God Smacked or Spirit Nudged

How does God communicate with us when he wants to get our attention?

     The simple answer is "any way he wants".

     Yes, God communicates with us through his Word, in prayer, and in other ways we usually associate talking or listening to what God is telling us. And he also communicates in more dramatic ways. Through the death of a loved one, the death of a friend one's same age, the loss of a job, or great loss due to a man-made or natural disaster.

     In any of these instances, God is either God-smacking us or Spirit nudging us.

     Have you ever been “God smacked”?  Have you ever been “Spirit nudged”?

     The etymology of the term “God-smacked” generally refers to physical sensation of being shocked, leaving you dumbstruck. In a metaphorical sense, it refers to powerful, sudden event thought to be divine punishment or wake‑up call from God.

     At other times, God speaks to us through a “spirit nudge” by the Holy Spirit, the helper Jesus Christ assigned to be at our side as recorded in the Acts of the Apostles.    

     God often communicates a sense of restlessness to us in this way. We experience a gentle urge, feeling or thought that guides us to act, speak or pray under the direction of the Spirit. While we often wait to hear the voice of God through commands, God prompts us through the Spirit in divinely subtle ways.

Following the Spirit’s guidance indicates that one is a child of God.

     Even the most committed believers and children of God go about their day focusing on what they need to accomplish as part of their daily lives. Few of us have the time to spend our entire day talking to God. And I'm sure he doesn't expect that from us mortals.

     Daily devotions throughout the day. Morning and evening prayers. Prayer during worship. Petitions throughout the day as the need arises. Short prayers of praise and thanksgiving. These are all opportunities we set aside to step aside and talk to God and follow the promptings of the Spirit. These are all “one-off” opportunities to visit with the God who created you and sustains you, no matter what goes on in your busy day. Following the Spirit’s guidance indicates that one is a child of God. 

     If we have a close relationship with Father God and the Spirit, we can’t help hearing what he is saying, unless of course, we aren’t listening.

     When you talk to God, do you take the time to listen? Listening is a key part of talking to God. Listening before, during, and after your conversation. It involves opening your heart, your mind, and ears with a readiness and expectancy. It means remaining vigilant, ready to hear or see a response from God as you live your daily life. After all, God usually doesn't respond immediately. His timing is on an eternal timetable, without beginning or end. And he knows what he’s doing.

     When God asks you to do something, and even challenges you, are you willing to act, or do ignore him and put it off? We all have a tendency to procrastinate, especially with it comes to things of the Spirit, for our humanity binds us to what we can sense in the material world.

     When God speaks to you, whether it’s by him “smacking” you or by the Spirit nudging you, listen to him, and respond to him.

In God's Words

     "In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe." (Hebrews 1:1-2)

     "Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart." (Jeremiah 29:12-13)

     "In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God. (Romans 8:26-27)

In the Words of Others

     "Every happening, great and small is a parable whereby God speaks to us, and the art of life is to get the message." Malcom Muggeridge

     "God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains. It is his megaphone to rouse the deaf world." C.S. Lewis

     "Before you speak, it is necessary for you to listen, for God speaks in the silence of the heart." Mother Teresa

In Your Words

     Recall a time when a significant, emotionally and spiritually powerfully experience, caused you reevaluate your life and the way you relate to your family, friends, and the Lord your God. Does the metaphorical understanding of being “smacked by God” apply?

      Cite an example of when you had a strong urging to do something, and you knew it was God speaking to you. What was your initial reaction? How did you respond?

     Consider a time when you thought God used others to deliver a message to guide you. How did you react? Were you open or closed in your reaction, complimentary or critical and unaccepting? Did you question why he was leading you or ask the Spirit for discernment?

     Chose one of the prophets from the Old Testament and reflect on how God communicated with him. Consider how the scriptures you chose have applied to you in any way over the course of your life.