Through the Storm

Listening to God

Read Psalm 34: 1-10

God is continually speaking to us. He spoke first through creation, then through Torah and the prophets. Eventually, He spoke to the world through His Son Jesus, and now He continues to speak through His Holy Spirit and His Word. So, God is always speaking to us. Therefore, we need to understand how and why He speaks so that we can discern whether or not it is really Him who is speaking or some other voice or imagination. Like in any other relationship, it is familiarity with His voice and how He speaks to us particularly, that brings the reassurance that what we are hearing is authentic and true.

My first priority each day is to engage in heart-to-heart worship (not just listening to songs), during which time my whole focus is on God. From that place of intimate fellowship, I alert my spirit to listen for what God has to whisper back to me and I simply wait. His voice to me may come in several forms:

• a scripture or text to look up and read that may stay with me throughout the day as the Holy Spirit marinades it in my spirit;
• a picture that sheds light on an issue or guides me forward;
• a burning conviction that I have either done or said something wrong that must be confessed and put right
• or a strong conviction that I must do something immediately, such as passing on something I may have received in my listening time to someone else because it is for them, or to call or visit someone to make sure they are okay.

God speaks to each of us individually and there are many different ways in which He does that. Generally, these will concern the following areas:

• developing our relationship with Him;
• teaching us more about Him, His will, guidance and His ways, so that we can follow Him confidently and obediently;
• strengthening us through our storms and meeting our needs;
• helping us to change our character or learn obedience
• or enabling us to speak into someone else’s situation.

When I was writing this devotional, the Lord invariably ‘downloaded’ the next day’s content whilst I was asleep!! I find that so often the majority of my praying for people or situations happens as my spirit is resting or abiding in Him during the night-time.

Additional reading: Psalm 34:11; Deuteronomy 31:12; Psalm 46:10.

Prayer time:

• How do you usually hear God’s voice?
• How do you know it is God’s voice and not some other thought or imagination?