Is the silence where I can hear God?

So many times I find myself trying to hear from God, and i just wonder if listening to nothing is really the way to hear God. Ya know it is like you stand on top of a mountain and let the wind pass through your arms and all you hear is the wind and you feel so alive, or like me run out into the rain and just stand there enjoying it. I just feel so much to wonder is it best to be in silence if you want to hear God speak to my heart?

Bingo! That's it--truly.

1 Kings 19:11-13
And he said,
Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the LORD.
And, behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the LORD;
but the LORD was not in the wind:
and after the wind an earthquake;
but the LORD was not in the earthquake:
And after the earthquake a fire;
but the LORD was not in the fire:

and after the fire a still small voice.

And it was so, when Elijah heard it,
that he wrapped his face in his mantle,
and went out, and stood in the entering in of the cave.
And, behold, there came a voice unto him, and said,
What doest thou here, Elijah?

So many address the idea of 'praying' as making requests and voicing needs--talking at God, oftentimes. God knows all our needs--even those we don't realize.

To me, 'prayer' is meditation--not in the sense of sitting crosslegged on the floor (although that's fine, too) but in the way of just 'thinking'--meditating on God. And listening.

He's always there, but most of the time, the world declines to stop and pay attention.

thanks that vesre i have heard it before, but man its just had sometimes to talk to God with all this cazy life in the way, i heard of one verse that says to pray in a closet and i would love to that but not everyday and plus...well i know pray is a thing i really need to work on, i just love most to hear God ya know

is it best to be in silence if you want to hear God speak to my heart?

If you want to hear god listen to your heart;
you are your own god;
as i am my own god;
everyone is a god...

If you want to hear from God then the first thing I would do is begin reading the Bible. It's what God had men write down, so it's what He wants us to know. If you had a friend across the country and they wrote you an email, you would read it. What would you find in their email? Things they want you to know. The Bible in an "email" written from God to you.

I agree that silence is needed at times. Alot of people now always have a walkman or mp3 player plugged into their ears so they are always listening to something. You need quiet times to reflect on what you've read so that you can hear from God when you mind is dwelling on Him.

Quiet times can also be found when looking around at creation and noticing His handiwork.

I agree with queenannie, prayer should not be an unconscious outpouring of our desires, but a conscious 'listening' or 'being' with all that is, God.

As dbrandt said, when we look at the marvellous natural world, and do not make it into a mental concept, when we do not judge it, a silent thankfullness comes along. That is abundant life.

Let's see what some wise men thought about this topic:

“Imagine if all the tumult of the body were to quiet down, along with all our busy thoughts about earth, sea, and air; if the very world should stop, and the mind cease thinking about itself, go beyond itself, and be quite still; if all the fantasies that appear in dreams and imagination should cease, and there be no speech, no sign: Imagine if all things that are perishable grew still - for if we listen they are saying, "We did not make ourselves; he made us who abides forever" - imagine, then, that they should say this and fall silent, listening to the very voice of him who made them and not to that of his creation; so that we should hear not his word through the tongues of men, nor the voice of angels, nor the clouds' thunder, nor any symbol, but the very Self which in these things we love, and go beyond ourselves to attain a flash of that eternal wisdom that abides above all things: And imagine if that moment were to go on and on, leaving behind all other sights and sounds but this one vision that ravishes and absorbs and fixes the beholder in joy; so that the rest of eternal life were like that moment of illumination that leaves us breathless: Would this not be what is bidden in scripture, Enter thou into the joy of thy Lord?” - St. Augustine

“For God is silence, and in silence is he sung by means of that psalmody which is worthy of Him. I am not speaking of the silence of the tongue, for if someone merely keeps his tongue silent, without knowing how to sing in mind and spirit, then he is simply unoccupied and becomes filled with evil thoughts: There is a silence of the tongue, there is a silence of the whole body, there is a silence of the soul, there is the silence of the mind, and there is the silence of the spirit.” - Christian Desert Fathers

“The first stage of worship is silence.” - Muhammed

To reach this silence all we have to do is be. Just accept this moment without judging it.

Inverencial Peace,
Akashic

As a student of theology the whole omnipresent thing is in the back of my head most of the time. When I am in a crowded area or soemthing all I can think about is God's love. But when I wasnt to hear God.... thats an entirely different monster. God is constantly speaking to us and if we know where to look we can see it. God is everywhere and so he speaks to us at all times. You just have the sort the junk and the funk then you can hear whats really going on. God doesnt speak in words. mostly actions in life, he takes control and we often dont notice it. Just step back look at the suppsoed chaos and you will see order. If certain things in my life hadnt happed (that at the time I found quit crazy and pointless) I would have never found myself on teh way to the seminary.

Take a deep breath and start talking. If you want God to talk to you then strike up a convorsation. Talk out loud in a quite place and ask or talka bout what ever you want in the utmost detail. but dont become absorbed with yourself. Listen....

Why speak out loud? God is within us--and so there is absolutely no reason to be heard in the manner of sound waves and vocal cords.

The 'closet' is figuratively one's inner being. The private heart of hearts that we all have as sanctuary.

Key word: sanctuary

Inner sanctum, pure place undefiled by the world, holy altar before the LORD, complete guaranteed privacy.

Paradise.

Originally posted by promytheus
So many times I find myself trying to hear from God, and i just wonder if listening to nothing is really the way to hear God. .......... ..... . . . I just feel so much to wonder is it best to be in silence if you want to hear God speak to my heart?

It has been my observations of both myself and others that we do tend to reveal only aspects of our personalities and our true feelings to others out of fear of being rejected for who we really are. I see how people are not the same when dealing with their mother as they are when dealing with their father, as they are when dealing with their neighbor, as they are when interacting with their best friend, as they are when dealing with their boss, etc .. . . We tend to present ourselves in a way that we interpret the individual will accept us, and out of empathy we show them what we judge they need us to be out of a love that may be disfunctional and not really love at all. We wear masks for them, and hide what may be uncomfortable to them. How can we resolve this?

What i did is i started writing in a journal. And, as i write in my journal/diary i do so knowing no one else shall ever read it. I write knowing, not thinking, but knowing that no one else is going to read it but me. Why? Because there is no reason to lie, or fabricate, or candy coat the truth. What truth? My truth. As I write i write for me and for me alone. As i write i write my thoughts, how i really feel. Sometimes i write things that are ugly, and represent my fears and hates and prejudices. But, as i write them down, it is as though my brain now feels i can download and dump that information, because it is in hard copy, and out of my head. As i get past the uglyness i have accumilated i find the things about me that i somehow have managed to forget i knew about myself. It is the silence i think you are referring to. This is my suggestion for you to help attain the silence you speak of.

You know I use to write in a journal, and for some reason just recently I was like man I have to start writing again, when I did I felt so much better and I felt as if my sin of my heart would not linger around, it would be on that paper and then well it helped a lot, I am not sure if that is my mind or God that allows that to happen but writing helps so much.

Hi There!
God will speak to you if you know how to listen for His voice.
Check out this thread:
www.belowtopsecret.com...'" target="_blank" class="postlink">www.belowtopsecret.com...'

the link doesn't work...:bnghd:

Correct Linkage

Thank you pacman! I don't know why I have so much trouble making my links work!
Once in awhile I'll get lucky, but the majority of the time they don't work.

[quoteIf you want to hear from God then the first thing I would do is begin reading the Bible. It's what God had men write down, so it's what He wants us to know.

If that were true my friend the Bible would be a much different book than it is today. GOD had no man write something down. Man wrote what they thought GOD was trying to say, and some of what was written was done for nothing but manipulation of the masses.

If one wants to listen to GOD he speaks to an individual all the time. He is the voice telling one the right thing to do.

Originally posted by madmanacrosswater
If that were true my friend the Bible would be a much different book than it is today. GOD had no man write something down.

3:16
All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

3:17
That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

Wonderful read as well as other golden pieces of enlightenment scattered about the planet. The Bible, most other religion books, Conversations with God series and this following is an excerpt from The Children of the Law of One & the Lost Teachings of Atlantis by Jon Peniel. This last book puts the emphasis for me on two simple paths. The Selfless path and the Selfish path is the bottom line in all walks. Think about it if you want, greed, envy, lust, etc... the seed is selfishness. Many degrees of it and you really have to understand your intention in everything. Looking back at my life many things I would never deeply think upon, where indeed it started with selfishness on my part. I was just reading this book by Jon Peniel and thought it pertained to this thread. (In some wierd way, yes I could here Yoda speaking this.) Here is as written:

"The Candle
Lights A Candle
Thus does The Student
Recieve The Light
From The Teacher

A True Teacher
Must First Be A Good Student

The Best Student
Is the Most Humble
*
He Who Would Be First
Will Be Last
*
Nature Abhors a Vacuum
The Mountain Is Gradually Worn Down

To Fill The Valley
Thus the Humble and Lowly
Are Raised Unto the Heavens
*
Knowledge Without Humility and Self-Sacrifice,
is Meaningless. And can be harmful.

A Student Without Humility
Is Like a Full Cup
*
Only a Clear Mirror Reflects Yourself True.
Thus Through the Eyes of a True Teacher
Can One See The Deceptions
of The Selfish Separate Self

Thus is The True Teacher
The Tool That Can Free You
From The Illusions Your Self has Created
*
Hear Me O Man.
Chains You Have Forged
That Bind You to Darkness of Night
In Servitude You Cry
For The Dark Lords are Your Master
To Serve Them No Longer
Reach Out in the Night
Call For Your Brothers
That Serve Only Light
A Hand Will Appear
Piercing the Darkness
Strange Love That Comes From the Light
Grasp on With Both Hands
And Clutch With All Might
Ripped from Darkness
In Pain Your Dark Self Screams
Let Not Thy Cup Fall Then
And Death Will Come Soon
Releasing and Revealing
The True Inner You
In Light Will You Awaken
To Find You Are Whole
In Love And In Freedom
You Find The Goal
*
Life is a Teacher
But the Hardest Teacher
And the Longest School.
To Learn from The experiences of Others
Is a great skill indeed.
To Learn from the True Teacher
Is The Path Chosen by the Wise.
All True Paths
Eventually Lead to The True Teacher
One Can Go no further Until
They Confront the Great Beast
And Unveil Its Deceptions.
*
The True Teacher
Is One With Universal Will
One With the Universal Consciousness
And the Servant of All

The True Teacher
Radiates his Consciousness
Just by Being.
Those in his presence Are Affected by The Light
Even When he Speaks Not.
his Light Evokes Fear and Anger in the Selfish
Who Live in the Darkness of Deceit,
But Nurtures and Inspires the Gentle, the Kind,
and the Spiritually hungry.

The True Teacher
Is Your Inner Being Standing Before You.
If You are Receptive To Your Inner Being
You Are Receptive to The True Teacher.
If You Try to Avoid Your Inner Being
You Will Try to Avoid The True Teacher.

he Who Listens to a True Teacher
hears his Own Inner Voice
he Who Manifests his Own Inner Voice
Is a True Teacher
*
Now I Am The Teacher
Now You Are The Student
I Give You My hand
And Take You home Again.
The Wheel of Life Turns
Now You Are The Teacher
Now I Am The Student
You Give Me Your hand
And Take Me home Again.
So Goes The Cycle of Life
For Children Who Live The Law of One
For Brother Sun and Sister Moon
Who In harmony with Universal Will, Serve All
*
Let Go
And Let God
*
The Self Always has Good Reason
To Be Negative.
There is NO Reason
Good Enough To Stop Loving.
*
All Inner Beings Are One
*Let No Being Possess You
In Body, Mind or Soul
*
heed Not to Spirits.
Guide You Would They, Out of Place.
Come From The Dark Do These Spirits.
In harmony Not With Universal Flow,
Know They Not Oneness With The All.

The Children of One Light
Live Among Men.
Your Spiritual Self Are They.
Your Spiritual Self, Show You They,
To Be One With All
One With The Light
*
True Teachers, Masters of Self
Gone from This Earth
Commune Not with the Living
Guide they Not in Voice or Possession.

Deceptive Spirits Come in Guises
To Mislead and Misteach
Those who would have them

Guidance Seek Ye Only From Masters in Flesh.
All True Teachers Be One With the All.
To Disallow Dark Deceptions the Self does Befool.
Urge You do they All to Listen Closely and Only
To the Still Silent Voice of Your True Inner Self.
Find it Within, And Find it Without,
Your Inner Voice Reflected,
The True Teacher, in Flesh."




[edit on 12-17-05 by pacman]

Normally, I use my own words to discuss these topics but in this instance, I want to share something someone else has written:

I tried to find Him on the Christian cross, but He was not there; I went to the Temple of the Hindus and to the old pagodas, but I could not find a trace of Him anywhere.

I searched on the mountains and in the valleys but neither in the heights nor in the depths was i able to find Him. I went to the Caaba in Mecca, but He was not there either.

I questioned the scholars and philosophers but He was beyond their understanding.

I then looked into my heart and it was there where He dwelled that I saw Him; He was nowhere else to be found.

-- Jelaluddin Rami

Peace

That is beautiful, Ambient

Thanks

You are most welcome, Queenannie38. I'm happy to share.

I think true wisdom is not so common that we can afford to reject it, no matter where it's found or who provides it. But in the end, the ultimate wisdom that we have access to is within ourselves, for it is our own hearts and minds that interpet what we find and learn from others. As each spirit or soul is different and unique in the Universe, so are the ways in which we grow and learn, and the ways we must apply what we find to ourselves and what we do.

I agree with you, 100%. If the path to life is extremely narrow, then I believe is must be one to each soul.

The paths are numbered as the stars in the sky... but unity is the destination--one God one Spirit One truth, whatever it may be called. For those who say death is the end, then I guess we'll call it death. But I have no doubt that humanity is one, underneath our individual skin-suits of delusion.

I'm not so attached to my personal road map and the names on the signs that I can't recognize what I understand as the 'light that lights all men who come to the world' in everyone I meet. The more I grow to understand people the more I understand both God and myself. And I love the whole bunch of us!