Welcome “Made to Crave” webcast friends! I pray God encouraged you tonight through Lysa’s message, Dr. Chilton’s nuggets of eating and exercise wisdom, or something JJ and I shared about our “cravings” that are drawing us closer to God and each other. If you missed the webcast, you can watch it Tuesday at 12, 3, 8 and 10pm EST here.
Today, I’m continuing my mini-series on listening to God and discerning His voice. Tuesday JJ and I will be taking questions and then Wednesday we’ll be sharing more about journey ing together through Made to Crave.
Years ago, my friend Melissa learned a powerful lesson about discerning God’s voice. It happened on the soccer field one afternoon. Melissa’s son Hayden was really good at playing offense on his soccer team, and loved to score goals. But, although he was good at scoring goals, his coach recognized that Hayden was even better at defending the goal.
It was the last game of the season, and Hayden’s coach had decided to put him on defense for the majority of the game. As the game came down to the final minutes the score was very close. Every one was excited, and many of the parents became a little vocal, to say the least.
At this point Melissa noticed the coach was shouting to Hayden “Back up and play your position.” While another adult yelled, “Kick the ball and follow through!” Then another said, “Come on, number 9, chase the ball, go for the goal, move up, go right, you can get it.”
The coach, beginning to get impatient, said “Come on, Hayden, listen to me.”
Melissa noticed a look of extreme frustration on Hayden’s face, and she knew something was wrong. When the game ended, Melissa called Hayden over to the side and asked him what was wrong. He simply replied, “I couldn’t make up my mind who to listen to. I couldn’t tell which one was the coach’s voice.”
This is one of our biggest struggles in discerning God’s voice. We are bombarded by voices all day. Some are audible voices, but others are non-stop choices and unending noises. Decisions and concerns. Discouragement and doubt. Desires and dreams.
If we want to hear God speak, we have to slow down, look God in the face and become so familiar with His voice that we can recognize it in a crowd…a crowd of thoughts. A crowd of emotions. A crowd of confusion. A crowd of great options and big decisions.
That is what Hayden would have had to do to determine which one was his coach’s voice. Are you willing to do that?
Are you willing to spend time with Him, reading, talking, listening and letting Him whisper to your heart? Are you willing to turn off your computer, radio or t.v. and give some of your undivided attention to Him so He can give His undevided attention to you? Are you willing to let Him replace your thoughts with His by just being still and writing down what you sense He’s whispering to your soul?
When you do, you’ll become familiar with His heart. You’ll begin to know His character and concerns. And you will learn to recognize His voice over all the others. But it will take time.
Sweet friends, there are no short-cuts to the deepest desires of our hearts. We long to hear God and He longs to speak to us.
All of us have different things that draw us closer to Jesus, and there are two practical things that help me: reading through the gospel of John very slowly each year and watching the Gospel of John movie on DVD. The movie was in theaters a few years ago and it was breath-taking. It makes Jesus, His words, the people and the stories He lived in come to life in a powerful way. Now, 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.
So, what is one thing you will do this week to become more sensitive to and familiar with your Coach’s voice so you can recognize it in the crowd?
Let me know your plans, thoughts or questions, and I’ll enter ou into my give away that includes a copy of the Gospel of John movie on DVD.
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The winner of last week’s give-away for Lysa TerKeurst’s book
What Happens When Women Say Yes to God is MARY.
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I will be turning off the tv and not wasting my time on things that aren't important. Would love the DVD to watch!
marilynkaucher at gmail dot com
I think about this all the time. I wish God would speak to us with Billboards that, "Hey Mommy22ss, this GOD and here is what I want you to do." I plan on just spending more time with HIM this week.
I have embarked on a journey to read thru the bible this year!! I have never done this before, so I am excited! So far I feel that GOD lets a verse of scripture leap off the page to me every day, I am learning to submit and obey which is hard. I have also subscribed to your devotion which helps me a lot!! Please pray for me to keep hearing HIS voice.
With working full time, going to school, and being a mom, many times it is hard to carve out that time for Bible Study. Fron the time my alarm goes off in the morning I am on the go. But this year I have decided to make memorizing scripture (a new verse twice a month) a priority. I have also carved out one and a half hours on tuesday morning to attend my church's Bible Study. While it is hard to make time, I just have to decide that spending time with God is something I not only want, but something I desperately need. It's a choice. And today I choose God.
Oh, how dailyness just gets in the way of hearing God. I am a full time working mother with little time at home. Honestly, it is hard to find 5 minutes of quiet time. I try to fit in a few bible verses each day. I will try this week to spend more time in God's word and listening to him.
Leigh
Hey Renee- Lent is a season that has been a powerful time in my life. I started it in college as a lark- some of my friends were doing it so I thought I would too. Over the years I have given up things like sugar, soda, milk, reading fiction and fasted. At the same time I have also tried "to put on" a new habit, to do something else- read the bible everyday, pray, memorize scripture. As I have taken off one habit and put on a Godly one, God has been so faithful to transform my heart and mind. Ephesians 4:22 You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to "put off" your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; 23 to be made new in the attitude of your minds; 24 and "to put on" the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.
I am so glad I read your blog and caught up on Lysa's (especially the CNN Article)thanks to your link. I have been really praying about the stress of putting yourself out as a public figure- the stress on your family and the attack of the world. As you started writing and editing the P31 newsletter- did you count the cost of putting your name out there?
I am really working on this currently. I have been frustrated with my life lately and I'm trying to refocus myself. The thing that has helped me the most is surrounding myself with the right messages. I have started following Melissa Taylor, Lysa Terkeurst, Karen Ehman, you, etc. All of the loving blog messages really help keep me focused on God's will.
I am praying for you Kat and all of you who have shared your comments.
Kat, I can so relate to your love for facebook and tv. God has also called me to fast from each of those at times. And it was hard but afterwards I felt released from the need to have them. I"m praying you won't see it as something you are losing but as something you are gaining in your focused time with Jesus. I encourage you to read Psalm 90 and let Him be your dwelling place. Let His love satisfy your heart tomorrow. I'll be thinking about you and reading it along with you.
Giving anything up is a struggle for me. Which thing to give up? Facebook?!? TV?!? I love them both so much. So here's what's happening this week. Tomorrow I am fasting from Facebook for 1 day. The whole day. This is going to be hard. Pray for me.
I struggle with this so often. I want to hear is voice and yet there are lots of other voices I can hear around me and it isn't God himself. Want to focus my thoughts on the Creator by praying and reading my Bible to get to know my Father.
I want to pray at set times every day: when I arise, after I get back from taking the kids to school, noon, before I pick the kids up from school and bedtime. Every. single. day. I guess on the weekend I'll just have to to by the time and not the activities. I want to hear God's voice!!
Wow, "There are no short-cuts to the deepest desires of our hearts." That really cuts to the heart of the matter for me. I say I want to get closer to my Lord. I am in a bible study. I want that intimacy, joy, and peace, and truly do want to hear His voice more. But, I tend to end up crowding out precious prayer time with too much daily activities and things on "my" to-do list, thinking I'll get to it at least by the end of the day. Yes, I pray without ceasing. But, this is not the precious, deep yearning prayers I desire. I am committing now to setting a morning time (doable for me) and earnestly seeking Him. This means fasting from some things that have become idols in place of Him freeing up time to hear His voice. His word is critical but so is spending time with Him. I am studying Isaiah this year. I studied John last year. Conviction is one thing. Doing is another. I want to grow and not stay stuck. No more short-cutting for me on the deepest desire of my heart and that is to have a genuine, richer prayer life with my Lord and Savior.
Thank you Renee, for truth I needed to hear to get me moving courageously closer to Him.
Donna
I do a lot of studying, but I realized my prayer life was really lacking. So my goal is to try and set aside some quiet time with the Lord. Prayer is a 2-way conversation and not a 1-way. Also, to sit long enuf to hear God speak to me.
I can relate to Hayden's struggle. [email protected]
Daily quiet time!
I do just what Beth (A Mom's Life) does. If I happen to wake up later than usual, I for go working out or other things- but I ALWAYS MAKE SURE I DO MY BIBLE READING AND PRAYER. This year, I have so up in the air with my life- but I keep my eye on Jesus. I feel that all this is happening because God is stretching my faith- and telling me to LISTEN. In addition to Bible reading,I've been minimizing TV and reading Christian resources (currently reading Reason for God by Tim Keller, Raising Boys by Dr. James Dobson and Am I Messing Up My Kids by Lysa Terkuers), I am subscribed to P31's encouragement for today and a few of the P31's writers' blogs. I am really looking forward to your blogs about Discerning God's Voice because THIS HAS BEEN THE CENTER OF MY PRAYERS since this year started- I have been asking God for wisdom and discernment so I can follow HIS plan for me.
Thanks!!!
You know, there are times in my life that I clearly hear Him and then there are times in my life where I struggle to discern His voice among all the others. I am learning that the more intimate I am with God, the easier it is to hear Him. In contrast, the busier and more distracted I am, the harder it is and the more I struggle…not just in this area. Be(ing) still is the hardest area of discipline for me. The quieter I am, the simpler my life, and the more I press into the Lord, the more authentic, peaceful, joyful and discerning I find I am. My heart and prayer is to linger in that very place. Oh, Lord continue to draw me into Your Presence!
This is something I struggle with so much. Am trying to make it a priority this year. Have been doing the Chronological Bible study with Wendy Pope and trying to journal, which is very hard for me!
This year I am working on exactly this: Drinking from the well of God's word, so that it pours out from me even in my unconscious reactions.
"Land that drinks in the rain often falling on it and that produces a crop useful to those for whom it is farmed receives a blessing from God." Hebrews 6:7 NIV
To drink in the rain this year, I am memorizing Colossians with Ann Voskamp's community. I am reading the Bible cover to cover again, after having just read it in 106 days. I am working through a study in finding God, called "God in the Yard" by L.L. Barkat.
I feel like the cracked earth of my heart's garden is slowly beginning to sprout tiny seedlings. I pray that those seedlings will produce a useful spiritual crop.
This is something I struggle with daily. I get up really early every morning and read the Bible and pray. I want more than anything to hear His voice. I'm trying…