The Many Voices
“Then He said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the Lord’s presence.” At that moment, the Lord passed by. A great and mighty wind was tearing at the mountains and was shattering cliffs before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake.
After the earthquake there was a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire there was a voice, a soft whisper.”
1 Kings 19:11-12 HCSB
http://bible.com/72/1ki.19.11-12.hcsbSo many voices in our head! What voice do we listen to? This was my main challenge as a young Christian. Prayer can be a challenge in itself. I’ve prayed to God for as long as I can remember. I prayed for my tests at school, when I didn’t have any friends, when I would cry myself to sleep as a teenager because I didn’t think anyone cared. My prayer life was a very selfish prayer life, all about rescuing me from my own failures and mistakes. When I turned 21, I accepted Jesus as my Savior. I started to learn about real prayer. Then the confusion filled my conscience. All the voices! Yes I said it again, and no I’m not crazy. You know the voices I’m talking about. The voice of self wants, justification. The voice of anger, jealousy, greed, depression. Then there’s the voice of others expectations, others opinions, others challenges. How about the voice of tv, social media, society. So many voices! And I haven’t even mentioned God’s voice yet. So how do we discern God’s voice from the rest? And if God knows all, is in control of all, and already knows the future, then why pray at all? These were some of the questions and struggles I had. When I participated in the Bible study “Experiencing God” by Henry Blackaby, my life changed. God used this bible study to help my understanding and comprehension of prayer. The things that stood out most are, stay in prayer and be attentive to your surroundings. God is working around us all the time. Be open and available to what God is doing in the here and now. Prayer isn’t a get all request but a relationship with our Heavenly Father. When we engage in God through Jesus in prayer, we are building relationships. The more we pray, the more we are aware of our surroundings and what God wants of us. That last thought was mine. At least that’s the experience I’ve had. To sum it up, with all the voices, God’s voice, as quiet and soft as it is, can be heard the loudest. It’s the loudest when we are about Him in constant prayer and attitude, and we are content and observant in our current situation. What is our Heavenly Father saying to you today?
