Acts 2:38-39, New International Version

“Peter replied, ‘Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.’”

God is alive, and He speaks to us. The relationship with Him that He has called us to is a relationship that is to be real and active. So, what does that relationship look like? God has given the example in marriage. The relationship between husband and wife is the most intimate and close relationship that can exist between humans. It requires a level of communication, dependence on each other, and intimacy that exceeds that of any other relationship. A husband is to know his wife and a wife is to know her husband. This refers to both a physical relationship, as well as, an emotional and spiritual relationship. The husband and wife, in fact, are so close that they become one. They are united in spirit and body and function as one, holding nothing back from each other.

Does that level of communication and intimacy with the Father exist in the lives of believers today? Unfortunately, while there are certainly some who truly have an active relationship with the Lord, I believe that for a majority of believers, it does not. There are so many who believe that God is real and believe that Jesus came to this world to die for them, and yet they do not believe that God can speak to them today. Because they do not believe that God can speak to them, they do not bother to listen for His voice. To deny the voice of the Holy Spirit in the Body of Christ is like putting a tourniquet around the heart of the Body, and therefore cutting off the blood supply. The Holy Spirit is the flow of truth and life into our lives and to deny Him is to deny a living relationship with the Father. The very relationship that brings true life to us is cut off.

We, as the Body of Christ, must seek to hear His voice. We must seek to talk to Him. We must desire for Him to give us direction, visions, dreams, and words. He desires to speak to us because He loves us. Our heart should be to seek Him in the same way. Just as a wife who has been separated from her husband, she will desire to hear his voice and desire to receive his message to her. She will receive something from him every day and will respond immediately when he calls her or sends a letter. Today, I encourage you to seek God in this way. Pray and ask for Him to talk to you. Ask Him to give you directions. He will respond in ways that you cannot comprehend or begin to understand. He will take you to places that, based on your own wisdom and knowledge, would have been impossible for you.