1. An important part of our Relationship with God
Prayer
An important part of our Relationship with God

2. Defining characteristic of Faith
One of the defining characteristics of the Christian faith is our belief in a loving God who desires to have a relationship with us. From the moment of our creation on, God laid the foundation for this type of intimate relationship by His very first actions toward us. These are the actions of a close and personal God who created and then came near.  Look in Genesis 1 to see for yourself… So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. And God blessed them. And God said to them… (Gn 1:27-28)  Mankind was only moments out of the dust of the Earth when our creator began establishing the nature of our relationship with Him. He would relate to us, seek relationship with us, guide us, direct us and care for us, through speaking to us.
Defining characteristic of Faith

3. What do you think? But how often do we neglect this reality?
How often do we fail to listen or respond to this God who speaks?
Do we even believe that He speaks to us at all?  
Do you believe that God present-tense SPEAKS to you?  Now.  
What do you think?

4. Do you believe that God speaks to YOU right now?
I know that as life goes on we all fall and fail and get busted up something fierce.  I also know that in the midst of all the trials and troubles and heartbreak of living we sometimes begin to believe the lie that God is far-off, distant, unconcerned or silent.  But that is so far from the truth.  
Do you believe that God speaks to YOU right now?  

5. God is speaking. To us. Right now.
If you’re having trouble discerning His voice, the following slides will show what you can do to put yourself in the position to hear.
God is speaking. To us. Right now.  

6. The primary way in which God speaks to us now is through His written word. Knowing God’s word is a crucial component to hearing God speak.  Read it.  Study it.  Meditate on it.  
Come to know the God of the Bible.  He will speak to you through its pages.
1. Know His Word.

7. The one thing that opens our ears to hear God speak more than anything else is a posture of humility. We allow His word to speak into our lives as it is, not demand that it change to fit the cultural norms of our day, or our own needs and desires.  By all means, be thoughtful, inquisitive, and teachable as you read.  
2. Read with humility.  

8. Each of us is capable and able of reading and understanding God’s word, but that is not to say that it won’t require effort.   We learn to hear God’s voice and gain insight into His Will through our consistent and careful examination of Scripture. There is a cumulative effect to the study of God’s word.  Keep at it, patiently persist. The more you read and study the Bible, the more your understanding of it will unfold.  
3. Read with diligence  

9. You can’t hear if you don't listen
You can’t hear if you don't listen.  So once we’ve committed ourselves to consistently reading God’s word, we must turn our attention to listening for and listening to His voice. 
Listening is a required ingredient in the formation and maintenance of every single human relationship you have - at home, at work, with friends and family members - and it is equally required in the formation and maintenance of your relationship with God.  When God created us as relational beings, he opened up communication between us and Himself as a mutual endeavor.  He talks to us, we listen to him.  We talk to him, He listens to us.  This is how a relationship with God works.  Like anything else in life worthy of our pursuit, listening to hear God speak through His word requires time, intentionality and purpose.  It requires that we lean in and tune our ears to hear Him speak.  
4. Be Listening  

10. Hearing God speak is a spiritual endeavor
Hearing God speak is a spiritual endeavor.  Therefore, any difficulty we have in hearing or comprehending God’s voice is much more a spiritual matter than an intellectual one.  
As we open our Bibles, listening to hear God speak, we should pray over our time and efforts knowing that it is only by His grace and mercy that we may hear.  
5. Be Praying 

11. His Word speaks to Us right Now
God’s word is clear that He seeks to make Himself known to us.  His word speaks to us right now, right where we are, no matter where that may be.  Open His word with humility, diligence and great expectation, eagerly listening to hear His voice.  Pray for a willing, pliable and attentive heart so that you may hear Him speak.
In order to hear God we have to pay attention and open our hearts to Him. By reading and studying the Word of God in the Bible we can begin to hear Him in the quiet of our hearts. Spending time with God through reading His Word or speaking directly to Him and allowing ourselves to open up to Him will help our relationship grow.
His Word speaks to Us right Now

12. JESUS WANTS a RELATIONSHIP WITH YOU are YOU WILLING to DO YOUR PART

13. Are you working on your Relationship with Jesus?
GOD has no phone but I talk to Him
GOD has no facebook but He is still my friend.
GOD has no Twitter but I still follow Him.
Are you working on your Relationship with Jesus?