10 Daily Habits You Didn't Know Sabotage Your Health

By Amy Morin, LCSW

Updated September 02, 2019

Medically reviewed by Richard N. Fogoros, MD on October 05, 2017

While most people know that smoking is bad for your health and eating too much junk food isn’t good for the waistline, there are many other subtle bad habits that can also sabotage your life.

Some of these habits can be hard to recognize, especially if they're part of your normal routine. You won’t notice any harmful effects right away. But over time they will take a serious toll on your relationships, physical health, and psychological well-being. See if you do any of these on a consistent basis.

1

Rehashing Stressful Events

Klaus Vedfelt/Getty Images

Thinking about a stressful event from your past—whether it was five years ago or five minutes ago—isn’t good for your psychological well-being.

A 2017 study published in Behaviour Research and Therapy found that ruminating (compulsively focusing on one's distress as opposed to figuring out solutions) leads to increased depressive symptoms. The more people thought about a stressful event, the more likely they were to grow depressed. Researchers found that decreasing rumination helped alleviate depressed mood.

Be aware of how much time you spend thinking about the stressful events in your life. Rather than rehash things you can’t change, commit to putting your energy into more worthwhile causes—like planning for the future or enjoying the moment.

2

Venting to Your Friends

Along similar lines, you might think that calling a friend to complain about your bad day helps release pent up negative emotions. But rather than releasing bad feelings, studies show venting is more likely to amplify your negative emotions.

A 2011 study published in the Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology found a link between co-rumination (the behavior in which a peer relationship focused on negatively oriented conversations) and depression. Children who tend to rehash their problems with peers were more likely to be diagnosed with depression.

Of course, venting isn’t just bad for kids. A 2008 study published in Hormones and Behavior found that talking about problems with friends increased stress hormone levels in women.

So while you may think that talking about your problems with friends reduces stress, rehashing your hardships may actually be increasing your negative emotions and keeping you stuck in a bad mood.

3

Using Self-Criticism

Whether you call yourself stupid every time you make a mistake or you point out every flaw you see when you pass a mirror, harsh self-criticism can be a lifelong habit.

Beating yourself up and putting yourself down is bad for your mental health. A 2014 study published in Personality and Individual Differences found that harsh self-criticism increases depressive symptoms.

Self-compassion, on the other hand, has been linked to greater psychological health and resilience.

Changing the way you think could help you to feel better. It’s a tough habit to break, but with a concerted effort, you can learn to develop a kinder inner dialogue.

4

Mindlessly Scrolling Through Social Media

Whether you’re scrolling through Facebook or you enjoy playing on Pinterest, spending time on social media may be bad for your mental health.

Ironically, studies have found that social media leads to feelings of isolation. The more time people spend on social media sites, the more isolated they perceived themselves to be. And social isolation is bad for your mental and physical well-being.

Whether it’s a vacation photo or a picture of a new car, looking at other people’s social media posts may also cause you to conclude your life doesn’t measure up to your friend’s lives. And research shows envying your friends on social media can increase your risk of depression.

Additionally, studies show most people think social media will help them feel better—so they keep going back for more. But, in reality, researchers have found time spent on social media decreases people’s moods.

Instead of spending hours scrolling through social media, you’re better off investing your time and energy into in-person interactions. Have lunch with a friend, call someone on the phone, or schedule a dinner with your extended family. Real-life social interactions can greatly improve your well-being.

5

Staying Up Late

You might think pushing off bedtime for another 30 minutes will help you accomplish a few more tasks before bed. And maybe you think you’ll still get plenty of rest because you’ll sleep in a little later tomorrow.

But studies show that when you sleep might be almost as important as how much you sleep. Staying up late and sleeping later in the morning may increase the chances that you’ll make poor health decisions throughout the day.

A 2016 study published in the American Academy of Sleep Medicine found that late sleep timing was associated with higher fast-food consumption and lower vegetable intake, especially among men. In addition, people who went to bed later and slept later were less likely to get physical activity.

Going to bed at a reasonable hour and getting up early may be hard to get used to at first if you’re a night owl. But over time, you’ll adjust to your new schedule and it could help you make healthier decisions for yourself throughout the day.

6

Spending Money

While an impulse purchase at the grocery store or late night online shopping may make you feel better for a moment, blowing your budget may have harmful effects in the long-term. And the effects may expand beyond the confines of your bank account.

A 2013 study published in Clinical Psychology Review found a correlation between mental illness and financial problems. Researchers concluded the likelihood of having a mental health problem is three times higher among people who have debt.

There was even a higher link between suicide and debt. People who complete suicide are eight times more likely to be in debt.

Of course, a correlational study doesn’t prove causation. Does debt contribute to mental illness? Or does mental illness contribute to debt? No one knows for sure. But what is certain is that debt can lead to high levels of stress. And too much stress can be bad for your health.

So take control of your finances by creating a budget. Getting your finances in order—and spending within your limits—could have a positive impact on your overall life satisfaction.

7

Watching TV

While most people know that becoming a couch potato is bad for your body, research shows watching too much TV is also bad for your brain.

A 2016 study published in JAMA Psychiatry found that high television viewing and low physical activity in early adulthood was associated with worse midlife executive function and processing speed in midlife.

Researchers found that people who averaged more than 3 hours of TV per day for 25 years performed poorly on cognitive tests compared to people who watched less TV.

Exchanging TV time for physical activity could be key to brain health. So rather than plopping on the couch after a hard day at the office, go for a walk or hit the gym. It’ll be good for your body as well as your brain.

8

Skipping Meals

Whether you dash out the door without eating breakfast or you skip lunch in hopes of trimming your waistline, skipping meals could be more harmful than you might think.

A 2007 study published in Metabolism found that skipping a meal didn’t mean fewer calories. Most people eat more at the next meal to make up for the meal they skipped.

Missing a meal created potentially risky metabolic changes. After skipping a meal, people experienced elevated fasting glucose levels and a delayed insulin response—conditions that could eventually lead to diabetes.

Make time for meals and stick to a healthy diet. Eating at regular intervals can help you stay energized and focused throughout the day, while also helping you to maintain a healthy body weight.

9

Eating When You’re Not Hungry

There are many reasons you might reach for a snack or serve yourself a second portion when you’re not actually hungry. Emotional eating, nighttime eating, or overdoing it at social events are just a few reasons you might eat more than you need.

Consuming extra calories may cause you to become overweight. And excess weight increases the risk of a variety of health problems such as:

• Type 2 diabetes
• High blood pressure
• Heart disease and strokes
• Osteoarthritis
• Sleep apnea
• Certain types of cancers
• Kidney disease

To maintain a healthy weight, it’s important to use food to fuel your body, rather than to use it as a form of entertainment or stress reduction. Pay attention to times when eating doesn’t stem from biological hunger.

Try going for a walk, engaging in a leisure activity, or meditating as a way to cope with uncomfortable feelings or as a way to calm your body. Reducing your caloric intake could help you live a longer, healthier life.

10

Sitting Too Much

If you work in an office setting, there’s a good chance you spend a lot of time sitting. And sitting for prolonged periods can be bad for your health.

Sedentary behaviors have been associated with an increased risk of physical health issues such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.

Spending too much time in the office chair may also be bad for your mental health. Studies show people who sit too much are at a higher risk of depression.

Getting at least one hour of vigorous activity each day can help counter the effects of too much sitting. Try moving around for a few minutes every half hour to keep your body and your mind in better shape.

20 Ways To Get More Traffic to Your Blog

20 Ways To Get More Traffic to Your Blog

Note: Get a free course at the end of the article.

Increasing readership of your blog is both art and science. Take a look at these 20 quick ways you can drive traffic and attract the audience you want.

Every business owner who’s ever hosted a blog has experienced the frustration of trying to gain readership. Though we’d all like it if readers just magically came to us, the reality is, it takes some work to build an audience.

It’s easy to get frustrated and just give up on blogging, but once you experience the benefits, you’ll understand that your blog can have a tremendous impact on your business by attracting traffic to your site, helping you build a social media audience and making an impression on prospects and clients alike.

Following are 20 proven strategies that can help you boost readership and increase traffic to your blog.

1. Write more.

Studies show that the more often you update your blog, the more traffic it will receive. Google gives higher priority to websites with fresh content, so if you want to get more attention from the search engines, update your blog at least twice a week.

2. Promote with social media.

Share each new blog post across your social media networks, including Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Google+ and Pinterest. If you spend time cultivating your networks and share great content, social media sites can become some of your top traffic sources.

3. Write better titles.

The titles for your blog posts are almost more important than the content itself. That’s because titles help potential readers decide whether they should click and read more. Pay attention to the article titles you see on magazine covers. They entice readers with promises and solutions. When you do the same, your readership will increase.

4. Know your niche.

While you may be interested in sea life, exotic travel destinations, Little League baseball and weight loss, you’ll confuse your audience if your content doesn’t follow a clear theme. Decide who your target audience is, what they want to read and what specific messages you want to convey.

5. Include photos.

Studies have shown that photos in blog posts boost readership. Not only does a photo make the post more visually appealing, but you can also include keywords in the Alt Image tag on the photo, boosting search engine optimization (SEO) for your site. Keep in mind that you can’t just pull any photo from Google because you risk violating copyright laws. Instead, locate royalty-free images from a site like Unsplash.com.

6. Incorporate keywords.

Speaking of SEO, keywords are at the heart of SEO. One of the easiest ways to generate more traffic to your website is to ensure that every page on your site has a keyword strategy. So for each blog post you write, choose one key phrase that you believe readers would use to find that post. Next, incorporate that phrase into the title of the post, the headline on the page, within the content on the page at least two times, in a featured image on the page and also as part of the page link. Keyword concentration helps Google understand what that page is about, which can ultimately lead to more traffic from the search engines.

7. Incorporate links.

When you mention another company’s product or service in a blog post, include a link to that company’s page. Not only does Google like to see outbound links on your site, the company you mention may also notice your post and link back to you. Plus, readers appreciate it when you provide resources to make it easier for them to find the things they’re looking for.

8. Add social sharing buttons.

At the top and bottom of your blog posts, make sure you include social sharing buttons for Twitter, LinkedIn and the other major social networks. Make it easy for readers to spread the word.

9. Retweet past content.

We aren’t all looking at Twitter at the same time, so when you share a new blog post link, the majority of your fan base won’t see it the first time. Repeat your tweets, and don’t be afraid to share past content. Readers don’t care when it was written as long as it’s still relevant.

10. Invite guest contributors.

When others write for your blog, you add more content that you didn’t have to write yourself. As a bonus, those contributors will also share with their networks and may ask you to write for them, opening up new readership avenues for you.

11. Add video.

Google owns YouTube, which is one of the many reasons that videos can drive more traffic to your site. Supplement the written content on your blog with short videos that are informative and entertaining.

12. Invest in promotion.

If you believe your audience is spending time on Facebook, occasionally invest in sponsored posts. For as little as $10, you can “Boost” a post and increase its reach significantly.

13. Conduct give-away events.

Create fun theme days such as “Free Book Fridays” where your readers can win a prize by submitting a comment or sharing your link via social media. You can provide prizes yourself or invite companies to donate or sponsor these promotions.

14. Write guest posts.

Locate other blogs that reach your target audience, and offer to contribute guest blog posts. If the site has a substantial audience, you can bet that readers will in turn want to engage with more of your content.

15. Cross-promote to your mailing list.

Instead of writing all new content for your electronic newsletter, share the first paragraph from several recent blog posts and include a link to continue reading on the site. Not everyone is taking the time to read your blog each week, so this will help get your subscribers invested in your blog.

In addition to the tips above, the following smart strategies will also help increase readership:

16. Make your content easy to read by using plenty of subheads, bullets and numbered lists.

17. Promote your blog in your email signature and your bio in any online profiles.

18. Make it easy for blog visitors to subscribe to your RSS feed.

19. Invite readers to leave a comment, then respond and let them know you’re engaged.

20. Finally, have fun with your blog. If it feels like drudgery, your readers will notice. But if you enjoy producing the content, that will come across and have a tremendous impact on your success.

You can use this cheatsheet which I personally use Here!

How to Write Irresistible Headlines

How to Write Irresistible Headlines That Entice, Intrigue, and Insist on Being Read!

“Don’t judge a book by its cover,” they say.

But unfortunately, we all know that we DO judge books by their cover, literally and figuratively.

And your article’s headline is its “cover.”

If you have a boring cover, it doesn’t matter how scintillating, meaningful, or amazing your content is — few will choose to click on it, and even fewer will actually read it.

In an ideal world, articles would be noticed and read based on their content value, not on their click-bait-y headlines.

But sadly, we do not live in an ideal world.

To give your article a fighting chance, you MUST learn how to write a good headline, using the following tips:

What your headline needs to do

Your headline, obviously, needs to grab attention. There is so much competing stimuli out there, millions of articles published every day, that your article needs a big “look at me!” to attract readers.

But how do you grab readers’ attention?

1. Promise a benefit

People usually don’t read your work because they just want to support you, or admire your amazing way with words.

They read because they want to find out what’s in it for them.

Especially people who read nonfiction articles on sites like Medium.

So tell people what your article offers, right there in the headline.

Does your article teach people how to get rid of foot fungus? Try “3 Fail-Proof Foot Fungus Removal Techniques.”

Or are you trying to help writers who are struggling with writer’s block?

In that case, “5 Ways to Come Up With Ideas When You Have Nothing to Write About” could be the perfect headline for your article.

Don’t try to be mysterious or clever. At least, not at the expense of clearly showing people how your article will help them solve or deal with a real problem in their lives.

I guarantee you that “You Can Control Alcohol Without Willpower or Wretchedness — Here’s How” is going to outperform “Random Inebriated Thoughts on a Rainy Indoor Thursday” any day.

2. Be shareable

The only way to get your article across to a large audience is to 1) post it in a place that gets lots of traffic (ie: Medium is better than your own hosted blog, if you are just starting out), and 2) get people to share it.

The problem is, you can’t really pay people to share your article. (Well, you can try, but it won’t last long, and your bank account will become very, very sad, very, very quickly)

So how do you get people to share your article with their friends?

By crafting a headline that makes them look and/or feel good when they share it.

For instance:

“How to Crush Regret and Recreate Yourself At Any Age” is more likely to be shared among, say middle aged or older folks because they want to be seen as optimistic, powerful people who still have a lot to offer.

(Especially in a youth-focused society where if you haven’t changed the world by your early twenties, you’re old news).

And it’s also encouraging to send something like this to a friend who has confided in you that he/she might be going through a mid-life crisis.

But no one will want to share an article titled “Warning: You‘re Unknowingly Sabotaging Yourself Because of These 3 Things; Here’s How to STOP” because it makes them either a) feel like a failure, or b) feel like they are telling their friends “you’re a failure.” (Yep, lesson learned!)

Then again, a headline like “3 Classic Novels That Have Changed Civilization” could go both ways. On the one hand, someone who shares this type of article on social media could look well-read and highly educated, which can be a good thing.

On the other hand, certain crowds might look at such a person as a pretentious, stuffy buffoon, which would hurt this article’s chances of going viral.

So figure out who you are writing for, how your ideal reader sees him/herself, and what s/he is most likely to want to share with friends. Then design the perfect headline based on what you’ve discovered.

But now that we’ve discussed WHAT your headline needs to do, let’s talk about HOW it does so:

4 Headline formulas that work

1. How-to’s

Remember we talked aboout providing a benefit in the headline, earlier?

Well, the how-to is the most ubiquitous headline formula that clearly promises a benefit.

• “How to Plan the Perfect Vacation in Jamaica,”
• “How to Cure Anxiety,” and
• “How to Use the Ridiculously Powerful Magic of Writing To Transform Your Life and Revolutionize the World”

…will appeal to people who want to a) travel to Jamaica, b) be free from anxiety, and c) use writing to transform themselves and their world, respectively.

Each of these headlines clearly promise a straightforward benefit that readers will come away with after reading the article. There’s no confusion, just an irresistible invitation (to the right audience).

2. Numbered lists

Using numbers in your headline promises that your article is skimmable.

And let’s face it, internet readers skim.

When people are surfing the ‘net, the last thing they want to do is get bogged down by a novel-length article, even if it promises to cure the common cold.

Which means that they like numbers because most likely they already know most of whatever you are promising to help them with, whether it’s how to teach your toddler shoe-tying or how to rid your house of fruit flies.

They’re looking not for all of the USUAL problem-solving methods, they want to see if you have an interesting idea that they haven’t thought of before. No one has time to read all 13 of your Ways to Rid Your Closet of That Awful Mothball Scent…they just need one or two ways.

And if you use a number in your headline, you are promising your audience that your article offers succinct, listed methods from which they can easily find and pick their favorites.

Click!

3. Negative Words

Loss aversion is real, people!

What is loss aversion? It means that to you and I, the pain of loss is usually worse than the joy of gain.

What does that mean when you are crafting your headline?

It means that a headline such as “12 Heinous Hotel Horror Stories” is more likely to get someone’s attention than “How to Have a Lovely Hotel Experience.”

Because while everyone would love to have a “lovely hotel experience,” (whatever that means), they would love even more to avoid losing sleep over cockroaches, leaky sewer pipes, or opportunistic thieves.

So you might notice that a lot of the best-performing headlines like to use words like “Never,” “Avoid ___,” or “___ Doesn’t Work, Here’s How to Actually ___.”

Readers want to know what they are doing wrong (but again, don’t overdo this), they want to know about hidden traps to evade, and above all, they want to know how to mitigate — or completely avoid — loss.

So use that to your advantage when writing your next headline.

4. Power Words

Power words are words that trigger a strong emotion. Some examples of powerful words include:

• Words that evoke negative emotions: Jealousy, Limiting, Toxic, Lose, Addiction
• Words that can evoke positive emotions: Win, Overcome, Triumph, Unstoppable, Empower

Emotions are critical to decision-making (such as the decision readers make about whether or not to click on your headline), so learning which words evoke “click me!” emotions, and how to use those words is a must for writers.

The above are just some examples to get you started. With practice (through reading and writing many headlines), I am sure you can come up with many, many more examples.

Be an ethical writer

Now that you know how to write a good headline, don’t abuse your new powers by enticing people to read cruddy content. In the long run, that kind of strategy is going to end up dumping you on your head in a deserted alley.

Marketing tools are just tools. And just like a hammer can be used to build or destroy, it is up to you whether you use your communication skills to build or destroy.

Some old hands advise newer writers to:

• Start by choosing a headline and then write content to suit the title.
• Spend as much (or more!) time on your headline as (than) you do on your content.

That may work for some, and certainly, you DO need to practice writing headlines to get good at them.

However, I would add a note of caution: in the end, the headline is not the most important part of your article — the content is.

Use proper, helpful formatting and structuring so that you can get your message out to a lot of people, but most importantly:

Make sure you have a message WORTH getting out to a lot of people.

Don’t just write for the sake of getting a lot of eyeballs to view your content. Write so that you can change someone’s life for the better.

That’s the best and really the ONLY true reason to write.

Ready to be a Brilliant Writer?

I’ve created The Brilliant Writer Checklist to help you clarify your message, reach more readers, and change the world with your words.

Get the manifesto here!

Does God still give visions to people today?

Question: "Does God still give visions to people today? Should believers expect visions to be a part of their Christian experience?"

Answer: Can God give visions to people today? Yes! Does God give visions to people today? Possibly. Should we expect visions to be an ordinary occurrence? No. As recorded in the Bible, God spoke to people many times by means of visions. Examples are Joseph, son of Jacob; Joseph, the husband of Mary; Solomon; Isaiah; Ezekiel; Daniel; Peter; and Paul. The prophet Joel predicted an outpouring of visions, and this was confirmed by the apostle Peter in Acts chapter 2. It is important to note that the difference between a vision and a dream is that a vision is given when a person is awake while a dream is given when a person is asleep.

In many parts of the world, God seems to be using visions and dreams extensively. In areas where there is little or no gospel message available, and where people do not have Bibles, God is taking His message to people directly through dreams and visions. This is entirely consistent with the biblical example of visions being frequently used by God to reveal His truth to people in the early days of Christianity. If God desires to communicate His message to a person, He can use whatever means He finds necessary—a missionary, an angel, a vision, or a dream. Of course, God also has the ability to give visions in areas where the gospel message is already readily available. There is no limit to what God can do.

At the same time, we must be careful when it comes to visions and the interpretation of visions. We must keep in mind that the Bible is finished, and it tells us everything we need to know. The key truth is that if God were to give a vision, it would agree completely with what He has already revealed in His Word. Visions should never be given equal or greater authority than the Word of God. God’s Word is our ultimate authority for Christian faith and practice. If you believe you have had a vision and feel that perhaps God gave it to you, prayerfully examine the Word of God and make sure your vision is in agreement with Scripture. Then prayerfully consider what God would have you do in response to the vision (James 1:5). God would not give a vision to a person and then keep the meaning of the vision hidden. In Scripture, whenever a person asked God for the meaning of a vision, God made sure it was explained to the person (Daniel 8:15-17).

What does it mean that God speaks in a still small voice?

Question: "What does it mean that God speaks in a still small voice?"

Answer: There is only one place in Scripture where God is said to speak in a “still small voice,” and it was to Elijah after his dramatic victory over the prophets of Baal (1 Kings 18:20-40; 19:12). Told that Jezebel, the wife of Ahab, king of Israel, was seeking kill him, Elijah ran into the wilderness and collapsed in exhaustion. God sent an angel with food and water to strengthen him, told him to rest, and then sent him to Horeb. In a cave there, Elijah voices his complaint that all of God’s prophets had been killed by Jezebel and he alone had survived. God instructed him to stand on the mountain in His presence. Then the Lord sent a mighty wind which broke the rocks in pieces; then He sent an earthquake and a fire, but His voice was in none of them. After all that, the Lord spoke to Elijah in the still small voice, or “gentle whisper.”

The point of God speaking in the still small voice was to show Elijah that the work of God need not always be accompanied by dramatic revelation or manifestations. Divine silence does not necessarily mean divine inactivity. Zechariah 4:6 tells us that God’s work is “not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,” meaning that overt displays of power are not necessary for God to work.

Because He is God, He is not confined to a single manner of communicating with His people. Elsewhere in Scripture, He is said to communicate through a whirlwind (Job 38:1), to announce His presence by an earthquake (Exodus 19:18), and to speak in a voice that sounds like thunder (1 Samuel 2:10; Job 37:2; Psalm 104:7; John 12:29). In Psalm 77:18 His voice is compared to both thunder and a whirlwind. And in Revelation 4:5, we’re told that lightning and thunder proceed from the throne in heaven.

Nor is God limited to natural phenomena when He speaks. All through Scripture, He speaks through His prophets over and over. The common thread in all the prophets is the phrase, “Thus says the Lord.” He speaks through the writers of Scripture. Most graciously, however, He speaks through His Son, the Lord Jesus. The writer to the Hebrews opens his letter with this truth: “Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world” (Hebrews 1:1–2).

The difference between God speaking through the thunder and the whirlwind, then through the still, small voice, can be also considered as showing the difference between the two dispensations of law and grace. The law is a voice of terrible words and was given amidst a tempest of wind, thunder, and lightning, attended by an earthquake (Hebrews 12:18–24), but the gospel is a gentle voice of love, grace, and mercy, of peace, pardon, righteousness, and the free gift of salvation through Christ. The law breaks the rocky hearts of men in pieces, shakes their consciences, and fills their minds with a sense of God’s fiery wrath and the punishment they deserve, and then the gospel speaks gently to them of the peace and pardon available in Christ.

It is less important how God speaks to us than what we do with what He says. God speaks most clearly to us in this day through His Word. The more we learn it, the more ready we will be to recognize His voice when He speaks, and the more likely we are to obey what we hear.

How do I hear from God?

Question: "How do I hear from God?"

Answer: Every Christian has probably wondered at one time or another, “How do I hear from God?” The question is natural because we want to know what God has in store for us, and we are eager to please our heavenly Father. The range of answers, however, has caused much confusion and controversy. We need to be biblical when we answer the question how can I hear from God?

The Bible tells us how we hear from God: “Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world” (Hebrews 1:1–2, ESV).

Before the Incarnation of God the Son, God spoke through the prophets. We heard from God through men such as Moses, Isaiah, Ezekiel, Micah, Malachi, and the other prophets. They relayed messages from God, and often their words were written down and preserved so we would always know His promises, His law, and His redemptive plans.

There were times when God spoke directly to people. Abraham and Joshua, for example, conversed with God directly at times (Genesis 12:1; 17:1; Joshua 5:13–15). Others, such as Jacob, heard from God through dreams (Genesis 28:12–13). Ezekiel saw visions (Ezekiel 1:1). Saul began to hear from God and spoke for Him when “the Spirit of God came powerfully upon him” (1 Samuel 10:10).

But, in most cases, people did not hear from God directly; rather, they were responsible to read God’s written Word or seek out God’s chosen mouthpiece. On at least two occasions, King Jehoshaphat asked to hear from a prophet of God (1 Kings 22:7; 2 Kings 3:11). Ben-Hadad, king of Aram, sought to hear from God through the prophet Elisha (2 Kings 8:7–8). Isaiah told the people of Judah they had a responsibility to “consult God’s instruction and the testimony of warning” (Isaiah 8:20); that is, they were to read written Word of God already delivered to them.

With the birth of Jesus, things changed. John the Baptist was the last of the Old Testament prophets. Through the ministry of Jesus, God spoke directly to us. Jesus’ teachings in the Sermon on the Mount, the Sermon on the Plain, and the Olivet Discourse; and His pronouncements of being the Bread of Life, the True Vine, and the Good Shepherd are God’s direct revelation of who He is. Jesus’ words “are full of the Spirit and life” (John 6:63).

The writer to the Hebrews says, “In these last days he has spoken to us by his Son.” The “last days” are the current dispensation—the church age. Jesus Christ was the pinnacle of God’s revelation; He is the Final Word to us. In the Bible Jesus’ words are recorded for us. When Jesus ascended back into heaven, He left behind hand-picked apostles who were given the special task of recording what Jesus had said and done. Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, these men were authorized by God to speak and record God’s words to His church so that all of the church can truly hear from God. We now hear from God through His written Word, which is the Bible.

So, basically, we hear from God by reading our Bibles and hearing it preached.

For many people who want to hear from God, hearing, “Read your Bible,” is not very satisfying. They desire a more “direct” and “personal” communication. There are many problems with such a desire, starting with the fact that neglecting or rejecting the Bible in order to seek a “new” word from God is spiritually dangerous. It is arrogant for someone to think that he is so special as to receive direct revelation from God, especially when God said in the first century that He has spoken through His Son, who is “appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe” (Hebrews 1:2). We can’t top Jesus. There are no modern-day apostles or prophets who function in the same manner as the biblical apostles and prophets.

God does speak to people today, but the means He uses always include the Bible. The Holy Spirit indwells every believer and gives gifts to them as He chooses. Some are given gifts to teach, correct, admonish, and encourage other Christians. There is no new revelation being given (see Revelation 22:18), but God has gifted people in the church to be able to speak into the lives of other Christians. Exhortation and the offering of biblical advice are important within the community of believers.

A pastor’s instruction from God’s Word is one way we hear from God today. A friend’s advice, tied to Scripture, is another way we hear from God. A directive issued by a God-ordained authority figure is another way we hear from God.

We should never neglect praying and meditating on God’s Word. As we meditate on a passage of Scripture, and we pray for God’s direction and understanding, we hear from God. When we feed daily on the Bible, the Holy Spirit points us to truths that we know are from God because they come directly from His Word. What a privilege it is to have God’s Word readily available to us!

“I meditate on your precepts
and consider your ways.
I delight in your decrees;
I will not neglect your word”
(Psalm 119:15–16)

A Collection of Free GIS Related Books

A Collection of Free GIS Related Books:

Map projections: A working manual:
https://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/pp1395

GIS in Sustainable Urban Planning and Management : A Global Perspective:
http://oapen.org/search?identifier=1002491

GIS for Public Safety:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScIjjlbY5P8ekedECt5T8eUlnvYStLVvD_3baZjWrbVixMUyA/viewform?formkey=dHBNY1JkUGt1T0U0Qy1wTkdMOGZqQnc6MA

Essentials of Geographic Information Systems:
https://resources.saylor.org/wwwresources/archived/site/textbooks/Essentials%20of%20Geographic%20Information%20Systems.pdf

Python Scripting for Spatial Data Processing:
https://chris35wills.github.io/papers/python_scripting_for_spatial_data_processing.pdf

Cartography - A Tool for Spatial Analysis ( Carlos Bateira) :
https://www.intechopen.com/books/cartography-a-tool-for-spatial-analysis

Nature of Geographic Information:
https://opentextbc.ca/natureofgeographicinformation/

GIS Commons: An Introductory Textbook on Geographic Information Systems:
https://giscommons.org

Application of Geographic Information Systems:
https://www.intechopen.com/books/application-of-geographic-information-systems

Google Maps API Succinctly:
https://www.syncfusion.com/ebooks/google_maps_api_succinctly

Geospatial Analysis 6th Edition, 2018:
http://www.spatialanalysisonline.com/HTML/index.html

Principles of Geographic Information Systems (GIS): an Introductory Textbook:
https://webapps.itc.utwente.nl/librarywww/papers_2009/general/PrinciplesGIS.pdf

Map projections: A working manual:
https://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/pp1395

Satellite Positioning:
https://www.intechopen.com/books/satellite-positioning-methods-models-and-applications

Global Navigation Satellite Systems:
https://www.intechopen.com/books/global-navigation-satellite-systems-signal-theory-and-applications

Google Maps API Tutorial:
http://econym.org.uk/gmap/

Principles of the Global Positioning System:
https://ocw.mit.edu/courses/earth-atmospheric-and-planetary-sciences/12-540-principles-of-the-global-positioning-system-spring-2012/#

Map Scripting 101: An Example-Driven Guide to Building Interactive Maps:
https://books.google.com.bd/books?id=qAHb_Zn9MWsC&printsec=frontcover&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q&f=false

ArcGIS books::

The ArcGIS Imagery Book:
https://learn.arcgis.com/en/arcgis-imagery-book/#home-overview

The ArcGIS book; 10 big ideas about applying the science of where:
https://learn.arcgis.com/en/arcgis-book/#home-overview

Essays on Geography and GIS:
https://www.esri.com/~/media/Files/Pdfs/library/bestpractices/essays-on-geography-gis-vol7.pdf

Managing GIS 3:
https://www.esri.com/~/media/Files/Pdfs/library/ebooks/managing-gis-3.pdf

GeoLearning:
https://www.gisday.com/content/dam/esrisites/en-us/about/events/gis-day/geolearning.pdf

Crossing Borders:
https://www.gisday.com/content/dam/esrisites/en-us/about/events/gis-day/crossing-borders.pdf

Enterprise GIS:
https://www.esri.com/~/media/Files/Pdfs/library/ebooks/enterprise-gis.pdf

Return on Investment:
https://www.esri.com/~/media/Files/Pdfs/library/ebooks/return-on-investment.pdf

Geodesign: Past, Present, and Future:
https://www.esri.com/~/media/Files/Pdfs/library/ebooks/geodesign-past-present-future.pdf

ArcGIS Online in Education:
https://www.esri.com/~/media/Files/Pdfs/library/ebooks/arcgis-online-in-education.pdf

Geodesign in Practice: Designing a Better World:
https://www.esri.com/~/media/Files/Pdfs/library/ebooks/geodesign-in-practice.pdf

Farming the Future August 2013 cover photography courtesy of Derek Tickner GIS for Agriculture, Vol 2:
https://www.esri.com/~/media/Files/Pdfs/library/ebooks/farming-the-future.pdf

New Eyes on the Old World:
https://www.esri.com/~/media/Files/Pdfs/library/ebooks/new-eyes-on-the-old-world.pdf

Geomedicine:
https://www.esri.com/library/ebooks/geomedicine.pdf

125 Years of Topographic Mapping at USGS:
https://www.esri.com/~/media/Files/Pdfs/library/bestpractices/125-years-of-topo-mapping.pdf

GIS is a Green Technology:
https://www.esri.com/~/media/Files/Pdfs/library/bestpractices/gis-is-green.pdf

What is GIS:
https://www.esri.com/~/media/Files/Pdfs/library/bestpractices/what-is-gis.pdf

Using GIS with GPS:
https://www.esri.com/~/media/Files/Pdfs/library/bestpractices/using-gis-with-gps.pdf

The New Geographers:
https://www.esri.com/~/media/Files/Pdfs/library/ebooks/new-geographers.pdf,