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“If God still speaks, then why can’t I hear his voice?” Many have longed to hear the voice of God in their lives. Wouldn’t you want to know what God desires for you? Yet, there are three common struggles that often get in the way.
First, it is hard to hear the voice of God when our lives are filled with noise. It isn’t that God is silent. I find my struggle comes when I fill my life with so much activity I neglect to create and hold space to simply be. I have a hard time quieting all the noise so I can press into God’s presence with me. God isn’t interested in competing with all the noise. Instead, we find God in the still quiet place, in the depths of our soul.
Second, it is hard to hear the voice of God when we fail to cultivate our relationship with Him. Have you ever observed how a baby recognizes the voice of their parents when they are born? It is an amazing thing to see. How is it possible, because they were there, in the womb, listening all of this time. And even though the voice may change as they enter into the world, they still recognize it. In fact, we can still hear the voice of our mother today, even after she is gone. You know the voice of your parents because of the intimate relationship you shared.
If we want the voice of God to become clearer in our life we must turn down the noise and cultivate our relationship with Him. We must intentionally set aside the time and create the space to meet with God. Rather than jumping on my phone or diving into work right away in the morning, I notice I have more peace when I start my day with scripture and prayer, and simply turn my attention to God. What if instead of filling our day to the moment we go to bed we gave ourselves time to simply turn our thoughts, our anxieties, our work, our relationships over to God in prayer before going to bed? Taking time to read scripture, pray, journal our thoughts, and give God every aspect of our lives in prayer helps us press deeper in our relationship with God. Even simple shifts like these in our daily routine can help us pay attention to the work God is doing.
Finally, it is important for us to recognize that God wasn’t just active in the past; God still speaks in our lives today. If we believe God was only active while the Bible was written, it is difficult for us to experience the voice of God in our life today. Christian Theologian A.W. Tozer put it this way in his message The Speaking Voice:
A new world will arise out of the religious mists when we approach our Bible with the idea that it is not only a book which was once spoken, but a book which is now speaking. The prophets habitually said, “Thus saith the Lord.” They meant their hearers to understand that God’s speaking is in the continuous present.
God spoke, and continues to speak His word into our lives. Through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us, God continues to speak bringing to life for us these words that were spoken long ago.
Join us this week as Abby Kendrick shares a word with us on discerning the voice of God.
In Christ’s Service,
Pastor Gordon
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