Day 30: How Do I Know God Is Talking to Me? Read John 10:1-5 and 14:24. Prayer is not just talking at God, but talking with Him. In other words, prayer is talking and listening. Many of us are guilty of treating prayer as if we’re pulling up and ordering from a fast food restaurant. We place our order; pick it up; and then go on our way—the faster the better. So then, how do we do the listening part of prayer? How do we know it is God talking to us? Does God speak audibly to us? What does He sound like? How do we know it’s not just our imagination? God speaks through many venues: our conscience and thoughts, music, Christian friends, Christian literature and poetry, nature, preaching and teaching, and on and on. You can be sure though, that God always speaks through His Word. Listening to God is best done as we read His Word. Through God’s Word the Holy Spirit teaches, encourages, admonishes, empowers, and guides us. I’ve never personally heard God speak audibly, but I have discovered His guidance as I pray and spend time reading the Bible. Let’s look at some more important ideas about communication with God. Learning to recognize God’s voice and differentiate it from the plethora of other issues and voices calling to us is a matter of practice. I remember a particular football game I played in high school. My father was a child of the Depression who strongly valued work and who never truly understood the attraction of games. He only came to one of my football games that year. I was a defensive lineman. On one particular play, I slipped past the center and got a hand on the quarterback just as he was passing the ball. The quarterback went down and the ball was deflected up into the air where one of our linebackers grabbed it and ran for a touchdown. The dust settled and I looked downfield and watched our linebacker score. Then it happened. I heard his voice; my father’s. I can still hear it to this day. I heard it above the cheers of the crowd, the directions of the coaches, and the whistle of the referee. My father yelled three simple words that I will remember forever. I knew his voice. I’d heard it call me from bed to breakfast every morning. I’d heard it across a room when I needed to tone things down a bit. I’d heard it when he was doing something around the house and needed a hand. I’d heard it when it was time to leave for church or come in from playing. I’d heard it when he responded to my call: “Dad. Where are you?” And so on that Saturday morning at South View Middle School, it was not difficult for me to pick his voice out of the crowd. When William Wangler yelled, “That’s my boy!” his son heard him, and still hears him to this day. Do you recognize your heavenly Father’s voice? He is speaking to you, personally, lovingly, and consistently. As you continue to journey with Him, listen to Him, talk to Him, and answer Him. Be assured you will begin to recognize His voice. He is with you and He is not silent. Enjoy Him. You will learn to recognize his voice if you spend time with Him. What do I want to say to God today? What is God saying to me today?
Posted on: Tue, 02 Jul 2013 12:32:54 +0000