Welcome Confident Heart Online Study and Encouragement for Today friends!! If you’re new here, welcome!
On Sunday, I started an online study of my book, A Confident Heart and I’d love to have you join us! (Click here for more details).
One of the first things I learned, when it came to overcoming self-doubts and living in the security of God’s promises , is that we have to recognize and listen to God’s voice. It’s also the topic of my P31 devotion today. Here’s a little more about where my “listening to God” story came to a turning point. At the end I share “How to Discern God’s Voice” and a give-away.
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I sat on looking out the window, wondering what the future held. My excitement, mixed with the fear of getting over-committed, ignited a rapid firing of thoughts: What would I say yes or no to? What was God calling me to do? How would I figure out His plans and purpose for my schedule?
Wondering and worrying wasn’t getting me anywhere, so I wrote questions in a notebook: “Lord, what should I say yes to? Where do You want me to spend my time? Will You please show me Your plans for me this coming year?”
I wanted a sneak peek into God’s calendar so I could adjust mine. Instead, I sensed Him telling me not to worry about tomorrow but to live each day in the hear and now. {And He even spelled it that way.}
I did okay when it came to obeying God in the obvious things. It was selfless acts of obedience that challenged me most. But that day, I made a commitment to live in the “hear” and now.
A few weeks after, I noticed my husband’s side of the closet was a mess. Immediately I thought about how J.J. enjoys “order” although it’s not his natural inclination. Then I sensed God whispering, “One way you could really love J.J. would be to organize his side of the closet.”
I wish I could say I obeyed. Instead, I argued: “He’s a grown man; he can organize his own side of the closet. I have two kids, two dogs and myself to keep up with. Have you seen our garage and attic, Lord?”
“Did you hear Me? Are you going to obey Me now?” God’s Spirit nudged.
How did I know it was God? you might ask. Well, I knew it wasn’t my idea.
Just that week I’d read the parable of the talents in Matthew 25, and recognized myself in the third servant. He hadn’t been entrusted with much so he buried his talent in the ground. I always assumed since he wasn’t faithful with it because he thought his Master wouldn’t notice.
Sometimes I saw my role as a wife, mom and friend as “average” one-talent kind of assignments. Plenty of people have the same responsibilities, I thought. Without realizing it, I let myself slip into being selfish and impatient here and there. But God wanted my willingness in every area of my life – hear and now – acting on His promptings throughout my day.
Jesus said, “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.” John 10:27 (NIV) And the more we listen to and obey God, the more familiar His voice becomes.
Obedience means exchanging our will for His.
So, why does God wants moment-by-moment, day-by-day obedience? Because He loves us and wants us to trust Him.
God is so patient as we learn to trust Him. And we discover over time that it’s in our relationship with Him, we find the purpose, direction and meaning we’re looking for. When we live in the “hear and now” our calling and our calendar begin to reflect our love for Him, and His love for us — not our need for fulfillment or the desire for others’ approval and acceptance.
Dear Jesus, am I living and listening the way You want me to? Sometimes I fall into the trap of waiting for a better tomorrow or an easier assignment so that I can be faithful. Help me trust You. I want to but sometimes I’m afraid. Give me courage to listen and follow You with all my heart! Amen
PS. I reorganized JJ’s side of the closet ,and I’m almost sure I heard God chuckle and felt the warmth of His smile. May He smile on you today as you commit to live in the hear and now – acting on what you hear and living it out now.
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Discerning God’s Voice
Here are a few questions we can ask. When I sense God speaking, whether it be through scripture, an impression on my heart, circumstances or through His spirit in me, I always look for Biblical consistency:
- Is it consistent with God’s Word and God’s ways?
- Is it consistent with wise Biblical counsel I’ve sought?
- Is it consistent with God’s leading through doors He’s opened and closed?
- Is there a consistent theme I’m seeing in my life or hearing during my personal Bible study time, through sermons, Christian songs, conversations, etc?
Recognizing God’s ways and God’s will comes as we spend more and more time in His word. All of us have different things that draw us closer to Jesus, and here is one practical thing that helps me: watching the Gospel of John movie on DVD. It makes Jesus, His words, the people and the stories He lived in come to life in a powerful way. After watching it, when I read my Bible I can see Him and hear Him. Which makes me want to spend more and more time with Him, which helps me know Him and recognize His voice more clearly.
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So, what is one thing you could do to become more familiar with God’s voice?
Let me know by clicking “Share Your Thoughts” below and you’ll be entered to win my “Listening to God” gift pack which includes a copy of the Gospel of John movie on DVD, my book A Confident Heart and my message on CD, Rest Assured: How to Rest, Be Renewed & Remain in God’s Promises and Plans .
Also, if you want to join my online study, please click here for more details. I just found a deal this week for those who can’t afford the book and shipping. Amazon has the Ebook for $8.99 and they offer FREE Kindle for your PC software! So, you only have to pay $8.99 and the book downloads onto your computer! Email [email protected] if you want more details about that deal!
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One way to be sure it is God’s voice I am hearing is to be sure it is God’s will and not mine. Don’t think it is Him just because I want the outcome to be whatever it is I think I am hearing. I can tell if it is God’s will by realizing if it is in His word, or if it I would be being obedient to him if it was something I am praying for. Also, sometimes I will get different confirmations. Maybe a messge from church will confirm it, or something like that. I think the most important thing is to be in the Word daily. The more we are, the more we can hear His voice.
What I need to do is just get quiet and be still. It seems to be hard to do that with all that is going on around me but I know for certain it would help because it has in the past. So I’m just going to make time and do it!
thanks so much for sharing the “hear and now” message, Renee.
Beth
What is one thing I can do to become more familiar with God’s voice? Wow! There are so many things I can do. For starters, if I could just STOP questioning God. If I could just STOP trying to figure everything out. If I could just TRUST Him. Afterall, I know that He is in control, that He has a plan for me which He wrote long ago, and that He is working all things for my good, yet I still am guilty of thinking otherwise. Recently, I experienced something really heart breaking at work, and I continue to struggle with it. I have good days where I live and walk in God’s promises, then there are days like yesterday where the only words I could speak to God were things like I am so broken…what are you doing to me…why would you let me feel this horrible…what did I do, etc. I do so good, and then I just blow it, over and over again, I blow it. I am thankful that He loves me. I’d be lost without Him. When I start to fall, I want to stop and listen to His voice, instead of doing the “human thing” and being anxious about His plan for me.
Renee:
This is the first time I have ever commented on anyone’s blog. This past year I have been focused on Matthew 6:33″ Seek ye first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given you”. KKLA Christian radio always on when I’m in the car, lead me to the daily devotionals (I receive 4 per day and 5 per week) one of which is the Encouragement for Today which lead me to your Website today. Yesterday, all I could feel, hear and speak were doubts, even though my faith knew better, and I wondered what was I doing wrong. Today, I am tremendously encouraged by your website and the Online Study Confident Heart, which I plan to join when I am done writing this. When I read your word for the day “Blessed” I heard and felt the Holy Spirit as He reminded me that I am blessed. If I were to describe how I hear Him at times,(sometimes in church, home, car, lunching with people, reading) I would have to humbly admit that it seems that He moves me to tears. Does this happen to anyone else, or is it just my own emotional state at those different times?
He moves me to tears too sometimes. I love your heart for Him!! I am happy you commented and let us get to know you. thank you for taking time and having courage to do that. Glad you are here!!
The one thing I do to help me discern the voice of God is to read His Word. One good way for me to do that is to listen to a dramatized version of the Bible on CD. Somehow His voice comes into my heart and is more alive and real. It sinks into my heart and soul deeper when I hear it with the headset on. They block out everything else so all I hear are the voices on the CD. With my eyes closed and my heart open I experience His Word like no other way does. Thank you for this study. This is a topic I have had difficulty incorporating into my life all my life. I have no confidence on my own, so I desperately need confidence in God. I need to hear positive affirmations I hear in the Bible because I was brain washed as a child to believe I was no better than the dirt in the ground. My parents were not positive, loving, or reassuring at all. Just the opposite. So thank you for this study. I pray I will glean all you have to offer and incorporate it into my life on a daily basis.
Thank you for sharing. I so often want to hear Gods word but do not trust myself to make the decision. I love your example of straightening your husbands closet. I would have felt and thought the same thing as you did. I love how you stated that you know the thought was not from you but from God to clean it up. I don’t think I would have because of my own selfishness, responsibilities, etc. and next time I may act and think differently!
I think for me I need to meditate more on God’s Word and His promises for me. God is so good to me and loves me so much and I tend to “forget” this fact. If I have His promises in my mind I will be more likely to hear His voice. I have a tendency to be negative. That is something I daily battle. If my mindset is focused on God’s promises and love for me I am much more likely to hear His voice and respond to it.
Thank you, Renee, for doing this study online. It has already been a blessing to me. I look forward to many more in the weeks to come.
I could pray more. I’m really got a those quick night time prayers, you know Tue ones right before you fall asleep. I need to spend time in His word. I don’t do it nearly enough. I need to stop treating him like a personal genie and start treating him as a friend.
The best way for me to listen to god speak is to look into my heart and mind for his answers. When Jesus is dwelling within me he is communicating constantly with my heart, my conscience, my soul and my spirit. It is
beautifully described in John 10: 27 ” my sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me”
Good night and God Bless.
One idea that came to my mind for learning to be more familiar with God’s voice was the importance of meditating on His Word. The word “meditate” always seemed a little weird to me, until one of our pastors suggested to look at it this way….if you know how to WORRY, then you know how to meditate. Worrying is something I could relate to!! Meditating is exactly the same process…but we focus our thoughts and attention on something that is positive and helpful. For me, I know that I hear God best when I am seeking him and regularly spending time with him. You can’t trust someone you don’t know, and you can’t really hear God’s voice until you learn to know his heart. It’s definitely a process, not an event, and I appreciate you pointing that out in chapter 1.
I know I was feeling alone and in a “stuck” place a couple weeks ago, and I remember just praying a quick prayer in my mind of “Help me, God…encourage me…you know how I’m feeling.” I was at the computer at the time, and decided to stop by the Proverbs31 devotional blog. I read the 1/5 entry, which I found very encouraging, and at the bottom I happened to read the invite for this online book study. I knew God had just answered my prayer, as I had sensed him drawing me to this book for a while, and there was my opportunity to engage! God knows exactly what I need, and it is such a comfort when he shows me how passionately he loves me. The past few days I’ve been meditating on our key verse and the word “blessed,” which Webster’s defined as “divinely or supremely favored, consecrated, holy, fortunate.” When I meditate on the fact that I am God’s daughter, an heir to the throne of the Most High, chosen by him, set apart for his purposes, it sure impacts my attitudes and behaviors. I did the laundry with a different attitude this week, as I pictured a holy crown on my head, rather than feeling frumpy and unappreciated. I keep forgetting whose I am!! Thank God he never gets tired of reminding me! 🙂
Thank you for inviting us along with you. Recently I have been hurt and my heart is broken so this study could not have come at a better time. I have come to realize over the past week that I struggle in “pleasing others” in which I fall short when I should be listening to God. God loves me unconditionally and if I listen to Him I will not fall short because He loves me and if I am in His will I will see the promises He has for me. At this time I am going to use this broken heartedness to stop and listen to Him, my loving Father, I am going to take the time (the time I have been using to do for others) and stop to see if I can hear Him. Thank you Renee for reminding me that I am worthy of His love and that He will and does speak to me if I will just listen.
I am so thankful for this book and this online study. Most of all, I am thankful for Renee and her life! Just when I thought that I could not take it anymore, I started reading A Confident Heart. I take comfort in the fact that Renee’s thoughts are exactly like my thoughts. And, if Renee found confidence, comfort and peace, maybe I can, too. For the first time, I have some hope…
I have heard God’s voice when it seems I have a moral issue. For example, once I was checkIng out at the grocery store and after I paid & walked out, I realized that the cashier had given me too much change. 17 cents to be exact. And I heard God tell me to go back inside & return the money. Instantly I asked,really Lord? They’ll thInk I’ve lost my mind returning 17 cents. But I did it anyway. Now I don’t know why I was asked to return the change, but I did obey. However, it seems like it’s the big things where I feel like I can’t hear His voice. I really believe that at those times, I’m so consumed with talking at God, asking to hear his voice, that I’m not quiet enough to hear. I think I need to be still and be quiet, so I can listen for his voice.
I have been feeling like I need to find a little time at the end of every day to sit in silence and reflect on what has transpired throughout the day. I feel like I need to approach God with gratitude and wait to hear him speaking to me in the silence
“Be still and know that I am God.” I have to be quiet and listen and then pray that He’ll give me the courage to do His will. The Lord has been speaking “Put Me First” to me lately every time I bring a concern to Him. I also know that He speaks to me through His Word and I have to put reading His word and memorizing scripture before my favorite TV shows. So my motto for 2012 is More of Him and much, much less TV.
A friend told me that the more time that I spend with God, that the better I will be able to recognize his voice.
Renee!!!! This was so profound to me. One thing I am going to do is – – Continue building my relationship with Him through journaling. I have found that not only journaling but listening as I journal, I can sense those impressions. Thank you for reeling me back in and reminding me that Yes, He does speak to me and I have spent enough time with Him over the past 6 months especially to be in tune to what He tells me. I am not going to let self doubt or unbelief keep me from trusting and obeying His will for my life. Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! to all questions.
If you had a friend that you called or spent time and you never let her talk, how much do you think you would know about her? Not much, right? Sometimes I feel like I am this type of friend to God. I pray all the time and ask, ask, ask, but I don’t listen to Him and what He has to say about my life. To have a real relationship with someone, we have to do a lot of listening and some talking. That’s the way it is with God, so we can get to know Him and love Him like Jesus did. To hear God’s voice is necessary that I am still in my thoughts and in my heart. Sometimes I have to make myself be quiet and still before I pray or read scripture..and that is so hard for me because I have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Often God’s voice is as quiet as a whisper, and that’s why it is important for me to be quiet and still before Him.
Today, I am asking God to speak to us, and to give us a listening heart because that is usually where He speaks. As God whispers, let us be still and listen.
Renee, So blessed to be able to do this online study (my first one) and I love it. I look forward to it and to what other sisters have to share. God became more real and familiar to me when I read a book by Watchmann Nee titled “Song of Songs”. I have referred back to the book over the years, because I felt God’s love so strongly. He drew me so close to him and I had a deeper understanding of his love after reading the book. It was an interputation of the Song of Solomon and Life changing for me.
The major way I can be available to listen to what God has to say is by making the time to sit in silence and pray and read my Bible. Then I have to act in faith and obedience and truly let God, lead me where He would have me to go.