Posted by 90 Days of Prayer – Day Thirty Two
Practice Listening For His Voice
Psalm 85:8
“Let me hear what God the LORD will speak, for he will speak peace to his people, to his saints; but let them not turn back to folly.”
It it appears in this Psalm that the sons of Korah are praying for revival. Looking back to a more favorable time they said in verse 1; “You, LORD, showed favor to your land; you restored the fortunes of Jacob.” The same thoughts are repeated in verses 4 and 5, indicating a strong desire for the restoration of God’s covenant blessings upon His people.
The Psalmist says “Let me hear” what God the Lord will speak. Calling on God and waiting for a response is the most natural thing for His people to do. When recalling the blessings of the past and pleading for God’s mercy to restore them once again, waiting on instructions from Him is just common sense. How else could we know what we should do next in applying His written Word to our situation?
The Prophet Habakkuk too was waiting on the Lord to speak to him in his day when he wrote; “I will stand at my watch and station myself on the ramparts; I will look to see what he will say to me, and what answer I am to give to this complaint.” ( Habakkuk 2:1)
Some of the most powerful moments alone with God will happen after we stop speaking and quietly wait for His response. On another occasion when Israel was in a deplorable condition, God approaches young Samuel. When Eli realized that it was God speaking to the young boy in the middle of the night, his advice was; “Go and lie down, and if he calls you, say, ‘Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening.’ ” (1 Samuel 3:9)
God is a Communicator
You can’t read the bible for long without noticing that the voice of God or the “word of the Lord” was very real to the people in both Old and New Testaments. In fact having God speak with them was for the most part a common occurrence in their culture. From Genesis to Revelation God continually affirmed and reaffirmed His covenant intentions by speaking to His people. Nearly 1/3 of the entire bible is taken up with passages concerning visions, dreams, angelic visitations and direct revelations from God, that’s almost the size of the New Testament. Nearly half the New Testament alone contains references to spiritual experiences, where people were hearing from God.
God is Speaking to You
Throughout the Bible you’ll read about men and women who were guided, instructed, warned and even visited by God. You’ll come across narratives of visions and dreams given to those who didn’t even know God. Any honest open minded reading of the Scriptures will reveal the fact that God loves to communicate with people. How powerful a force the Church in the book of Acts was, because they simply called on God and waited for instructions. In fact, God is speaking to you too!
Practice Active Listening
Learning to hear what God is saying will be a most powerful component to your own prayer life. Sitting quietly for a few minutes, allowing what is often hidden and suppressed way down in your heart to come to the surface; allows you to express your deepest longings to God. Take a moment to hear whatever He may say in response.
How often Jesus used the phrase “hear what the Spirit is saying.” He said it seven times in the first three chapters of the book of Revelation. So, follow the time honored practice of waiting on God for directions and instructions in your own situation. Be listening for His gentle voice within your heart. Write your questions and His responses in a journal, it’s so helpful to have a record of dialogues with God. So, ask God anything, wait for a response, be patient, Be hopeful, and Be Encouraged. -JSP