Source: https://www.bertha-dudde.org/en/proclamation/3946

3946 Opportunity for counter-expression in proclaiming the gospel necessary....

December 28, 1946: Book 49

Every spiritual exchange of thoughts is beneficial for the human being's soul, and therefore it is always more advisable to give a person the opportunity to express himself in return than to shower him with spiritual thoughts and make counter-questions impossible. The spiritual knowledge imparted to him will much sooner become his own thought knowledge, which can only ever happen through commenting on it until it also becomes a conviction in himself. Questions and answers facilitate the process of acquiring the mental knowledge, furthermore, a person's thinking is stimulated such that the beings of light can now intervene and guide the thoughts of people who are entrusted to them for spiritual guidance. Furthermore, errors can be corrected more easily, just as the desire to penetrate deeper knowledge is awakened in the fellow human being if he is truthfully enlightened and recognizes this by the kind of instruction he receives. Knowledgeable teachers will always find a larger circle of listeners, and people can only convince themselves of knowledge if they are given the opportunity to ask questions about the knowledge presented to them. For this reason the gospel should also be proclaimed in such a way that it prompts the listener to speak freely, he should be encouraged to speak back, so that it leaves a deeper impression, so that it is not only received with the ears but with the heart. Then it will come alive in the person, then the teacher will also be guided by the spirit of God, then God Himself will speak to people through him, He Himself will be in the midst of those who preach and receive His word. For His promise is: "Where two or three are gathered in My name, there am I in the midst of them...." He wants to speak to you Himself through the mouth of the individual, He wants to answer your questions and arrange your thoughts, yet for this you humans must also become mentally active yourselves, only then will the instructions be a blessing for you, only then will you derive the right benefit from God’s word, which is imparted to you at all times and in all places where you desire to receive it yourselves. And therefore seek frequent unity for the purpose of spiritual exchange of thoughts, seek clarification where you are still unclear by asking your fellow human beings questions, ask God for true teachers who can provide you with truthful information, and don't be satisfied with the presentation of the divine word in a form which gives you too little opportunity to express yourselves, for only through questions and answers can you increase in knowledge, because only then will what is imparted to you gain life and only then spur you on to follow the divine will. Let the eternal teacher always dwell amongst you so that He Himself can guide your thoughts and thus instruct you in such a way that it will be a blessing for you....

Amen

Translated by Doris Boekers