God speaks to us basically in any way available. The important part of this is to listen and be able to accept what you hear as the Lord’s voice. “God speaks to us and we disregard what he has to say, proving that we can’t be trusted. We spend time seeking the Lord, we hear from him, and then we fail to follow through on what he’s shared with us.” Act on what God is telling you.
What is earned when you finally hear God’s voice and you say “That was nice” and never act on it! When God speaks to you he does it for a reason. Maybe it is just to bless you with his presence but I think more often than not he wants you to do something.
At AIM we do a ministry called ATL or ask the Lord. Where we listen to what God wants us to do in that time and then go do it.
Here is a story of participant Elisa Bryan in Swaziland:
This week I spent much of my ministry at the hospital. I was really excited the first day I went because Cindy and her baby girl, Nomeeswa, were there and I had actually met them in October the first time we came to Swazi. I spent a couple days just sitting and talking with Cindy and the 11-month old Nomeeswa. It was so cool to form a friendship with her and really get to know their life. I left the hospital Wednesday telling Cindy I would be back and I couldn’t wait to see Nomeeswa well again. On Thursday, I decided to change up my ministry for the day and go to a carepoint instead. But, I had promised Cindy I would be back to see her and Nomeeswa, so I went back Friday. However, when I got there, Cindy wasn’t there. I assumed she must have gone home with Nomeeswa and began asking around when she had left. Another mom that was there then informed me that the 11-month old baby girl had actually died that morning and Cindy had left right before I got there for home. This was, and still is, really hard for me to deal with for a couple reasons. I felt as though I should have been at the hospital on Thursday so I could have spent the last day with Cindy and Nomeeswa.
I think this story make me really think about how much each decision we make matters. I am not saying that she disobeyed God by not going to the hospital. I’m just saying that acting on what the Lord tells us is very important and if we don’t obey the effects can be very painful.
Exercise:
Take one day this week to begin your morning with 10 minutes of prayer for what you should do that day.
Then do it. If God doesn’t give you what you should do, though I have faith that he will, spend more time praying. But don’t pass of what God is telling you to do by not accepting God’s words as his. God might not call you to do something big but it’s God so nothing is unimportant. Show God that you are trustworthy to do what he tells you to do, which you are cause you are going on this trip for God.
That is so important and I want to thank you Josh for encouraging us to follow through on whatever God is calling us to do. I was reading my morning devotional and I felt prompted to share what I got out of it because that there is a conviction in my heart that I’m not the only one who needs to hear this.
The devotional focused on James 5:17–18 which states:
“Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit.”
The devotional went on to say:
“James tells us that Elijah “prayed earnestly that it would not rain” (5:17 NKJV). Now, Elijah’s prayer was not some laid-back request. He didn’t say, “God, I don’t know. It would be kind of nice to have some rain.” He put his heart into it. He passionately poured out his heart to heaven.
It says in 1 Kings that Elijah “bowed down on the ground, and put his face between his knees” (18:42 NKJV). Elijah poured himself into it. He prayed with fervor.
A servant came and said, “There is a cloud out there about the size of a man’s hand.” That is a pretty small cloud. Elijah kept praying. The cloud grew, and soon it began to rain. God answered, and still, Elijah kept praying and praying. Soon it was El Niño time. Yet Elijah didn’t give up.
We need to remember to do the same. Sometimes we will be praying and we’ll see a partial answer—a cloud the size of a man’s hand, so to speak. Maybe you are praying for someone who is closed to the gospel. Then you begin to see a little openness here and there. Or maybe you are praying for someone to be healed. The person you’re praying for gets a little better, but not completely better. Maybe you’re praying for provision. You have received some of that provision, but not all.
Don’t give up. Keep praying. That little cloud may grow. That answer may come in God’s timing. Pray with fervor. Pray with passion.
Much of our prayer has no power in it because there is no heart in it. If we put so little heart into prayer, then how can we expect God to put much heart into answering? We need to truly pray.
Rather than offering up some casual, God-save-the-earth-amen kind of prayer, we need to pray specifically. We need to pray fervently. We need to pray continually. Don’t give up, James is saying. Pray with energy. Put your heart into it. That is what really matters” -Pastor Greg Laurie.
Soooooo, I started thinking about how i can make this personal and apply it to my life and strangely enough, God reminded me of my account for Kenya. Instantly, I heard the Lord say, “I know there’s a little cloud (support) in the your account, but keep praying.” We must keep praying, like Elijah, who was someone like us. Eventhough some funds have showed up in our account we have to keep praying. God is faithful, God is a God who provides and we must trust Him. Right now, when the battle is raging, and the doubts and insecuries rise to the surface, it is THIS moment when we pray and trust God because He’s about to have a break through. If there is anyone who is in my situation and feels like you are hanging on by a thread, because things had become so incredibly difficult or unknown, pray and surrender it to God.
-jose.
that is SOO right. thank you jose. you’re an awesome encourager (this is a new word i made up to describe you)