When you need God to speak

A few weeks ago we sang “Word of God Speak” in our chapel service. That is one of my favorite songs because it seems to usher us to the throne of God where we can sense the comfort of his presence. 

For many reasons, the phrase “Word of God speak” has been my personal prayer since that time. 

I have experienced the truth of God’s voice for a lot of years now and I wanted to write this blog post to teach, remind, or encourage all of you that his voice is a gift we should cultivate for our souls.

Sometimes when I am praying for a person who needs healing or a sense of peace or direction I pray, “Word of God speak.” I want to pray in his will so I ask for him to author my prayer with his words. Often, I want to pray for direction for my own life and choices so I pray, “Word of God speak . . . I want to hear your voice and follow your lead.”

There are times we need to hear God’s voice of comfort and love. During those times I often pick up the Bible and pray, “Word of God speak to me from pages. Speak to me from your truth.”

God speaks. 

When you need his voice, you will learn how to pray and how to listen. 

Frederick Faber’s teaching is wisdom

Frederick Faber was an English theologian and hymn writer in the mid-1800s. Faber struggled most of his life with poor health and eventually died of Bright’s disease at the age of forty-nine. His spiritual journey was marked by a brilliant theological education that he then applied to the needs in his life. His faith was strengthened even as his body grew physically weak. So many times, God redeems the hard times by using them to sanctify our souls. 

Frederick Faber has a quote that has been a goal and a strength to my own soul, especially when I need God’s direction or comfort in my own life. I wanted to share it with you all today. When you need God to speak, consider Faber’s teaching as truth for your life. He said:

There is hardly ever a complete silence in our soul. God is whispering to us well nigh incessantly. Whenever the sounds of the world die out in the soul, or sink low, then we hear these whisperings of God. He is always whispering to us, only we do not always hear because of the noise, hurry, and distraction which life causes as it rushes on.

What does the prophet Isaiah teach about God’s voice?

Isaiah 30 is a great education in our need to listen for, and to, the voice of God. It teaches us why those words by Frederick Faber are spiritual truth. 

We never have to wonder if God is speaking. God gave us his Holy Spirit so we could live with his voice. So why then do we struggle with knowing God’s will and obeying his voice? 

Isaiah 30 provides some answers.

The chapter begins with the words “‘Ah, stubborn children,’ declares the Lᴏʀᴅ, ‘who carry out a plan, but not mine, who make an alliance, but not of my Spirit, that they may add sin to sin’” (Isaiah 30:1).

Have you ever wondered how many mistakes you would have escaped if you had just asked God first?

Have you ever prayed for God’s direction only to immediately begin charting your own path? 

Sometimes we even say, “Lord, I’m moving ahead so stop me if I’m making a mistake.” 

The Israelites didn’t care what the prophets told them to do and didn’t want to wait for God to work in his timing. They made their own plans and did what they thought was right, not what God had shown them was best. That’s why God said in Isaiah 30:15, “In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and in trust shall be your strength.” Then the prophet told the people, “You were unwilling.”

God speaks all the time and God speaks when it is time. To move forward with our own ideas after praying for guidance is like turning on the faucet to fill the tub and then allowing the water to continually run while you take a shower instead. 

Let’s just say not to wait for God’s answer is to cause yourself a big mess and maybe significant damage.

The grace of God’s answers

As I’ve said, I’m not a fan of waiting, but I have learned that I am a fan of waiting on God. 

It is amazing to pray and then see God’s direction unfold through my circumstances. It is profoundly humbling to hear God speak his direction into my thoughts. When I choose to act on his words, I often realize that the Almighty God spoke into my life to call me to his purpose. 

God really does speak “well nigh incessantly” just like Frederick Faber said. His answers come with his grace and his understanding. One of my favorite verses in the Bible is Isaiah 30:21. I discovered it almost three decades ago through my personal study of God’s word. I needed to know when and how to hear the voice of God in my life. I rarely take the time to offer that verse in the full context. But consider the passage so you can know that “your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying . . . .”

Isaiah promised the nation of Israel and God’s people today:

For a people shall dwell in Zion, in Jerusalem; you shall weep no more. He will surely be gracious to you at the sound of your cry. As soon as he hears it, he answers you. 

And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, yet your Teacher will not hide himself anymore, but your eyes shall see your Teacher. 

And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left. 

Then you will defile your carved idols overlaid with silver and your gold-plated metal images. You will scatter them as unclean things. You will say to them, “Be gone!” (Isaiah 30:19–22).

That is a long passage, but this is the “Janet Denison” rewording of those verses because of the way they have come to be God’s truth for me whenever I need to “hear” the Word of God speak. I would write this passage to you this way:

One day, every Christian will dwell in heaven and never shed another tear. Until then, know you have a gracious God who hears every word you cry out to him. As soon as he hears it, he answers you. 

God will allow you to endure adversity and affliction on earth, but the Holy Spirit of God, the Presence of Jesus, is there to guide you through each moment. You can see him if you will search for him. You can hear him if you will listen. You will hear God speak to you in your quiet moments of worship or as random thoughts that aren’t random at all. 

God will most often speak straight from the pages of Scripture. God will tell you, “This is the way, walk in it.” 

And, when you realize the God of the Universe has spoken, you will throw away or submit the lesser things that might influence your choices and trust what you know is the true answer from God from the leadership of his Spirit.

Word of God speak

If you need to discern the voice of God, stop, study, and listen until you do. 

Pray without ceasing and give God the quiet attention his answers deserve. 

How do you start? 

I’d advise you to begin with one of my favorite worship songs, “Word of God Speak,” then move to a careful study of Isaiah 30. Listen and read prayerfully and hear God’s voice guide you to the verses that constricted your soul and spoke to you. Live with that truth and then adjust your life to obey.

That is how God speaks and how he directs our path. 

Trust him to know what is best and God will say, “Here is the way. Walk in it.”

Warmer times

In many ways, Texas recently became a parable for our culture. 

During our long freeze, the weatherman promised the sun would return in a week, but the news anchor couldn’t predict when the power would be restored. Most of us were much more interested in the electricity than the weatherman’s promise for the coming week. 

And that is a parable for those of us who want to share our faith. 

Our best answer, the one we could count on, was a week away. Even still, we were less interested in the long-term answer because that power didn’t make promises for the moment, just the future. And, we need to hear many of God’s promises with that same perspective. 

It was a tough week, and now things are better. The weatherman was right, and we are glad. I’ve spent the month writing about God’s voice and our need to listen. 

What are the lessons from last week’s parable? 

GOD OFFERS PERSPECTIVE 

All of us go to God for today’s needs. Jesus taught us to pray for “our daily bread” (Matthew 6:11). But Jesus also taught, “ I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).  

Jesus promised us his peace, but he also promised we would need it. This world is going to freeze again. Spring is coming, but so is another February. 

It is so important to seek God’s voice for our lives, not just our days. His answers sometimes take years to receive or realize. Listening for God’s wisdom requires God’s perspective. Scripture, prayer, and God’s Holy Spirit can provide strength for the moments of our lives, but often his most important instruction is for eternal—not present—circumstances. 

GOD WILL ALWAYS CONSIDER EVERYONE 

The people in charge of the Texas power grid cut power to millions for a time so that everyone would have power in the future. Texas reserved power for those who needed it most. And those of us who did without were reminded of all we tend to take for granted. 

But even when it got down to forty-something degrees in my kitchen, I was glad that my kids, and their kids, were warm. I was glad the hospitals had power. I was glad the cold was only for a week. And I was especially glad that the people who knew a lot more than me were responsible for making the tough choices. 

I imagine it was a tremendously difficult decision for those who cut the power to people’s homes, knowing it was freezing outside. But, they did what was best, not what was easy.  

God has a unique love for each of us. He has a plan for every life. And only God has the ability to take care of everyone forever. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).  

Ash Wednesday got lost in the snow. But Cynthia Izaguirre, a Dallas newscaster, did her best to remind people things would get better and why. She closed the broadcast on Ash Wednesday, not with words of hope about electricity, but with words of eternal hope. 

GOD’S WARMTH 

I felt much warmer and much safer when our power was restored. I still wake up and smile because I know my coffee pot is out there and ready to go! I took a lot of things for granted, and I know I will likely take them for granted again. 

But today, I am grateful. 

The people in charge of the grid should have been better prepared. Hopefully, by the time February rolls around again, they will be. A lot of us in Texas had a bad week. Others will have a bad year trying to repair the damage. Still others lost their lives. The Texas power grid couldn’t thaw the snow or protect us, but the sun did. And that might be the biggest lesson from last week’s story. 

The warmth God brought through the sun is what caused the snow to melt. Electricity kept us safe in our homes, but God’s provision is what enabled us to get back to normal. Last week was rough; this week is wonderful. And so goes life on this side of heaven. 

The power grid restored my heat, but it was God who brought warmth. The weatherman knew what he could promise last week and he did. The news anchor couldn’t promise electricity, but she could promise hope.  

LESSONS FROM THE GREAT THAW 

I can promise God is speaking, guiding, and directing the path of those who trust in him. I am like the weatherman who can make promises that depend on the truth of God’s creation and character, found in the truth of God’s word. It would have been wrong for those in the news to promise our heat would return quickly. That depended on people being able to fix the problems.  

What can we learn about God through what we have experienced?  

We should never underestimate the power of warmth. For many years, we have been making strong arguments by using strong language to share God’s truth. We have been trying to present a powerful, united front to the world and hope our politics would legislate morality. We have been trying to build bigger and better churches, thinking that such an effort would attract people to God.  

But, the end result is a power grid that failed. Our ideas and best-laid plans might provide a momentary fix, but it isn’t God’s solution. Our culture needs warmth because our culture needs disciples. People aren’t left in the cold when they are led to the Son.  

We are like the weatherman. We can’t create God’s answers; we only report his hope. We have to be careful not to promise for this life what God has not promised.  

JESUS PROMISED 

Jesus promised tribulation. Jesus promised his peace. Jesus promised we could live with hope. Jesus promised our hope would one day be our reward.  

Until then, we are to accept the storms, endure the cold, and wait for the warmth. It always returns. Mostly, we are to use our lives to lead as many people to the Son as we possibly can.  

One last “report” from a “weatherman”: “Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him” (James 1:12). 

Don’t just read that verse today; hear Jesus speak his promise to you. 

God speaks to servants who listen. 

Allow God’s truth to warm your soul until your hope becomes his reward. 

God spoke and everything changed

I peeked out the window and everything was pure white. Snow in Dallas is uncommon. This much snow in Dallas is . . . wait for it . . . unprecedented! 

(For those who read my blog each week, that was intended to be a joke!) 

Yep, there is that word again.

I am still a California girl at heart. I like it to snow, and then I like the snow to melt off that same afternoon. This long, cold stretch of snow isn’t just unprecedented; it’s unwelcome. 

My friend in Houston had a Facebook post about choosing not to “coddle” his outdoor plants by spreading blankets on them. Another friend, who lives in Casper, Wyoming, is probably reading those words, rolling her eyes and laughing. Today’s Dallas weather is her definition of a spring day. 

The good news is that a week from now we should see much warmer weather. After all, this is still Texas, and the cold will disappear. Our weather is unpredictable—and a great analogy for God’s voice in our lives: there are moments we expect to hear from him and other times his voice is a surprise. 

Either way, when God chooses to speak, we should be quick to listen. 

“AND GOD SAID”  

“And God said let there be light, and there was light” (Genesis 1:3). Those are familiar words, but they are also incredibly profound. God spoke this world into existence. He said “let there be” light, darkness, oceans, plants, animals, and people. God spoke and everything changed, except him.  

God spoke the world into existence and has continued to speak into his creation. Take a moment to consider the fact that the same voice that created our entire world is the same voice that speaks to your soul. 

When we consider the full power of his voice, what keeps us from hanging on his every word? 

WHAT HAS GOD SPOKEN TO YOU RECENTLY? 

Do you know what God recently said to you? 

I can ask that question of every Christian because God is in constant communication through his Holy Spirit. Is that why you are reading these words right now? You are God’s child. Never doubt his desire to guide you in his good ways. 

Frederick William Faber, a British theologian and hymn writer, said, “There is hardly ever a complete silence in our soul. God is whispering to us well-nigh incessantly. Whenever the sounds of the world die out in the soul, or sink low, then we hear these whisperings of God. He is always whispering to us, only we do not always hear because of the noise, hurry and distraction which life causes as it rushes on.” 

God has spoken his word and his will to you. Has the noise and distraction of this culture or even this crazy weather caused you to doubt or ignore his voice? 

The same voice that created the world speaks to you “well-nigh incessantly.” 

We have to learn to listen devotedly. 

JESUS SPOKE WITH GOD’S VOICE 

Paul was talking about Jesus when he wrote, “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together” (Colossians 1:15–17). 

The voice of Jesus is the same voice that created all things. When we hear Jesus speak in Scripture, in our hearts and souls, and through our dreams and prayers, we are hearing the same voice that will one day call us home to heaven.  

If we learn to listen to the voice of Jesus in our lives today, his voice will be easy to recognize on the day Jesus returns. His should be the voice of a good friend, our counselor, our guide, and, most importantly, it is the voice of someone we love. 

WHAT CHANGES WILL GOD SPEAK INTO YOUR LIFE? 

I’m wrapped in warm clothes and fur-lined boots, and I’m watching it snow. It is unprecedented cold today, but it won’t be long before this outfit gets packed up and put away. This is Dallas, Texas. The sun will soon melt the snow, the snow will water the earth, and the bluebonnets will blanket the roadways. 

God didn’t have to create seasons, but he did. Do you ever wonder why? 

I think our changing world has always existed to remind us of our unchanging God. The apostle Peter was quoting from Isaiah when he wrote, “‘The grass withers, and the flower falls, but the word of the Lord remains forever.’ And this word is the good news that was preached to you” (1 Peter 1:24–25). 

Throughout our lives, God will speak changes he wants us to make. He will guide us to see things in a new way or follow a new path. If we know God’s word, we should expect change. But, we can also expect his unchanging voice to guide us as we listen.  

The world has seen a lot of change since God spoke it into existence. It’s comforting to realize that God is still the same. “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8). 

GOD SPEAKS UNCHANGING TRUTH TO OUR CHANGING LIVES 

Frederick Faber said that God spoke “well-nigh incessantly” and that we could hear that voice if we don’t allow the noise and distraction of this life to drown out God’s word to us. So why is it that so many people in our world today don’t even consider the voice of the One who spoke all things into existence? 

Frederick Faber had that answer as well. He wrote, “There are no disappointments to those whose wills are buried in the will of God.” It will be difficult to hear God’s voice unless we are ready to follow his will. It will be difficult to hear God speak through his word unless we are convinced that his word is truth. And it will be difficult for God to interrupt our plans if he is not Lord of our choices. 

God’s will is not hidden, but it is often ignored. 

God’s will is spoken, but it is often heard as a suggestion rather than a command. 

Remember, God speaks. 

But God speaks to servants who listen. 

WHEN GOD SPEAKS, EVERYTHING CHANGES 

We have been plagued with power outages and freezing temperatures. Those plagues follow the changes that occurred because of a virus. I am so ready for spring! 

Everything changes, and it always will, but not God. The voice that created the world continues to speak. His voice is knowable and his truth is unchanging. His voice offers consistent truth, offered in different ways, at different times, to different generations—until one day, this world changes one last time. 

One snowstorm will be our last. 

One day his voice will call us home. 

That day will be unprecedented for us but completely consistent with the truth of God’s word. 

From now until then, the goal of every day is to listen for him to speak, ready to walk with his direction. 

When God speaks, everything changes—except him.  

Seriously Siri, Shush

It’s hard enough to be a preacher’s wife/Bible teacher/Christian blogger and speaker without the thought that someone is listening to me while I’m in my own home. I have an incredibly busy husband and I raised sons. I’ve grown accustomed to being ignored, and I kind of like it. 

But not by Siri. She listens 24/7. 

The other morning, I was having a conversation with my husband, Jim, and Siri chimed in twice from my phone, uninvited. Jim laughed at me when I picked up my phone and said, “What I want is for you to quit listening!”  

I’m not sure, but Siri may have left dejected. She hasn’t spoken again since. 

Now, I’m blogging and wondering if I hurt some cosmic woman’s feelings. 

I’m just not ready for any more technology. I really just wanted to be able to make phone calls, and now it seems I have a whole new family member to deal with. 

How accountable are we these days? 

Jim sends his Daily Article to more than 170,000 people every day. My son Craig’s First15 devotionals have a huge following as well. It’s getting difficult to go somewhere and not run into someone who knows about and follows our ministries.  

That is a great blessing . . . most of the time. We have bad days too. 

I go to the grocery store sometimes and don’t bother to worry that much what my hair looks like. Sometimes I run to the post office in my most casual attire. Occasionally, I wear my sunglasses, hoping they will provide a suitable disguise. 

And, if I could wear a sack over my head on the Dallas North Tollway, I would. Let’s just say I learned how to drive in Los Angeles, and there are different rules there. 

Everyone has a cell phone with a camera. The other day, a drone flew around the neighborhood. People can see pictures on their computers that I don’t even know exist. My phone can ring with a FaceTime call after I’ve already decided to get ready for bed. (Note to readers: I won’t answer that call unless it’s my kids or grandkids.) And Siri can interrupt a perfectly private conversation with my husband at 5:30 in the morning!  

Do I have to be on my best behavior all the time? 

Who are we accountable to? 

I taught this verse a few weeks ago, and I’m considering taking up needlepoint so I can make it into a pillow. 

Paul was writing to the church in Corinth, defending some of the slander he had received. I really like what he said: “But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by any human court. In fact, I do not even judge myself. For I am not aware of anything against myself, but I am not thereby acquitted. It is the Lord who judges me” (1 Corinthians 4:3–4). 

In verse 5, he writes it will be the Lord “who will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purpose of the heart.” 

It’s the Lord who judges us, and he knows the motives of our heart. Paul told the church in Corinth that their opinions mattered, but not very much. Their judgments were flawed because they didn’t know the whole story. They didn’t know Paul’s motives. 

We shouldn’t judge because we can’t

I had to teach a difficult passage from this same letter to the Corinthian church. 

A man was having a public, physical relationship with his stepmother. Paul told the church to expel him if he didn’t repent. 

That isn’t the same thing as passing judgment on others. If people openly and publicly sin, we don’t have to wonder if they are accountable for that sin.  

Previously, Paul was discussing the sins and the service we do in our lives. Which sins have we not fully repented of? Which sins are chronic? Which behaviors don’t look like sin but really are? What service appears to be obedience to God but really isn’t?  

That is the stuff of our lives only God can judge. He knows the motives of our hearts; we don’t. 

We should live with intent 

I really don’t want Siri listening to all my conversations, but what if she does? What would I say differently or not at all? What would I be proud of, and what would cause me shame? What would please God, and what would break our fellowship? 

I would be a more careful Christian if I lived liked people were watching. 

Paul said Christians should “aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you” (1 Thessalonians 4:11). That was easier to do in the days before cell phones, computers, Siri, and Alexa. People are watching and listening even when we are minding our own business and working hard. 

But this new age of accountability could be a good thing too. 

What if people are listening to you share the gospel? What if people are listening to your testimony? What if they hear you offering forgiveness or asking for it? 

Maybe we should also remember what Jesus said in Acts 1:8: “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” 

Witnessing isn’t just something we do. A witness is who Spirit-filled Christians have become.  

Let’s live like people are listening. They are. God wanted them to. We just need to remember to let his Spirit do the talking. 

Come to think of it, I’m pretty sure I owe Siri an apology.