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I can't remember a time in my life when I did not talk to God. He was and is an essential part of my life. But talking to God is not listening to God. How many times do we ask God in our prayers to show us what He wants us to do, then continue on without waiting for an answer. Listening for God's response to our prayers is not something that most of us instinctively do. Rather it is something we must learn and only God can teach us. I have found in my personal life that I was so busy telling God about my problems, that I did not remember that God already knows what I need. When I stopped talking and just learned to sit quietly and patiently in the presence of God, I began to feel the peace that I sought. The urge to do something now without thinking it through for more than a few minutes or a day was very much a part of my personality and has over the years caused more than a few regrets. I have found that there is almost nothing that cannot wait before we take action. It is during that waiting period before we make a decision, large or small, that God often reveals to us the Truth about the events and people in our lives that are causing turmoil. When we make decisions based on truth and understanding, we usually do the right thing, the thing that God wants us to do. I recall how a pastor used to say to me, "I have to ponder this in my heart" and I did not understand at the time why she could not just make a decision. She had all the facts. But what I did not understand at the time was that the best decisions are not always based on facts. They are based on what God wants for us and God's plan is not objective. It is very subjective and personal and designed with love. God knows us better than we know ourselves. He knows what is best for us and it is only by suspending our independence in life to a dependence on God that we find purpose and fulfillment.
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