CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW?

“The Lord hears his people when they call to him for help. He rescues them from all their troubles.” Psalms 34:17 NLT

Prayer is communication. It relates our heart to God. The weird thing about prayer is, most of the time we see it as a one-way communication. I tell God what's on my mind, share a need, bless the food, and pray for the sports team. The truth is, I make prayer about me and my needs. I'm not saying that I don't need to petition God for things that I am concerned about, but most of the time, l see myself giving him lip service. I could tell him the time of day and it would mean just as much. Prayers of faith require engaging with God through the Holy Spirit. He is our helper. He is the one that speaks for me when I pray and have no words of my own. He is the one who explains to God what I cannot utter when I am in so much emotional pain that I cannot complete sentences. I fail when I say prayers that leave God hanging. He wants to say something back to me. He wants to be heard. As much as I love the instruction manual He left us, I still want to hear Him speak directly to me. I would love to hear the audible voice, but I think I am supposed to be satisfied with the still small voice. I remember the old phone commercial with the phrase “Can you hear me now?” I feel like sometimes I expect God to be the one running around asking that very question. In reality, I need to be the one in search of Him. I know He can hear me wherever I am, but I need to be finding the place where I stand and say “Yes Lord, I hear you now!”

Take a little time as you pray today to wait on the Lord to speak. Spend a few moments in praise and worship to bring your spirit into His presence. If you don't succeed, continue trying tomorrow. Don't be discourages as you try to learn to draw near to Him and determine what His voice sounds like. If you can describe how you hear from God, whether it is through His word or the still small voice, share your experience. It may help someone realize that they may already be hearing God's voice and just haven't been able to identify it as such.