The God Who Speaks

Word of God Day 2

“LORD, in the morning you will hear my voice; in the morning I will pray to you, and I will watch for your answer.”  Psalm 5:3

 

“Visit many good books, but live in the Bible.”  Charles Haddon Spurgeon

 

• Take time this morning to meet with your precious Savior. Spend a moment praising Jesus for who He is and for His unfailing love and care. Ask Him to speak to your heart as you read His Word.
• Read Psalm 5:1-3 and write verse 3 in your journal. For deeper study read the complete chapter of Psalm 5.

 

The God Who Speaks

The International Standard Version says today’s key verse wonderfully, “LORD, in the morning you will hear my voice; in the morning I will pray to you, and I will watch for your answer.”

There is something to be said for praying expectantly and watching for God’s answers. I absolutely love the study Experiencing God! Through this study, the authors taught me the importance of reading the Word of God, praying, and hearing God’s voice. I also learned how to apply what I learned to my life in practical ways.

I love how the authors say that you know when God is speaking to you: “Understanding Spiritual truth does not lead you to an encounter with God; it IS the encounter with God.”

When you read something in God’s Word that stands out to you, and you find yourself pondering it, that is the God of the universe speaking to you! Wow! It’s not some mystery! God hears our prayers and speaks plainly through his Word. Our God is so awesome and so personal, all at the same time!

In the study, they also talk about keeping a journal of what God says to you, which is what we also encourage you to do in The Help Club for Moms. Here is what the authors say about the importance of keeping a spiritual journal: “When the Creator of the universe tells you something in your quiet time, record it before you forget it. Then write your prayer response. I record the verse of scripture through which God speaks to me and what He has said to me about himself from that verse. I write down the prayer response I am making, so I have a record of my encounter with God, what He said, and the way I responded to Him. I also write what I need to do to adjust my life to God so I can begin to experience Him relating to me this way.”

A quiet time can be relatively simple. God is real and wants to have a close relationship with you. He speaks, longing to be heard by you, and He has a lot to say. Invest the time to cultivate a wonderful, loving relationship with God each day by reading His Word, praying, and watching for His answers. Then you will learn to hear His voice and determine His will for each and every circumstance in your life, and you will feel His love and care. It’s a whole lot easier to know God if you spend time with Him regularly.

Questions to Ponder

• Do you truly feel like you hear the voice of God? What helps you hear Him more quickly? Quiet music? Journaling?
• Write a prayer in your journal asking God to help you hear His voice clearly, and ask for the Holy Spirit’s help in understanding the Word of God.

** Please don’t feel alone if you struggle to hear the voice of God. Sometimes, it simply takes asking God for help and then spending much time praying and reading your Bible. Cultivating a deep relationship with our Heavenly Father takes time, but it is the best time investment you will ever make.

The reason we encourage regular Bible study, prayer and journaling in the Help Club is so we can all know God better as we live fully dependent on Him. Keep praying and spending time with God. He is with you, He wants to speak to you, and He desires a close relationship with you.

Faith-Filled Ideas

It’s so beneficial to study God’s Word deeply. When we take the time to ponder a verse or passage, we can go deeper in our understanding and relationship with God. Invest in a Bible that includes a good commentary, such as the NIV Study Bible or the ESV Study Bible. Matthew Henry’s commentaries are fantastic and are available online for free here.

Below is an example from my own study of how I used my Bible’s commentary to understand the passage better. Today, I read Romans 13, and verse 8 stood out to me:

“ Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves  others has fulfilled the law.”

Lately, God has placed the desire on my heart to TRULY  love the people whom He has placed in my life well, so I have prayed about it a lot and asked God to help me. When I read this verse, it stood out to me so much that I looked it up in the commentary section of my NIV Study Bible and saw that it said, “To love is the one debt that is never paid off. No matter how much one has loved, he is under obligation to keep on loving.”

I thought, “God is telling me that, I need to keep loving, assuming the best, and giving grace to the people He has placed in my life, unconditionally.” Then, I added the following to my journal entry:

“Lord, help me to listen to your voice and love those around me constantly, with lots of grace and understanding. Help me to see their hearts and love them well. Help me to keep on loving and never give up–no matter what!” Prayer is simply talking to God. He is real and wants a close relationship with you.

 

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Deb Weakly

10 Comments on “The God Who Speaks”

  1. I know God is real on so many levels, it’s hard to put it all into words! One way, is how He has answered my prayers in ways that I could never imagine possible. When we don’t see a way out or a probable solution He still provides us a way! (As I typed that I couldn’t help but sing Desperation Band’s new song…”Where there is no way you make a way…!”)

    Also, I am amazed at how, when reading the Bible, new verses stick out to me that never did before. His word is truly alive, just as we talked about at last night’s meeting!

    1. Thanks for sharing Kristall! I love that Desperation Band song and it is SO true. Nothing is impossible with God!!

    2. I totally agree with you. The Bible is definitely the living Word authored by the living God!

      1. I love this Kristall!!!! I also love how you find Gods word to be amazing! That’s the best word for Scripture… Amazing!!

  2. God is SO real because he has changed my life. He has turned me into a more loving, passionate, and sacrificial person. I am able to fully love others because I have felt His love on me. I also have felt and continue to feel his peaceful presence during a powerful time of worship and/or prayer!

    Also, I wanted to comment that Psalms 5:3 is such an amazing verse! Thanks for choosing it Deb. My favorite part is where it says we wait before Him in expectation. That is important! It doesn’t say we wait with confusion or uncertainty. We can wait in expectation because we know and expect that He will provide. He is faithful and will always be there to listen to our prayers and our hearts. 🙂

    1. I agree Rachel! God has changed my life dramatically too! There is absolutely NO comparison between who I was then and who I am now. When God changes a heart, it dramatically affects everything in their life!

  3. How do I know God is real? Besides the fact that my life drastically changed from who I was before He saved me, it would have to be the insight that I get, that can only come from an all-knowing God. Also, from the peace that truly surpasses all man’s understanding. The way that I have been able to show love towards those who have hurt me deeper than anyone else ever could. The fact that the best moments of my life and actions cannot be explained by me. I even shock myself, sit and stare at the situation, thinking, “There is no way that was from me. That was God.” There is so much in my life that no one can explain, except for the work of God. To Him be the glory and honor alone!

    1. Wow Nancy! Thanks so much for sharing. I love what you wrote about God’s peace surpassing man’s understanding. We cannot fathom how great and mighty He is. It does not make sense sometimes. But it is during those moments that I feel Him the most.

      I also love seeing how friends around me see Him. Witnessing someone on the path to a relationship with Jesus is spectacular. Seeing them see Him for the first time makes me fall in love all over again. 🙂

    2. That’s beautiful, Nancy. I would have to agree with you. That is where God is most evident in my life: the transformation that he has done in me.I am barely a shadow of the person I used to be, and I am so thankful for that!!!

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