What do you consider a true relationship with God? Must you pray and attend church daily, or is merely believing enough? Must you serve God every day or does God just want an open mind he can commune with. Just give me some of your thoughts on any of these things about relationships with God. (If you do not believe in God or you believe in a different god, please feel free to email me so I can give you some different questions that might fit in with the rest of my paper.)
Thanks for your time,
Rebecca Carmack
14 comments:
I believe in God, but I prefer to worship and pray with him in private. I do not think that you have to go to church to believe and pray. Each person has to decide the extent of how to worship; some prefer to go to church some do not. How each person does the work of the lord is his or her own belief. Doing community service, sitting with the elderly, working with children, or just being helpful when possible is ways of serving. Darcy Cekander
I think that as mong as you keep up communication with God, you have a realtionship with him. Just like having a relationship with a friend here on earth, communication is key. I do believe that you don't need to go to church to have a relationship with God because everyone can pray at home, in the car, etc. I also believe that even though some poeple do claim a certain religion, everyone has a unique relationship with God. Just because I say I'm Catholic and so do you doesn't mean we have the same realtionship with God because we are different people with different families and different individual views. I think as long as you believe and carry out a Christian life, doing things for others instead of yourself, and you turn to God when you need to talk or need help, you are okay. Obviously I don't know all the answers and none of us ever can until we go ask the big guy, but that's the way I see it. ~Adrianna~
If someone is exposed to the teachings of Christ, I believe that person should have a personal relationship with God. However, if a person lives in a third world country or finds him or herself in a similar predicament where the Lord's Word is not preached, that person is not a sinner for not reading a Bible and attending church. People not weary of God can still please Him by subconsciously obeying the Ten Commandments and leading by example.
Michael
I don't believe that you have to go to church to believe in God. People can have a relationship with Him regardless of where they are at. They can pray the same at home as they can in a church. Sometimes it is easier to pray in private than at church but it doesn't mean that you don't have a good relationship with Him.
Nicole Mulrooney
I think that believing in God dosen't mean you have to go to church for him to help you. I think that you need to show your faith in him and do what is right, but going to church isn't going to make the Lord happy or sad about you. You are still one of his children and he is going to treat you like it no matewr if you go to church or not.
Jamie Brooks
My grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins have always been very religious people. When I was younger, I went to church every Sunday and on holidays. Since I've gotten older, I have only really gone to church on holidays. I believe that as long as one lives their life in a Christian manner and helps others, than they have a good relationship with God. I pray everyday, believe in God, and accept the path that He has me on. I really want to start attending church more, but I don't think that going to church is mandatory for having a relationship with God.
~*Amanda Wasowitz*~
I'm not really sure what I believe in. I was baptized catholic, but I never really went to church or had a first communion. My sister is an athesist, so I really don't know what I am. Sometimes I think that there could be a God, and other times I think I crazy for even thinking there is. I have horrible luck or faith or whatever you want to call it. I don't know if it's God's working or just me and my bad luck. Sometimes I pray out loud for God to give me a break, but I don't ever really find an answer. I'd like to believe in something, but I don't know what to believe in.
~Ashley Ross
I feel that a relationship with God is where you have a connection where God is no longer an imaginary being and he becomes a person that you can chat with just like any of your friends. I do not think you have to attend church to have this relationship, because the church is the sense that most people think of it as is nothing more that a building. The church from the Bible were the people who had a personal relationship with God,so wherever the people were that's where the church was.
I do feel that prayer is necessay because that is the time where you are talking to your friend. I don't feel prayer has to formal by any means beacause I myself pray on my way to work everyday but it more of a conversation than a typical prayer.
Jamar Brown
Hello Rebecca
I have thought about my response for your questions, and I want to make sure I word it correctly. I consider a true relationship with God to be praying, attending church,having a friendship with God, helping others when they need it, dying to self (being selfless),and recognizing God in others on a cosistent basis. I'm not saying this is easy to do, but by trying to do it, and recognizing when you fail at doing it--I think that is a true relationship with God. By being able to know when you have been led astray is one step closer to having a healthy relationship with God.
I personally believe that you should pray daily and attend church on a regular basis in order to have a true relationship with God. I'm not saying that you can't have a relationship with God without going to church, because you can still pray to him and talk with him. That is still considered a relationship. In essence, the church was set up by God to be a communal setting in order to see God in others. The church is the people to share your faith and God's love with each other. It is his house, and why not visit his house? We seem to find time in our hectic schedules to visit with our other friends. There's a song that goes like this: "I am the church, you are the church, we are the church together. We will follow Jesus everywhere we go. Yes, we're the church together." In order to have a church, there needs to be a community of people. I'm not saying that if you miss one or two Sunday's of church, that you do not have a relationship with God. I am saying though, that I believe that you should be established in a church and that it is best to have some consistancy and community with that church. Afterall, if one can take the time to pray at home, why not pray at church where there are loving, inviting people who are doing the same as you? Going to church and being within that community allows you to build a strong, true relationship with God.
These are just some of my thoughts. Sorry if its kind of jumbled.
Lindi Hettinger
Hi, Rebecca. I'm thinking relationships with God best thrive in an open mind He can commune with. I like the way you put that.
For me, God is a benevolent force in nature that connects all things; if I'm operating as positive energy within that force, then I have a true and beneficial relationship with God. If I'm operating as negative energy, doing things that harm others or myself, I don't have a true or beneficial relationship with God. In such a case, I think I can repair the relationship by ceasing to contribute negative energy and to contribute positive energy instead. For instance, if I'm working 12-hour days 7 days a week and not spending any time with my children, I might see that as more negative than positive (depending on my reasons), and to move back into a beneficial relationship with God, I might have to make changes: stop working so much and start spending more time with my children.
When I'm "in tune" with God, with the positive and benevolent forces
of nature, I feel that I have a working relationship with God. I can best sense our relationship in the absence of noise and clutter.
In terms of religion or spirituality, I might be most closely a combination of Buddhist and Quaker. As such, I appreciate and find my most open paths to God in silence and nature. When I'm alone and quiet and am receptive to positive forces flowing in nature, I feel that I'm cultivating my relationship with God.
I love the feel of some old churches, the momentous weight of them, but I think I communicate best with God in natural settings. For me, a patch of woods might be best, or a small and simple church made of wood. I hear that ornate or elaborate churches work better for some people.
One point over which I sometimes butt heads with people is that I don't think God wants us to serve Him in the way that many people do. I don't think He needs or wants hymns or for us to sing or shout His praises. I think God wants us to do good for others-- all living creatures, including animals and maybe even plants--and in doing that we best serve God.
Great question. Thanks for asking!
John W.
In theory, we all have a relationship with god because we are all his children I believe that prayer and going church every Sunday would only strengthen that bond between that person and the father.
Corey
What I believe to be a true relationship with God, is praying for everyone in the world, for your family members and friends. Treating your neighbor as you want to be treated. Attending services with prayer.
Leta
I feel like God would prefer one over the other but would accept either. Of course you can have a strong relationship with God by attending mass everyday or praying everyday, but maybe others look to God in other ways, and still have a strong relaionship and belief. Its very hard for me to believe that someone who is a overall good person and who belives in God, but doesn't nessisarly attend church as regularly as someone else is just as good of christian as the other person, thye just go about it in their own ways.
Maria Shallenberger
I think that a true relationship with God is acknowledging his existence and giving thanks for all that he provides. I don't think that prayer is necessary, but I do think that it is helpfull for some people. I personaly don't attend church, and haven't since I was 9, but again, I think that it is helpfull for some people. I don't think that you have to "serve" god, but more or less respect all that is around you: people, plants, animals, etc.
Sorry it took me so long to reply to your question, and I hope my response helps.
Pat Mahoney
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