The LORD said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by.”
Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks 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 came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper.
When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. 1 Kings 19:11-13a
Today, I want to teach you a practice called Listening Prayer. It isn’t magical, and it isn’t a science, but it does help you learn to pray and expect that God does, in fact, speak to his children still today. His primary communication method might be scripture, but that isn’t the only way he speaks. If you want to learn more about this idea, I recommend the little book called Hearing God by Dallas Willard.
Listening to prayer is much like what it sounds. It’s a process of asking God direct questions and then listening for a whisper from him.
Step 1: Prepare to obey
Over the years, I have learned that a heart that is willing to obey God is a heart that actually hears God. If we are not willing to do what he tells us to do, God may not stop talking to us, but we certainly can’t hear him when he does. A posture of obedience Is always the first step to hearing God speak. A short prayer I’ve used is, “Lord, what you say, I intend to obey.” It may take a while to actually pray with conviction. Until you can, don’t continue.
Step 2: Ask God a direct question
This can be specific or general, but ask God to speak into something in your life. How can I be a better employee? What do you want me to know about or improve in my marriage? It may go without saying, but questions like, ‘how could I win the lottery’, may not demonstrate a heart that is aligned with how God operates.
Step 3: Sit and listen
What does his voice sound like? Well, that is hard to describe. It’s not an audible voice you are listening for, although some have had that happen. Pay attention to the random words; phrases and images that pop into your mind. If one of them is frequent and jumps out to you, ask the Holy Spirit about it. Ask him, “Lord, is that word or phrase from you?” It is often strange at first, but as the listening and asking process continues, you may find that there is some clarity that will come to the surface. If nothing stands out or nothing makes sense, don’t panic, move on with your day and just pay attention to the day. Keep your radar up for a conversation with a friend or an experience that speaks to your question. You may be surprised that his whisper becomes louder.
As you do this more often, you may discover how he tends to speak to you. Is it through nature, music, conversation with friends, the scriptures, or just a deep sense of peace about a direction to take?
Step 4: Filter through Love & The Word
Whatever you create at the end of this process must be filtered through scripture and the law of Love. Remember, God will never contradict his primary revelation of himself through scripture, and he will never contradict his greatest commandment to Love God and Love others. If you can connect the direction you received through listening prayer to an action that helps you Love God and Love others, it strongly indicates that God wants you to obey that.
Step 5: Obey
Obedience to God is the greatest key to unlocking more communication with God. It builds faith and trust and sharpens your listening skills.
by Aaron Bjorklund
