Sermon Slides Jan 25th NLAG OMR
Monday, 26 January 2026
Conversations with God
Good morning,
God has been faithful to all of us during these days and I
am sure we will see more of His mercies during the coming year.
How many of us have made a new resolution?
How many of us have kept it till now?
During the latter part of 2023, I had made a resolution to
converse with God more. So, I have been trying to do this, and this sermon
titled “Conversations with God” is my quest to knowing God & also
conversing with Him.
One of the most important things we need to understand is
You can only have conversations with God if you have a
relationship with Him
&
You can only have a relationship with God only if you have conversations
with God.
So how do you have conversations with God?
Many of us limit our conversations to the 5/10-minute prayer
we do every morning or night. Often limit it to the morning time of devotions.
Let us look at this today.
Why Converse?
A newly married couple or two lovers will be constantly
chatting, texting each other. They are exploring and understanding what each
other likes, dislikes. They are exploring how the other person reacts to
situations. They are trying to adapt to each other.
Similarly, conversations between God & us help us to
understand what God is thinking, how He is guiding us or sometimes challenging
us. Through the conversations we are learning to adapt to what God is asking us
to do and also for us to share to Him about the situations—good & bad—in
our life. Through these conversations we see God’s heart, His purpose and His
amazing patience with us.
How does God converse with us?
There are primarily 4 ways God converses with us today.
In the Old Testament days, God used to speak through
prophets, and they were the primary means of communication. So, people had to
go to the prophet to enquire from God, and then they could enquire of God
directly to the people.
Today God speaks to us primarily through 4 ways:
1. His Word
John 1:1 reminds us, “In the beginning was the Word.”
This is the primary way that God is speaking to us.
2. His Voice
John 16:12 – Jesus reminds us that
“I have a lot more things to tell you—that the Holy Spirit will guide you into
all truth.”
So through the Holy Spirit residing in us, He is going to speak.
3. Through Dreams
4. Through Visions
Both of these are prophesied by Joel 2:28–29.
In my early days, I was in confusion when I heard a preacher
or pastor tell, “God spoke to me” or “It had been put in my heart.” This was
difficult for me to digest because I was asking God to speak to me, call me,
etc. Then at that time I also thought that God might still be speaking only to
a few select people and that I was not worthy of His conversation to me.
John 10:27
Reminds that all His sheep will hear His voice and follow
Him.
So, it was primarily my mistake of not listening to the
voice of God.
God is speaking to everyone. It is a question on our part to
ask- AM I LISTENING TO GOD or AM I GETTING
DISTRACTED BY THE WORLD??
Let us look at some examples from the Word of God to see
what God conversed with people and learn from it.
Let me start with one of the conversations that was first
revealed to me by the Holy spirit.
God and Joseph A conversation of Obedience
Joseph the earthly father of Jesus
In the Christmas story we see the conversations Mary and
Elizabeth with an angel. We see both of them conversing back to the angel. However,
we see a different type of conversation with Joseph. Joseph was visited by an
angel thrice.
He sees three visions
recorded in the Gospel of Mathew
1 Mathew 1: 20, 24 – Asking him to accept
Mary.
When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the
Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife
2 Mathew 2: 13, 14
Asking him to flee to Egypt with the child & Mary.
So, he got up, took the child and his mother during the
night and left for Egypt,
3 Mathew 2: 20-21
Asking him to return from Egypt.
God through the use of an angel is communicating to Joseph.
- God
is giving very specific instructions.
- Joseph
does not argue or delay or even question back.
- Obedience
is the response from Joseph.
Joseph could have argued with God that the child is small.
If you could supernaturally give birth to Him, you could also definitely
protect Him from Herod. Why don’t you do that instead of asking me to journey
again.
Joseph dd not argue. In all the three vision the bible clearly records that he
did just as the angel spoke to him.
When God speaks, faith is demonstrated by obedience.
Our being in agreement to the conversation is passive.
Our obedience to what God said helps deepen the relationship.
What would happen if you don’t obey?
Think of it like this: In case you have an argument with someone and they have
hurt you very badly, then you might end up cutting off all communication with
them. Block them on your phone, Facebook or other social media. You are trying
to get away from them so that their influence on your life decreases.
Similarly, when we disobey God, His conversation to us
reduces. The Holy Spirit coming into your life is a very powerful experience,
but it is a quiet retreat that you might not even notice. So, obedience is very
important to keep God’s conversation alive in our lives.
Let us look at a few more conversations.
God & Adam – A Conversation of Relationship &
Accountability
Genesis 3:8–11
In Genesis 3, we see the conversation between God, Adam
& Eve after the fall. A critical moment marking the fall of humanity.
A – God asks Adam: “Where are you?”
Adam hid himself from God because he knew that it was time for his fellowship
with God where they would communicate freely. Now that they felt ashamed Adam & Eve hid themselves.
But God calls out: “Adam, where are you?” We are supposed to fellowship.
The question was not because God did not know where they
were hiding – God is omniscient – but He still asked. It was a loving
invitation to them to step back into the light.
Just imagine what if Adam did not hide but waited for God to
show up and then say:
“God, I am sorry. I have eaten the fruit you told me not to. I am feeling
naked. Forgive me.”
I am sure God would have lovingly accepted it & the world could have been a
different place.
God was giving them a chance to respond & accept
responsibility & begin a process of reconciliation.
B – God asks a second question: “What have you done?”
God is trying to open up the conversation. He is not forcing
them into a confession. He is giving them an opportunity to accept &
acknowledge their actions.
God is seeking us even when we are trying to hide in our guilt and shame. God
is seeking Restoration expecting us to respond honestly.
- God
initiates the conversation even after man sins.
- God’s
question is not about the location but about relationship.
- God
does not rush to condemn immediately.
Lesson : God
is seeking us even when we are trying to hide in our guilt and shame. God is
seeking restoration, expecting us to respond honestly.
God & Abraham – A Conversation of Promise
“Go from your country…”
Genesis 12: 1,4
15 : 1-6
God is speaking to Abraham with a call & a promise.
- God
is giving Abraham a clear direction where to go and also a clear final
destination.
- When
there are fear and doubt, God keeps reassuring Abraham of the promise He
made.
- We
can learn that God’s word produces faith & righteousness in Abraham.
Lesson:
God speaks to shape our future.
When God is calling us forward, He is also promising His presence and also the
provisions for the promise.
God and Moses – A
Conversation of Calling
Exodus 3:1–12
“God called to him from the bush, ‘Moses, Moses!’”
This happens at one of the lowest points in the life of
Moses. From a palace to a shepherd and that too for 40 years and no hope in
front of him is when he sees a burning bush. When he turns to look at it is
when his conversation begins with God speaks
What we learn:
- God
reveals His holiness and identity.
- Moses
responds with questions and insecurity.
- God
answers with assurance: “I will be with you.”
Lesson:
God does not call the qualified; He qualifies the called.
When God speaks, He empowers.
God speaks personally
and powerfully to Moses throughout his life and we will look at Moses once more
toward the end today’s sermon.
God and Job – A Conversation of Sovereignty
Scripture: Job 38:1–4
“Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind…”
We all know the story of Job. We can see him raising questions
to God, God responds—not with explanations, but revelation.
What we learn:
- God
does not always answer “why,” but He reveals who He is.
- God
reminds Job of His power and wisdom.
- Job
responds with humility and repentance.
Lesson:
When we don’t understand God’s ways, we can still trust His
character.
God and David – A
Conversation of Relationship
1 Samuel 23:2–4; 2 Samuel 7; Psalms 13, 51 –
David’s relationship with God is unique because it is deeply
personal, honest, and continual.
Just learning on David’s conversations with God can lead us to a separate sermon.
However, I will point out a few things here for our study.
- David
Constantly asks God for guidance.
We see him ask God – “ Shall I go ? “ or “ Will you deliver them?”
He waits for God to answer - God answers clearly—sometimes “Go,” sometimes “Wait,” sometimes with a strategy. - David
Constantly Celebrated who God is.
Time and again we see from scripture that David praised God for His greatness, His faithfulness , mercy and Power. God responded by delighting in David’s worship and calling him – “ A man after my own heart”. David Converses with God not only when in need but also in joyful admiration and gratitude. - David
Laments and Complaints.
You can see him ask God “ “How long, O Lord?”
or “Why have You forsaken me?” You will find that God is often silent in the some of these outcries- but God
sustains and eventually delivers David. David
is brutally honest with God and not pretending, sharing his fears and confusions
alike to God.
·
David’s Repentance – Seeks mercy and restoration.
David confession was immediate and
complete not hiding anything. We see how God forgives him. He did not seek to
justify his actions instead he sought mercy and restoration.
We can learn that David’s heart is not silent He keeps speaking to God
continually for guidance, In worship, in pain , in repentance and in hope.
David did not talk about God
David talked with God
God and
Samuel - A Conversation of Listening
1 Samuel 3: 1-10
-
1 Now the boy Samuel
ministered to the Lord before Eli. And the word of the Lord was
rare in those days; there was no widespread
revelation. 2 And it came to pass at that time,
while Eli was lying down in his place, and when his eyes had
begun to grow so dim that he could not see, 3 and
before the lamp of God went out in the tabernacle of the Lord where
the ark of God was, and while Samuel was lying down, 4 that
the Lord called Samuel. And he answered, “Here I am!” 5 So
he ran to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.”
And he said, “I did not call; lie down again.” And he went and lay down
6 Then the Lord called yet
again, “Samuel!”
So, Samuel
arose and went to Eli, and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” He answered,
“I did not call, my son; lie down again.” 7 (Now Samuel did
not yet know the Lord, nor was the word of the Lord yet revealed
to him.)
8 And the Lord called Samuel
again the third time. So, he arose and went to Eli, and said, “Here I am, for
you did call me.”
Then Eli
perceived that the Lord had called the boy. 9 Therefore
Eli said to Samuel, “Go, lie down; and it shall be, if He calls you, that you
must say, ‘Speak, Lord, for Your servant hears.’” So, Samuel went and
lay down in his place.
10 Now the Lord came and
stood and called as at other times, “Samuel! Samuel!”
And Samuel answered, “Speak, for Your
servant hears.”
We all know
the story of Samuel and we have learnt this story while we studied in Sunday school.
- ·
Knowing
God’s Voice is a part of knowing God himself
In this story we see Samuel did not decipher it was God
calling him. He did not identify the voice of God. Earlier we had mentioned in
John 10 : 24 –“ My Sheep hear my voice and follow Me...”
Part of belonging to Jesus is to recognize the voice of
God. When Jesus Came, He introduced the Holy Spirit through whom each of us
have been given the ability to listen to the voice of God.
Your Personal relationship is with a God who is speaking continually. We should
be in tune with the Holy Spirit to listen to the voice of God.
We all use Bluetooth devices today. We can only hear the
music if the devices are paired together Else if paired to something else, we
might hear lot of noise/ junk. The Holy Spirit is our Bluetooth device. If you should check if you are tuned in correctly
with the Holy spirit to hear the voice of God.
- · Don’t tolerate sin; it does not please God.
In 1 Sam 3:7 it is mentioned that the word of God was
rare in those days. Why??
Because Eli did not correct his children who did
abominable things in the presence of God.
It was not the personal sin of Eli. He had a passive tolerance to what was
happening.
The longer you tolerate sin, the more it separates you
from God.
Isaiah 59:1–2 reminds us that “your iniquities have
separated you from God.”
Matthew 13:15 – The hearts of these people have grown
dull, and their ears hard of hearing.
– You cannot hear God when your heart is hardened.
- · If you are near the Holy Spirit, you will hear the voice of God.
We understand from 1 Sam 3 that Samuel as a young boy was
ministering to God. He was very close to the Holy of Holies. He was doing his
duties. He was tending to the lamp to ensure that it is always burning. He was
in proximity of God when God called him.
It did not matter if Samuel was a young boy – age is not
the criteria.
It did not matter if Samuel was not a priest – qualification does not matter.
What mattered was his proximity to God.
Another thing we can see here Is that Samuel was literally brought up by Eli as one
of his sons. He had the same environment as the sons of Eli. Samuel had all the
reason to follow the footsteps of Eli’s sons. It might not have been a very
conducive environment where Samuel was — yet he chose to minister diligently,
recalled earlier on. We need to check our environment to be able to hear the
voice of God.
- · If you need to continue hearing the voice of God — you need to obey.
After Samuel heard from God, Eli called him & asked
him to share what God spoke. What he heard was very hard on the young lad — but
scripture tells us that he conveyed the whole truth to Eli. He knew that he had
to say the truth and obey God more than anything else.
Samuel goes on to become one of the greatest prophets
Israel had. We can learn that he kept conversing with God regularly.
Adam heard the voice of God but obeyed the voice of the
Devil.
Jesus at the wilderness heard the voice of the Devil but chose to follow His
Father.
James 1:23–24 reminds us:
“For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man
observing his own face in the mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and
immediately forgets what kind of man he was.”
When you hear the voice of God — act on it immediately.
Results of conversations with God
In order to understand how we converse with God, let us
first look at the end result of such conversations.
Let us look at a couple of examples from the life of
Moses. We all know when Moses was called, he kept giving excuses till he ran
out of them. But look at a couple of instances.
Exodus 32:7 & 11
7 And
the Lord said to Moses, “Go, get down! For your people whom you
brought out of the land of Egypt have corrupted themselves.
11 Then
Moses pleaded with the Lord his God, and said: “Lord, why does
Your wrath burn hot against Your people whom You have brought out of the land
of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand?
The people had created the golden calf, & God is angry with the people
& wants to destroy them.
God tells Moses — “the people you brought out” — “your people.”
Moses immediately pleads with God & sort of corrects
God & says — “These are Your people whom You brought out.”
He is using the same words as God when communicating back to God.
Compare to today this is a like a conversation between a boss and employee. How
could Moses reply like this. It is only
because he had known God & conversed well to know how to answer God
Almighty. From someone who initially said
a lot of excused and had a stammering lip to this?
Let us look at one more instance
Numbers 16: (
Please read the whole chapter)
One more instance — this time from the book of Numbers.
There is a rebellion against Moses and Aaron lead by Korah, Dathan and Abiram. They
question Moses as to is he the only one to whom God will speak ? etc.
Moses response is recorded in vs 4 – Tomorrow morning the Lord will show who is
His….
Moses did not seek the wisdom of God to reply to the people. He just does not stop.
He goes on to say that they will die in a kind of death that the people had not
seen till now.
How did he know what God was going to do ? He knew the heart of God and how God
would react. Many of us know today how our closest friend will react to a situation.
Such was his conversations that he was bold enough to proclaim what God would
do.
It does not end here.
Just as Moses said God showed the people
who His chosen were and Korah, Dathan and Abiram were swallowed up alive into
the ground.
in the same chapter we see the second portion of the rebellion which happened.
This time when the people came and complained , the people saw the glory of God
descending on the holy place. Moses immediately turned back and fell on his
face towards God along with Aaron. He then immediately tells Aaron. Rush there
is a plague that has started among the people, take your censor and make
atonement for the people. Aaron runs out and stands between the living and the
dead is what was recorded in the Bible.
How did Moses know about the Plague. God did not tell anything to Moses. But
still Moses instructs Aaron correctly and the plague is stopped. Moses by now knew God so well as to what God would
do in this situation. That is why he is able to stop the plague. It was all because
of his constant conversations with God.
This should be our ideal goal — knowing God so
intimately.
How do we get to this intimate relationship?
– By conversing more with God.
I happened to find a classic book on learning how to
develop a constant conversation with God:
“Practising the Presence of God”, written in the 17th century as a
series of letters by Brother Lawrence.
He was a cook in the French monastery. He practiced and
was also able to turn even the most commonplace & menial tasks like
preparing meals and cooking dishes into acts of praise and communion with God.
This is what he writes:
“There is not in the world a kind of life more sweet and delightful than that
of a continual conversation with God. Those only can comprehend it who practice
and experience it.”
We have to have quiet times with God.
We also need to learn to practice speaking to God continually. Pray short,
conversational prayers continuously throughout the day. It will help to
maintain focus and counteract the wandering thoughts.
Learn to pray “breathe prayers” throughout the day.
Your motive through these prayers should be to honor God and not only to keep
asking God for favors.
Practising the presence of God is a skill, a habit — you
can develop. Just as musicians practice their scales daily in order to play
beautiful music.
– You must force yourself to think about God at different
times of the day.
If you need to practise conversing with God and not just
asking favors from God. We should be able to share our thoughts emotions and our
pains and worries just like David did.
One of the things which I have been practising is to write a journal and record
the Big small and very little things that God has done in your life. This will help us to thank God and also pray
to God
you can find time for a short prayer when you go to take coffee during a coffee
break. While you are taking care of your child at home and you have just put
them to sleep. Praise God for blessing you with the child and submit them to God.
When you are clueless as to what has to be cooked for dinner Just ask God. He will surely speak to you
While at work and you feel you are not able to complete a
task Ask for help. When you are taking a decision ask for his guidance. When
you reach home on time and as your step out of your vehicle say thank you
Ps 25:14 – The Living Bible says:
Friendship with God is reserved for those who reverence Him. With them
alone He shares the secrets of His promise.
God wants to converse with us. Are you ready to let Him
converse with you?
Our daily conversations will help us to build a strong
relationship with God.
As our relationship gets built up your conversations with God will also
increase.
God Bless you
Father God
We thank you for being there always to listen to us. Help us to know you better
by conversing with you daily. Every breathe that we take is because you care
for us. Help us walk closely with you the rest of our days. Speak Lord for we
are ready to listen to your voice and obey.
All this we ask in the precious name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Amen
Monday, 5 January 2026
Times and Season - A season of Sowing.
Word shared on 5th of Jan 2026. Fasting prayer .
Happy and Prosperous New Year Greeting to my beloved brothers
and sisters.
“Times and Seasons” is the theme for the year and we will look at Ecclesiastes
3:11 as a verse for reference.
“He has made everything beautiful in its time”
For those of you who know Neela and me, know that we are very fond of
plants. It is really fascinating to see new leaves shoot up, then flowers and
to see new fruits or vegetables grow till they are harvested.
Tamil Nadu and most parts of India are getting ready for the harvest
festival in about two weeks of time. For the harvest to happen, there was a
season of sowing that took place some months ago.
I will be sharing today about the season of sowing.
All of us want to grow in life both physically and spiritually. One of the
most critical spiritual seasons is the season of sowing. It is often quite
demanding and requires faith. We need to keep in mind that the season of sowing
always precedes the season of harvesting.
In the world around us today, we are talking about instant foods, delivery in 5 minutes, etc. But in the kingdom of God, there is no harvest that happens without a seed and without a seed being sown. Also there is no harvest that happens without a period of waiting.
There will be no increase without
investment and no breakthrough without obedience.
Let us open our Bible to the Gospel of Mark 4: 26–29
The Parable of the Growing Seed
1. GOD
WANTS YOU TO GROW
God expects us to grow both in our personal
lives and as a body of believers. In many of the parables taught by Jesus, He
constantly asks us to grow and not remain as babies.
Children grow, plants grow. The process of
physical growth requires material for it; it is already provided inside each of
us by the Master Creator. Therefore, we should urge each of you to ponder over
the question:
In 2025 where did my spiritual growth lead
me to?
Where should I be growing this year?
If we need to grow, then we need to sow the
seeds for growth.
2. Sowing
is a divine principle instituted by God
Genesis 8:22 – This is the promise by God to
Noah that there will be seasons of sowing and harvesting.
This sowing principle exists around us
In Nature around us.
In the relationships that we cultivate.
In our finances, our character and in out spiritual growth. We have to sow the seeds
to see growth.
You are constantly sowing seeds intentionally or even unintentionally
3. A seed will bring forth of its own kind
Genesis 1:11–12 – God at the time of creation
gave seed plants and trees the ability to produce seed of its own kind.
When you see a paddy field or an orchard full
of mango trees, you know someone planted and tended it . It did not just come
up on its own.
In Mark 4, 26-29 - the parable notice that it is said someone had to
scatter the seed for it to grow.
Question
yourself:
- What are the seeds you are planting?
- What seeds are you allowing others to plant into you?
Both of these are very important. Today we are
bombarded with a lot of data and we should be able to control the things we
see, the things we hear, for it is all influencing us and affecting every area
of our life.
The people we associate with, it is not only
your family, friends, co-workers; each of them are also planting their seeds
into your life.
In order to know the seeds planted, you should
check the fruits that are coming forth. Are they good or bad, beneficial to you
or others?
Make this a season of planting something good
in your life.
Every new habit that you start will yield
fruit in its time.
Every seed you plant into nurturing your
relationship with your spouse and children will yield its fruit.
Even a financial discipline that you start today will yield its fruit in 10–15 years
4. Sowing
requires faith & sacrifice
John 12:24
a) A seed has no power until it is planted.
I had some time ago bought some water Lilly seeds for my garden, but I could not enjoy their flowers why ??
Simply because I did not plant them. There
is no power in the seed unless it is buried and allowed to die to give way to
a new plant.
What do I need to do today to get to where I
want to be tomorrow?
- Physically
- Mentally
- Spiritually
Plant a tiny seed today — take the first step ,start a new habit. You are not going to see change overnight.
b) The time
of planting involves hard work & sacrifice.
A farmland does not produce a paddy field.
A farmer spends a lot of time into making the field ready for sowing. He starts by clearing the
land, tilling it, fertilizing it, and preparing it with the right kind of manure, and then only does he plant the seeds in the
soil.
Once the seed is planted, the farmer protects
it from pests and also removes the weeds.
Planting any kind of seed is an act of faith.
Sometimes a farmer faces situations of
drought, excessive rain, etc. But like the farmer, trusting God to protect his
crop, we should also protect the seed that is sown.
True sowing strengthens you.
It is in times like this that we are called to obey God even if the outcome is not visible.
5.You will always reap what you sow.
Galatians 6:7–8 reminds us: that we will reap according to what we sow. Whether it is sowing to the flesh or sowing to the Spirit.
What are the seeds you are planting today?
If you sow seeds of Obedience you will reap a Blessing.
If you sow seeds of Prayer you will reap a Spiritual strength.
If you sow seeds of Kindness you will reap a Favors.
BUT If you sow seeds of Compromise you will reap its Consequences.
Also remember that the harvest always produces more
than the planted seed. You should be careful about the seeds that you are
planting in your life.
6. Sowing is often hidden but never forgotten
In Mark 4 it says the farmer plants the seed
& no matter whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts.
The seed is planted into the earth and it is
underneath the soil for some time before you see a shoot appearing. The process
is quiet, unseen & uncelebrated. But it is in this time that the plant is
growing its roots deep under the surface:
- for searching for the right nutrients
- for getting its roots deep into the soil so that it can withstand
any storms that come its way
Your sowing season may be invisible to the
outside world, but it is definitely visible to God.
It is in this time that we should deepen our
relationship with God. Get our roots so strong that nothing can pull us down.
God is working in you deep beneath the
surface.
He never forgets a seed planted in faith,
obedience, or with sacrifice.
7 Finally, harvest comes in God’s appointed time.
Galatians 6:9 — Let us not grow weary while
doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.
The harvest is promised to each of us if we
have planted a seed. It will grow, produce fruit & eventually harvest.
But like different plants, each seed has a
harvest time.
A rice plant can be harvested in a few months,
but a mango tree will produce its first fruit only after a couple of years.
We have planted seeds and we should wait with
perseverance.
While waiting we should not be pondering over
the losses of the past.
While waiting we should also be removing the weeds that sprout up from time to
time — the devil brings in his distractions which will take our focus away from
God.
Psalm 126:5–6 — Those who sow in tears shall reap in joy. Those who go forth weeping, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing.
God is using the sowing season of your life
to:
- Develop your faith
- Bring in more discipline
- Build your trust in Him
Our obedience to God will bring forth a
plentiful harvest.
In this season remind yourself
•
God wants you to grow
•
Sowing is a divine principle
•
A seed will bring forth after its kind
•
Sowing Requires Faith and Sacrifice
•
You Always Reap What You Sow
•
Sowing Is Often Hidden, but Never Forgotten
•
Harvest Comes in God’s Appointed Time
Father
We pray and ask for your hand of guidance over the season that we are going through now. We pray and ask that you will enable us to remain steadfast holding on to your word and not be swayed by the devil. Give us wisdom, knowledge and more importantly your presence with us daily.
All this we ask in the precious name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen
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