Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ.
[Ephesians 4: 15]
For it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfil his good purpose.
[Philippians 2: 13]
The final way that God reveals Godself to us is through our personal experience. Often this is through the Holy Spirit within us. God dwells within us as the Holy Spirit, guiding us and inspiring us in our need. By listening to God within us, we experience God for ourselves on a deeply personal level.
There are many examples of personal experiences in the Bible: Moses meets God at the burning bush and on a mountain; Saul meets God on the road to Damascus; Adam walks with God in the garden. Yet personal experiences don’t end there. John Wesley felt his heart strangely warmed when he reluctantly attended a society meeting on Aldersgate Street. Mother Teresa experienced God when working with the poor in Calcutta.
We experience God in different ways, at different times, and in different places. This experience is deeply personal and others may not always understand it, yet it is our story with God, our testimony. We can also experience God through others. Sometimes God sends people to us with a message, a rebuke, or a reminder. Sometimes we feel God asking us to say something to another person or to help them. We are part of the story with God and our experience is a personal way that God reveals Godself to us today.
Personal God,
You reveal yourself in majestic ways
Through creation, through scripture, through Jesus,
Through miracles, through prophecy, through human beings.
Yet you reveal yourself to us personally.
You dwell within us as Holy Spirit.
You guide us and comfort us.
You inspire us and counsel us.
We see you clearly in our own lives,
And we thank you that you are with us
Yesterday, today and tomorrow.
Amen
You can download this Prayer for the Week here
Prayer for the Week for September by Revd Clare Rawlinson
Image: ‘helping the potter’. Photo by Maheima Kapur on Unsplash
