How To Know God

We human beings have always journeyed our quest into the unknown and one such intriguing and interesting journey has been the search to find out ‘Who is God?’ Where is God?’ ‘How To Know God’ and ‘How do we find God?’ All the religions in this world have been founded by man but spirituality is man’s personal and private love affair with God. Nobody in this world can teach us how to be spiritual except ourselves and our personal experiences in life. Even the world’s greatest saints and seers have walked thorny paths of spirituality on their own. Human beings have delved deep into the metaphysical realms of spirituality and have come up with answers that have not only left us astounded but have also left us asking for more questions to which the answers to this day are more difficult to answer. Why some people in this world are atheists (non-believers) who deny the existence of God? Whereas on the other hand there are people who are very religious devouts to the Gods they worship. Why do we go searching for God in temples, churches and mosques when the simple answer to this is God is within us. We only have to find Him, love Him, recognize and above all wake Him up within us so that we are spiritually alive constantly.

This beautiful nature around us the seas, the mountains all the beauty around us is His very creation. Social scientists are of the view that thousands and thousands of years ago the earth started evolving and that is how human life came to exist on this earth. Every religion propounds the truth that God is our Creator and we worship Him in all forms that He manifests himself. In our journey to know this Supreme being let us look at how people perceive and understand Him.

People of all castes, creeds and religion and above all each and every individual have their own private and personal way of praying to God. Some go to temples, churches, mosques etc to offer their prayers. Amongst the Hindus there are individuals who pray everyday at home to the residing deity of the family. Some individuals have faith in saints and seers and their philosophy that loving the poor, needy and the sick is more than enough for them to know God.

On the other hand there are individuals who feel chanting of certain prayers and mantras to the concerned deity will appease that God and their boons will be granted. These individuals are all right in their own way. Indeed it is a very difficult question ‘How to know God?’

Many religions propound the fact that the only way to reach God is to trust Him and have faith in Him and the best possible way to know Him is when our prayers are answered and our problems are solved. No matter how hard we try we human beings have always felt the need to see God, but how many of us have the love and admiration for this Omnipresent, Omniscient and Omnipotent Being who fulfills all our wishes and solves all our difficult problems of life constantly protecting us and giving us a feeling of security that He is there somewhere keeping an eye on all of us.

There are no hard and fast rules to knowing God but there are several ways in growing more closer to Him. Here are a few useful tips when followed consistently and diligently will give amazing results.

1. Talk to God everyday like a friend, father or mother and tell Him all your problems. Just communicate with Him everyday no matter how small the issue tell Him everything that is on your mind. He loves you and understands you.

2. Read stories about people whose lives were transformed through their close communion with God.

3. Go to temple, church, mosque whatever your religion and communicate with Him.

4. Pray for what you want but surrender to Him that it is His will and wish whatever He wants you to have.

5. Follow His advice. Remember there is a voice within us that tells us whether we are doing the right or the wrong thing.

6. Go to like-minded people who share your religious beliefs and communicate with them. They will share their experiences with you.

7. Do a good deed whenever and wherever possible for e.g. helping a blind man cross the road, helping an elderly lady with her bags in the market. Lend a helping hand to someone who has fallen down.

8. Doing a good deed does not mean helping poor people with food and money always. Good deeds come in different packages for e.g. visiting an old age home and sitting with old people and talking to them. Going to an orphanage and teaching poor children the values of life.

9. As time passes along with age and maturity you will soon realize that you have come closer to God not only have you come closer to God but even people have come closer to you. You will find giving and receiving love and blessings in abundance.

10. With passage of time the God you once worshipped as an idol or a picture in your home or the idol in the temple has assumed a ‘larger than life’ stature giving you love, blessings and above all guidance and spiritual wisdom.

Above are just some thoughts that helps to answer the basic question ‘Who is God?’ Where is God?’ ‘How do we find God? and “How to know God”. I would like to end my article on a positive note by adding a few words of wisdom. We are all humans and we all have our weak points and failings, despite everything the Supreme Being will always love us and protect us.

Post by Sunitta Raman

Picture by Roberto Rizzato ►pix jockey◄ Facebook resident