How does God talk to us today

[faithplusnothing]

How does God speak to us today in this age of grace? If the Bible is the only way that He speaks to us today, will our prayers not be answered? Is there scripture to back this up?

[Faith]

I think this is a very good question. One that I hope you will get some more input on besides mine! ;D

I believe that the way that God speaks to us IS through His Holy Word.

And I also believe that we have Paul as an appropriate pattern for our prayer life.

I see where Paul prayed for the removal of the thorn three times, and yet his answer was not "okay, Paul - I'll remove that thorn." Rather, it was "My grace is sufficent for thee." I believe that we must always pray with the understanding that His Grace is sufficient for us and that our earthly situations cannot EVER compare to our Heavenly position. I believe that we are always to pray with a thankful heart.

I also believe that we are equipped with His Word in written form to apply to our discernment of certain situations and decisions.

Hopefully some others will weigh in on this as well.

Grace and Peace!

[ambassador]

The only way God speaks to us today is through His Word, correct. This is yet another example of the change in God’s program: “time past” with Israel is indeed different from our present “but now.” In “time past,” God spoke to people through various means: angelic appearances (like the angel Gabriel appearing to Mary in Luke 1), the Lord Himself appearing to Moses in the burning bush, or by means of prophets (gifted men, such as those who were actively involved in the early Gentile churches). Today, we don’t have visions, dreams, prophets, apostles—we have the written Word of God in a KJV Bible.

The important thing we have to remember is that prayer is simply communicating to God: God will not respond in the ways we think He should. Just as Faith said, Paul begged the Lord three times to remove his thorn in the flesh, but God didn’t—why? Go to 2 Corinthians 12:7. Had God removed his thorn in the flesh (brought on by the satanic forces), Paul would have become prideful—this thorn in the flesh ensured Paul would remain humble, for it was to Paul alone that God revealed “the revelation of the mystery” (Romans 16:25). Although God did not precipitate Paul’s suffering, God used it for Paul’s benefit!

Now, for two powerful prayer verses appropriate for us in this Age of Grace (Philippians 4:6-7 KJV):

“Be careful [anxious, worrisome] for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

The key to prayer is THANKSGIVING. Now, please bear in mind, God’s not going to answer you immediately. He may not even answer your prayer in the way you want! But that’s okay... because as the verse says, “YOU HAVE THE PEACE OF GOD.” You have NOTHING to fret or sorrow about, no matter what happens. God heard you as a believer, so He’s going to accomplish His will in response to your prayer!

God is hard at work in the heart of a believer, the inner man: your circumstances change, but that work of the Lord inside the believer will continue forever until he/she is brought into eternity at the rapture (Philippians 1:6 compared with Romans 12:1-2 and Ephesians 3:16-17).

We’ve got “consolation” with Christ (2 Corinthians 1:3-7). In Philippians 4:11-13, we find some more comfort from the Scriptures (KJV):

“Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”

No matter what, if you are a believer, be content at all times, because the Lord has never left you.

[thepep]

Paul was always praying for others.