Hearing God’s Voice – Part I

The Evolution of Communication

Most of us aren’t able to remember our first words. Our parents, however, can regale us with stories of how beautifully we spoke at the age of two – communicating in complete sentences – enunciating at a level far more advanced than our peers. Truth be told, we learn everything from them – our first teachers. Children listen intently and lock their eyes on their parents. They appear to study them in hopes of one day being just like them.

One of my earliest memories of imitating my mom came as the result of sticking very close to her and watching her every move. I’d sit in the mirror to “style” my hair – legs crossed and using her comb, her brush, and lots and lots of bobby pins. Afterward, I’d spray a little “smell good” onto my right wrist and rub it against the left, always taking a second or two to breathe in the scent that now filled the room.

Another practice I learned from my mother was routine prayer time. Each night before bed, she’d get on her knees, and I’d snuggle right next to her – hands clasped together just like hers, eyes closed, and head bowed. We’d say The Lord’s Prayer together each night, and before long, I had it memorized. For years, that was my prayer, and for years, it was enough.

Fast forward 30 or so years, and that prayer is no longer enough. Somewhere on the continuum between then and now, I learned a few other prayers – like the Hail Mary, the Act of Contrition, and the Prayer of Jabez.

¹⁰ And Jabez called on the God of Israel saying, “Oh, that You would bless me indeed, and enlarge my ₅ territory, that Your hand would be with me, and that You would keep me from evil, that I may not cause pain!” So God granted him what he requested. ~1 Chronicles 4:10

Like Jabez, we tend to make requests when we go to God in prayer, but how often do we take the time to thank him for being a man of his word, for waking us up, and for granting us peace? That’s a good formula to start out with as we’re learning to pray, but God doesn’t want you to memorize a script. He wants a relationship with you, and that just comes with time – regularly scheduled and unscheduled times to talk. Before too long you’ll find that you talk to God throughout the day. And as you draw close to him, he’ll draw close to you.

NOTE – Come back tomorrow for part two of this four-part series on Hearing God’s Voice. Also, I’d like to invite you to our Facebook community for ladies. If you’re looking for an online sisterhood that focuses on encouragement and empowerment, you can find it here.