Most of us are better at speaking than listening, but communication with God involves both. The Lord wants His children to hear His voice.

The Bible is one of the main instruments that our Heavenly Father uses to speak to us. For this reason, studying it is so important. When we regularly spend time in His Word, we develop a spirit of discernment.

No matter how loudly God speaks, we will not listen unless listening is a priority. We must ask the Lord to teach us to listen and then practice an attitude of stillness. An inner receiver attuned to the Heavenly Father develops only with devout prayer, meditation, and the practice of listening. In addition, we need a spirit of submission in order to obey.

God's goal is for us to have a sensitive spirit so that we can hear Him in both noisy and quiet situations. Listening is a vital skill in making sure our hearts are open to divine guidance in every circumstance. There are many blessings in spending time each day reading and meditating on the Word, one of which is hearing the voice of our Shepherd and being closer to Him (John 10:27).

Suggested Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, help me silence the noise around me… from the daily grind and challenging situations, and allow me to focus on You, on Your voice. I want to learn to hear You so clearly that I can distinguish Your voice in the midst of any and every circumstance. Thank You, Lord, that through Your Word I can learn to obey and build a closer relationship with You. In Jesus' name, Amen.

1.    Isaiah 50:4-5 (NIV).

Today's Encounter was written by: Rosina N.