Listen and Pray.

I have found lately that I’m stressed and tired and weak and distracted. It comes from a current scenario in my life that I’ve been walking through for about a year. And we all have those difficult moments in life when we tell ourselves we just need to grab the bootstraps and get on with it.

You and I have had moments when there seems no end to the pressure…no solving the problem…your thorn in the flesh is so imbedded, you’re not sure if you will ever be able to remove yourself from it. You wake up thinking about the issue and it’s the last thing you think about before you finally drift away at night. You and I have had questions about endings and new beginnings.

In those moments, I tend to pray a lot. I tend to have detailed conversations with God. I ask questions about the longevity of the situation and horizons of brighter sunlight. I know you have as well. Those moments create some vulnerability in your life. You depend on family and your inner circle of friends like you never have before.

One place I go repeated to gain strength is God’s Word. He reminds me that I’m his child and he has not forgotten me. I’m reminded he is my strength and my advocate. I’m reminded when I’m weak, he’s strong. He reminds me that he is in control.

I love Psalms 86. It is an open, vulnerable prayer. I read it and feel the connection to my Heavenly Father. It reads like this:

“Bend down, O Lord, and hear my prayer; answer me, for I need your help. Protect me, for I am devoted to you. Save me, for I serve you and trust you. You are my God. Be merciful to me, O Lord, for I am calling on you constantly. Give me happiness, O Lord, for I give myself to you.”

“O Lord, you are so good, so ready to forgive, so full of unfailing love for all who ask for your help. Listen closely to my prayer, O Lord; hear my urgent cry. I will call to you whenever I’m in trouble, and you will answer me. No pagan god is like you, O Lord. None can do what you do! All the nations you made will come and bow before you, Lord; they will praise your holy name. For you are great and perform wonderful deeds. You alone are God.” (New Living Translation)

So, where ever you are in your journey, know you have a Father that will listen. He’s a whisper away. Talk to him today and enjoy the refreshing conversation. He’s waiting for you. Blessings on the journey.

How do we know God's will in our life?

How do we know God’s will in our life? It’s the question that haunts each of us who claim to be a believer in Jesus. We all want to follow God’s will but sometimes it’s foggy or distant or blurry. If you’re like me, you want clear boundaries and parameters in direction. You want to know where you are headed so that you can correctly make wise decisions.

We know prayer is an essential part of a Kingdom-person’s life. We pray to our Heavenly Father to speak to us and guide us. We want to hear his voice. We know, based on Jesus’ own life on earth, that Kingdom-people love, serve, and live humbly. Jesus’ Kingdom is upside down compared to earthly kingdoms of fame, wealth, and power. In Jesus’ Kingdom, the greatest will be servant and slave of all. The first will be last and the last will be first.

So, in the Lord’s prayer in Matthew 6:9-13, Jesus prays, “You will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” Most of us pray that but then add, “I’ll weigh out your will and if I like it, then I’ll do it.” But how do I know God’s will? What do I need to do to find God’s will in my life?

Well, for God’s will to be done, I have to obey his instruction. Any of us that have children know this to be true. There have been moments when we taught them to change a tire, load the dishwasher or mow the grass. In those initial moments, we walked with them and interacted with them. They learned from us by being with us. They obeyed our instruction and example in order to accomplish the task.

So, to obey God’s instruction, you have to hear his voice. How in the world do we hear the voice of God? It comes in many ways. On Sunday mornings when you are gathered to celebrate Jesus as one big family of God, you hear the voice of God through the singing of praise, through the comments offered by the person presiding over communion, through the reading of God’s Word, and through the pastor offering his or her observations over a text from God’s Word. In those moments, God is speaking to you. Equally, as you interact with other people in your small group or a ministry group or even your own family, people offer insight from God into your life as you journey together. Sometimes, in the stillness of your day, you feel the Spirit of God laying some direction on your heart and soul.

But to truly hear His voice, you have to be listening. Years ago, my youngest son played high school football. The stands on Friday night were always fun, full, and loud. It was south Kansas City and the school was 6A so it was big deal. But out of all the noise that happens during a game, my son said he always heard two voices: his coach on the sidelines and his dad from way up in the stands. It’s because he had trained his ear to hear the encouragement that my voice offered during the heat of the battle.

To be able to hear God’s voice then, you must spend time with him. Compare the time you spent with God last week reading His Word and in prayer to the time you spent on the phone or on social media or binging Netflix. If you really want to hear God, you must dedicate time with him every single day. God’s voice is like radio waves…they are always in the air. You and I must “tune in” his voice to discover his will for us.

Ultimately, in order for God’s will to be accomplished, I have to be willing to let go of mine. God must become priority in life. His voice is the one you follow over everything else. His will is that you would live with him forever. He’s pursued you through all of history, eventually sending his Son to die for you. His upside down Kingdom is calling you. Your best life will take place when you answer God’s voice. So, create margin in life and in your calendar. Listen closely to those around you. Lean in and hear his whisper. Blessings on your journey.

Listening to God

Take a moment and time yourself. Sit quietly for 3 minutes, eyes closed, center yourself trusting God will place some word or phrase on your heart. God does interact with us all the time. We many times do not take the time to listen. How do you create space to hear from God? How packed is your day with extra items? When have you intentionally created margin in your day to hear from God?

James, the half-brother of Jesus, says in James 4:2, “You want but you don’t have, so you scheme to get it. You are jealous of others but you can’t get it. You don’t have what you want BECAUSE you don’t ask God for it.” And if you’re in dialogue with God, he’s going to answer you in some way.

As disciples of Christ, you and I are called to create the conditions on our end to hear God’s voice in our life. So, what are some ways I do that? Even though I’m a pastor and am constantly working on the “next sermon”, I have my own personal Bible study to hear God’s voice through scripture. I have a persistent prayer life, almost never saying “amen” because as I think, drive, walk, I’m praying. I keep a journal and write down spiritual and life thoughts as the week rolls on. I do my best to surround myself with positive, spiritual-led people so that I stay focused and encouraged. I create space for silence meaning no radio, no podcasts, no talking, no social media…just empty space to hear God speaking to me.

Paul calls us to be “transformed” (Romans 12:1-2). Stop putting it off. It’s time to create the space to be transformed into the beautiful creation you were meant to be in Jesus Christ. May God bless you as you start this journey toward a life with margin to hear God’s voice speak into your life.