"How do we know it is God talking to us and not us talking to ourselves?"

One of the reasons we don't realize God is talking to us is because we think we are simply talking to ourselves. So how do we distinguish whether it is He or ourselves? When I call you on the phone how do you know it is I and not Sr. Grace? You say, "Because you sound like you and not Sr. Grace." It's the same way with God. He sounds like Himself.

One night I was so mad at Papa that when I got into bed I lay as far away from him as I could short of not falling off the bed outright because I didn't want my body touching his body. He was already asleep by then. As I always do before going to sleep, I began to pray. "Good night, Lord. I love You."

"Do you really love Me?" (John 21:15b)

"Yes, Lord, I do."

"Put your arms around him."

"What's that got to do with anything?

"Do you really love Me?" (John 21: 16)

"Yes, Lord, I do."

"Then put your arms around him."

"Lord, I said I love You, not him."

"Do you love Me?" (John 21:17)

"Lord, You know I do."

"Forgive him. Whatever you do to him, you do to me." ( Matthew 18:21) (Matthew 25:40)

Then I realized that I had two choices: the next time He asked if I loved Him, I could say, "No" and be done with it OR do as He asked. Since saying I didn't love Him would have been a lie, I did as He asked.

Now if that were me talking to myself, it would have sounded like this:

"Good night, Lord. I love You."

"I love you too. He doesn't love you. Teach him a lesson and don't speak to him until he behaves better. He's such a jerk."

That sounds like me, not Jesus. The same way I sound like me instead of Sr. Grace. Jesus sounds like Himself.

To be continued....