Thu | Mar 28, 2024

God, please talk to mi – Part II

Published:Saturday | April 13, 2019 | 12:07 AM

“God, please talk to mi!” If this is the cry of your heart, God wants to talk to you. As Christians, it is our heritage and right to hear from God. Last week, we discussed four keys to hearing God’s voice, modified from a book by Mark and Patti Virkler. They are to be still, focus on Jesus, be aware of our next thoughts, and write down the thoughts and pictures that come to our mind.

Using this approach, we learn to tune our ears to God’s voice. God is always speaking, and one word from God can revolutionise our lives and bring comfort and breakthrough. When God speaks personally to us, it is called a ‘ Rhema’ word. A Rhema word brings life with it, causes our faith to rise, and gives direction and purpose. But how do we get a Rhema word from the Bible?

The written word of God in the Bible is called the l ogos. God often gives us a Rhema word when we read the logos. To facilitate receiving a faith-giving Rhema word, we must approach the Bible correctly.

This is done through biblical meditation – focusing on the Word of God and asking the Spirit of God to give us insight. “Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night ... .” (Joshua 1:8a, NIV). To meditate means to murmur, converse with oneself, ponder, reflect, and resolve in the mind. Meditation takes place in our hearts: “May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, Lord ... .” (Psalms 19:14, NIV). It is a significant key to hearing God’s voice, so, let’s look at seven steps that are designed to prepare us to receive from the Holy Spirit as we participate in biblical meditation.

1. Ask the Lord to forgive us of any known sin. Receiving divine revelation is at the heart of biblical meditation, and we must prepare ourselves to receive from the Holy Spirit by repenting and being cleansed by the blood of the Lamb

2. Ask God for a teachable attitude. Revelation is given to those who maintain an attitude of humility, and it is withheld from the proud and the arrogant. So humbly go before God and allow him to show you any ideas contrary to His Word and the freedom to alter them as He sees fit (see James 4:6; 2 Pet 1:19).

3. Present ourselves to God. We can do nothing of our own initiative, but only what we hear and see by the Spirit (see John 5:19-20,30). So, let’s present our minds to God so He can use it and fill it with anointed reason and divine vision (see Prov 3:5-7; Rom 12:1-2).

4. Ask the Lord to enlighten our hearts. As you read the logos word, slow down and consider the text over and over in your heart and mind, praying constantly for God to give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him (see Eph 1:17-18; Ps 119:18).

5. Ask the Holy Spirit to speak to us in pictures and the still, small voice.

6. Ask the Lord to show us the solution to the specific problem we are facing.

7. Thank the Lord for what He has shown us.

God wants to talk to us, and as we deliberately incorporate these seven steps in our daily devotional lives, we will begin to hear His voice more clearly. We will begin to receive a Rhema word from reading the logos and build our relationship with God.