The Spirit nudges me at different times, generally very unexpectedly. But, I do notice a trend lately of hearing God in the early morning before I awake. Lately, I’ve been hearing Him around 4:30 am. I can’t wait to be in the same time zone as the Living Lord! But until then I’m working on honing my listening skills. I don’t want to miss a thing He says.
Maybe you are scratching your head wondering if I’ve lost my marbles, thinking God talks to you? Or maybe you are nodding knowingly because He speaks to you, too, at 4:30 am. If you have a better time slot, please don’t rub it in!
There have been many times in my life when I’ve been too busy to hear the voice of God. And there have been times when I’ve chosen to ignore it, and even more times when I’ve simply failed to recognize it. After all, it really would be so much easier if God would just use His best Charlton Heston voice over a loud speaker:
“KRISTIN. IT IS ME, GOD. I’M GOING TO SPEAK CLEARLY SO YOU WILL HEAR AND UNDERSTAND ME”.
As we know, that kind of stuff only happens in the movies. And the Bible. Or does it?
His voice can be subtle and easy to miss if you are distracted. I have several things I do to help me stay focused and ready to hear Him.
Stay in the Word. Scripture is the vocabulary of the Holy Spirit. It’s how God communicates to us. The Bible is His great love story for us and reading His Word keeps me fluent and open to hear His message for me.
Bible Study. I am blessed to be part of a weekly women’s bible study. Fellowship, prayer time, and an incredible lecture keep me focused and accountable. It’s amazing when you experience how relevant and alive God’s word is TODAY.
Prayer. If you want someone to talk to you, you also need to talk to them! God is no different. Our prayers delight Him! I like to start my conversation with God by praying even before I get out of bed each morning.
Music. Music moves me! Physically and spiritually. I love all kinds of music which is evidenced by an eclectic and extensive itunes collection. My Christian play list is amazing and evolving. Nothing puts me in a better mood or opens my heart more than jamming a joyful noise to the Lord.
What about you? What ideas can you share that help you to hear God?
For the about the last eight years I have called on Scripture from 1Samuel 3:9. I too start my prayers in bed before rising in the morning. It is my nest where there are no distractions. Once I hit the coffee pot then the computer I have to really drag myself back to the discipline of “listening.” Therefore, I truly seek God upon waking up each morning with the scripture mentioned above.
Eli is telling Samuel this: “Go and lie down, and if he calls you, say, ‘Speak, LORD, for your serant is listening.'”
I am am already obeying the first command, and I know He never leaves me as He promises, so I know He constantly calls to me, waiting for me to come to Him. Thus, His servant is listening.
Such an easy passage for me to memorize and remember and serves me well to stop and listen for His call upon my heart.