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Relationship and communication


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#1 Charles Miles

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Posted 22 October 2019 - 09:35 AM

Is there such a thing as a good relationship without good communication? I know we all have old friends with whom we seldom see or speak with and we consider we have a good relationship with them. But is that a relationship? Maybe it is kind of of a relationship we once had, but now is only the memory of the relationship of long ago. I do know that a close relationship, such as a marriage, requires communication between husband and wife almost continually if the relationship is to remain healthy. Understanding each partner`s daily struggles and victories is vital to remaining close. For instance, if I think my wife is having difficulty in a certain area, I can come to her aid and help, right? Well, not really. Rushing in to help with a problem may not be the correct thing to do, as many of us who are married can attest. It is usually best to be asked!

  A relationship with The Lord is similar, but in a much different way. Communication is vital and gives us that "close" feeling and we should "bring things to the Lord in prayer", not just our struggles, but our joys and small victories. The Lord knows our problems and has the power to solve them, although His way might not be our way to solve things. In my opinion(meaning no definite scriptural backup and actually means nothing) The Lord likes for us to bring Him the problem. Maybe we don`t even know exactly what the problem is, and then we sit down and try to   explain what it is that we think is the problem in a prayer to Him. I don`t know about others, but often, very often, I find that the thing I think is the problem is NOT the real problem, and just simply bringing it to Him in some kind of semi-coherent form leads me to better understanding the situation. Is that an answer to prayer before I ever get through praying? I`ll take that as a YES.

 

Just a few thoughts on a difficult Tuesday morning that has been made much less confusing.

 

May God bless us all,

 

Charlie


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#2 Gidget

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Posted 25 October 2019 - 09:26 AM

I found your scriptural support. 😊

"Throw all your anxiety onto him, because he cares about you."
(1 Peter 5:7 CEB)
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#3 Lori Smith

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Posted 26 October 2019 - 06:51 AM

Thank you Charlie for these words of wisdom. I have been pondering the thought, for I absolutely agree that we can sure mess things up when we are led by our own understanding. I asked the Lord about this and He directed me to a couple of passages.

 

The first has to do with manna. It was God's provision, but it was an earthly one, for all who ate of it eventually died (see John 6:49). Certainly, earthly provision is important, but spiritual direction is of greater importance. Often we stay too focused on earthly things, and we believe we are operating with what God has provided, but we still feel like there is no life--we are dying.

 

For the answer, God directed me to Romans 5:10: "For if while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, how much more securely will we be reconciled through His life?"

 

In other words, we come into a relationship with God through the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. However, many of us stay there, and we then try to feast on manna. However, manna does not bring life. Only the life of Jesus brings life. Thus, we are to see solutions for our life in the life of Jesus. Indeed, we are to accept the daily provisions of wisdom, direction, provision, sanctification, justification, and mercy that is given us daily in His life.

 

Hope that makes sense! Sometimes it's hard to put into words what God places in the heart. Blessings.


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In The Pursuit of God, A. W. Tozer writes, "Jesus taught that He wrought His works by always keeping His inward eyes upon His Father. His power lay in His continuous look at God (John 5:19-21)."

#4 Charles Miles

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Posted 29 October 2019 - 09:28 PM

I was pondering my prayers and wondering how some get answered and some seemingly don`t, when a young man came up to me on the sidewalk a week or so back and changed my whole outlook. As many of you know, my sweet wife passed away 7 years ago and it was a sudden unexpected event. She was a very devoted child of God who worked with the poor in our area, mostly children.

 

The young man looked to be about 19-20 and approached with a smile. He asked if I ever knew a lady named Fran who taught the youth choir in West Point.  I told him she was my late wife and he broke into tears, grabbed my hand and fell to his knees. "10 years ago she led me to the Lord with her Bible study during choir practices!" He is now in seminary and planning to graduate this year, planning to go preach, and mainly teach youth.  Wow. Fran never saw this fruit that was produced, but I did!

 

May God bless everyone as much as He blessed me with this news,

 

Charlie



#5 Lori Smith

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Posted 30 October 2019 - 03:19 AM

That truly is a blessing to hear! How wonderful Charlie!


In The Pursuit of God, A. W. Tozer writes, "Jesus taught that He wrought His works by always keeping His inward eyes upon His Father. His power lay in His continuous look at God (John 5:19-21)."