Be still and know that I am God
In Luke 5:16 we are told that “Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.” The person who needed prayer the least (Jesus) prayed the most. This says a lot about the importance of prayer. I'm curious to what these times of solitude looked like.
In my own experience I know that the more I become still, the more aware I can become of God's presence. The more I still and quiet my soul, the easier it is to hear God speak.
I have a feeling that Jesus did not spend hours in vain repetition, rattling off requests and "babbling like pagans" (Matthew 6:7). I think Jesus spent time enjoying the presence of His Father and listened to what He wanted to say to him. I think it looked a lot like a two-sided conversation. Like dialogue between a father and son.
Listening prayer
If prayer is defined as conversation with God then the other half of prayer is making room for God to speak back to us. Rightly understood, prayer is not a monologue; it’s a dialogue. While there is a time to ask God for specific requests, there is also a time for being still before God and listening to Him speak—which is the other half of the dialogue. God speaks to us through our thoughts, commonly recognized as that “still, small voice” or whisper.
Built-in antennas
One guy said "the chariot that the Holy Spirit rides the best on is the Word of God." I love the Bible! God knows this and so the most common way He speaks to me today is by reminding me of different scriptures. This is what Jesus said would happen: "The Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you" (John 14:26).
The wonderful truth is that we are all created to hear God's voice. All of God's people have a built-in antenna to hear His voice. It is an inherit trait of being a sheep. Jesus tells us this in John 10:27: "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me."
Discernment
Naturally, God will never contradict anything He says in His word. That is how we can test to see if what we heard is from God. Jesus is a good leader. We can have more confidence in His ability to lead than the devil's ability to deceive. "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths." (Proverbs 3:5-6)
Image Source
Prayer
Lord, help me to still and quiet my soul. As I do I ask that you would speak to me. Speak, Lord! Your servant is listening!
What do you think? I'd love to hear your thoughts!