"For God does speak, now one way, now another, though man may not perceive it." Job 33:14
God speaks to us in ways we often miss. He has many ways of speaking, some of them unexpected.
Most of us hear God through His word, His peace, a still small voice, circumstances, other Christians, wisdom and common sense. God speaks in other ways too and that’s what I want to encourage you to consider today.
It's important not to get bogged down with how He Speaks. The important thing is to expect Him to speak and be ready for Him to speak in unexpected ways.
If we want to hear God, the first thing we need to do is learn how to tune in to His voice. The better we get to know God and His ways the easier it is to tune in and recognise when it's Him speaking.
Learning to recognise when God is speaking takes time and effort. The more often we meet with God and talk with Him, the clearer His voice becomes. When we become familiar with God's presence and His voice it's easier to hear.
Sometimes we don't hear God because we're not really expecting Him to speak or because we expect Him to speak in a certain way. When He speaks in a way we don't expect, we often miss what He's saying.
God is full of surprises. We must never forget that He isn't human and it's a mistake to limit Him to what we know or expect.
We need to be open to God speaking to us in any way He chooses and not just in those ways that are familiar.
The way in which each of us 'hears' from God varies. God’s 'voice' isn't limited to words. He speaks through all of His creation.
Many of us 'hear' God speaking to us through our circumstances or surroundings. In the Bible, He spoke to people in ways that they could see and experience in their daily lives. God communicated with people through what was obvious and all around them.
He does the same with us today.
Larry Randolph tells us "the human body is like a giant ear drum that processes thousands of pieces of information from every spectrum of life"
We hear God through all of our senses. The 'sound' of His voice comes in many different ways. There is no set way of hearing God.
These are some of the ways He speaks to us and some of the means He uses:
An inner voice
An inner witness of the Holy Spirit
Inspired thought
Impressions
Dreams
Visions
Visitations
Conscience
His peace
Wisdom
Mental pictures
Physical senses
Nature
The heavens
Symbolic language
Other people
Prophecy
Events in the secular world
Films
Billboards
Fiction
Songs
Apparent coincidences
Circumstances
His written word
Even an audible voice, though I have to tell you, that’s rare.
God often speaks to us in a combination of ways; creating a symphony that we are able to hear once we learn to tune in.
Psalm 119:105 tells us that God's word is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path.
Many of us have had a Scripture suddenly come into our mind or a Bible reference, which, when we look it up, speaks directly to our situation.
God often speaks to us through His word. We need to read it, study it and meditate on it. It's a lamp to our feet and a plumb line to measure everything by.
On the back cover of Larry Randolph's book, 'Spirit Talk', it says, "It was in the garden of Eden that the creator first communed with His creation. Since that time, generations of men have forgotten that God is a talking God, and as a result many live in a vacuum of spiritual silence. Thus, the age-old question: Could the Creator really be speaking today? And, if so, how do we perceive the sound of His Voice?"
In the coming weeks we'll be looking at the different ways in which God communicates with us and how to recognise His voice.
You can hear God's voice every day and it's much easier than you think.
If you'd like to know when the next article is posted, please click on the subscribe link in the right hand column.
You can send this page to a friend by clicking on the arrow below.
Tuesday, October 31, 2006
Jason Upton
This is a link to a video of Jason Upton singing 'You’re Not Alone'
It's an anointed song which includes an inspiring story about Martin Luther.
The song will help you to realise that you are never alone.
Let the Father minister to your heart through Jason.
If you enjoy this style of worship, there's a link at the top of his site to kod radio - you can listen to tracks from his albums throughout the day.
Here are the lyrics to the song
You’re Not Alone (words and music by Jason Upton)
Don’t be afraid, baby don’t you cry
Daddy’s here, it’ll be all rightYou’re not alone, you’re not alone
Don’t be afraid when it’s cold at night
I will keep you warm, I will hold you tight
You’re not alone, you’re not alone
Chorus:
Look beyond the window there
To the sky above, to the open air
Look beyond where you can see
Close your eyes and just believe
The lion roars and the lamb lays down
They live together in a whole new town
They’re calling me and they’re calling you
From the cold hard facts that we’re on our own
To the age old truth that we’re not alone
We’re not alone, we’re not alone,We’re not alone, we’re not alone
Don’t be afraid when you scrape your knee
I’ve got a bandaid waiting and a kiss for free
You’re not alone, you’re not alone
Don’t be afraid of your blind belief
‘Cause the more you fly the more you see
You’re not alone, you’re not alone
Chorus
Don’t be afraid little warrior bride,
The victory’s on the other side
You’re not alone, you’re not alone
Don’t be afraid little warrior bride,
The victory’s on the other side
You’re not alone, you’re not alone
It's an anointed song which includes an inspiring story about Martin Luther.
The song will help you to realise that you are never alone.
Let the Father minister to your heart through Jason.
If you enjoy this style of worship, there's a link at the top of his site to kod radio - you can listen to tracks from his albums throughout the day.
Here are the lyrics to the song
You’re Not Alone (words and music by Jason Upton)
Don’t be afraid, baby don’t you cry
Daddy’s here, it’ll be all rightYou’re not alone, you’re not alone
Don’t be afraid when it’s cold at night
I will keep you warm, I will hold you tight
You’re not alone, you’re not alone
Chorus:
Look beyond the window there
To the sky above, to the open air
Look beyond where you can see
Close your eyes and just believe
The lion roars and the lamb lays down
They live together in a whole new town
They’re calling me and they’re calling you
From the cold hard facts that we’re on our own
To the age old truth that we’re not alone
We’re not alone, we’re not alone,We’re not alone, we’re not alone
Don’t be afraid when you scrape your knee
I’ve got a bandaid waiting and a kiss for free
You’re not alone, you’re not alone
Don’t be afraid of your blind belief
‘Cause the more you fly the more you see
You’re not alone, you’re not alone
Chorus
Don’t be afraid little warrior bride,
The victory’s on the other side
You’re not alone, you’re not alone
Don’t be afraid little warrior bride,
The victory’s on the other side
You’re not alone, you’re not alone
Thursday, October 26, 2006
God - Our Best Friend - Part 2
We are on God's mind all the time. He's always thinking about us.
I spoke last week of God's longing to be our best friend. This week I want to encourage you to continue building your friendship with God.
We do that by sharing everything with Him. He wants to be included in everything we do.
When we invite God to be part of everything, we find that everything we do can be 'spending time' in His presence if we remain aware of Him.
God is with us all the time. Once we get a hold of that fact we can be in constant communion with Him.
Like Brother Lawrence we can learn to practice the presence of God. It is possible to be more and more aware of our friend and Father through the day. We can train ourselves to remember that God is always with us and wants to be part of all we do.
Make a point of talking with God constantly through the day. Talk to Him about everything, share your thoughts with Him and listen for His replies.
Ask yourself what you can do to remind yourself to think about God more and talk to Him constantly.
Whatever it is, plan to do it.
Growing friendship with God is a choice.
Ask yourself:
How much do I want it?
Is it worth the effort of developing new habits?
I reminded you last week that God promised the captives in Babylon that when they got serious about finding Him and wanted it more than anything else, He would make sure they weren't disappointed.
Is anything more important than developing an intimate friendship with God?
What will you do to make sure you grow closer to Him?
Take time to stop and think about it.
What one thing will you begin doing today to ensure that your friendship with God grows?
Write it down where you'll see it and make sure you do it.
He's worth it.
Next week we're going to start looking at the different ways that God speaks to us and how we can tune in to hear Him more clearly.
This week's free offering is 'Adventures in God' by John G Lake.
If you e-mail me and put 'Adventures in God' in the subject line, I'll send you a PDF file of the book.
Adventures in God, is a collection of stories telling of his adventures with God. His story will challenge you to reach a new level in your own spiritual walk.
If you'd like to be notified when the next article is posted, please click on the subscribe link in the right hand column.
You can send this page to a friend by clicking on the arrow below.
I spoke last week of God's longing to be our best friend. This week I want to encourage you to continue building your friendship with God.
We do that by sharing everything with Him. He wants to be included in everything we do.
When we invite God to be part of everything, we find that everything we do can be 'spending time' in His presence if we remain aware of Him.
God is with us all the time. Once we get a hold of that fact we can be in constant communion with Him.
Like Brother Lawrence we can learn to practice the presence of God. It is possible to be more and more aware of our friend and Father through the day. We can train ourselves to remember that God is always with us and wants to be part of all we do.
Make a point of talking with God constantly through the day. Talk to Him about everything, share your thoughts with Him and listen for His replies.
Ask yourself what you can do to remind yourself to think about God more and talk to Him constantly.
Whatever it is, plan to do it.
Growing friendship with God is a choice.
Ask yourself:
How much do I want it?
Is it worth the effort of developing new habits?
I reminded you last week that God promised the captives in Babylon that when they got serious about finding Him and wanted it more than anything else, He would make sure they weren't disappointed.
Is anything more important than developing an intimate friendship with God?
What will you do to make sure you grow closer to Him?
Take time to stop and think about it.
What one thing will you begin doing today to ensure that your friendship with God grows?
Write it down where you'll see it and make sure you do it.
He's worth it.
Next week we're going to start looking at the different ways that God speaks to us and how we can tune in to hear Him more clearly.
This week's free offering is 'Adventures in God' by John G Lake.
If you e-mail me and put 'Adventures in God' in the subject line, I'll send you a PDF file of the book.
Adventures in God, is a collection of stories telling of his adventures with God. His story will challenge you to reach a new level in your own spiritual walk.
If you'd like to be notified when the next article is posted, please click on the subscribe link in the right hand column.
You can send this page to a friend by clicking on the arrow below.
Thursday, October 19, 2006
God - Our Best Friend
God longs to be our best friend.
We were created to live continually in God’s presence and to have an intimate friendship with Him.
'Now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God –
all because of what Jesus has done for us in making us friends of God.'
Romans 5:11
Jesus said, 'I'm no longer calling you servants because servants don't understand what their master is thinking and planning. No, I've named you friends because I've let you in on everything I've heard from the Father.'
God wants us to know Him intimately.
'He made the entire human race and made the earth hospitable, with plenty of time and space for living so we could seek after God, and not just grope around in the dark but actually find him. He doesn't play hide-and-seek with us. He's not remote; he's near.' Acts 17:26-27
We become friends with someone through continuous conversation. Friends talk to each other often and share details of their life.
Friends share secrets. God shares His secrets with us when we spend time with Him throughout the day.
It's possible carry on a constant conversation with God.
We can talk to Him about what we’re doing and thinking and pause to listen for His response.
In Thessalonians we are told to pray without ceasing, this means having a day-long conversation with God.
It’s possible because God is with us all the time. Ephesians 4 tells us that God rules everything and is everywhere and in everything.
We can know our Father; He’s waiting to make Himself known. All we have to do is to stop long enough to wait and listen.
We can all be as close to God as we choose to be.
God told the captives in Babylon 'When you come looking for me, you'll find me. 'Yes, when you get serious about finding me and want it more than anything else, I'll make sure you won't be disappointed.' Jeremiah 29:13
Keep on asking; keep on seeking until you get what you're after.
When you draw close to God, He will draw close to you.
That’s His promise.
To know Jesus as a personal friend is the greatest privilege we have, not just knowing about Him but really knowing Him. Jesus told the disciples that He would be their friend. They talked with Him about everything and He talked with them, daily. Jesus wants the same with us today.
It’s never too late to start cultivating and nurturing a friendship with God.
Dialogue with Him and meditate on what He says to you.
Speak to God and wait for Him speak to you.
'Pray remember what I have recommended to you, which is, to think often on God, by day, by night, in your business, and even in your diversions. He is always near you and with you; leave Him not alone. You would think it rude to leave a friend alone, who came to visit you: why then must God be neglected? Do not then forget Him, but think on Him often, adore Him continually live and die with Him; this is the glorious employment of a Christian; in a word, this is our profession, if we do not know it we must learn it.'
Brother Lawrence
Andrew Murray, in his book 'Waiting on God', writes, 'We must not only think of our waiting upon God, but also of what is more wonderful still, of God's waiting upon us. The vision of Him waiting on us will give new impulse and inspiration to our waiting upon Him. It will give us an
unspeakable confidence that our waiting cannot be in vain. If He waits for us, then we may be sure that we are more than welcome, and that He rejoices to find those He has been seeking for.'
See 'How Real Is God To You' for information on Brother Lawrence.
This week’s free offering is 'How To Pray' by RA Toorey. If you’d like a PDF file of this classic on prayer just e-mail Lynne and put 'how to pray' in the subject line.
If you’d like to know when the next article is posted, please click on the subscribe link in the left hand column.
You can send this page to a friend by clicking on the arrow below.
We were created to live continually in God’s presence and to have an intimate friendship with Him.
'Now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God –
all because of what Jesus has done for us in making us friends of God.'
Romans 5:11
Jesus said, 'I'm no longer calling you servants because servants don't understand what their master is thinking and planning. No, I've named you friends because I've let you in on everything I've heard from the Father.'
God wants us to know Him intimately.
'He made the entire human race and made the earth hospitable, with plenty of time and space for living so we could seek after God, and not just grope around in the dark but actually find him. He doesn't play hide-and-seek with us. He's not remote; he's near.' Acts 17:26-27
We become friends with someone through continuous conversation. Friends talk to each other often and share details of their life.
Friends share secrets. God shares His secrets with us when we spend time with Him throughout the day.
It's possible carry on a constant conversation with God.
We can talk to Him about what we’re doing and thinking and pause to listen for His response.
In Thessalonians we are told to pray without ceasing, this means having a day-long conversation with God.
It’s possible because God is with us all the time. Ephesians 4 tells us that God rules everything and is everywhere and in everything.
We can know our Father; He’s waiting to make Himself known. All we have to do is to stop long enough to wait and listen.
We can all be as close to God as we choose to be.
God told the captives in Babylon 'When you come looking for me, you'll find me. 'Yes, when you get serious about finding me and want it more than anything else, I'll make sure you won't be disappointed.' Jeremiah 29:13
Keep on asking; keep on seeking until you get what you're after.
When you draw close to God, He will draw close to you.
That’s His promise.
To know Jesus as a personal friend is the greatest privilege we have, not just knowing about Him but really knowing Him. Jesus told the disciples that He would be their friend. They talked with Him about everything and He talked with them, daily. Jesus wants the same with us today.
It’s never too late to start cultivating and nurturing a friendship with God.
Dialogue with Him and meditate on what He says to you.
Speak to God and wait for Him speak to you.
'Pray remember what I have recommended to you, which is, to think often on God, by day, by night, in your business, and even in your diversions. He is always near you and with you; leave Him not alone. You would think it rude to leave a friend alone, who came to visit you: why then must God be neglected? Do not then forget Him, but think on Him often, adore Him continually live and die with Him; this is the glorious employment of a Christian; in a word, this is our profession, if we do not know it we must learn it.'
Brother Lawrence
Andrew Murray, in his book 'Waiting on God', writes, 'We must not only think of our waiting upon God, but also of what is more wonderful still, of God's waiting upon us. The vision of Him waiting on us will give new impulse and inspiration to our waiting upon Him. It will give us an
unspeakable confidence that our waiting cannot be in vain. If He waits for us, then we may be sure that we are more than welcome, and that He rejoices to find those He has been seeking for.'
See 'How Real Is God To You' for information on Brother Lawrence.
This week’s free offering is 'How To Pray' by RA Toorey. If you’d like a PDF file of this classic on prayer just e-mail Lynne and put 'how to pray' in the subject line.
If you’d like to know when the next article is posted, please click on the subscribe link in the left hand column.
You can send this page to a friend by clicking on the arrow below.
Thursday, October 12, 2006
A Guide to Spiritual Journaling
As you journey through life with God, recording your adventure in a journal is a great help
Journaling is simply a way of recording your journey with God. It helps you to pay more attention to God and is a way of way of learning to hear and respond to Him.By keeping a record you can see what God’s been doing, how far you’ve come and where you’re going.
Keeping a journal will help you to see how God is working in your life.
Your journal is more than a place to record daily events
It’s a place for inner growth and personal discovery. It acts as a mirror, is a safe place to explore things with God and is a place to generate and record ideas. As such, it becomes a good friend and sounding board.
Benefits of Journaling
Keeping a journal will enlarge your vision and increase your expectancy.
It helps you to keep you in good spiritual shape and stay true to your values.
Your journal acts as a safe place to process what God is doing in your life and the lives of those around you.
Journaling leads to personal growth and discovery through writing and reflection.
It helps you to see where you’re going with God and to understand your spiritual journey.
Your journal will provide a record that shows you how far you’ve journeyed, what God has been doing in your life and how much you’ve grown.
Your journal can be anything you want it to be
It could be a catalogue of your thoughts and prayers and God’s answers. A collection of wisdom and insight gleaned from God’s word and others. A record of encounters with other Christians God puts across your path … whatever serves you.
A Guide To Journaling
Start by praying. Ask the Holy Spirit, your Counsellor and Teacher, to lead you as you journal.
Write what's on your heart. Talk to God; be honest with Him and with yourself. Share your joys, victories, desires, frustrations, uncertainties and heartaches with Him. Write down your goals, prayers, dreams, memories and special events. Record Biblical and spiritual insights and revelations. Write out your praises to God.
Listen and document. Record what God puts on your heart and what He’s saying through your dreams and through others.
Date every entry. This helps you to see your progress and makes it easier to find things.
Highlight scriptures that God gives you and words that He speaks to your heart, so you can easily find them in your journal when you want to re-read them. Sometimes God speaks the same thing in different ways as He tries to get your attention and impress on you the importance of what He’s saying. A journal helps you to spot that.
A journal helps us to make sense of our life. It helps us to stop and notice what’s happening and what’s being said, understand it and respond. A journal helps us to become aware of the many signs of God’s presence.
There's no right or wrong way to journal.
I recommend that you don’t immediately evaluate what comes. Don’t censor your thoughts, simply write, allowing your thoughts to flow uninterrupted.
It’s a good idea to do a summary every few months. I’m always encouraged when I do this and amazed at what God has been saying and the many things that I've forgotten.
Please let me know how you get on and feel free to share your own journaling tips with other readers.
You can share this article with a friend by clicking on the arrow below.
If you want to be notified of the next update you can subscribe using the links in the right hand column.
I leave you with a thought …
The unexamined life is not worth living … Socrates
And the offer of another free book in PDF format.
If you send an e-mail with ‘Deeper Life’ in the subject bar, I’ll send you a copy of Andrew Murray’s ‘The Deeper Christian Life’ to add to your Christian classic collection.
Journaling is simply a way of recording your journey with God. It helps you to pay more attention to God and is a way of way of learning to hear and respond to Him.By keeping a record you can see what God’s been doing, how far you’ve come and where you’re going.
Keeping a journal will help you to see how God is working in your life.
Your journal is more than a place to record daily events
It’s a place for inner growth and personal discovery. It acts as a mirror, is a safe place to explore things with God and is a place to generate and record ideas. As such, it becomes a good friend and sounding board.
Benefits of Journaling
Keeping a journal will enlarge your vision and increase your expectancy.
It helps you to keep you in good spiritual shape and stay true to your values.
Your journal acts as a safe place to process what God is doing in your life and the lives of those around you.
Journaling leads to personal growth and discovery through writing and reflection.
It helps you to see where you’re going with God and to understand your spiritual journey.
Your journal will provide a record that shows you how far you’ve journeyed, what God has been doing in your life and how much you’ve grown.
Your journal can be anything you want it to be
It could be a catalogue of your thoughts and prayers and God’s answers. A collection of wisdom and insight gleaned from God’s word and others. A record of encounters with other Christians God puts across your path … whatever serves you.
A Guide To Journaling
Start by praying. Ask the Holy Spirit, your Counsellor and Teacher, to lead you as you journal.
Write what's on your heart. Talk to God; be honest with Him and with yourself. Share your joys, victories, desires, frustrations, uncertainties and heartaches with Him. Write down your goals, prayers, dreams, memories and special events. Record Biblical and spiritual insights and revelations. Write out your praises to God.
Listen and document. Record what God puts on your heart and what He’s saying through your dreams and through others.
Date every entry. This helps you to see your progress and makes it easier to find things.
Highlight scriptures that God gives you and words that He speaks to your heart, so you can easily find them in your journal when you want to re-read them. Sometimes God speaks the same thing in different ways as He tries to get your attention and impress on you the importance of what He’s saying. A journal helps you to spot that.
A journal helps us to make sense of our life. It helps us to stop and notice what’s happening and what’s being said, understand it and respond. A journal helps us to become aware of the many signs of God’s presence.
There's no right or wrong way to journal.
I recommend that you don’t immediately evaluate what comes. Don’t censor your thoughts, simply write, allowing your thoughts to flow uninterrupted.
It’s a good idea to do a summary every few months. I’m always encouraged when I do this and amazed at what God has been saying and the many things that I've forgotten.
Please let me know how you get on and feel free to share your own journaling tips with other readers.
You can share this article with a friend by clicking on the arrow below.
If you want to be notified of the next update you can subscribe using the links in the right hand column.
I leave you with a thought …
The unexamined life is not worth living … Socrates
And the offer of another free book in PDF format.
If you send an e-mail with ‘Deeper Life’ in the subject bar, I’ll send you a copy of Andrew Murray’s ‘The Deeper Christian Life’ to add to your Christian classic collection.
Wednesday, October 04, 2006
Hearing God Through Journaling
What makes us so desperate to hear God’s voice?
I think we’re desperate because God is continually calling us to come aside and spend time with Him.
God longs to talk with us as He did with Adam. He longs for continual, open and honest communication with each of us.
John 17 tells us that eternal life is that we may know the only true God and Jesus Christ who He sent. Eternal life is knowing God the Father and His Son.
Know, in this passage, means ‘to be intimately acquainted with someone in a growing, progressive relationship.’
I’d never thought of eternal life as a relationship before, but this passage suggests that eternal life is a relationship.
We can live in relationship and daily conversation with God as Adam and Enoch and Jesus and many others have.
In Proverbs 8:32-36, God says,
‘Now therefore, Listen to Me, for blessed are they who keep My ways. Heed instruction and be wise. And do not neglect it. Blessed is the man who listens to Me, watching daily at My gates, waiting at My doorposts. For he who finds Me, finds life. And obtains favour from the Lord.’
Pray these verses over your life and ask God to give you listening ears:
Isaiah 50:4-5 says, ‘The Sovereign LORD has taught me what to say,so that I can strengthen the weary. Every morning he makes me eager to hear what He is going to teach me. The LORD has given me understanding, and I have not rebelled or turned away from him.’
‘The Lord God has given me the tongue of disciples, that I may know how to sustain the weary one with a word. He awakens me morning by morning. He awakens my ear to listen as a disciple. The Lord God has opened my ear; and I was not disobedient, nor did I turn back.’
Set aside time to be still and pray. Ask the Lord what He wants you to know about yourself. Write down what you hear Him say; the quiet thoughts that come to your mind as you wait. This simple exercise could change your life. It will help to open your eyes to how much God loves you and what He thinks of you. You matter to God.
When you ask God to tell you what He thinks of you. His answer will mirror Jeremiah 29:11: ‘For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.’
Any thoughts that condemn or make you feel bad about yourself will not be from God. God may gently convict you but He will not condemn you. There is always redemption in what God says to us.
You could try asking God what His thoughts are towards someone He has put on your heart. Ask Him for words of encouragement for them and record what God says to you.
Remember, don’t censor as you write. Let the thoughts flow. Give the Father an opportunity to say whatever He wants to say to you.
Enjoy the adventure.
I’d love to know how you get on with this. You can email me or leave a message on the blog.
If you like to read and would like more inspiration, I have a PDF file of Tozers’s ‘The Pursuit of God’. Just email me, put Pursuit of God in the subject bar and I’ll send it to you.
If you’d like to know when the next article is posted, please click on the subscribe link in the left hand column.
You can send this article to a friend by clicking on the arrow below.
I think we’re desperate because God is continually calling us to come aside and spend time with Him.
God longs to talk with us as He did with Adam. He longs for continual, open and honest communication with each of us.
John 17 tells us that eternal life is that we may know the only true God and Jesus Christ who He sent. Eternal life is knowing God the Father and His Son.
Know, in this passage, means ‘to be intimately acquainted with someone in a growing, progressive relationship.’
I’d never thought of eternal life as a relationship before, but this passage suggests that eternal life is a relationship.
We can live in relationship and daily conversation with God as Adam and Enoch and Jesus and many others have.
In Proverbs 8:32-36, God says,
‘Now therefore, Listen to Me, for blessed are they who keep My ways. Heed instruction and be wise. And do not neglect it. Blessed is the man who listens to Me, watching daily at My gates, waiting at My doorposts. For he who finds Me, finds life. And obtains favour from the Lord.’
Pray these verses over your life and ask God to give you listening ears:
Isaiah 50:4-5 says, ‘The Sovereign LORD has taught me what to say,so that I can strengthen the weary. Every morning he makes me eager to hear what He is going to teach me. The LORD has given me understanding, and I have not rebelled or turned away from him.’
‘The Lord God has given me the tongue of disciples, that I may know how to sustain the weary one with a word. He awakens me morning by morning. He awakens my ear to listen as a disciple. The Lord God has opened my ear; and I was not disobedient, nor did I turn back.’
Set aside time to be still and pray. Ask the Lord what He wants you to know about yourself. Write down what you hear Him say; the quiet thoughts that come to your mind as you wait. This simple exercise could change your life. It will help to open your eyes to how much God loves you and what He thinks of you. You matter to God.
When you ask God to tell you what He thinks of you. His answer will mirror Jeremiah 29:11: ‘For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.’
Any thoughts that condemn or make you feel bad about yourself will not be from God. God may gently convict you but He will not condemn you. There is always redemption in what God says to us.
You could try asking God what His thoughts are towards someone He has put on your heart. Ask Him for words of encouragement for them and record what God says to you.
Remember, don’t censor as you write. Let the thoughts flow. Give the Father an opportunity to say whatever He wants to say to you.
Enjoy the adventure.
I’d love to know how you get on with this. You can email me or leave a message on the blog.
If you like to read and would like more inspiration, I have a PDF file of Tozers’s ‘The Pursuit of God’. Just email me, put Pursuit of God in the subject bar and I’ll send it to you.
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