Job 4:15 ...hair standing on end...

[Wade]

Dear Friends,
Many years ago at a most critical turning point in my life I had a rather profound experience, call it a divine intervention, where I was at the end of my rope and was trying to turn back to God. I was not Orthodox at the time I was Southern Baptist. I was reading my bible before I went to sleep and instead of konking out pretty quick I read into the fourth chapter of Job. Reading that far before bed was very unusual. As I started reading into chapter 4 the hair on my arms and legs stood on end. Then I read Job 4:15 Then a spirit passed before my face; The hair on my body stood up. I took this to mean that the Holy Spirit was with me. I immediately fell on my knees and have been diligently seeking God ever since. Shortly there after I started sincerly to try to pray without ceasing and have continued the effort to this day.

I became orthodox about a year ago and have spent a good bit of time seeking God through the prayer of silence. One of the things that has started to happen on a regular basis is the hair on my arms and legs has stood on end. I would just like to know does this happen to anyone else? My times of prayer are very regular and have been very fruitful. This "hair" thing has me very curious. I do not want to fall into some kind of deception. If anyone has any knowledge of this I would very much appreciate it.

God bless now and ever...
Wade

[Father David Moser]

What you ask here seems to fall under the realm of pastoral guidance. This is not really question for an internet forum (no matter how sober and spiritual) but rather something that you should submit to your own spiritual father and ask him how you should respond to this phenomenon.

Fr David Moser

[Wade]

What you ask here seems to fall under the realm of pastoral guidance. This is not really question for an internet forum (no matter how sober and spiritual) but rather something that you should submit to your own spiritual father and ask him how you should respond to this phenomenon.

Fr David Moser

Father David,
I would ask that you please allow this post into the forum. I have asked my priest about this with little reaction and no guidance. I have been praying for a spiritual father but so far I have not found him and he has not found me. I do not know what to think of this and it continues to this day in my morning prayers. I only seek to live for God and do not know whether to embrace this "manifestation" or resist it.
God bless now and ever...
Wade

[Michael Stickles]

I have asked my priest about this with little reaction and no guidance. I have been praying for a spiritual father but so far I have not found him and he has not found me. I do not know what to think of this and it continues to this day in my morning prayers. I only seek to live for God and do not know whether to embrace this "manifestation" or resist it.

Wade,

For most of us, our priest and our spiritual father are the same person anyway. Perhaps the fact that yours has had "little reaction" when asked about this is your guidance in this case. You are wondering whether to embrace or resist this manifestation, but maybe your priest's lack of reaction is a subtle encouragement for you to do neither, but simply ignore it. You might try explicitly asking your priest if ignoring the phenomenon is the best approach.

In Christ,
Michael

[Matthew]

I think that this is a very important question.

Wade, correct me if I am changing your meaning or your question if I restate it as:
"I'm getting some sort of interesting and positive feedback when I seem to be doing well spiritually.
"However, I want to avoid being deceived by false positive feedback.
"Can you help me differentiate or discern the difference?"

Because there are time when I have experienced a similar sensation: I smelled myrrh or roses, perhaps after a home blessing, or after other services. I've smelled the same smell from relics of saints. And I don't quite know if I should trust the scent. It seems to correspond with things that are holy, but I'm a little scared that I could start associating pleasant smells with things that aren't holy.

[Father David Moser]

Father David,
I would ask that you please allow this post into the forum.

Well, the post was on the forum in any case. Let me reiterate, however, that the purpose of this discussion community is for the discussion of Orthodoxy in its patristic, liturgical and monastic witness. Pastoral guidance is outside the scope of the forum except as it touches on those aspects. As a priest, I can assure you that pastoral guidance is all but impossible via the internet, the only exception being when you use the internet to communicate with a someone you have already established a pastoral relationship with.

That being said, if you really want an opinion, I can simply echo the constant direction of the fathers as well as the direction that I have received in confession regarding things like this - ignore it. Do not even attend to such a manifestation or waste any time and energy trying figure out what it might mean or whether it is good or bad. Just ignore it. If it is something from God, then He will make sure you get the message in a more discernible manner, if it is not from God then it is best not even to give it the time of day - so do not attend to this, ignore it. As I said, real pastoral guidance is impossible via the internet - so take my comments for what they are worth (probably nothing).

Fr David Moser