Daily Devotional

John 10 says, "The sheep follow him, for they know his voice. A stranger they will not follow: for they know not the voice of strangers." But how exactly does God speak? Too often we look for mighty thunderous roars and earthquakes before we hear the voice of God. But God is a gentle God and we need to be attentive to that still sweet voice that ministers to us.

Firstly, when God speaks you need to be listening. There are so many Christians that can pray for hours ... but ask them to keep quiet and listen to the voice of God, and five minutes of silence gets them agitated. Patience is a key to be able to hear God when He speaks. In your prayer time, take time to be still and allow the Holy Spirit to minister to you.

Second, learn to listen to the voice of God. Gods voice is a voice of authority and power. Even when God whispers to you, that whisper still holds authority and power. Ask the Holy Spirit to teach you to listen to the voice of God.

You need to, in your prayer time, allow the Holy Spirit to take over and the flesh to be crucified. The flesh wants to hear about earthly, carnal pleasures. The Spirit will tell you what God wants you to hear.

This includes reading the Word. The Word is an excellent place to start if you want God to speak to you. God speaks through the written Word (logos word ) and the spoken word (rhema word). And the two will be in agreement ... ALWAYS.

Remember that God also uses His children to speak to you. Do not forsake loving discipline and wise counsel from a child of God. And God speaks in dreams and visions too. God is a God who wants a relationship with you ... and that includes a two-sided conversation.

Be still, be patient, and be expectant to hear the voice of the Lord.