Is this thing on?

In ministry, one of the main questions I’ve been asked is so simple in it’s motive, and yet something that can baffle both a new believer and a seasoned Christ-follower all the same: how do I hear God’s voice? Does God still speak? How can I know if what I’ve heard is really Him?

We all crave to know that God hears us. I think that sometimes we doubt that He really knows and sees based on the fact that we don’t feel like He says anything in return when we speak to Him. And yet, He does speak. He is speaking. I think the problem is not that He does not speak, but rather, that our awareness of His voice is often clouded.

My days are filled with the great honor of caring for two devastatingly handsome young boys. In such a task, it is quite easy for me to go into what I like to affectionately refer to as “survival mode.” This is where I go into a zone of focus on making it from morning to nap time and then from nap time to bed time. All the in between can get lost in the hurried details of making sure that neither one of my boys are screaming, hurting, or hungry. It is extremely easy to let my day become mindless, or worse, to let my flesh take over and fill my head with every thought but thoughts of Him.

The problem with this, is that in doing “survival mode,” I can miss out on a plethora of ways that God may be speaking to me throughout my day. Am I taking time out to pray or put my mind on things above during the course of my day? Am I stopping to reflect on His word at various times during my day? Am I even being still long enough to listen if He did have something to say to me?

You see, the problem is most likely not that He isn’t speaking. On the contrary, He speaks in many ways at many times: He can use my kids to show me something about Himself. He can reveal something to me as I ponder upon His Word. He can use something I read to show me an answer to a prayer for wisdom. Bottom line: He is speaking. The real question, though, is am I listening?

Today, make a conscious effort to make space in your head for God to reveal Himself to you. Take breaks from your normal routine and reflect. Take a moment and read His word. Insert prayers of praise, thanksgiving, and petition throughout your day. I think you’ll find that God is speaking, and that He’ll continually surprise you in the way He chooses to do so.