The Secret To Hearing GodSample

DAY 1: The Posture of Preparation

If you’ve clicked on this devotional, you’ve probably done so because you’re longing for better and clearer communication between you and God. And, if you’re like most of us, that communication, often frustratingly, feels like a one-way street.

When I look back at my faith-life and dispassionately analyze my own conversations with God, here’s what I find:

• It’s on my time schedule
• It’s rushed, and I’m often distracted
• It’s a list of agenda items I want God to do for me
• I do all the talking and none of the listening

Perhaps the harsh truth is that I want God to hear me – not the other way around. If that rings true for you also, don’t feel too bad. Know that there is an unending line of Bible characters that started their journey from a posture of self-absorption, and they went on to become Heroes of the Faith. 

The quintessential example of this is Jesus’ disciples, his closest friends on Earth. In this scene in Acts 1, Jesus (who was recently crucified by the Romans, declared dead, buried and miraculously resurrected – all of which he predicted) is sitting with his disciples having lunch. You would think they would be hanging on His every word and ready to do whatever he said – but no. They have their own agenda. Acts 1:6 NLT, “So when the apostles were with Jesus, they kept asking him, ‘Lord, has the time come for you to free Israel and restore our kingdom?” 

In other words, “Hurry up, God, and do what I want!” 

That sounds like me. Does that sound like you, too? The good news is we are in good company! And if those hard-headed disciples could learn the right way to listen to God and obey His voice, so can we. So let’s turn this thing around!

A POSTURE OF PREPARATION

Step 1 to hearing God is to change our attitude – from one of self-absorption, to posture of preparation. 

Two:  Heroes of the Faith are going to teach us the right posture: Samuel and Harriet Tubman.

Maybe you’ve only a vague recollection of either Samuel or Harriet, so here’s a quick refresher: Samuel was a man of God who was a prophet, leader and warrior. He first chose Saul to rule the Israelites, and when Saul proved unworthy, Samuel eventually anointed David as king. Harriet Tubman was a woman of God, who was an escaped slave prior to the Civil War. Upon reaching freedom in Philadelphia, she immediately returned to liberate other slaves, saving more than 70 people. Her nickname was “Moses.”

When Samuel was a child, he was employed by a corrupt prophet named Eli. One night, Samuel heard someone whispering to him and thought it was Eli, but Eli knew it was God  doing the talking. He told Samuel to lie down, and the next time God spoke to say, “Speak Lord, for your servant is listening.” Samuel did it, and the Lord spoke!

If you clicked on this devotional, you saw an image of Harriet Tubman, praying, from an inspirational new movie about her life. Harriet frequently prayed on her knees and would have visions that would direct her steps to provide freedom for enslaved people.

Here is where our posture of preparation to hear God’s voice begins. At some point today, do something most of us never do – go to a quiet room and get down on your knees. (Yep, it’s awkward. Yep, it’s uncomfortable.) But in that position of surrender, whisper the words “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.”

Your Hearing God adventure has begun!