Expression is everything?

[heavenbound1984]

I'm having problems in expressing myself to God not only through prayer but also how i talk to other people. Like, when i pray it's hard for me to express all that i'm feeling in prayer as i'm talking to God. And i also feel like i'm talking to myself.
With talking to other people, i kinda try and avoid expressing how i feel about God to other people. I get scared of how they may view me.
How do i get past these problems and improve my walk w/ God?

 

[BalaamsAss51]

Hello heavenbound1984.

None of us know how to express our selves to God "properly". If you are speaking to God He knows what you need and what you wish to say before you even try and say it. The Holy Spirit aides us in speaking with our heavenly Father. God wants us to talk with Him, and loves it when we do.

A parent doesn't expect their child to speak to them in the manner of an educated college professor. A parent knows that their five year old doesn't have the vocabulary nor the skills to do so. Does that parent love the child less? Are we not in the relationship of a child with God?

So you feel like you are talking with yourself. Join the crowd. God never promised to talk with us in words nor e-mail. If you expect a verbal answer you will stay disappointed. Those who hear voices are hearing a demon. Or are mentally ill. God has promised to talk with us through His Word, the Bible. Prayer is built on faith. You use the faith the Holy Spirit has given you to have the courage and abillity to speak with the Lord.

I also find it difficult to speak to others. We all do this type of thing differently. It may get easier with time or it may not. Not everyone is a great orator. Our function as a Christian is to offer others the opportunity to come and see what a wonderful God we have. You have not been told to beat them over the head with a stick, annoy them, or to use other such tactics.

You improve your walk with God by reading His Word, by going to church and paying attention to the pastor during the sermons, and by receiving the free gifts offered to you by God such as baptism and communion. Remember, you can do nothing. God does it all. So relax.

Pax

 

[ephraimanesti]

I'm having problems in expressing myself to God not only through prayer but also how i talk to other people. Like, when i pray it's hard for me to express all that i'm feeling in prayer as i'm talking to God. And i also feel like i'm talking to myself.
With talking to other people, i kinda try and avoid expressing how i feel about God to other people. I get scared of how they may view me.
How do i get past these problems and improve my walk w/ God?

MY DEAR SISTER IN CHRIST,

When you Pray, speak to God from your Heart as you would to a Beloved Fiance--which, of course, is what He is. He already knows your Heart better than you know it yourself, so there should be no hesitancy in sharing with God what He already knows anyway. The only REAL REQUIREMENT of Prayer is that your lips and your Heart MUST AGREE!
As far as your feeling that you are "talking to yourself", you need to have Faith that, as God has promised to hear every word that we speak to Him, He indeed does so--even when it doesn't feel that way to us. "WE KNOW THAT GOD DOESN'T LISTEN TO SINNERS, BUT IF ANYONE IS GOD-FEARING AND DOES HIS WILL, HE LISTENS TO HIM."(John 10:31,32) Remember that "FAITH IS THE SUBSTANCE OF THINGS HOPED FOR, THE EVIDENCE AND PROOF OF THINGS NOT PERCEIVED."(Hebrews 11:1) This applies to Pray and to every other facet of our Christian walk.

As far as your unwillingness to speak of God to others "because of how they may view me"--this is a much more serious matter. Speaking of this, our Lord said, "FOR WHOEVER IS ASHAMED OF ME AND OF MY WORDS IN THIS ADULTEROUS AND SINFUL GENERATION, THE SON OF MAN WILL ALSO BE ASHAMED OF HIM WHEN HE COMES IN THE GLORY OF HIS FATHER WITH THE HOLY ANGELS."(Mark 8:38)
Perhaps you need to honestly evaluate just how important Our Lord Jesus is to you. If you find that what worldly people think of you is more important to you than Our Lord who died on the Cross for YOUR sake, something is seriously amiss!--"Nevertheless, many did believe in Him even among the rulers, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, so that they would not be banned from the synagogue. FOR THEY LOVED PRAISE FROM MEN MORE THAN PRAISE FROM GOD."(John 12:42,43) If you don't have the courage to speak up and support what you believe, your so-called "belief" will do you no good. For a belief to be REAL, it must be acted upon. As Saint James says, "FAITH WITHOUT WORKS IS DEAD."(James 2:26) BE VERY CAREFUL IN THIS REGARD! If God doesn't come first--He doesn't come at all! MAY YOU BE BLESSED WITH FAITH AND COURAGE!!!!!!!!

GOD'S BLESSINGS TO YOU,
ephraim

 

[mslpanthers12]

Hello heavenbound1984.

None of us know how to express our selves to God "properly". If you are speaking to God He knows what you need and what you wish to say before you even try and say it. The Holy Spirit aides us in speaking with our heavenly Father. God wants us to talk with Him, and loves it when we do.

A parent doesn't expect their child to speak to them in the manner of an educated college professor. A parent knows that their five year old doesn't have the vocabulary nor the skills to do so. Does that parent love the child less? Are we not in the relationship of a child with God?

So you feel like you are talking with yourself. Join the crowd. God never promised to talk with us in words nor e-mail. If you expect a verbal answer you will stay disappointed. Those who hear voices are hearing a demon. Or are mentally ill. God has promised to talk with us through His Word, the Bible. Prayer is built on faith. You use the faith the Holy Spirit has given you to have the courage and abillity to speak with the Lord.

I also find it difficult to speak to others. We all do this type of thing differently. It may get easier with time or it may not. Not everyone is a great orator. Our function as a Christian is to offer others the opportunity to come and see what a wonderful God we have. You have not been told to beat them over the head with a stick, annoy them, or to use other such tactics.

You improve your walk with God by reading His Word, by going to church and paying attention to the pastor during the sermons, and by receiving the free gifts offered to you by God such as baptism and communion. Remember, you can do nothing. God does it all. So relax.

Pax

Wow, I liked that right there

 

[Sketcher]

God already knows what's in your heart, so there's no point in hiding it from Him. And remember, He loved you enough to suffer and die for you - even when you were more sinful than you are now. It's perfectly OK to express all of what you are feeling to God. Respect Him while you do so, but don't hide anything.

 

[heavenbound1984]

thanks for the response.

 

[Super Gnat]

What everybody above has said is definitely great. Another thing you might think about is communicating with God in a way other than speaking. It may be easier for you to talk to God through writing, for example, or more abstractly through dance or art or song. God knows what you're saying no matter what you use, of course, but it may make a difference to you.

 

[heavenbound1984]

i like to write. i never thought of that way b4. that's something i will try and see how it goes.

 

[caireann]

So you feel like you are talking with yourself. Join the crowd. God never promised to talk with us in words nor e-mail. If you expect a verbal answer you will stay disappointed. Those who hear voices are hearing a demon. Or are mentally ill. God has promised to talk with us through His Word, the Bible. Prayer is built on faith. You use the faith the Holy Spirit has given you to have the courage and abillity to speak with the Lord.

Genesis 24:7
"The LORD, the God of heaven, who brought me out of my father's household and my native land and who spoke to me and promised me on oath, saying, 'To your offspring [ Or seed ] I will give this land'-he will send his angel before you so that you can get a wife for my son from there.

Exodus 20:1
"And God spoke all these words:" (then follows the 10 commandments)

2 Samuel 23:3
"The God of Israel spoke, the Rock of Israel said to me: 'When one rules over men in righteousness, when he rules in the fear of God,"

Isiah 8:1,5,11
"The LORD said to me, "Take a large scroll and write on it with an ordinary pen: Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz. [a] 2 And I will call in Uriah the priest and Zechariah son of Jeberekiah as reliable witnesses for me."'
"The LORD spoke to me again:"
"The LORD spoke to me with his strong hand upon me, warning me not to follow the way of this people. He said:"

And there are many many more examples. God spoke directly to Moses, and also, I believe, to Elijah. How can you say that God doesn't have a voice. How can you say that God doesn't speak to some? God communicates in many ways. Sometimes through visions, sometimes through dreams. Or His word, or through others, through His Holy Spirit (our conscience) and yes, sometimes verbally. Although, a voice in our heads more often then an audible voice.

Here is an example when the Lord did use an audible voice...

Acts 9:3-7
"As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. 4He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?"
5"Who are you, Lord?" Saul asked.
"I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting," he replied. 6"Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do." 7The men traveling with Saul stood there speechless; they heard the sound but did not see anyone. "

 

[mythrainbow]

No matter what you say or do have confidence that God knows what's really in your heart. Say what you can, somethings aren't meant to be heard by others sometimes God just wants you to tell Him. Have confidence too that God will give you the right words, even if maybe they don't make sense right away. Sometimes words that you thought were confusing and nervously jumbled will really touch someone in a deep way, because God was working.
I'll pray for a strengthening of your walk with Christ, and whatever else you may need prayer for.

Remember you are an awesome Child of God, He loves you, and if you love Him back then everything else falls into place even if it's not as quickly or in the way we would like.

 

[Dewi Sant]

I find that saying the Lords Prayer prepares me for prayer.


Also I don't speak directly to God.I speak through Jesus. I know that some of you may not agree with it but Jesus said:

I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes
to the Father except through me

(John 14:6).



Do not feel that you need to express yourself, God knows what is in your heart and what your thoughts and desires are before you do.

What annoys me is people who show off by over expressing themselves, they become marionettes for the world rather than worshippers for God. .
It somewhat angered me when my last church awarded a prize for the most expressive worshipper , it was only a chocolate bar but it was the principle. How we conduct ourselves in the presence of God is between us and he.

 

[millerrod]

It is so true that God knows everything about us, every want and desire and even how many hairs are on our head, he has however given us control of our time, time that we can choose how to spend, so even though he may know our needs how wonderful and glorified he must feel when we choose to take the time he has given us to give it back in study, prayer, and worship. so i for one tell him all i can even though i know he knows because in doing so i am giving back the only gift i can, a gift that he gave to me, my time.

 

[heavenbound1984]

i started writing my prayer and it has helped me w/ my words. i still struggle but i'm able to open up more than before.

that reminds me of that passage in Luke

9And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:

10Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican.
11The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.
12I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.
13And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. 14I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.
Luke 18:9-14