Make Space for God to Speak to You

Author: Faith Woodall

James 4:8—Draw near to God and he will draw near to you.

As a new mom, I know how full and busy the days can be. The moment I wake up, or should I say - the moment the baby wakes up, my feet hit the ground, running. I’m changing diapers, making bottles, making breakfast, doing loads of laundry, answering emails, and so on. There is little space left in my days to do one more thing. I can easily get into the habit of filling my day with so much to do that I do not have space or time to spend with God. It’s often on those days that I feel less peace and more frustration. If you and I truly desire to hear the voice of God this year, we must make space for Him to speak to us.

When I first began to dig into my relationship with the Lord, I sought out ways to practically apply Scripture to my life and strengthen my walk with Christ. Here are some ways I learned and continue to grow, to “make space” for God to speak to me daily.

Search My Heart—Psalm 139:23-24

We make room for God to speak to us when we allow Holy Spirit to search our hearts. More often than not, our hearts get cluttered with worry and pain that hinders us from hearing and leaning on the Word of God, even when we may not be aware of them. We should ask the Lord to search our hearts, often through prayer, as if we were “cleaning house” so that the Lord can reveal these issues to us. When we make time to spend with God, we should first ask him to search our hearts, to clean it of things that shouldn’t be there, so that His word can speak to us and lead us in the way of everlasting.

Pursue His Presence—Psalm 84:2

We make room for God to speak to us when we set aside time to pursue Him and His presence. Our days are full, and I know that all too well. But when we are intentional with our time and make space for God in our day, He draws near to us, and His presence speaks to our hearts. We welcome Him and make a place for Him in our day. We must make space in our day to spend one-on-one with God, seeking after His presence, so we can better learn to hear Him speak.

Stay Attentive—Colossians 3:2

The world has a way of stealing our attention and our focus if we are not careful. We must stay attentive to the Lord if we long to hear Him speak. This applies in our quiet time with Him by turning our phone on silent, turning off the TV, and eliminating distractions for a few minutes. However, this also applies to our daily walk. We must keep our minds on Christ and stay attentive to the different ways He may be speaking to us, whether through His Word, songs, or even other people. If we are not paying attention and seeking Him above all else, we might miss hearing Him speak.

Clear Your Mind—Psalm 94:19

According to Google, humans have an average of 7,000 thoughts per day. And for some reason, I feel like most of my daily thoughts come, not when I’m busy working, but when I try to quiet myself in God’s word - woosh, there come rushing all the thoughts and to-do’s. I got to a place in my prayer time where I would have my Word open and a little notepad next to it. While in prayer or studying God’s word, if a thought came to my head, I would jot it down on that notepad and keep praying. This way, I could clear my mind of those thoughts and to-do’s that can consume us and continue to seek after the Lord. This would help me quiet myself and make space for God to speak to me.

Enjoy His Presence—Psalm 16:11

If we are longing to make space for God to speak to us, it doesn’t usually just happen. We have to open up space in our hearts and our days to engage with the Lord. But engaging with His presence should be a JOY, not a check off the to-do list. Just as we would enjoy talking with a close friend over a cup of coffee, we should also enjoy sitting at the feet of Jesus, reading in His Word, and staying in His presence.

If you’re not enjoying your time with the Lord, it’s time for a switch in your routine. Turn on music and spend time in worship, or pray while walking in nature, His creation. Sometimes it’s in those refreshing changes in seeking after the Lord that we begin to hear Him speak more clearly.

Reflection

How can I practically make S.P.A.C.E. for God to speak to me?