Welcome friends! Thank you for taking time out of your busy day to visit. If you found your way here through my P31 Encouragement for Today devotion, “Living in the Hear and Now,” I’m so glad you stopped by. I hope you’ll stay a while and make yourself comfortable.
One of my deepest desires is to be a woman who listens to God. But, I don’t always get it right. Sometimes I’m not sure if it’s God talking or just me thinking. Ever wondered that?
I also I admit, I’m not always crazy about what I sense God telling me to do. Yet I’ve learned over the years that when I listen to God, I discover His best for me. And I grow in my trust in Him.
I’ve seen again and again that His ways lead to His goodness. And when I follow Him, His mercy follows me.
As I shared in my devotion today, I went through a season of learning how to really listen closely so that I could experience a day by day abiding in God’s presence and plans. I thought I’d been listening to Him all along, but my prayers reflected that I wanted to know where to invest my efforts. In a still small voice God showed me that He wanted my ears more than my efforts.
He was more concerned about character than my calendar. I realized that many times I’d sought God for the larger plans in life, convinced that if I figured out what He wanted me to do I could become the person He created me to be.
Have you ever thought, “If only God would show me what job to take; what man to marry; what church to attend – then my life would be complete and I could serve Him with my whole heart”?
The problem is sometimes we get a glimpse of where He wants us to go and then assume we know how to get there. I’ve made that mistake many times and then wondered why I wasn’t getting anywhere.
Jesus depended on the Father for the large and fine print written in His life plan. He listened closely and obeyed quickly. John 5:19 reflects His absolute dependence: “The Son can do nothing by Himself; he can do only what He sees the Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son does also.”
Like Jesus, we will discover God’s purpose for our lives through dependent hearts that seek to listen to His. We will find out what’s on God’s calendar and part of our calling when we live in the hear and now – listening for His voice and obeying it each day, in every here and now.
Questions to Consider
- Do I read my Bible so that God’s words and ways are familiar to me?
- Do I intentionally listen for God’s voice or do I assume I know what He wants me to do?
- If God were to speak to me, would I recognize His voice?
- Is my mind so full of worries that my thoughts drown out the possibility of hearing God’s thoughts?
Steps to Take
- Take time now to quiet your heart and your thoughts.
- Be still and acknowledge that God is God and you are not.
- Tell God your desire to hear Him today and then ask Him to speak to your heart.
- Share with Him your plans for the day and then ask Him to show you His.
- Give God permission to interrupt your thoughts and agenda and lead you in a different direction if He wants to.
- Get ready for a day filled with adventure and companionship as you walk hand in hand with your Maker.
Verses to Ponder
1 Samuel 3:10, “The LORD came and stood there, calling as at the other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” Then Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening.”
Psalm 119:16, “I delight in your decrees; I will not neglect your word.
John 14:31, “But the world must learn that I love the Father and that I do exactly what my Father has commanded me.”
Isaiah 55:2-3, “Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and you will delight in the richest of fare. Give ear and come to me; listen, that you may live….”
Isaiah 50:4, “The Sovereign LORD has given me an instructed tongue, to know the word that sustains the weary. He wakens me morning by morning, wakens my ear to listen like one being taught.”
If you want to become a woman who listens to God, and discover the adventure of faith He has for your life, you will want to read Lysa TerKeurst’s book What Happens When Women Say Yes to God.
I’m giving a copy away to one of you this week! It’s one of my all time favorite books and it kept me inspired to keep my promise to God that I will live in the hear and now! To enter to win, click on the word “comments’ right below this post and share your thoughts or questions about listening to God. Please include your email so I can find you if you win. I would love to hear your thoughts on this topic. Anything. Just talk to me…I’m listening :0). I love reading what you have to say!
And be sure to come back tomorrow! I’ll be talking more about listening to God and offering a great free resource to help you discern His voice from your own. If you’re new, I want you to know there’s a place for you here and I’d love for you to join us! You can subscribe to updates via email in my sidebar, link up in the Google Friend Connect box or become a friend on Facebook!
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God is so good!! This is my first time visiting your page and it has been a tremendous blessing to me. Not Listening to God is one of my biggest faults. I am so burdened with my own thoughts that I probably can't hear from God. After reading your suggestions I felt the spirit move in me. I am inspired to make a continuous effort to listen to God and not Sandi (me). Thank you for allowing God to use you to help others come closer to God. God Bless!
So many times I just assume I know what God wants me to do, and never really pray about it. Your devotion today helped me to realize that EVERYTHING needs prayer before choices are made.
Rene;
You spoke my life today! For the past few months I have made it a point to be quiet and to listen when God says, "Sit at my feet." Instead of being busy with other activities, I stop and do what He says. Some of my Christian friends think I am battling the enemy (which I find surprising!), but like you said, it is God building my character.
I would rather be who and what He wants me to be than what others believe I should be.
Thanks for your post!
Monica
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Renee, you hit the nail on the head. I wonder so often if I'm hearing God or myself. That is so hard for me. I need to quiet my thoughts and try to determine that. I'm anxious to read what you have to say tomorrow. Thanks!
I needed to hear this today! (Haha!) God knew I needed a fellow sister to tell me. I take it is an invitation from Him that He really wants to communicate with me, for me to slow down and make time to just commune with Him. Thank you for sharing what the Lord prompted you to share.
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This past year has been a journey of reinventing myself. As George Eliot said, "It's never too late to become the person you might have been". I am an incest survivor and presently in therapy to deal with the issues related to this. I am learning why I became who I was while at the same time learning how to become the person I was meant to be. It is only through a Christian mentor's wise counsel and shoving me along that I finally heeded God's words to me and began the terrifying process of dealing with the past. I now am daily listening for and to God. He is equipping me to write; preparing the path for me to share my story. The hopes and intent of my writing are to encourage others similar to myself by sharing my stories with them through my own journey to wholeness. God alone is the reason for my healing. I long to know God, glorify Him and serve Him throughout the rest of my days. This can only be accomplished by being still and quiet and waiting for His saving knowledge…Nichole
God instructs us to "Be still" and know that He is God. Telling us that sometimes, the chaos of children, families, animals, the dryer, etc. get in the way of our hearing that still, small voice. We should take the time to close our minds to all but Him so that we are in a position to hear him more clearly.
Thank you for sharing what God is speaking to you! I can relate to so much of what you said…like feeling that if I just knew what God wanted me to do with the rest of my life, then maybe I could become all that he has created me to be. But then I'm just looking at the future and the bigger picture, rather than seeing all the small, yet very meaningful things he wants me to do now. He will often remind me to be present in the moment…especially when it concerns spending time with my husband and children. They are my number one ministry! Thank you again for the reminder to listen to God's voice in the "hear and now". Your words are an encouragement!
I just finished a Bible Study on Discerning the Voice of God by Priscella Shirer. I would highly recommend this study for all who want to learn to hear God more closely and be open to hear his voice at all times. We must not only be open to hearing God's voice but be ready to obey him immediately so it will get easier to discern his voice.
One day, I was praying for Ministry direction from the Lord,and after asking I got quiet before Him…
My son who was about 12 at the time ran into his bathroom and his stomach was violently ill.
Well without becoming too graphic, he missed the toilet by a mile.
What a mess he made!
Cleaning the mess was my ministry for that day.
I feel so busy all the time. I work two jobs and have a family and a home. Although I know I can't truly be any more busy than most of my Christian sisters (especially the ones with 4+ kids!!), somehow I like to hold regular pity parties about why my overwhelming schedule puts me farther behind than anyone else. I find myself thinking, "When I get done with this time-consuming project, I'll take more time to be with the Lord." In reality, I know this project will just be replaced by something else, and I'll continue to make excuses not to spend more time reading the Bible, praying, and listening to God. I need to learn how to listen through the busy. I'm looking forward to reading more from you on this.
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Thank you Renee, when I was reading this I was just weeping. I felt you were speaking directly to me. I have been waiting on God to show me the "great" plans that He has for me but what I really need to do is to be quiet and listen. What is most important is the here and now. When I first came to your webpage I read the verse you had at the top – "If you search for me with all your heart, you will find me" Jeremiah 29:13. That verse I recieved on New Years Eve of the this year as Gods verse to me. God is AWESOME!! Thank you for al you do.
Great post. I'd love to win the book
My Grandpa always said that God gave us two ears and one mouth for a reason. We are to listen twice as much-I know I talk more at God rather than really truely listening to him. I want to hear his voice better-his is the ONLY one to listen to!
My Grandpa always said that God gave you two ears and one mouth for a reason. We are to listen twice as much as we talk. Often times, I find myself talking at God rather than really, truely, listening. Hoping today I can learn to listen, because his voice really, truely, is the ONLY one to listen to!
I want to say "Yes" to God so badly but find that my stubborn attitude often gets in the way. I pray that I want to say "Yes" and then when I hear his voice asking me to do something that is self-sacrificing – I find that I dig my heels in more often than I care to admit! I would love to read this book!
Thank you for addressing a huge concern I have in my life. I'm constantly struggeling to hear the Father's voice and get unsure wether it's him or my own selfish desires or worries I think I'm hearing..thank you for going there! I look forward to your additional posts 🙂
I had to smile when I received this devotion this morning because it was just yesterday morning on my way to work that I was having this conversation with God. What is my purpose? What do You want me to do? What do You want for my life and where do You want me to go. I am here, ready and willing to do what You want but I need to hear, know and understand when it is You speaking Father. Of course I found myself wanting to have the same conversation again with God this morning, and then this devotion. Renee, thank you so much for these words of encouragement. I will surely follow the steps you have given and let you know the outcome because I just love to show off about my Father. God bless you.
I struggle with knowing if it is God speaking or is it my own thoughts. I never feel certain and am filled with doubts.
dora
Sometimes when we listen for God to instruct us with this booming Hollywood type voice but He says "Be still and know that I am God". I am learning and making myself "be still" so I can hear. Sometimes it is through God's people, in His word, Prov 31 ministries, etc. but I have to stop so I can see and hear what He has for me.