If it's not too personal, would you be able to write a rough, brief transcript of a communication you had with God? Was it an actual voice or a feeling?
About 15 years ago, Professor Russell Stannard carried out research into the effectiveness of prayer in a properly controlled scientific study. It found that prayer did not work.
Thank you for replying to my post.
Definitely and unmistakably a voice, and not just once, but many times. Some louder and clearer than others, taught me many things I didn't know before.
Mostly about what is actually written in the original languages and the meanings of them.
I would then check out what I was told, and it has always been what I heard.
On one occasion, I was told something I had a very hard time believing.
What the voice said, made sense and was accurate, but I kept going back, doubting the truth of it, until after 5 or 6 times of the same thing. Each time repeating word for word what He said the first time, confirming the same thing with a different scripture verse with an explanation. After that I said, "Okay, I'm not going to doubt it anymore.", and so I accepted what I was told, and that was the end of that, no more instructions or revelations on that particular subject.
I was told some things that would scare the pants and dresses of most believers. Dangerous things for many, if they were not careful. I say that because it scared me and what I commonly believed and told.
I could give you many examples, even quoting what I heard, but what good would that serve.
No offense, but Jesus told us not to cast our pearls before swine/unbelievers, and like many on CC, you fit that description.
The guy spoke of most likely failed to study people who actually believe the word of God and
ACT on it, but instead studied people who depend on circumstances to dictate whether God actually answered their prayer or said no. That is not faith. Far from it, and that is one major reason why they failed to receive. Ignorance of the word of God and how faith works.
I not only have had MANY answered prayers, but have COMMANDED things to happen in the name of Jesus, as well, and it manifested/happened, EVEN AS I BELIEVED and spoke.
It is like the law of gravity. It works consistently, every time within its parameters, for whoever truly believes. For it is indeed a law.
If you don't really believe, or if you waver, you can both rest assured and expect, absolutely nothing to happen.
I know some who believed at one time, but fell away simply BECAUSE they failed to receive what they asked for.
You might be one of those people.
I've been there and done that, failing to receive what I asked for, many times over.
But those who continue and don't quit or waver, will ALWAYS get their prayers answered. For ALL the promises of God, in Christ, are ALWAYS yes and it is so or so be it/amen.
Does it happen immediately?
Not often, but God NEVER, EVER says no, to those who are actually "in Him", and both believe and act on what He said without wavering or doubting.
Even the slightest of doubt will, no doubt, cause failure for one to receive. That's a promise written in the book of James, and it's accurate.
Ask all those who fell away because they THOUGHT they believed, when they didn't.
Hoping, wishing, and/or wondering are not the same as the faith written in scripture.