I don't know about you, but I am a sucker for kids saying the darnedest things! There is a video out there back from 2014 where a cute toddler boy tries to argue his way out of trouble with who I assume is his aunt. His persistent "Linda, Linda, Linda, no Linda, listen, Linda, listen" has captured the hearts of many and has even become an inside joke in our family (we have an aunt Linda too).
But when it comes to listening, even as adults, I think we can agree that sometimes listening is hard. We all juggle so much- a spouse, children, extended family, a job, extra curricular activities, church groups, support groups, exercise, hobbies, and the list goes on. There are so many people and things in this world vying for our constant attention. It can be a daily struggle to decide what to tune in and more importantly what to tune out.
I can tell you from experience that there is one voice you will never be disappointed in and should always try prioritizing listening to- and that is the voice of God. God truly does bless his people when they listen to him. Luke 11:2 says “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.”
You can call me kooky, crazy, faith-filled, or even a little out there. But I whole-heartedly believe that God can speak to us, when we make the time and prioritize listening to him. Don't believe me? Well let me share with you a few examples that might just blow your mind:
1. A co-worker of mine was having car troubles. She was in a real pickle trying to decide if she should fix her old trusty rusty car, or if it was time to buy a new one. It was truly stressing her out and the thought of purchasing and paying for a new vehicle seemed daunting. I knew nothing of her car troubles. One night before bed, I had this impression to pray over her and God impressed upon my heart to tell her the word "green" and that she would know what that meant. So I said a short prayer, texted her, and stepped out in faith and told her awkwardly "God says green... unsure if that means wear the green dress, paint your nails green, or that you need to eat more salads". She immediately knew what this meant- her old trusty was, you guessed it, green! She knew what to do next and was incredibly thankful and in some awe that this small miracle or answer to prayer happened right before her eyes. This conversation, in part, I believe eventually lead this friend to begin attending her church again.
2. A very close friend of mine recently lost her dad earlier this year to cancer. Her dad was like a second dad to me - always so supportive, encouraging, and teaching us all life lessons one story or project at a time. While at a women's retreat, my close friend was grieving her late father. I believe in the retreat they had time for prayer and journaling. The thing she longed for most was to hear her Dad say how proud he was of her- for being strong, for looking after the family, and weathering all the storms she had recently faced with kindness and grace. I was blissfully unaware of this retreat and her very private prayer and journaling. A week or so after this retreat, I heard God say to "tell her how proud I am of her, for being strong, for looking after the family, and weathering all the storms she had recently faced with kindness and grace". So I prayed over her and then texted her that I thought God (or her dad) was telling me to tell her these things. I was not on the other side of that text, but I can only imagine the range of intense emotions- shock, thankfulness, grief, joy, sadness, and a sense that God truly does care and performed a small miracle that day to show my friend how much he (and her dad) still care about her. To this day, she says "it is one powerful story that has helped her a ton".
3. A pastor friend of mine was having some health issues. She was unaware of the root cause and was looking for answers. I again was unaware of her troubles and what was going on behind the scenes in her life. One night, I received a gentle nudge to check in with this pastor friend and tell her "sugar". I will be honest, I didn't want to "bug" this friend or look like a giant dork in front of them. So I let the nudge simmer and it simply got stronger into the night. So at 11pm or so I texted this pastor friend, checked in on them, and told them that "I was stepping out in faith, and that I believe God is telling me to tell you the word "sugar" and that you would know what that meant". Much to her surprise, Sugar was the answer she needed to help guide and confirm some of her health issues.
4. A manager in the company I work for is often in awe of my almost annoyingly joyful outlook on life. He has said on several accounts that he "does not know how I do it" and also that I have a sixth sense of when to send an encouraging word his way. If I am honest, I simply act on God's gentle nudges and not my own dorky wisdom or might. One early morning Monday, I felt a gentle nudge that some encouragement was needed for this manager. I send this manager an encouraging chat message that "I hope his week is off to a great start and goes smoother than a fresh jar of Skippy (peanut butter)". Complete with a dancing peanut butter jar GIF, because who can't smile at that?! Unknowingly, the week had not got off to a great start as this manager was doing some damage control with a key client. This little boost helped encourage the manager when he needed it most before the difficult conversations he was about to have that week.
I have countless more stories just like these ones- where an impression, a gentle nudge, or a word that just wont shake from my mind about someone. Often they do not make sense to me, can seem awkward, and often come to me when I am most quiet and able to hear God speak.
Now I could just simply feel these impressions or hear these words and do nothing. But the bible says that we shouldn't merely listen to the word, but we also need to do what it says (James 1:22). You see, God is not a God of words, but a God of action. He wants us to not only take time to listen to him, but also act on what he is telling us to do. Check out Matthew 7:24: Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.
Who doesn't want to be spiritually buff (with all those faith muscles being flexed)? Who doesn't want to be a wise person? And who doesn't want to be a part of something bigger than themselves, like being a conduit of God's wisdom, power, and miracles on a daily basis?
So you probably now have two questions:
1. How can I tell if what I am hearing is from God, and not just my overactive imagination or subconscious?
Well is just so happens that one of my Pastors wrote a blog about this very topic! To summarize his blog:
You can tell if what you are hearing is from God if it is in accordance with scripture.
You can ask Godly mentors to scrutinize your impressions, they too checking to see if it is in accordance with scripture.
If the impression is about a topic you already have a strong opinion about, you need to be extremely cautious about sharing it for many reasons.
Not every impression is meant to be shared. Often it is meant for prayer only on your part.
Will what you share uplift or oppress someone? You need to be mindful of when and who and how you share, if you are event meant to share what you heard at all.
If someone shares a word with you, use it as confirmation and not obligation.
2. But what If I am wrong or look stupid?
I promise you, you are going to feel this way no matter what I say. Its all part of our faith journey and stepping out in our faith. If you do plan to share your impression or word you heard from God- you may want to start out with something like "I am stepping out in faith here, and this might sound kooky or odd, but I believe God impressed on my heart to tell you x/y/z". I personally would much rather look like and odd duck stepping out in my faith for a miracle to happen, than to never stepped out in faith and never witnessed a miracle at all. God is full of miracles, big and small, and I don't want to let my own pride or insecurities get in the way of that!
Now back to that cute toddler arguing with his auntie Linda, I think God is often up there in heaven, saying "Lora, Lora, Lora, no Lora, Listen, Lora, listen". He desperately wants us to hear him. The bible says "Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know " (Jeremiah 33:3).
He wants to share is heart and knowledge with us. He wants us to have a front row seat to his majesty, his powers, and everything miraculous. At the end of the day- he just wants our heart and wants us to know his heart. And its a BIG one, full of kindness, mercy, hope, refreshment, and love.
But will we listen? Will we take the time to quite our day and allow him to speak soft thoughts to us? Will we slow down to feel his gentle nudges and impressions? And will we be brave and bold enough to follow through on what he says- encouraging someone, sharing what you are hearing, or doing that random act of kindness our father in heaven asks us to do?
Listen, friend, listen!