At the beginning of every year, believers across all nations devote themselves to prayer and fasting. The purpose is clear: to dedicate the new year to the Lord, aligning themselves with their church's vision or their personal calling. Some argue this practice isn't necessary. After all, Scripture tells us to pray without ceasing. But these focused prayers carry significant weight in the spiritual realm.
God works with times and seasons. The shift from one year to another marks the beginning of something fresh. We may not perceive it in the natural realm because we don't physically step across a threshold into the next year. Everything appears the same on January 1st as it did on December 31st. So we assume nothing is changing. But in the spiritual dimension, God is initiating new things.
God Still Speaks
Today I want to address hearing God's voice.
God speaks. He always has. He communicates in various ways, and we must train ourselves to recognize His voice. God invites us to call upon Him, promising He will hear and answer:
"Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know" (Jeremiah 33:3).
Jesus reinforced this promise when He said,
"Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you" (Matthew 7:7).
When you enter your prayer closet, come with expectation.
I've witnessed God answering prayers as I've engaged in conversation with Him. On multiple occasions, I have prayed and asked God to respond as I remained in His presence, waiting for His answer. God has been faithful. Even when I've fallen asleep, God has answered through dreams. He responds in different ways: dreams, visions, conviction, that still small voice. Most significantly, God speaks through His Word. Unfortunately, we often overlook this primary channel.
Remain in His Presence
When you pray, resist the urge to rush through your list and move on. Linger there. Wait for the response. Remain in God's presence. Stay connected, even as you go about your day or drift off to sleep. Let God know you're waiting for His answer. If He responds immediately, wonderful. If He doesn't respond right away, He will in His timing.
Too often we disconnect from the needs we've presented to God. We forget our prayer requests, vaguely hoping God will address them someday. This shouldn't characterize our prayer life. When we stay spiritually connected, we won't miss the moment God responds.
Think of it like tuning a radio. You have to stay on the right frequency to catch the transmission. Prayer requires the same intentional positioning.
Recognizing Different Voices
Here's another crucial element: when we pray, our spiritual sensitivity should be heightened to detect interference. Other voices attempt to create confusion. They may be our own thoughts or the enemy's whispers.
Sometimes we become so fixated on our desires that we mistake a "no" from God for a "yes." God sometimes denies our requests, contrary to our hopes. Remember, His thoughts surpass our thoughts. He is
"able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us" (Ephesians 3:20–21).
Yet God provides alternative answers. His intention is to give us hope and a future:
"For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope" (Jeremiah 29:11).
He opens doors no one can close and closes doors no one can open. This reality underscores why we must be attentive to His voice.
While we pray, the enemy attempts to derail us. He introduces distractions through negative thoughts and counterfeit answers to our prayers.
Jesus Faced the Same Battle
Consider Christ's temptation in the wilderness. Just before entering that season of testing, God had declared through the Holy Spirit that Jesus was His beloved Son. We might anticipate hearing that same affirmation in the wilderness. Instead, we encounter Satan's voice attempting to plant false alternatives.
Jesus dismissed him with the weapon of God's Word. "It is written," He declared. Three times Satan spoke. Three times Jesus responded with Scripture.
God's Word stands as the ultimate answer to our prayers. This is why we must stay equipped with this weapon. When we're saturated with God's Word, we develop the capacity to distinguish whose voice is speaking during prayer. God's voice. Our own thoughts. The enemy's deception.
Cultivating a Listening Heart
Developing the ability to hear God's voice demands intentionality. It demands patience. It demands a heart willing to wait, to listen, to discern.
Begin by creating space. Eliminate external distractions. Silence your phone. Find a quiet place. But also address internal noise. Settle your anxious thoughts. Calm your racing mind. Invite the Holy Spirit to guide you into all truth.
Immerse yourself in God's Word before you pray. Allow Scripture to shape your requests. Let it challenge your assumptions. Let it expand your vision beyond your limited perspective.
Then pray. Pour out your heart without reservation. Be honest about your fears, your needs, your hopes. God welcomes your transparency.
And then wait. Maintain that posture of expectation. Don't rush to the next item on your agenda. Linger in His presence. Listen carefully.
Recognizing God's Response
God may answer immediately. He may respond days or weeks later. He may answer in unexpected ways. But He will answer.
Sometimes His response comes through a verse that suddenly illuminates your situation. Sometimes it arrives through godly counsel from a trusted believer. Sometimes it manifests through circumstances that align in ways only divine orchestration could accomplish. Sometimes it emerges as the quiet conviction of the Holy Spirit, redirecting your steps.
The essential element is remaining connected. Staying alert. Staying rooted in His Word.
The Path Forward
As you step into this new season, commit to cultivating the ability to hear God's voice. Refuse to settle for a one-sided prayer life where you only speak and never listen. God desires dialogue. He desires relationship. He wants to reveal great and mighty things beyond your current knowledge.
Saturate yourself with His Word. Practice discernment. Reject the enemy's lies. Embrace the truth of God's character and His promises.
And remember: the God who calls you proves faithful. He will accomplish what He has promised.
The question isn't whether God will speak. The question is whether we will position ourselves to hear.
May God answer your prayers as you continue seeking Him.
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