Today’s Key Scripture

“For this cause everyone who is godly shall pray to You in a time when You may be found; surely in a flood of great waters they shall not come near him. You are my hiding place; You shall preserve me from trouble; You shall surround me with songs of deliverance. Selah. I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye.”

— Psalm 32:6-8

To learn to hear God’s voice during prayer, you must come to Him daily, like the psalmist, building a personal relationship with Him during the process. It’s that daily, constant contact that forges a strong bond of understanding between Father and child, much as with an earthly parent and offspring.

One of the big hindrances in learning to recognize God’s voice is the desire for instant answers. We are a generation used to fast food, time-saving appliances, and instantaneous communication.

The psalmist David wrote, “When You said, ‘Seek My face,’ My heart said to You, ‘Your face, Lord, I will seek’” (Psalm 27:8). Later in that same chapter, he sang, “Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; wait, I say, on the Lord!” (verse 14).

Sometimes, in order to hear God’s voice, a time of waiting is involved. As humans, we naturally chafe at that delay. As the old saying goes, “I want patience, and I want it right now!”

God wisely knows that in order to grow, the lack of an immediate answer can cause His children to turn toward Him, pressing closer, asking again, and listening even more carefully for the Lord’s answer.

 

A Prayer for Today

Father God, I ask for Your patience. Too often I get in a hurry and expect You to fit into my time frame. I want my way too often, to the point that I forget to stop and notice what’s really going on spiritually, emotionally, and physically. Help me when I get so intent on my plans and all the things that distract me from Your path. Thank You that I don’t have to walk alone, but that You are with me moment by moment, day by day. And I especially thank You today for my eternal reward in heaven that makes my trials and waiting worth everything. I pray this in Jesus’ name, amen.

 

*All Scripture references are NKJV unless otherwise noted.