In order to hear the voice of God.....

I Kings 17:2, 9, 18:1  Then the LORD said to Elijah…..

In all three of these verses, the Lord is speaking to Elijah in different places, to different people, for different reasons. What strikes me is that the Lord spoke to Elijah. James tells us that Elijah was a man just like us. Has the Lord ever spoken to you so vividly that you simply could not deny it or mistake it? Does the Lord speak to you?

There are times in which God speaks to us when we are not expecting it or wanting to hear Him. The Apostle Paul comes to mind. But, most of the time, we have a lot to do with whether we are able to hear from God or not. And, I do believe the Lord still speaks to us. He speaks to us from His Word, through pastors and teachers, books, music, etc. There are some things we must know if we want to hear from Him.

In order to hear the voice of God, we must be in a position to hear it. We must be tuned in with the Lord so that we are able to recognize His voice and respond to it. The only way that can happen is to make Jesus not only our Savior, but our Lord. We must intentionally and passionately pursue Him and live for Him. We must be humbled before Him and long to serve Him.

In order to hear from God, we must be in a place to hear Him. We must be willing to shut out all the distractions that surround us and focus our thoughts on Him alone. We must be still before Him before we can know He is near. We must make it a priority in our lives to spend quiet time with Him where we focus our minds solely on Him.  Do you have a quiet place where you meet with God?  If not, I urge you to find one today and faithfully go there every day.  For some it may mean that adjustments will have to be made in schedules or activities.  There is nothing more important to do in life that to find a place where you meet with God.

In order to hear from God, we must be in a program to hear Him. By that I mean, we must be in a consistent discipline of being in His Word and prayer. We must consistently take the time to read and meditate on the Word. We must allow it to saturate our minds to the point where it is our guiding light in all we do.  We must intentionally have fellowship with the Lord, opening our hearts up to Him, sharing with Him all that is within. 

In order to hear from God, we must be under the control of his Spirit. We must allow Him to actively work in us to change us and mold us into godliness.  We must be a people of praise and thanksgiving. 

May the Lord open up our ears, minds, and hearts so that when He speaks, we will hear, listen, and obey.