There are different ways to establish contact with God. Choose the one that suits you or use several.
The need for communication with the Higher has accompanied humanity throughout the history of its existence. Many people who are dissatisfied with the narrow confines of ordinary material life still live in our time. Philosophers, saints, hermits, ascetics, priests of all religions and ordinary believers - all, in one way or another, recognize the existence of God. And they not only recognize, but try to cognize him, establish contact with him, find a thread connecting with Him, or, at least, turn to Him with various requests.
The need to know God lies deep in our soul and can wake up at certain periods of life. For everyone, this need appears, is expressed and experienced in a way that is unique for a particular person.
One of the characteristic ways of manifesting the need to establish contact with the Highest is dissatisfaction with ordinary human life. A person can have everything that a layman can dream of: a good family, job, financial well-being, health. Only a person is not happy with all this, there is a longing for something else and nothing is able to calm it down. And he cannot find a hobby or other activity that would change his anxious state. Calmness and meaning are found only in spiritual search.
In some cases, a person may become aware of this need, living through very difficult or tragic situations in his life. Then there is a sharp reassessment of values, and habitual and everyday hobbies and occupations cease to satisfy. In an instant, they may seem small and insignificant in comparison with something that is not yet open and is just beginning to appear.
There are many ways to connect.
1. Find a teacher.
Communication with a person who has achieved more in the spiritual field is a very important component of your personal advancement. A lot depends on who you imitate and who you follow. The teacher conveys not only his knowledge and shares techniques, but also conveys the most important thing - his inner state! Religious literature describes many examples when a student comprehends very deep knowledge, just being close to the teacher.
A teacher can be a person who himself has established a connection with God and is ready to share his wisdom and knowledge with others.
However, here many seekers face numerous dangers. Trust in a person who is sophisticated in selfish manipulation can lead to sad consequences for the seeker. Finding your teacher is the cornerstone of a spiritual quest.
Listen to your feelings. Communication with a true teacher should create joy and inspire you to change your life for the better.
Look at your potential teacher's other students. In the Gospel, Jesus recommends by fruit to distinguish between true teaching and false teaching. Are other students developing positive qualities? Are they becoming wiser and more loving? How are their lives changing?
2. Study the literature on knowledge of God.
Now in stores you can find a sea of literature on spirituality, psychology, extrasensory perception, the development of supernormal abilities, etc. Not every book can be recommended for studying such an important issue. Many of them can be sidetracked, especially those written by contemporary authors for the purpose of getting rich quick.
There are proven sources that serve as a beacon for many generations of seekers: the Gospel, the Lives of the Saints, the teachings of the Christian righteous, the Bhagavad Gita, the Vedas, etc. These sources provide comprehensive information about spiritual searches, allow you to understand the essence of the relationship that should connect a person with the Upper principle.
3. Trips to holy places.
In every religion there are especially revered places that believers seek to visit. Staying close to shrines gives rise to striving for God, enhances contact with Him, cleanses from worldly states. In some cases, visiting such places and reaching out to the saints associated with them can help heal complex diseases and solve problems.
4. Establishing a connection with God.
Each religion or religious tradition offers its own, purely inherent ways of spiritual work. These are individual and collective prayers, religious chants and meditations. Some traditions use methods that are unusual for us to establish a state of prayer. For example, the Sufi tradition uses a kind of whirling for this, shamans use dance and the sounds of musical instruments, and in India you can learn about hundreds of ways of meditation.
For our Orthodox tradition, prayer is more characteristic - a sincere appeal to God as a way to draw closer to Him.
To connect with God in the way you choose, regularity is essential. A lasting connection does not arise from performing rituals from time to time, but is gained by constant efforts.
If you strive in your heart for communion with God, then, no doubt, you can find a suitable way for you to realize this desire. You can also ask God to show you this way.
Good luck on your path to knowing God!
