Is consistent daily prayer the way to go if I'm seeking an encounter?

[Carl Emerson]

Hi Carl,

I would be a little careful, asking a person to, "know" they are born again. I spent 10-15 wasted years trying to figure out if I was born again. Eventually, I just had to accept the Word of God, that when I believed in the forgiveness offered by the cross, I was born again.

Since just accepting the fact by faith, not feeling, God has worked miraculously through my life. Not everyone will feel, know, God is with them.

John 10:27-28 is a clear indication that when we surrender to His Lordship we are safe in His hands, and hear his voice.

27 My sheep listen to My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; 28 and I give them eternal life, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand.

 

[chad kincham]

If I want to go beyond theoretical ideas and anecdotal stories of other people, and have my own testimony and personal encounter with the Creator, is consistent daily prayer the way to go? Should I concentrate my efforts on developing a solid habit of daily prayer, before and after bedtime? What advice would you give to someone who is seeking an encounter with God?

The things that bring you closer to God.

Assuming you’re a born again child of God by praying and asking Jesus to come into your heart, forgive your sins, and save your soul, and make you a new creation -

1. Reading the Bible daily

2. Being filled with the Holy Spirit by having a spirit filled believer lay hands on you.

3. Praying to God with thanksgiving and praise and expecting to have a two way conversation with Him, instead of a monologue.

4. Fasting perhaps one day per week.

God bless.

 

[adderbolt]

What advice would you give to someone who is seeking an encounter with God?

What is your perception of "an encounter with God"? Don't confuse New Age Mysticism, or the wanting of an experience, with the wanting or having a godly encounter.

There are only two possibilities here:

(1) You are a child of God, a Christian, and you have God the Holy Spirit indwelling in you. And your focus is on a knowledge of God and his praise and honor.

(2) You are an unbeliever who is looking for what you might get from one of the many existing spiritual movements. And your focus is on yourself and on your needs.

 

[Dave L]

If I want to go beyond theoretical ideas and anecdotal stories of other people, and have my own testimony and personal encounter with the Creator, is consistent daily prayer the way to go? Should I concentrate my efforts on developing a solid habit of daily prayer, before and after bedtime? What advice would you give to someone who is seeking an encounter with God?

“Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me.” Mark 10:21 (KJV 1900)

 

[Lawrence87]

My advice is don't seek an encounter with God. The Devil will gladly convince you that he is God and will eagerly present himself to someone who is striving to experience the divine. It's not an endeavour that you should ever embark upon without serious guidance from someone experienced.

If you do not have experienced guidance you are best abandoning this pursuit and if you do happen to have strange appearances or happenings you are best to assume that they come from Satan. If God wants you to know something He will find another way to tell you.

Please be careful, this is not something to embark upon lightly. If you are serious then go find a monk or someone who spends all their waking hours in prayer and seek instruction from them. The Devil is waiting to deceive all who go looking to come face to face with God. Do not attempt it without serious guidance. Please be careful!

 

[aiki]

If I want to go beyond theoretical ideas and anecdotal stories of other people, and have my own testimony and personal encounter with the Creator, is consistent daily prayer the way to go?

Submission is the "way to go." No amount of any spiritual activity will bring you into rich fellowship with God apart from a constant yielding of yourself to Him, to His will and way, throughout every day.

See: Romans 6:13, Romans 6:22, Romans 8:14, Romans 12:1, Philippians 1:21, James 4:7-10, 1 Peter 5:6.

 

[TruthSeek3r]

My advice is don't seek an encounter with God. The Devil will gladly convince you that he is God and will eagerly present himself to someone who is striving to experience the divine. It's not an endeavour that you should ever embark upon without serious guidance from someone experienced.

If you do not have experienced guidance you are best abandoning this pursuit and if you do happen to have strange appearances or happenings you are best to assume that they come from Satan. If God wants you to know something He will find another way to tell you.

Please be careful, this is not something to embark upon lightly. If you are serious then go find a monk or someone who spends all their waking hours in prayer and seek instruction from them. The Devil is waiting to deceive all who go looking to come face to face with God. Do not attempt it without serious guidance. Please be careful!

Are you saying that all supernatural experiences are demonic? There is no such thing as a genuine supernatural experience that comes from God?

 

[Lawrence87]

Are you saying that all supernatural experiences are demonic? There is no such thing as a genuine supernatural experience that comes from God?

Not at all. However, someone trying to find a way to experience God will be open to all sorts of deception, just like someone seeking to find a way to get loads of money quickly might be open to all sorts of scams.

Of course there are genuine encounters with the divine, but there are probably far more instances where people have been caught in deception because of their readiness for some kind of strange experience. As the Bible says Satan can appear as an angel of light

 

[adderbolt]

Are you saying that all supernatural experiences are demonic? There is no such thing as a genuine supernatural experience that comes from God?

Encounters with God are not announced with trumpets and fanfare. It's only later on, and only if you are truly humble, that you might realize this. For example that friend or job that you lost and was later replaced by something better. Or perhaps a cure for a physical ailment or other trouble or even a heartache. Such encounters and gifts from God most often come to you with very little ballyhoo.

And remember that Herod and the Pharisees and even the common first century Israelite -- they all wanted to encounter a Jesus miracle. But when the Holy Spirit performed the greatest miracle of all, that is the resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth, most of these people were totally oblivious and unaware.

And actually you encounter God every day. The Lord nourishes, strengthens and heals you. He provides you with light and warmth, air and water, a wonderful table of food, etc. There is no end to the blessings of God's common grace.

“The Lord is good to all, and his mercy is over all that he has made” - Psalm 145.

 

[TruthSeek3r]

Encounters with God are not announced with trumpets and fanfare. It's only later on, and only if you are truly humble, that you might realize this. For example that friend or job that you lost and was later replaced by something better. Or perhaps a cure for a physical ailment or other trouble or even a heartache. Such encounters and gifts from God most often come to you with very little ballyhoo.

And remember that Herod and the Pharisees and even the common first century Israelite -- they all wanted to encounter a Jesus miracle. But when the Holy Spirit performed the greatest miracle of all, that is the resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth, most of these people were totally oblivious and unaware.

And actually you encounter God every day. The Lord nourishes, strengthens and heals you. He provides you with light and warmth, air and water, a wonderful table of food, etc. There is no end to the blessings of God's common grace.

“The Lord is good to all, and his mercy is over all that he has made” - Psalm 145.

These "supernatural" experiences you are talking about, for an skeptic outside observer, sound like every day normal occurrences. How do you know when a mundane event is supernatural or not? If I lose my keys and then find them, is that supernatural? If at the end of each month my bank account is credited with my monthly salary, is that supernatural? How can you prove that something is supernatural to a skeptic observer, besides just claiming it to be so?

 

[adderbolt]

These "supernatural" experiences you are talking about, for an skeptic outside observer, sound like every day normal occurrences. How do you know when a mundane event is supernatural or not?

Short answer is that you don't know. But then again:

“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights” - James 1.

So if you're a Christian you often will begin to see a pattern in your life: of things that others would describe as "lucky" and things that you know are beyond your ordinary capabilities.

“But test everything; hold fast to what is good” - 1 Thessalonians 5.

Then enjoy your encounters with praise and honor to your Creator.

 

[Lawrence87]

These "supernatural" experiences you are talking about, for an skeptic outside observer, sound like every day normal occurrences. How do you know when a mundane event is supernatural or not? If I lose my keys and then find them, is that supernatural? If at the end of each month my bank account is credited with my monthly salary, is that supernatural? How can you prove that something is supernatural to a skeptic observer, besides just claiming it to be so?

Well the fact you have a job is a blessing from God. As is anything good that happens to you. The fact you have running water, a place to live, clothing and food etc.

These things aren't supernatural in that they don't break the laws of nature or have no natural explanation, but I think the point is; we are insufficiently able to give thanks and praise to God for these simple and basic gifts. Gifts that He has the power to remove from us at anytime. And yet, not content with such things, we dare to ask the King of Kings and Lord of Lords to come and appear in front of us in some supernatural and stunning vision. Who are we to ask such things? We can't love our neighbour or God even in the most basic sense most of the time, and we dare to ask Him for some special sign for us. Everything good that we have is a blessing from God, and the best thing we can do is to cry out in remorse at how often we spit upon that gift and ask God for His mercy rather than demanding an audience with Him.

 

[TruthSeek3r]

Well the fact you have a job is a blessing from God. As is anything good that happens to you. The fact you have running water, a place to live, clothing and food etc.

These things aren't supernatural in that they don't break the laws of nature or have no natural explanation, but I think the point is; we are insufficiently able to give thanks and praise to God for these simple and basic gifts. Gifts that He has the power to remove from us at anytime. And yet, not content with such things, we dare to ask the King of Kings and Lord of Lords to come and appear in front of us in some supernatural and stunning vision. Who are we to ask such things? We can't love our neighbour or God even in the most basic sense most of the time, and we dare to ask Him for some special sign for us. Everything good that we have is a blessing from God, and the best thing we can do is to cry out in remorse at how often we spit upon that gift and ask God for His mercy rather than demanding an audience with Him.

But put yourself in the shoes of an skeptic observer who doesn't share your worldview. How do you go about convincing them that the breakfast they are eating is a miracle? How can you make a compelling argument to convince an skeptic that their breakfast is a miracle of God?

 

[adderbolt]

How do you go about convincing them that the breakfast they are eating is a miracle?

You can't -- only God can do that -- change people's hearts. Keep Christ's commands and let God do the heavy lifting ...

 

[TruthSeek3r]

You can't -- only God can do that -- change people's hearts. Keep Christ's commands and let God do the heavy lifting ...

That sounds like a supernatural encounter

 

[Lawrence87]

But put yourself in the shoes of an skeptic observer who doesn't share your worldview. How do you go about convincing them that the breakfast they are eating is a miracle? How can you make a compelling argument to convince an skeptic that their breakfast is a miracle of God?

I wouldn't tell them it's a miracle, I'd tell them it's a gift and they are lucky to have it, and they should be grateful for it

 

[Carl Emerson]

Square One - be born again.

If that is not in place your spiritual life will be chatter...

 

[The Liturgist]

If I want to go beyond theoretical ideas and anecdotal stories of other people, and have my own testimony and personal encounter with the Creator, is consistent daily prayer the way to go? Should I concentrate my efforts on developing a solid habit of daily prayer, before and after bedtime? What advice would you give to someone who is seeking an encounter with God?

It is extremely dangerous to seek an “encounter” and you are putting yourself at extreme risk of encountering not God, but an imposter. Have you not read in the Gospel According to John that no man has seen God at any time, except through the Incarnation of our Lord? The divine essence of God is not only invisible but also beyond the limits of comprehension. To actually have an encounter which is genuine and not the result of mental illness, spiritual delusion or demonic impersonation, is extremely rare. And speaking of the demonic, such an encounter could possibly have negative or destructive consequences beyond delusion, up to and including posession.

So please, @TruthSeek3r , by all means seek truth, but do not seek an “encounter,” because you won’t find it there. In fact, Scripture is fairly clear that seeking a specific sign is a sinful activity. And the danger of deception is very real.

One of the ecclesiastical communities which I think has some of the best works on encounters and related spiritual danger is the Eastern Orthodox community. The book “Orthodoxy and the Religion of the Future” by Fr. Seraphim Rose and the Arena by Ignatius Brianchaninov address this issue in a particularly compelling way. There is even a Russian word for spiritual delusion, which can result from a false encounter, prelest. @GreekOrthodox and @prodromos might be able to provide more information.

Conversely, the Orthodox do pursue knowledge of God through prayer, however, they pursue it in an extremely careful manner, in a supervised ecclesiastical situation, under the mentorship of clergy and elders within their church. And there are many incidents where monks, for example, ignored the advice of their elders and fell into dangerous delusion.

 

[The Liturgist]

My advice is don't seek an encounter with God. The Devil will gladly convince you that he is God and will eagerly present himself to someone who is striving to experience the divine. It's not an endeavour that you should ever embark upon without serious guidance from someone experienced.

If you do not have experienced guidance you are best abandoning this pursuit and if you do happen to have strange appearances or happenings you are best to assume that they come from Satan. If God wants you to know something He will find another way to tell you.

Please be careful, this is not something to embark upon lightly. If you are serious then go find a monk or someone who spends all their waking hours in prayer and seek instruction from them. The Devil is waiting to deceive all who go looking to come face to face with God. Do not attempt it without serious guidance. Please be careful!

Exactly. Exactly. Please @TruthSeek3r pay attention to this post, because there is an extreme amount of wisdom herein.

Consider what our Lord said to Thomas, “Blessed are those who have not seen me, yet still believe.”

 

[Brian Mcnamee]

If I want to go beyond theoretical ideas and anecdotal stories of other people, and have my own testimony and personal encounter with the Creator, is consistent daily prayer the way to go? Should I concentrate my efforts on developing a solid habit of daily prayer, before and after bedtime? What advice would you give to someone who is seeking an encounter with God?

read the scriptures daily with a mind to hear from the LORD the Holy Spirit with in you will quicken your heart and your mind this way. God is not going to manifest and speak to you out of a burning bush but he will let you know it is His voice you hear when you seek him with all your heart out of His word.