in our own hearts that God has raised him from the dead – have confirmed our salvation and developed that relationship with God.
Now, believing that Jesus Christ is Lord and that God raised him from the dead. That, I think is one of the hardest, or at least most controversial, concepts to deal with in Christianity. However, I think - and this is just opinion - it boils down to letting God reign in your heart, which by the sounds of it, you have already sorted out.
The second part to that: That God raised him from the dead. God raised Jesus from the dead so that he woud be with us. So that we coud have that personal relationship. So, as long as we acknowedge that Jesus is Lord in our hearts, our lives, and that God has raised him from the dead, to be with us and be raised in our hearts (the place of highest importance), then we have already deveoped that personareationship with God. We have heard and accepted God’s word…we have called to the One who can be trusted…and He has saved us from our troubles.
So, we all have times when we struggle with beliefs because of what we heard on the news – or in the papers; times when we struggle with temptation and with certain decisions we make; times even when we struggle with our sorrows and pain, wondering, “Why is this happening to me?!?”
At moments like these, and throughout all our lives, remember.
No one has to struggle alone, because Jesus is there throughout all the storms of life – to take away the fear from our minds and to calm the winds of our hearts. His hand is outstretched and his voice is calling us. All we have to do is believe and take hold of it.
---
I hope this helps. I went off of your question a little bit at the end, but it still applies to the whole lifelong relationship with God - The Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Peace and Blessings eternally,
FuturePriest
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RE: how to know Jesus better - 10/1/2008 7:27:51 PM
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mvic
Posts: 1537
Joined: 1/17/2008
Status: offline
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Hi,
A lot of good advice from others, so I will not repeat it all.
A personal relationship with God will take time. Persevere and be patient. Pray to Him always. Tell Him in your own words how you feel. And listen to His response. In time, you will learn to know when it is Him speaking.
God bless.
_____________________________
Christian words of comfort at http://www.holyvisions.co.uk
Welcome to my Blog
MEI VITA INDICO CHRISTUS
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RE: how to know Jesus better - 10/2/2008 11:03:17 AM
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SophiesLadder
Posts: 48
Joined: 9/29/2008
From: Atlanta, GA
Status: offline
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Instead of speaking in terms of disciplines and methodologies, I'd like to offer this:
Know that His Holy Spirit dwells within you.
Learn to sense His presence.
Have faith that you can.
If you lack anything - such as sensing His presence - then ask for it. Then believe for it until you receive it.
Recognize that He comes to you in different ways - no one knows where the Spirit is coming from or where it is going.
Sometimes He is in deep abiding peace.
Sometimes He is in transcendent joy.
Sometimes He is in passion and fervency.
Dry times develop patience and perseverance.
Ask Him His will for you. Keep asking until you get an answer. And then do it.
Be like Jacob - lay hold of the angel and don't let go until God blesses you.
Hope this helps. May God bless you truly with the comfort of His presence.
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RE: how to know Jesus better - 10/2/2008 3:57:46 PM
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crankius
Posts: 4507
Joined: 4/12/2005
Status: offline
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quote:
ORIGINAL: applemom
It seems to me what God wants from us is a personal relationship.
So how do you develop that?
To know His will for your life requires some degree of relationship and obedience.
How to know Him better? How do you try to stay conscious of Him throughout your day?
I spend time in His Word.
"So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." Romans 10:17
Nothing has so greatly deepened my relationship with God as reading and studying the Word.
Read Deut 6, how we are to talk about God's law morning, noon, and night. See in Psalm 119:97-104 where it states, "Your testimonies are my meditation."
As we read God's Word, we see all the great and amazing things God has done. We see His great plan of salvation. We are reminded of the many reasons why God is praiseworthy. God amazes me in His Word of all that Christ is, all that Christ has done, and all that Christ is doing. My love for Him increases, and my awe of God grows.
quote:
Who do you have a relationship with? God or Jesus, yes I do know they are One so does it matter?
We have a relationship with God as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
I pray to God--talk with God all through the day. I read, I listen, and I tell God my thoughts, hopes, and questions.
This brings up a question that you might be wondering: who do we pray to when we pray?
We pray to God the Heavenly Father as Jesus taught us to do, and we can also pray to Jesus, knowing He is our High Priest and Chief Shepherd and our Mediator. We also can pray to the Spirit, knowing God has blessed us with His Spirit as our Comforter and Counselor, that He teaches us and leads us into truth as we read God's Word, and the Holy Spirit intercedes for us with sighs too deep for words.
If it all seems too big right now, I encourage you to focus on the aspect of God you can most understand right now. If you are reading God's Word and focusing on God the Father, then pray to Him--this is what Jesus taught us to do. If you are reading the Gospels and Acts and focusing on Christ, and you most want to pray to Him, then do so! He hears your prayers. And if you are lacking for words, and are needing to rely on the Holy Spirit to help you, then certainly ask for His help and He will help you.
Have confidence that as you seek God, read His Word, and faithfully pray, God will help you to know Him. Pray that He will help you have ears to hear and eyes to see, that the Word will be alive in your heart.
God has many things He wills for you (and me too!): to bring Him glory and honor, to love Him with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, and to love others with the love of Christ.
_____________________________
Do not be overly righteous, Nor be overly wise: Why should you destroy yourself?
Ecclesiastes 7:16
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