Learning to talk with GOD

Learning to Talk with GOD: Exercise Progression for Discursive Dialogue with GOD

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Initial note:

I am often asked what I mean by “just talk to GOD.” Usually the person asking the question cannot fathom how one can chat with GOD as you would with a spouse or a friend. This person has been taught that there is no circumstance where formality is not appropriate when addressing GOD. The practice of cultivating Gnosis is the process of increasing intimacy in your relationship with GOD.

That is not to say that formality never has a place. Just as with a friend or a spouse, there are times when revealing the intimacy of your relationship with GOD is inappropriate. To do so, in those circumstances, is simply offensive. For example, it is inappropriate to burst out “speaking in tongues” during Mass. Also, while the importance of formal exercises is beyond the scope of this paper, I must caution you that this approach does not eliminate the need or appropriateness of more formal spiritual exercises such as communal ritual, or formal meditation.

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Learning to talk with GOD is not as easy as it sounds. This is especially true for those who have been taught that there is no circumstance where intimacy with GOD is appropriate. GOD must only be approached through formal channels. To simply tell someone with such a background to, “Just chat with GOD,” is not only inappropriate, but it can be spiritually and psychologically damaging.

Discursive Dialogue is an exercise designed to address this issue. Notice it is not called “Discursive Prayer.” The term prayer will often elicit the knee-jerk response of pre-programed formality. This is dialogue. You talk to GOD, and you expect a response.

To start we will look at the term discursive. Discursive is defined in two primary ways – the first is randomly hopping from one topic to another without any discernible pattern – the second has to do with the process of analytical reasoning. Both of these primary definitions apply to this practice.

Here is a brief example:

If I were to simply mention “direct relationship with GOD,” what enters your mind? What is your first thought? Look at that first thought. For a variety of reasons, today, at this moment, the comment, “direct relationship with GOD,” brought that to your mind. Where did the thought come from? Is your thought a reaction to that statement, or does it point to a conscious decision? If it is a reaction, what does it tell you about your programming? Is this element of your programming going to hinder or help your growing relationship with GOD? If you don’t know, that’s okay. This is a constant process of discovery.

Now, we can’t forget the dialogue. A dialogue is a conversation between two or more individuals. The “other” for you is GOD. You might feel kind of foolish at first. It might feel like you are trying to construct an “imaginary friend,” and call it GOD. The truth is that in taking the first step in attempting to simply dialogue with GOD, you are putting action to your desire to personally know GOD.

A difficult side note: we must understand that we all have a variety of concepts of GOD, as well as personal concepts, we must work through each and every one. As we work through these concepts our ideas about both GOD and ourselves will change, often dramatically. These changes will sometimes seem as if we have hit on the “fact of the matter.” This means that we will sometimes believe that we have discovered THE definition of GOD and/or our Self. We are at our greatest danger during these periods. If we stop here; if we embrace a finite, concrete concept as a definition of GOD or our Self, we will stop growing. We will continue moving, but that movement will be lateral, rather than vertical. We must allow our-selves to embrace whatever concept of GOD and our Self that holds prominence at any given time, but we must never stop there. Remember, GOD may fully inhabit our current concept of GOD, without our current concept of GOD completely encompassing all that GOD is. This is often difficult and painful for the Gnostic. We encounter a wonderful, life fulfilling concept of GOD, and want to stop there. We cannot allow ourselves to do so.

Your desire to know GOD is usually tied up with a variety of concepts of GOD. These concepts of GOD will usually be built on the foundation of your programming, even when one or more of these concepts seem to be a reaction against your programming (remember: for our purposes, the reaction to something is a product of that thing). If you have rejected the concept of GOD as judgmental and harsh, for example, you will often construct a concept that is all good and gentle. But at some point, you will have to confront the judgmental concept of GOD, because it is a concept programmed into you. If you do not come to terms with it, reconcile it and the experiences and emotions associated with that image, it will always be there, holding you back, pulling you down.

A good way for most of us to connect with this practice is through scriptural interpretation. Take a scripture from whatever tradition you wish, meditate for a minute, just to calm yourself. Then say something like, “I want you to be there. I want to know you. I want to know who and what you are. I want a relationship with you. This is a step in that direction.” Simply be sincere. And if you are not sure that you are sincere simply say, “I want to be sincere, but I don’t know if I am. Help me to be sincere.” It really is that simple.

After you have prepared yourself, open your scripture and read. If you find passages that you do not understand, simply ask GOD, “I don’t understand this, help me understand this.” It is in this style of dialogue that most of us begin. Eventually the dialogue will become freer flowing over time. You will find yourself arguing with scripture, and maybe even debating with GOD in the same way you would with a particularly good friend.

Scripture is a good way to start, because most of have strong associations of GOD with scripture. Once you get started, and have established a habit of dialogue, turn your focus inward. You can begin by focusing on your habits, opinions, and behaviors. You and GOD, together, will analyze them.

Where did they come from? Are they reactionary? Do they serve your goal of getting to know GOD and knowing your Self? You will find that there are memories, images, and emotions associated with your habits. These may be difficult to face, but you must keep in mind that as a habit, these things are controlling you. Along with GOD, talk them out. Discover where they come from. You will find that not all of your habits can be dramatically changed. For those, you and GOD need to work out a series of coping mechanisms. For the habits that can be changed, you will find that as you face the sources of those habits, they begin to change on their own. You will also find gaps in your education, and discover the need to fill those gaps. Remember, Spiritual Growth is as much intellectual as it is intuitive. The impetus to fill the gaps in your education will arise naturally, and your approach to filling those gaps should be just as natural. Start with what is interesting in that subject area, and move from there. You will learn what sources to trust, and which ones not to trust. Simply trust in your growing relationship with GOD, and keep talking to Him.

Do not be surprised by how joyous and how painful this process can be. Learn to rely on GOD as you walk this path together with Him. As you go along, just talking with GOD will become natural. Oh, by the way, you probably don’t want to talk with GOD out load when you are in public. “Be as wise as the serpent and as gentle as the dove.”

As you address your habits, and the sources of those habits you will find that scripture helps. Not as “the inerrant world of GOD!” but as a doorway to deeper dialogue. You will find yourself considering theological issues, and naturally asking GOD about them. You will get answers, but the answers are also keys to deeper relationship with GOD, not necessarily cosmic fact.

Please take this to heart; it is unwise to take a new personal conviction or revelation and apply it to the whole world. That is nothing more than a mark of immaturity. It is normal to want the world to understand this new truth you have discovered. It is also normal to want the world to conform to your growing sense of compassion, and your changing convictions. Learn to resist the impulse-to-impose, and you will grow beyond this place without accumulating regrets along the way.

There will come a point in this practice, where you will naturally start looking outward again. You will begin analyzing systems in the external world. You will hop from topic to topic, finding relationships which you may never have seen before. Allow this to happen. It is the next step. You will analyze politics, your work environment, educational systems, always dialoguing with GOD. You will discover new gaps in your education, and the need to fill those gaps. Only by now it should have become habit. It should be fun to discover, and dialogue with GOD the whole way.

As you analyze your habits, scripture, politics, history, or whatever this journey leads you too, you will understand that you are viewing effects, and trying to discover the causes for those effects. Through dialogue with GOD, you will deepen your relationship with GOD, and learn a whole lot about yourself. You will fill gaps in your education, and you will grow in ways you cannot predict. It is an adventure! And a whole lot of fun. It is also just the first step. It gets better, richer, and deeper from here.