I preached for the first time yesterday. Wait a minute, preaching, I don’t really like that word all the time. There’s teaching and then there’s preaching and I’ve been told that what I did was more teaching. We’ve been doing open air evangelism here in Kenya where we play some music and then someone preaches or gives a teaching of some sort. We’ve had a few people become Christians as a result and we are so grateful to God!
But its not always easy going up and speaking in front of people and it was my turn to speak. I had no idea what to talk about! I’ll get on certain topics when I’m talking to people, but when it doesn’t come up naturally I have a bit of a hard time. Something I’ve been thinking about alot lately is that I’m not really sure what I’m passionate about. Usually people speak on what they’re passionate about. I spend alot of time journaling and talking to God, so in my quiet time I asked him what I should talk about.
When I journal I usually have two colours of pens. I call this the two pen theory. I forget who I learned it from. One pen will be red and it will be used for whatever I feel that God is saying and then the black or blue or whatever other colour I have will be for me. So I can look back on my journal and see where the Lord spoke to me and where I spoke. Its really neat but I’m ashamed to say that sometimes I see more blue than red. That means I did more talking than listening and I don’t always like that. Well, I filled up my last journal so I’ve been using a computer document instead. When I feel that God is speaking i put it in Italics. So I was writing and asking God what I should say. It soon became very clear what I should talk about – the voice of the Lord.
I realized that helping people realize that God wants to talk to them is something I’m very passionate about. You can talk to God just like you’d talk to a friend. But everyone hears from God differently. Some people get words, pictures, visions, dreams, feelings or specific Bible verses. Other times God speaks through the people in your life or through circumstances. And there’s tons of other ways too. Almighty God is definitely not limited by anything or any method.
What if we didn’t just rattle a grocery checklist off to God when we prayed so we could get our duty out of the way? What if we actually took time to listen to him or ask him questions? Can you imagine what would happen in our families, our workplaces, our cities, our countries or to the world? One word: Revolution. And the church would advance with greater power and be ready sooner for the return of Christ.
But here’s the crazy thing. God actually WANTS to speak to us! He wants to talk to us! Almighty God who made the world and everything in it wants to talk with YOU! Jeremiah 33:3 says he’s got mysteries to tell us with a promise that he WILL answer us. We just have to listen. For starters, ask him how he feels about you. What he loves about you. Whats something that you did today that made him proud of you? Then just be still and listen.
We’re so unique that we each hear from God differently. Its like we’re each a radio and have to tune in just right until find that specific frequency. The biggest trap that the enemy will lay for you in this is comparison. Just because you don’t hear God the same way as someone else doesn’t mean that the way you hear God is any less important. We’re the body of Christ and we need each part to make it function properly. One person will get visions, one person might get the scripture to back up the vision and then we find out that the person who came late to the meeting had a dream the night before about everything you’re talking about. Its like each person has a different piece of the puzzle.
So what does God’s voice sound like? Read Psalm 29. (Click here.) Its powerful! But yet, so often he chooses to speak to us in whispers. Read 1 Kings 19: 9-16 (Click here for the story.) God was speaking with Elijah. There was a mighty wind. So strong that it tore rocks off the mountain! Then an earthquake and then a fire! But God’s voice wasn’t in any of these mighty displays. He spoke in a whisper.
I know that I often look for the blazing fire, bone shattering earthquake or mighty wind. I want the big epic moment. Who doesn’t? But when I do that I miss the whisper.
Don’t miss the whisper.
It just might change your life.
It just might change someone else’s life.
It just might change the world.
