Why doesn't God return my calls?

[R3quiem]

Why would I even bother going through the motions if I adamantly believed I was just talking myself?

Do you expect God to reveal himself so that everyone KNOWS he exists?

Let's look at it from his perspective. Why would he want to reveal himself so obviously that nobody could not believe? If everyone KNEW beyond a shadow of a doubt that God was there, then there wouldn't be any true love or good acts among people. By not knowing for absolute sure that God exists, all of our good deeds have better grounding because it shows we are doing them out of actual love, not that he is truly watching. He has given hints to his existence, and has told us how he wants us to live. He can sit back and see which of us truly want to learn to follow him, truly want to do good things out of love.

Just a possibility to consider.

 

[WarEagle]

I don't think that is a valid argument. While I agree that sin separates us from God, he still can reach out to people.

What about Paul from the bible? He was a Pharisee, he didn't believe in Jesus and yet Jesus came to him in visions.

Did Paul pray to Jesus with some silly challenge to answer him? Or did Jesus come to Paul?

 

[drstevej]

I've prayed to God many times and told him that I'm open to talking, but every time I get no response. So I'm forced to conclude that either God is incapable of/doesn't want to talk to me or (more likely) he doesn't exist.

If God is allegedly so interested in forming a relationship with me why is he so elusive?

Got a Bible?

It was inspired by God to equip you to every good work. Start there.

 

[R3quiem]

Did Paul pray to Jesus with some silly challenge to answer him? Or did Jesus come to Paul?

Why call it a silly challenge?

 

[ContentInHim]

Ummm, because it is?

 

[R3quiem]

Ummm, because it is?

The original poster said that he's trying to pray to God for a response.

He doesn't believe in God; so something has to change in order for him to believe. I don't think it's a challenge, it's reaching out.

 

[WarEagle]

Why call it a silly challenge?

Because it's silly and Unbiblical.

We go to God on God's terms. He doesn't come to us on ours.

 

[MelissaShae]

We are to pray to God and we are to pray for him to do his will in our lives and that we will obey that will. We are not to seek him for selfish reasons but so that we can see his will and do what he wants us to do. When you start expecting something from God then you are not going to get anything in return. We are to do for God and in those actions we will see the rewards from Him for doing his will. You can't go to God half-heartedly or having doubt, you have to give him all your heart, soul, mind and spirit.

 

[R3quiem]

What do you guys recommend is the best way for someone who doesn't believe in God to start believing in God?

Could the answer be the Bible? What about people who try to read it but still see it as man-made?

Could the answer be prayer? Apparently not, because apparently praying for faith is disrespectful and demanding of God.

Could the answer be to go to church? Most people who aren't religious find church to be very creepy.

Could the answer be that God just does not want them? The Calvinistic approach is that there are some people who God elects and some people who God just doesn't want. I hope not.

What do you all recommend for those who don't believe?

 

[calidog]

I've prayed to God many times and told him that I'm open to talking, but every time I get no response. So I'm forced to conclude that either God is incapable of/doesn't want to talk to me or (more likely) he doesn't exist.

If God is allegedly so interested in forming a relationship with me why is he so elusive?

(I realize this thread is several pages long and someone may have already answered this, but)

If you open up the bible you may begin to hear God speak to you. Then, as you talk to a born-again christian, you may hear God begin to speak to you. Then, as you talk to God, you may begin to hear Him speak to your heart.

I know it would be thoroughly convincing for Him to appear to you in the form of a man that you would hear His voice, but He has ordained the way He communicates to us in this era through His word and through His Spirit. This makes Him no less real.

Continue to listen for Him, God bless.

 

[ContentInHim]

What do you guys recommend is the best way for someone who doesn't believe in God to start believing in God?

Could the answer be the Bible? What about people who try to read it but still see it as man-made?

Could the answer be prayer? Apparently not, because apparently praying for faith is disrespectful and demanding of God.

Could the answer be to go to church? Most people who aren't religious find church to be very creepy.

Could the answer be that God just does not want them? The Calvinistic approach is that there are some people who God elects and some people who God just doesn't want. I hope not.

What do you all recommend for those who don't believe?

I didn't have time to respond to your post yesterday!

All your questions are good ones. The answer is that God promises that if we seek him with all our heart, mind and strength, we will find him.

If we seek him as if to dare him to show himself, why should he perform tricks like a circus pony? He's the sovereign God of the universe. He's not interested in proving himself to anyone. Instead we should prove to him that we are interested in him, in seeking him and in loving him.

 

[BigNorsk]

I've prayed to God many times and told him that I'm open to talking, but every time I get no response. So I'm forced to conclude that either God is incapable of/doesn't want to talk to me or (more likely) he doesn't exist.

If God is allegedly so interested in forming a relationship with me why is he so elusive?

Actually God was so far ahead of you he answered your prayers before you made them. Pick up the Bible and read the answers.

Marv

 

[R3quiem]

Actually God was so far ahead of you he answered your prayers before you made them. Pick up the Bible and read the answers.

Marv

That doesn't work for a lot of people.

 

[RebeccaJO]

I've prayed to God many times and told him that I'm open to talking, but every time I get no response. So I'm forced to conclude that either God is incapable of/doesn't want to talk to me or (more likely) he doesn't exist.

If God is allegedly so interested in forming a relationship with me why is he so elusive?

When was the last time you opened up your bible and started reading? God speaks to us in different ways. Through his word, through someone else. Everytime I read my bible, God is talking to me, because he is the word.
Alot of people do not wait for God to answer they give him a time limit and if he hasn't spoken to them in that time limit, he either is busy or not answering. Our time isn't God's time. Maybe God answered you and your mouth was to busy yapping and you didn't hear him.

That is my problem, I yap my mouth to much to even listen to that still small voice. Finally God gave a word through my Pastor to tell me that if I want an answer, then I need to listen with open ears and a closed mouth.

 

[RebeccaJO]

God hears all prayers. But he won't answer to someone whom isn't in the fold, one of God's sheeps. The bible says that God does not hear sinners praying unless they come to him and call upon repentance. God says my sheep know my voice. You don't know his voice because they way you talk, you are not one of his sheep.

If you want God to listen to you and to answer you, you need to be part of his family. Get saved, born again.

 

[Emmy]

Dear Sunrunner. You had some good replies, God knows your heart, He knows your very thought and wish. Keep letting God know how much you like God to get in touch with you. He will, He told us to keep looking, and we will find Him. God knows when we are ready to listen to Him, when we are ready to understand what He is telling us. Just keep seeking Him, and you will find. I say this humbly and with assurance, Sunrunner. Greetings from Emmy, sister in Christ.

 

[losthope]

I've prayed to God many times and told him that I'm open to talking, but every time I get no response. So I'm forced to conclude that either God is incapable of/doesn't want to talk to me or (more likely) he doesn't exist.

If God is allegedly so interested in forming a relationship with me why is he so elusive?

I don't know, but God doesn't reply to me either.

 

[PureLove]

There are too many possibilities really and few who hear God in an auditory way
the mind has to be totally silent, its passive
thing is its inside you

LoVe

 

[Mr.Cheese]

I don't know. I guess I'm just waiting for something spectacular to happen - like a vocal response or dream. I really don't know what to look for. I was hoping it would find me.

I'm not going to pin any blame on you because it is...frankly a bit confusing. But Jesus did say "Ask, Seek, Knock..." If you are sincere then I believe that you will come face to face with the reality of God. God does not always respond in ways that are predictable or obvious to us.

 

[MsJanie]

I say that God didn't answer because he's not there. How could he be? The evidence and just plain common sense is stacked considerably against his existence. And everyone goes on and on about God being so loving, kind, and merciful. Whoever believes this needs to go back and read their bibles again.