His Voice

I’ve had a little lesson lately on hearing from Him. For the past several years, I’ve longed to hear His voice more. Part of my ‘baggage’ from the past was boxing the Holy Spirit in… for example, He is the seal of salvation, but He doesn’t ‘speak’ to people or work supernaturally as you’d read about in Acts. My experience has knocked that belief right off the shelf, which is refreshing. Of course, there’s still a growth process – a journey that I’m walking through, learning to experience Him more deeply.

So, a frequent prayer of mine over the years has been to hear from the Lord. There were two events recently that showed me that I am hearing from Him – how encouraging! In late August, a group of ladies came to my house one Thursday night. We spent some time in worship, shared needs and ministered to one another through prayer. For myself, I prayed about my recent struggle with frustration and anger toward the children. The last several months have been so stressful – I’m already in over my head the first year with a new baby. Add to that having our home on the market, business struggles, and other stresses, and WOW! Overload! So, I requested prayers for that, because I don’t like it one bit when I’m raising my voice at my children. I also asked for prayers regarding hearing from the Lord, as that would of course be a comfort during times of stress.

One lady prayed for me, and while she was praying, I thought – “My grace is sufficient for you… my power is made perfect in weakness.”  Then another lady prayed for me, and toward the end, she said that she was getting something for me from the Lord – “My grace is sufficient for you… my power is made perfect in weakness.” Then she said that she was also getting that I’m hearing from the Lord often, but not realizing that it’s Him.

I just had to laugh! What a fun confirmation. First, it was just what I needed to hear regarding my struggle with my children. I’m hard enough on myself – I don’t need ‘training advice’ or more pressure. I need to know that He’s got me covered with His grace, and His power is made perfect in my weakness – my brokenness. At the same time, He showed me that I am hearing from Him, but I assumed that I was hearing my own thoughts. Knowing that He lives inside of me, that only makes sense. The Holy Spirit is in constant communication with me – His truth is constantly poured over me. I realize that as I grow up in Him, I’ll learn to discern more and more what is coming from Him and what is truly from me. For now, I’m just thankful to know that His words are freely poured out on me, encouraging, guiding and teaching me as I go.

Just 6 days after this confirmation came another, if you’d like to read about it!