Encounter with God : A phrase that holds within it the potential for profound transformation, inner awakening, and a deepening of faith. Throughout history, countless individuals have sought and experienced personal encounters with the divine, each encounter as unique as the individual experiencing it.
Understanding God’s nature and desire for encounter:
Though there is a procedure to follow in order to speak with God, The most beloved creation of God is man, Out of all his creations, there is no one who has encountered God and remained the same. Moses was originally a shepherd, but after having a spiritual encounter with God, he was chosen to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. Exodus 3, 14 (KJV).
Also, according to 2 Chronicles 7, the Lord heard the pleas of King Solomon when he offered burnt offerings as sacrifices to the Lord in order to ask for the Lord’s blessing on the land. The Bible says in 2 Chronicles 7:11–18:
Thus Solomon finished the house of the Lord, and the king’s house: and all that came into Solomon’s heart to make in the house of the Lord, and in his own house, he prosperously effected.
And the Lord appeared to Solomon by night, and said unto him, I have heard thy prayer, and have chosen this place to myself for an house of sacrifice. If I shut up heaven that there be no rain, or if I command the locusts to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among my people;
If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. Now mine eyes shall be open, and mine ears attent unto the prayer that is made in this place.
For now have I chosen and sanctified this house, that my name may be there for ever: and mine eyes and mine heart shall be there perpetually. And as for thee, if thou wilt walk before me,
as David thy father walked, and do according to all that I have commanded thee, and shalt observe my statutes and my judgments; Then will I stablish the throne of thy kingdom, according as I have covenanted with David thy father, saying, There shall not fail thee a man to be ruler in Israel (2 Chronicles 7:11-18 KJV).
Steps to Have an Encounter with God:
1. Walk away from sins: If you have not already, dedicate your life to Christ so that there is no longer any division between you and God. In order to flee from sin, you must devote your life to God.
2. Have spiritual consciousness: Because God is a spirit, He can encounter with everyone, but if you don’t have spiritual consciousness, He won’t be able to speak to you. When you have spiritual consciousness, God will recognize when you’re ready for an encounter with Him and He will make contact with you.
3. Praying: Prayer connects man to God, the transformational power of prayer helps people experience a close contact with God by bridging the gap between this world and the transcendent. enabling believers to experience a personal encounter with the divine presence.
4. Be Grateful: The Lord is stirred by thankfulness and praise, therefore always be thankful. It is essential to build a grateful heart when pursuing an experience with God. Expressing thankfulness and praise to the Lord has the power to move and attract His presence. Maintain a consistent attitude of thanks, understanding that gratitude is a vital aspect in creating a deeper connection with God and having a profound encounter with God.
Examples of Encounters with God in Scripture:
I wrote in advance Moses became at first a shepherd, however after having a encounter with God, he became selected to guide the Israelites out of Egypt also: the Lord heard the pleas of King Solomon whilst he provided burnt by services as sacrifices to the Lord with a purpose to ask for the Lord’s blessing at the land.
Abraham’s journey unfolds through a series of encounters with God, where he displays unwavering trust and obedience to God’s instructions. These encounters serve as pivotal moments in their relationship, as Abraham’s faith is tested and strengthened. Through direct communication with God The Bible says in Genesis 12:1-3:
Now the Lord had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee: And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed (Genesis 12:1-3 KJV).
God has never encountered anyone with whom He has remained the same. In the book of Zechariah. Joshua is described as follows: Joshua was covered in filthy clothing, but during an encounter he had with God he asked God to remove them and God complied. The bible say in Zechariah 3
And he shewed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him. And the Lord said unto Satan, The Lord rebuke thee, O Satan; even the Lord that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee: is not this a brand plucked out of the fire? Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and stood before the angel. And he answered and spake unto those that stood before him, saying, Take away the filthy garments from him. And unto him he said, Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment.
And I said, Let them set a fair mitre upon his head. So they set a fair mitre upon his head, and clothed him with garments. And the angel of the Lord stood by. And the angel of the Lord protested unto Joshua, saying, Thus saith the Lord of hosts; If thou wilt walk in my ways, and if thou wilt keep my charge, then thou shalt also judge my house, and shalt also keep my courts, and I will give thee places to walk among these that stand by.
Hear now, O Joshua the high priest, thou, and thy fellows that sit before thee: for they are men wondered at: for, behold, I will bring forth my servant the Branch. For behold the stone that I have laid before Joshua; upon one stone shall be seven eyes: behold, I will engrave the graving thereof, saith the Lord of hosts, and I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day. In that day, saith the Lord of hosts, shall ye call every man his neighbour under the vine and under the fig tree ( Zechariah 3 (KJV).
Joshua’s life changed when he had an encounter with God, and it has never been the same since. You and I, what are we? Don’t you believe that we also merit an encounter with God?
An encounter with God can provide you with relief from anything you are going through, your life will never be the same if you have an encounter with God.
Just look at Joseph, after encountering God, Joseph transformed from a prisoner to a prime minister;The bible says in Genesis 39:19-23:
And it came to pass, when his master heard the words of his wife, which she spake unto him, saying, After this manner did thy servant to me; that his wrath was kindled. And Joseph’s master took him, and put him into the prison, a place where the king’s prisoners were bound: and he was there in the prison.
But the Lord was with Joseph, and shewed him mercy, and gave him favour in the sight of the keeper of the prison. And the keeper of the prison committed to Joseph’s hand all the prisoners that were in the prison;
and whatsoever they did there, he was the doer of it. The keeper of the prison looked not to any thing that was under his hand; because the Lord was with him, and that which he did, the Lord made it to prosper ( Genesis 39:19-23 KJV).
And the thing was good in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of all his servants. And Pharaoh said unto his servants, Can we find such a one as this is, a man in whom the Spirit of God is? And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Forasmuch as God hath shewed thee all this, there is none so discreet and wise as thou art:
Thou shalt be over my house, and according unto thy word shall all my people be ruled: only in the throne will I be greater than thou. And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, See, I have set thee over all the land of Egypt.
And Pharaoh took off his ring from his hand, and put it upon Joseph’s hand, and arrayed him in vestures of fine linen, and put a gold chain about his neck; And he made him to ride in the second chariot which he had; and they cried before him, Bow the knee: and he made him ruler over all the land of Egypt. And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, I am Pharaoh, and without thee shall no man lift up his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt (Genesis 41:37-44 KJV).
Understanding What Hinders Our Encounters with God
Let’s have an encounter with God because He is still the same God He was then, now, and forever more. God is the owner of everything we want and everything we want to become.
The Bible says in Genesis 1:26-2
And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. ( Genesis 1:26-27 KJV).
God did not only knows just what we will become, but also our destination, God didn’t change, but man did because he put a third party in the way of our relationship with God, the third party that man has permitted to stand between him and God does not cause man to encounter God. Adam and Eve had been in constant communion with God since the beginning, when God created them.
God frequently went to meet Adam and never let him feel lonely. They were blameless and believed in Him (Genesis 2:25). However, as soon as they allowed a third party into their relationship, their eyes were opened and they started to See each other nakedness.
They hide themselves from God, and when He saw them, He knew they had severed their connection with Him. The Bible says in Genesis 3:9-13
And the Lord God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou? And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself. And he said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat?
And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat. And the Lord God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat (Genesis 3:9-13 KJV).
Who or what stands between God and man? The relationship between God and man is hampered by “sin,” as God detests sin, As I stated before, “God loves man more than all of creation,” therefore He gave us His only begotten son to die for our sins, but man has enabled the adversary to rob him of his right. The Bible says in John 3:16
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life (John 3:16 KJV).
The Lord didn’t change; He is still the same God of Yesterday, today, and forevermore; only humans who have undergone change as a results of sin. Man has walked so far down the path of sin that it has rendered him deaf to GOD’S words. If man can break free from sin, then he will have an encounter with God because sin is the enemy of man.
Conclusion:
As I wrote earlier; You need to Walk away from sins, Praying, Have spiritual consciousness, Be Grateful, in order to have a spiritual encounter with God In order for God to encounter you in every area where you need Him, He never leaves their side. Having God by your side is like having everything.
When God promised that the Egyptians you see today wouldn’t be there any longer, you could be sure that He would keep His word. The bible says in Exodus 14:13
And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever (Exodus 14:13 KJV).
Have a spiritual connection with God today so that you can experience heavenly rest instead of just earthly relaxation, no matter what you’re going through, have a personal encounter with God; just as He was with Job, Elisha, Elijah, and Noah, He can also be that way with you and I.
I PRAY INTO YOUR LIFE THAT:
1. The Lord grant you grace, strength, and wisdom to encounter with Him in Jesus’ mighty name, Amen.
