“Quietly Listen to God”

John 8:47 (NIV)

47 Whoever belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God.”

Sometimes God speaks loudly and clearly. Most of the time God speaks with a quiet voice. This is why it is important to carve out some quiet time each day to study His Word and sense His direction. This same method worked for Jesus when He was with His disciples. Jesus would make time to get away from the crowd and spend some time with The Father.

This is where we need to be patient and slow down. James tells us that the prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.

James 5:16 (NIV)

The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.

Now we need to have a quiet heart and listen for God’s answer. When I need that reminder, I take comfort in this story from 1 Kings. After Elijah defeated the prophets of Baal, he sought rest and truth from the Lord:

“The LORD said, ‘Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by. ‘Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper” (1 Kings 19:11-12, NIV).

The Lord told Elijah to stand on the mountain in His presence, but He didn’t come in the ways Elijah (or we) would have expected: in a wind, earthquake or even a fire. He came in a gentle whisper.

We need to quiet our heart and listen to God.

Listen to God