Twentieth-century missionary and author Rosalind Rinker, in
her revolutionary book Prayer: Conversing With God, wrote,
“It is important for us to be able to think of our God as a
Person, not an idea, or a principle, or even a spiritual concept.
It must follow that whatever name we use for Him, that name
must have some real meaning for us. There are literally
hundreds of names for God in both the Old and New
Testaments.” 2
It seems logical to assume that in order to hear God talk to
you He must be personal to you. So let’s explore this idea a
little further.
Eugene Peterson, contemporary biblical scholar and author
of The Jesus Way, writes, “God is nothing if not personal.” 3 He
continues, “By insisting that God is three-personed—Father,
Son, and Holy Spirit; God-in-community—we are given an
understanding of God that is emphatically personal. The only
way he reveals himself or works among us is personal.” 4
If you consider Peterson’s claim that the three-in-one God
wants to talk to you personally, this will open up your capacity
to hear God talk to you at different times and in different ways
than you might have previously experienced. For example, if
you embrace God as personal—your Father, your Savior, and
your Counselor, the Holy Spirit—you can instantly:
Bring yourself before Him on bended knee in a secret place.Invite Him to talk to you while hiking together in the woods.Acknowledge that He is riding along with you in a car or airplane, or
sitting in an office meeting or classroom with you.When you consistently view God as your Father, your