Some days, you pray a prayer over and over. You ask and ask, waiting for an answer. As you pray and wait, you feel like nothing is happening, or as if God didn't hear you. Sometimes it feels like God is silent, but is he?
Between the Old Testament and the New Testament, God was silent- 400 years' time! The people in this time were wondering where he was- when would they see the prophesy being fulfilled? When would they receive answers?
Now, we know that God answered the people with the greatest thing ever- Jesus. It wasn't immediately after they wanted answers, but it was all that they needed.
We often look for the immediate answer. Why?
As humans, we want what we want here and now, no waiting. A lot of times we simply just ask for things and expect it in return immediately with nothing to give. Many times, we do this to God without even realizing it.
So, how do we hear from him?
One thing I can tell you is that the closer to God I am, the more I can hear him. When I'm farther from him, it's harder to hear him. I mostly feel him reaching out- but it's not the same as walking close with Him day by day.
None of this is to judge anyone, but if you feel like you can't hear God, sincerely ask yourself how much you've come to him, listened to him, and stopped and really listened to the Bible. If you realized that you haven't been coming to God and listening to his words, know that no matter how many times we do this, he will have grace on his children.
"“For the mountains may depart and the hills be removed, but my steadfast love shall not depart from you, and my covenant of peace shall not be removed,” says the Lord, who has compassion on you.” -Isaiah 54:10 ESV
God loves you, everlastingly. God hears your every thought, word, and feeling. Have faith today, friends, that he is there.
We need to remember how good he is, and that we need to initiate time with God.
He will always reach out, but that doesn't mean that he doesn't ever want us to reach out to him.
Jesus says, "You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart," (Jeremiah 29:13).
Here's a friendly reminder today to seek him with all your heart, even if it's hard right now.
Lately, I've had trouble being consistent with spending time with God. It can be hard, and often times I'll beat myself up for forgetting to read the Bible, but God reached out to me.
I was on social media the other day, and God reached out to me through a post. On the post it said, "Give God you time, give God your heart," and I immediately knew that it was meant for me to see.
Soon after, I heard a man confess that he hadn't spent time with God, and he needed to repent. He advised others to repent of their sins, whatever they may be. In that moment, I realized that I needed to repent of the same thing.
Later on, I sat down in class one day, and a lady in front of me asked a few girls and I if we had been spending time with God and in the Bible. She encouraged me and the girls around me that a relationship with God is a two-way street.
I was overjoyed at how much God was reaching out to me, and it just showed his everlasting love. It showed his loyalty.
I sat down that day and apologized to God. In that moment, I felt him speak to me, "We're best friends, remember?" And it broke me down. I forgot that time with God isn't an assignment- but spending time with someone that you love and desire to know more about.
This world will push us away from God- but my advice to you today is to pray that God will help you seek him more and become more consistent in spending time with him. After I prayed that prayer, I felt his hand over my life. We have to be willing, but if we ask him for this, he will work in our lives.
Ask for eyes to see and ears to hear God.
The other day I went to sit outside and sit in the sun. I had music playing in one AirPod as I watched the sky.
The sky is one of my favorite things about God's creation- maybe it's because I'm an artist, and he continually paints the sky daily, but I love to sit outside and talk to him while looking at the sky. Almost every time I do this, I like to picture what he might look like gazing down at earth from heaven. I wonder how small I look to him, what he might be thinking, how he's doing.
As I was watching the clouds, I heard a line in the song speak loudly to me. I hadn't been listening to the words, but I suddenly heard, "I see right where you are, I hear the whisper of your heart." And I knew that it was him. I knew that he was there with me.
God finds ways to speak to you in ways that you'll resonate with and understand, and this is just one example that he is here with you and isn't silent!
God speaks. He wants us to speak to him as well. He tells us to pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17), to be constant in prayer (Romans 12:12), to pray about everything (Philippians 4:6), and to believe that we have received what we asked for in prayer in order for it to be ours (Matthew 11:24).
Religion around the world tells you and I that we need to pray a certain way, talk a certain way, and complete the assignment that they've lain on us in order to be good enough- but relationship with God involves a loving and sincere conversation with him because he is our family, our best friend.
Just like God responded to his people by sending his son Jesus in the beginning of the New Testament, I believe that as a follower of Jesus, he will not leave you without an answer.
If you're reading this and you don't know who God is, I'd love to help you on that! If you click here, you can be introduced to God right now! :)
Thank you all for reading today! I hope that you have a blessed day!
Application
How has your walk with Jesus looked this week?
Have you made an effort to seeking Jesus today?
What can you change about your schedule tomorrow in regards to quiet time?
Reflect
"You have kept count of my wanderings; put my tears in your bottle. Are they not in your book?" -Psalm 56:8
"I love the Lord, because he has heard my voice and my pleas for mercy." -Psalm 116:1
"So she (Hagar) called the name of the Lord who spoke to her, "You are a God who sees me," for she said, "Truly here I have seen him who looks after me." -Genesis 16:13
Stay connected!
What would you like to read about next week? Let me know in the comments :)