Scripture: 1 Kings 19 v 11 - 13: "And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the LORD. And, behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the LORD; but the LORD was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the LORD was not in the earthquake:
12 And after the earthquake a fire; but the LORD was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice.
13 And it was so, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle, and went out, and stood in the entering in of the cave. And, behold, there came a voice unto him, and said, What doest thou here, Elijah?"
John 10 v 4 - 5: "And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice.
5 And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers."
If there is one thing the Lord desires from His born again saints is that they hear His voice. He is constantly talking to us through the things He created but as Elijah found out it was in the still small voice that he heard God clearly.
In order to hear God's still small voice we need to free ourselves from all other sounds. We are constantly bombarded by sounds of traffic moving, cars hooting, radios, TV, children, etc which are distractions and can even be used by the enemy as jamming devices. One of his favourite distractions is a ringing telephone.
When Jesus said "pray in your closet" that means shutting ourselves away from the outside world to spend quality time with Him. Its where we unburden our souls and worship Him. Then we must become quiet and still and listen with our whole being. Something will tiptoe into our mind which we should store up and wait for more. It takes patience as an impatient heart gets exasperated and gives up too soon. Or you tell yourself "that's just me making that up!" Which is unbelief!
When we have received a word from God it should be written in our diary. Perhaps it is a direction or instruction to do something for Him. It may be to call a friend and tell her Jesus loves her. It may be that she is feeling down and is longing to hear those words. You can then tell her you got a direct word from God to call her. You will both be uplifted and rejoice and be edified.
As we spend more time with Jesus and get used to hearing His voice we will notice that He can get our attention not only in our closet but even while driving our car or doing household chores. A verse of scripture may pop into our mind and as we read it we may hear the name of the person Jesus wants to bless, or even see his or her face.
You may get a sudden pain and sense someone needs a healing prayer. You may never know who it is but pray until the pain leaves and praise the Lord for touching and healing that person. Every now and then you hear of a wonderful miracle and the still small voice may accompany a memory and you will know the victory of your prayer. It builds your faith for the next need Jesus sends your way.
You will find as you do this ministry for the Lord more and more that your own needs get met before you have time to pray for them. This is when you know that you are living in the abundant lifestyle. It is not that you suddenly become rich but that your spiritual storehouse is overflowing and Jesus makes sure you always have enough for every eventuality.
If you suddenly stop hearing from the Lord find the reason quickly. It is usually a disobedience or omission that stops the flow of His voice. Correct the error and you will be back in the stream of fellowship with the Lord where all the joy is your strength.
Prayer: Heavenly Father You say that obedience is better than sacrifice and that we must bear one another's burdens. Unblock our ears to hear and understand so that we may be a delight to You and You may bring relief to the afflicted. In Jesus' name. Amen.
