Hearing the Voice of God
One of the most memorable and influential moments in my walk with God so far is actually a quite simple one. In most of my years of high school, I was very involved in my church, and at points spent more time at church than I did anywhere else. Many times a week, I would find myself at church right after school ended, and this experience was one of those times. There is a small pond behind my church that faces the highway. Right in front of this pond is a typical porch swing. I made this swing my war room.
I spent so many afternoons here just talking to God. This particular moment happened during my junior year of high school and was right before corporate prayer, which I had been asked to pray at. (For context: I went to a mega church, so being asked to pray at corporate prayer meant speaking over the microphone with a hundred plus people in the room.) Needless to say, I was freaking out about it, especially in the midst of everything else going on in my life. I found myself on that swing, crying out to God for guidance. When I opened my eyes and looked to my right, I saw Jesus. He sat beside me on that swing and had his arm over my shoulders, pulling me into a comforting embrace. I sat there beside him for a long time. His presence there told me a number of things, but the most obvious was this: "I am always here. I never leave you."
Friends, God's voice can take many different forms and sounds different to almost everyone. For me, I mostly hear him speak and see visions; for others, God speaks through Scripture or people. I challenge you to seek after God's voice in your life and tune your heart toward it. Take some time out of your day today and simply ask him to speak to you. I promise you that he is speaking. Ask him what about you brings him joy. He answers every time.
Seeking after his voice requires you to truly listen and receive what he is saying. Hearing his voice often requires you to stop talking and simply listen. Sometimes his voice sounds like your own thoughts. Do not be afraid of that; everything he says matches up with Scripture. He wants to talk to you. He loves to talk to you. Do not mistake your current silence as God not speaking. My friend, he has not abandoned you. He has not stopped standing by your side. He has not stopped being your father. He stays by your side and is always there when you call, as a good father is. Seek after his voice, and I promise you will hear him.