I am passionate about hearing God and for others to learn his voice, too. God lead me to some wonderful ladies through the Allume Conference, who are brave and bold and willing to share their story of how they have come to hear the voice of God through this series.
It is not a list of "how tos" or of verses on hearing God or things of the sort. Just an honest, open discussion of their journey to the place where they know God's voice. Praying you are encouraged through their story and steps of faith.
Hearing Him through His Word
Last fall, I found myself facing debilitating anxiety for the first time in my life. Sleepless nights, racing heart, impending sense of doom…these were all symptoms I carried with me for weeks. True to my nature, I didn’t share what was going on with anyone (not even my husband, although he could tell something was not right). I hid away from the world, only going out for work and church- until I began creating excuses to miss both.
There were certainly many factors leading to the state in which I found myself- a husband in his final year of law school, mounting debt due to said law school, a job I dreaded going to every day, and some delicate concerns with close family members. Every moment was filled with constant obsession of each issue. Short of requesting medication, I was lost for help.
I’ve never been the type who believed in God “speaking” to me.
Sure, I trusted He would lead me when I sought Him; I knew I would grow in my faith by the means of grace provided (prayer, faithful preaching of scripture, partaking of communion). However, I didn’t trust I could open the word, listen to a sermon, or read a devotion which would directly speak to me.
In fact, I rejected any such experience, for fear of taking a piece of scripture out of context, molding it to fit what I wanted to hear. And then, twice in one day, the Lord gave me a verse I had never heard:
“…fear not for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10 (ESV)
I did not seek out this verse- it found me in two very different ways, on the same day. And this produced an understanding of how the Lord speaks to me - to all of us…through His word. When we are in doubt, when we are in fear, we need to flee to the comfort of the very voice of our God. We need to trust when we listen to a faithfully preached sermon with open ears, we will hear our God whisper directly to our own hearts.
I know it seems simple- look to scripture. And how silly I am only now grasping this, after being a believer for a great number of years!
Since the day of Isaiah 41, I have made a conscious effort before sermons and my own quiet time, to pray the Lord would keep my ears and heart open to what He would have me hear…keeping my mind clear of what I want to hear, and being open to what He has to say to me.
“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:16-17
Daughter to a glorious King, wife to a remarkable man, and mama to a high-spirited puggle. She loves all things feminine and sparkly, and has a desire to master the fine art of being an elegant lady. Literature and music are the background décor of her life - and Phillipians Four is her refrain. She hopes to express the grace, beauty and faith she cherishes in her own world through her words. You can find her on instagram and her blog.
