I'm fundamentally confused by this particular notion. God-believers want other people to have a relationship with God, but how is that even possible? Where is God? How do you talk to him? How does he talk back?
Greetings. It is my first day on RF and was compelled to respond to your post. I haven't read other responses, but will after I post this one. My apologies if what I'm saying is "old news" and not contributing much to stimulating discussion. But part of my response, in the way I understand things, is intended for 'me' as much as anyone.
I would admit to having desire for anyone / everyone to have relationship with God. From my perspective, it is impossible not to. Though I recognize not everyone reading this will share that perspective. I would also just stipulate that I strongly believe you will have awareness around that relationship when you are ready, not when someone else deems it is time for you. Put another way, I'm not evangelical about my desire for you to relate to God. Mostly because I think it impossible not to have that relationship and feel quite confident you call "Him" by whatever works for you, and I'm highly compelled to honor that.
God is within. Conceivably, God is also all around. If I were attempting to be specific, God is within consciousness. Not contained there, but within.
Is prayer like leaving a message on an answering machine except God never calls back? It's like someone commissioning forty odd authors to write down everything they want to say to you nearly 2,000 years ago and then just disappearing without a trace. Yet that person still demands that you believe that they love you or else he'll set you on fire forever.
Here is where I would differ from a great many (so called) God believers. I wholeheartedly believe revelation (communication) is progressive, ongoing. In my understanding, God has never stopped talking to us. But (I reckon) many refuse to listen. Having fear they either are listening to false god or, worse, are deemed delusional.
Prayer to me is like leaving a message. In my understanding, it is asking with a (personal) sense of clarity. I believe God knows before we ask. Knows what we are really asking for, before we ask in the way prayer(s) construct. Yet, like most communication with the Divine it is far more about building trust / remembrance in that aspect of Self, then it is in, say testing or trying God's "power." Perhaps there is more to say on this point, but I'll leave it there for now.
The entire relationship would be based on the rather impersonal method of commissioning someone else to write about it rather than direct interaction on a personal level, which is how I conduct my personal relations with other people. I know some believe in signs here and there, but you can make any ambiguous event mean almost anything and it's still impersonal. I mean a single child survives a tsunami and it's called a 'miracle'. Never mind the thousands of people, including other children, that died without a reason because then it's called 'God works in mysterious ways'.
So essentially I'm asking how can I have a personal relationship with God, much less worship him, whenever I've never even met him in person or know whether he even exists?
I'm feeling like there are several ways to respond to this inquiry, and ultimately none will matter (coming from me) if you are entertaining a resistance toward idea of "relating with God." For, I am convinced you have met God, and know God exists. I might put this in terms of saying, you have met God of your understanding, and if you understand yourself as existing, you can understand God existing. So, here in this form of communication, it is more intellectual exercise than the obvious point of "I am."
I operate under idea that it is possible to explain connection with God / existence of God in intellectual way. It isn't always 'easy' to explain this, but I still think it is plausible.
I would suggest that to have the relationship, you be willing to call God by something else. Flying Spaghetti Monster works for me (it really does). But it may not work for you, and the key is to find term that will work for you. Could be "Life" or "Me" or many other possibilities. I think it is just important to see this as starting point - calling God (within) by something that (truly) works for you.
Next step is to acknowledge, in mostly intellectual way, that if God is within (rather than outside, and/or separate), that it is plausible that everything you have ever thought is available (or known) to this inner entity. Thus, this Being likely knows you far far more than you might be willing to give it credit. In fact, I find myself still thinking my Divine Self doesn't fully understand me. Yet, in my more aware moments, this is really hilarious: to think I can hide something from my Self. In my less aware moments, it is, at times, depressing to think of myself as going it alone, since God (or FSM) can't possibly understand what it's like to walk the earth as I do. (It's hell I tell you!)
After these first 2 steps are accepted (in way that works for you, where you're at now), it is just a matter of "building trust." Kinda like all personal relationships, but with caveat of - this one will never ever end. That right there ought to help on the whole trust thing, but alas, in my experience, it takes more than "I'll always be there for you."
I find there are many ways to build the trust. Early on, you might look to build it in ways that are essentially testing the inner Being, hoping you are not delusional, and in the process, receiving honest, I would even say testable, indicators that the communication is truly two way. I find meditation can be ideal for this, but ideally I look to meditate as I go about whatever it is I desire to do here on earth. Or look to be in that zone where life is easy, things are going smoothly (aka grace) and you are able to trust yourself in situations.
That to me is a great start, and in some ways it is most of what I could ever say, while also barely scratching the surface from how I understand it intellectually.
Hope it helps.
:bow:
