How Do I Hear God’s Voice?

Rachel Billups | 1 Kings 19:9-13

Have you ever struggled in the wilderness of defeat, desperate to find answers? Maybe you’ve heard other people say they hear from God but you think to yourself, how does that even happen? How can I hear God’s voice?

In 1 Kings 19:9-13,  The prophet Elijah has moved from the excitement of triumph to the wilderness of defeat.  He’s on the run and desperately needs to hear from God – but doesn’t exactly know how that’s going to happen.

“And the word of the Lord came to him: “What are you doing here, Elijah?”10 He replied, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.”11 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. 12 After the earthquake came a fire, BUT the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. 13 When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” (1 Kings 19: 9-13 NIV).

Are you running? Not necessarily away from God, just running that treadmill we call life?

For you parents out there it’s running your kids to practices, rehearsals, appointments, and activities.  Sometimes it gets so bad you have to pull out the spread sheet just to know which parent, grandparent, or carpooling friend is going where on any given day.

We are hurrying from one moment to the next!

What would it look like if you and your family lived at the pace of grace?

PACE

“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” (Matthew 11:28)

Living at the pace of grace doesn’t mean that we call go into hiding, isolate, become monks, or take our kids out of all their activities. It just means we need to develop grace-filled practices for our busy times.

What if we normalized “running prayers?” Simply saying out loud the things that are on our minds?

Prayer could become as natural as breathing.

“Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5: 16-18 NIV).

Pray continually and give thanks without stopping.

Help me, help me, help me, thank you, thank you, thank you. -Anne Lamott

In his book, Practicing the Presence of God, Brother Lawrence discovered the significance of embracing God’s presence in the little things, even while washing dishes.

“God does not ask much of us, merely a thought of Him from time to time, a little act of adoration, sometimes to ask for His grace, sometimes to offer Him your sufferings, at other times to thank Him for the graces, past and present, He has bestowed on you, in the midst of your troubles to take solace in Him as often as you can. Lift up your heart to Him during your meals and in company; the least little remembrance will always be the most pleasing to Him. One need not cry out very loudly; He is nearer to us than we think.” -Brother Lawrence

What simple prayers will you incorporate into your regular life rhythms?

Whatever it is, just do it. Let’s normalize running prayers, and then name your place

PLACE

There’s a reason that Elijah runs to a mountain to experience God.

Mountains were thought to have spiritual significance.  Mountains were close to the heavens so to speak and so if you wanted to be close to God go somewhere high where literally heaven meets earth.

Eljah was on the same mountain as when Moses received the 10 Commandments. Jesus took Peter, James and John up on a mountain as well, where they have a strange spiritual experience and who shows up but Elijah and Moses!

“After six days Jesus took Peter, James and John with him and led them up a high mountain, where they were all alone. There he was transfigured before them. 3 His clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them. 4 And there appeared before them Elijah and Moses, who were talking with Jesus” (Mark 9:2-4 NIV).

So, does that mean you have to go to a mountain to hear from God?

Sometimes we attribute too much meaning to traditional holy places but God can’t be pinned down and God’s voice can’t be confined.

Clearly not everyone has access to a mountain close by. Sometimes I’ll pull into a Catholic or Orthodox Church and just sat in the sanctuary—with curiosity, awe and wonder.

Holy space is really any place that offers you a bigger picture of your life.

Sometimes you need to get outside of your normal to experience a connection with God.  It doesn’t have to be limited to sanctuaries, forests, and mountains.  We can intentionally create holy places! I’m constantly creating them for myself—my prayer nook upstairs in my home, the desk I have in the corner of my bedroom or simply lighting a candle—there is something about lighting a candle that reminds me the very place I’m standing is holy ground.  that this space is holy ground.

“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. 12 After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper” (1 Kings 19:11-13).

Does God only speak in one way?

I used to think that God only really spoke in one way, through the charismata, or movements of the Holy Spirit.  And the more chaotic the better!

Once, while serving as a supply pastor of two little country churches, I was determined to get rid of anything and everything that even smelled of rote liturgy.  I threw out the hymnals and purged the creeds. It was just me and Jesus and the Holy Spirit.

During that time I was invited to speak at a women’s conference in Moscow, Russia. I found myself surrounded by spiritual icons in a Russian Orthodox Church.

Some believe the artwork of icons to be literal windows to the divine–that even the process of creating and painting them is a movement of the Spirit of God. God’s presence was so thick it seemed to fill the room.  I noticed an old lady lighting candles, praying and weeping. A quiet God nudge reminded me, “Rachel this woman lived through the cold war, communism, and a culture of atheism and yet she remained faithful to Jesus throughout it all.”

I can’t be limited to orthodox or protestant, catholic or charismatic. God is God of it all.  Stop attempting to confine God to one place or another. God can meet us at time and in any place, even when we least expect it.

POSTURE

Just like there is no perfect pace or place, there is no perfect posture. Posture ultimately is about humility.

“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. Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” (1 Kings 19:12b-13 NIV).

When Elijah recognized God’s presence what did he do?  He covered his face a sign of humility.

Moses takes off his shoes on the mountain of God. Hannah prays wordless breath prayers in the temple. Peter kneels at Jesus feet and declares, “Get away from me I am a sinner.”

Posture matters!  When you are listening for God’s voice, are you ready to listen and listen well?  Or have you predetermined what God is or isn’t going to say?

One of my favorite preachers, Danielle Strickland describes a physical posture of prayer she encourages everyone to engage in:

SURRENDER—Hands raised

“I choose to hold up my hands as a symbol of surrender. My life is not about me. I surrender

to your Lordship. I surrender my preferences, prejudices, and position to you. My fears, finances, friends, and family to you.”

GENEROSITY—Open Hand

“I choose to hold out my hands as a symbol of generosity. What I have is not mine. I am only a steward of all that you have given me. May I mirror the way that you opened your hand to us and lavished your love and life upon us. I want to live an open-handed life in a closed-fist culture.”

MISSION—Hands forward

“I choose to hold my hands forward as a symbol of mission. I want to live for something greater than me. May I embrace your kingdom mission. I want to embrace and welcome your mission to the lost, last, least, and lonely—the poor, powerless, privileged, and persecuted.”

It’s a posture of prayer.

Pace, Place, Posture.  God’s voice can’t be confined to showing up in your favorite worship song, or that preacher you love to listen to, or even that concert you can’t wait to get to.  It’s not always the big and flashy, the fire raining down from heaven. Most of the time it’s in that still small voice of prayers with your kids at bedtime, the steady rhythm of rain on a gray day, that nudge you feel to talk to the stranger at the grocery store or even that simple moment of gratitude that you are alive for another ordinary day.  God speaks and we listen…

Jesus, be near us today. We want to hear from you, amen.

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Rachel Billups
Senior Pastor | Ginghamsburg Church
rachel@ginghamsburg.org