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In other words, the effectiveness of the Spirit of Truth is dependent upon our knowledge of the life and teachings of Jesus--for Urantia Book readers, that means knowledge of Part 4 of the book.
In considering our expectations about guidance from our Thought Adjusters and the form it may take, we need to remind ourselves that, "No other being, force, creator, or agency in all the wide universe of universes can interfere to any degree with the absolute sovereignty of the mortal free will, as it operates within the realms of choice regarding the eternal destiny of the personality of the choosing mortal." (71)
This would appear to rule out the rather childish concept held by many Christians and, undoubtedly, some Urantia Book devotees, that divine guidance during our daily routine consists of a series of instructions from on high telling us exactly what we should do in each circumstance that confronts us. And if we think that we hear voices giving such instructions we should give consideration to this statement: "A human being would do better to err in rejecting an Adjuster's expression through believing it to be a purely human experience than to blunder into exalting a reaction of the mortal mind to the sphere of divine dignity. Remember, the influence of the Thought Adjuster is for the most part, though not wholly, a superconscious experience." (1208)
Having reviewed some of the negative aspects of Adjuster interaction, let's now consider means by which our communication may be enhanced. "The Spirit never drives, only leads. If you are a willing learner, if you want to attain spirit levels and reach divine heights, if you sincerely desire to reach the eternal goal, then the divine Spirit will gently and lovingly lead you along the pathway of sonship and spiritual progress. Every step you take must be one of willingness, intelligent and cheerful co-operation. The domination of the Spirit is never tainted with coercion nor compromised by compulsion." (381)
The book emphasizes that it is our thoughts and not our feelings or emotions that enhance contact with our Thought Adjuster (1104) "But," it says, "the mind that really discerns God, hears the indwelling Adjuster is the pure mind. 'Without holiness no man may see the Lord.'" We have to clean up our act before we can reasonably expect to make good progress.
Prayer is, for the main part, a phenomenon of man's intercourse with his own subconscious, yet there is a domain of prayer in which an individual does attain more or less contact with superconscious levels of the mind. (996) Meditation may also have a role for some, but the book states, "The contact of the mortal mind with its Indwelling Adjuster, while often favored by devoted meditation, is more frequently facilitated by wholehearted loving service ministry to one's fellow creatures." (1000)
Speaking about young children, the book says, "With the dawn of creative imagination they evince a tendency to converse with imaginary companions. In this way a budding ego seeks to hold communion with a fictitious alter ego." (996) During childhood, and much to the consternation of his parents, Jesus was apt to utilise this kind of technique to converse with his heavenly Father. The book discusses the effectiveness of prayer in facilitating contact with our Thought Adjuster in these words, "Enlightened prayer must recognize not only an external and personal God but also an internal and impersonal Divinity, the indwelling Adjuster. It is altogether fitting that man, when he prays, should strive to grasp the concept of the Universal Father on Paradise; but the more effective technique for most practical purposes will be to revert to the concept of a near-by alter ego, just as the primitive mind was wont to do, and then to recognize that the idea of this alter ego has evolved from a mere fiction to the truth of God's indwelling mortal man in the factual presence of the Adjuster so that man can talk face to face, as it were, with a real and genuine and divine alter ego that indwells him and is the very presence and essence of the living God, the Universal Father." (997)
For most of us, it is dubious whether there is any better technique to learn to converse with our Thought Adjuster than that used by the young Jesus--this "alter ego" method. By its use it can become habitual for us to share both our thoughts and our lives with our Thought Adjusters. But in doing so, we should not expect to actually hear the voice of the Adjuster. It is the closeness of the relationship that develops that is important, as it provides the opportunity for the Adjuster to work with us via our superconscious minds. This interaction is vastly enhanced when we are totally familiar with the life and teachings of Jesus as provided in Part 4 of The Urantia Book because it provides a memory bank of relevant information and incidents that our Thought Adjuster can bring to mind for our guidance. It also provides a means of checking that what we believe to be guidance is indeed such--for in no circumstances will there be a clash between what we do and what we conscientiously believe to be the nature of God as revealed to us in The Urantia Book and in and through the life of Jesus--and we will feel truly comfortable with our decisions.
Are there indicators to show that we are living at one with our spirit guides? "The proof of fraternity with the divine Adjuster consists wholly in the nature and extent of the fruits of the spirit which are yielded in the life experience of the individual believer. 'By their fruits you shall know them.'" (64) And what are those fruits? "Loving service, unselfish devotion, courageous loyalty, sincere fairness, enlightened honesty, undying hope, confiding trust, merciful ministry, unfailing goodness, forgiving tolerance, and enduring peace." (2054)
What follows this quotation from p.2054 is probably the most severe and
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