• DAY 1: LISTENING

    The concept of listening to God can be confusing. If you look through the Bible, you see a few isolated examples of God showing up and speaking through impossible-to -miss supernatural means: a burning bush, a thunderous voice, a talking donkey. While I think we’d all love for God to be this obvious when He speaks to us, it’s actually a very rare occurrence throughout history. More often, we see God speaking much softer…much more subtly.

    A perfect example is the story you’re about to read. The Old Testament Prophet, Elijah, was at the end of his rope—tired, fed-up, ready to quit. So, God came to have a conversation with him. And while Elijah is hiding out in a cave in the middle of nowhere, this crazy series of events unfolds. From inside the cave, Elijah witnesses all sorts of natural disasters—the wilderness is being ripped apart! And then, he hears the sound of a gentle whisper, and that’s when he steps outside ready to hear from God.

    If I were Elijah in that cave and I knew God was coming to speak with me, I would probably have expected him in the big and obvious. When fires and earthquakes are raging all around me, I’d think, “there’s the all-powerful Creator of the universe.” But God prefers to speak to us in whispers. He is gentle with us. More than that, we now live with the advantage of having God Himself as the Holy Spirit living within us. We can hear from God because He’s already right there—closer than we realize.

    But here’s the problem: if God speaks in whispers, we’re going to have to get quiet if we expect to hear Him. Could you hear a whisper over the constant music in your earbuds, the insane schedule you keep, or the constant barrage of screens? When is the last time you slowed down, got quiet, and really listened for that gentle whisper of God? After you read this passage, take a couple minutes to give it a try.

     

    Scriptures – Day 1

    1 Kings 19:11-13 (NLT)

    11 “Go out and stand before me on the mountain,” the Lord told him. And as Elijah stood there, the Lord passed by, and a mighty windstorm hit the mountain. It was such a terrible blast that the rocks were torn loose, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. 12 And after the earthquake there was a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire there was the sound of a gentle whisper. 13 When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave.

    And a voice said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

  • DAY 2: ASKING

    When you talk to God, what are you asking for? A lot of times we get frustrated because we’re totally focused on something—asking God for answers or to do something for us—and it seems as if He’s silent. Could it be that the problem is not with God, but is with whatever we’re asking for?

    God’s top priority is drawing people closer to Him. So, if you’re desperately seeking an answer to some big question— “What’s going to happen?” Where should I go to school? Should I date him/her?”— God certainly wants to give you wisdom and help answer those questions, but perhaps He isn’t going to immediately whisper in your ear the clear and simple answer you’re hoping for. Maybe He’s going to lead you into His Word for answers, or have someone in your life speak some wisdom or encouragement, or draw you to spend more and more time with Him as you wrestle with the issue.

    Also, sometimes we miss the voice of God because we’re not asking for what God is most concerned about. Don’t mishear me; God loves you and absolutely wants to hear everything that’s important to you. But again, God’s greatest priority is drawing other people closer to Him. You’re about to read another story of Elijah where he asks God for something huge—a massive display of fire from heaven, not a small prayer. But, what I want to focus on is the reason Elijah prayed this. He desperately wanted God’s power to be seen by a massive group of people who had utterly forgotten who God was. This prayer of Elijah’s was all about seeing other people come back to God, and that is a huge factor in why God gave the answer He did.

    When it comes to what you’re asking God, is the priority God’s glory being put on display? Are you asking God to make himself known to your friends or to draw you closer to Him? Or are all your prayers focused on what will make your life more comfortable? If you feel like God is being oddly quiet, lean into Him and check the substance of your prayers. If you’re asking for things that put the spotlight on God, you’re much more likely to hear or see an answer.

    Scriptures – Day 2

    1 Kings 18:36-39 (NLT)
    36 At the usual time for offering the evening sacrifice, Elijah the prophet walked up to the altar and prayed, “O Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, prove today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant. Prove that I have done all this at your command. 37 O Lord, answer me! Answer me so these people will know that you, O Lord, are God and that you have brought them back to yourself.”

    38 Immediately the fire of the Lord flashed down from heaven and burned up the young bull, the wood, the stones, and the dust. It even licked up all the water in the trench! 39 And when all the people saw it, they fell face down on the ground and cried out, “The Lord—he is God! Yes, the Lord is God!”

  • DAY 3: EXPECTING

    What do you expect to happen when you pray? Do you expect God to answer? Do you expect to get exactly what you asked for? Or if you’re brutally honest, do you expect nothing much to happen? Do you approach prayer more like a wishing well—it’d be cool if you got your wish, but you know you probably just wasted a penny?

    I think this is an unfortunate trap we can fall into when it comes to prayer. If you go through a rough season, or a prayer that didn’t go your way, or maybe you’ve been trying to hear from God for a while, and He just doesn’t seem to be answering, it can sometimes shake our expectations of what God might do. But, God is always working in our lives, always answering prayer—even if it’s not in the way or the timing we would like. He is alive and active in our lives. We just need to re-frame what we expect God to do.

    If I can be really transparent with you, I fall into seasons where I stop seeing God at work in my life. It feels like He’s not hearing me. It seems like all my prayers come back with a big “no”—or at least a “not right now”. It gets discouraging, but eventually I snap out of it and start praying, “God, show me what You’re doing in my life right now.” I’ll then commit to writing down everything I see God doing—every time I notice Him at work in my life. Instantly, these lists fill up. I find myself filling pages of a journal with lots of little things—and sometimes big things—that I see God doing.

    Did God suddenly kick His activity into high gear because I prayed? No. He’s been working like this the whole time. The problem was me and my expectations. I either expected Him to do exactly what I asked for in the exact timing I wanted it, or I let my faith get shaky, and I honestly didn’t expect Him to do anything. Both responses are a mistake. If you expect God to work in your life you will absolutely see Him working in your life. You just have to keep in mind that He is God and you are not. His actions may not be what you would have wished for, but they will always be with your best interests in mind.

    Start this week! Write down everything you see God doing or hear Him speaking to you. I’m confident you’ll have more written in just a few days than you ever thought possible.

    Scriptures – Day 3

    Hebrews 11:6 (NLT)6 And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.John 14:12-14 (NLT)12 “I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father. 13 You can ask for anything in my name, and I will do it, so that the Son can bring glory to the Father. 14 Yes, ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it!

  • DAY 4: PRE-SURRENDER

    We like options. We like to know what we’re getting into. We like that sense of control that comes from considering a proposal and deciding whether or not we want to go with it. And for most areas of our lives, this is a good way to operate. It’s wise to consider your options and carefully choose the best course of action.

    But, when it comes to hearing from God, we need to pre-decide what our answer will be. When we approach God from a mindset of “God, please show me what you want me to do, and then I’ll decide if I want to do it or not,” that’s a recipe to not hear very much from Him. We can hear from God and see what He’s up to so much clearer when our attitude is, “God, before you say a word, my answer is ‘yes!’”

    That sounds scary. What if God asks me to do something really difficult? What if He totally changes my plans? Yup. That happens. But, do you really believe that you know better than the One who not only sees the future, but also created you? God knows you better than you know yourself. Every time I’ve argued with God or felt like He was taking my life in a direction I wasn’t sure I wanted to go, I’ve been so grateful in the end. It always seems to work out better than if I had just gotten my way in the first place.

    To really hear from God—to see what He’s trying to do in your life—you must come from a place of pre-surrender. The issue is not what might be asked of you, but who is doing the asking. God is good—so good! He loves us more than we can fully understand. Whatever He asks you to do—even if it’s really difficult—it is absolutely going to lead you somewhere better than you imagined. You can say “yes” with confidence before God has even spoken a word. That’s the kind of absolute trust God is looking for, and we can see and hear Him so much better when that is the condition of our hearts.

    Scriptures – Day 4

    Proverbs 3:5-6 (NLT)

    5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart;
    do not depend on your own understanding.
    6 Seek his will in all you do,
    and he will show you which path to take.

    Jeremiah 29:13 (NLT)

    13 If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me.

    Ephesians 3:20 (NLT)

    20 Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.

  • Day 5: FOCUS

    Have you ever tried really hard to focus on something for a while? Why is that so hard? I don’t know about you, but I have no trouble focusing for hours on a Netflix binge, or spending all day on one of my favorite hobbies. But, sit down in a quiet room and try to focus on what God is doing in my life for ten minutes—it’s a battle! Is it just me? It can’t just be me.

    Here’s the problem in our hyper-distractible culture: Hearing from God requires focus. We already talked about how the burning bushes and talking donkeys were one-off events. If God speaks in whispers, we need to find a way to be still, quiet our minds, and focus. So, here are a couple ideas you might try to get your heart and mind to be still before the Lord long enough to hear or see what He’s up to.

    Ditch the Devices—Wherever you go to be alone with God, make it a screen-free environment. Anything that beeps, buzzes, or alerts you should be turned off (or better yet, left somewhere else). If you use your phone to read the Bible (you know, like you are right now), put it in Airplane Mode or Do Not Disturb so that texts or social media alerts aren’t constantly trying to drown out God.

    Try Moving—Some of us are restless creatures, and trying just to physically sit still can be distracting all by itself. I’ve had some incredible moments with God while out on a walk or a hike. You don’t have to focus that hard on walking (generally), but it can give your body something to do that frees up your mind to talk with God.

    Isolate—If I’m trying to go really deep with God and I think there’s even the possibility of getting interrupted, it messes with my ability to focus. If that sounds like you, plan your time and location very carefully. Maybe you have to get up earlier to avoid your little siblings. Maybe you need to shut yourself in the closet of your room to hide out. I don’t know what it is for your specific situation, but choose a time and place where you know you can avoid interruption.

    This list could go on, but if you’re having trouble being still and focusing on God, it’s going to be really difficult to hear from Him or see what He’s doing in your life. Try a couple of those tips above, and if you stick with it even for just a few days, I can almost guarantee it’ll start to get easier. And as you make a regular habit of hearing from God and seeing Him at work in your life, your faith is going to grow like never before.

     

    Scriptures – Day 5

    Psalm 46:10 (NLT)

    10 “Be still, and know that I am God!
    I will be honored by every nation.
    I will be honored throughout the world.”

     

    Matthew 6:6 (NLT)

    6 But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.