How I deal with "God echoes"
At times when I'm sharing about my experiences with God, I would get this coupled question often, "How do you hear from God and how do you know it's God?"
At first it was hard to describe how I know when God is speaking to me, because even though there are times when I intentionally open myself and practice listening to the Holy Spirit, other times it is so subtle, it seems like a passing thought at times.
When it all boils down to it, it is about a relationship. Relationship takes time in recognizing someone's voice, dreams, personality and building communication. A time of intimacy of being in God's presence, understanding his heart, meditating on his word in the Bible (truths and promises), and taking time to listen, sets up a whole other world in communication.
One great practical resource, that I revisit often, is a workbook from the "Experiencing God" series by Henry Blackaby and Claude King. It does a great job showing a framework of what it looks like when you experience God and getting a taste of what it means to follow His will. For example, one of the points it mentions is that the Holy Spirit doesn't speak only in one way but many ways: prayer, God's word, circumstances, the church, to reveal Himself, His purposes and His ways.
*
It was either yesterday, or the day before, I was just about to sleep, when a phrase popped up and was just sitting in my head. I wasn't doing anything related to it, but I was so struck by it, that I wanted to either blog about it or place it on my FB page. I had already turned off my laptop, turned off the light and had the blankets over me. It was already a late and decided/half-praying, 'Lord, if this is something important, let me know now, because I will get up and start another blog tonight.' I heard softly in my soul was 'Get some sleep.' I went to sleep thinking that it was important but God cares for my rest too. The Holy Spirit will remind me when I need to be reminded (not trying to make an excuse out of it but really accepting it.)
Today I attended a service at a church that I had visited before. I was taking notes during a good sermon (which I highly suggest taking notes in order to remember things and also its great to have a pen and paper handy when the Holy Spirit wants to "hi-light" something to you.) I usually leave a section of my page where I place thoughts, questions or highlights...or as I like to call them "God echoes."
A "God echo" is when something that I heard, thought, read, questioned before (usually something that stops me in my tracks with a bit of clarity,) that comes back and hits me on the head like an epiphany. Sometimes I'll have two to ... as many as dozens of the same "God echoes" over a course of a day or even a couple years. When I started to notice strange "coincidences", i.e. my Quiet Time was on Psalm 23, and the next day a friend told me that her favorite Psalm is 23, I hear a song on the radio and the lyrics are about the "Good Shepherd", then the reader at Sunday service read Psalm 23, there was a mental note hi-lighted in my head. "Pay attention here. Something is going on!" This may not necessarily be a word for you but maybe someone close to you, a person you are about to meet, or it could be personal whether it is immediate or in the future. It could be something describing a season you are going through, or about to go through, but really, just ask the Lord before trying to figure it all out. You can just simply ask Him, "Holy Spirit, what does this mean?" and wait until He gives you an answer. You may hear something from Him immediately or later. Just know that His "sheep hear His voice." No need to freak out or fear. Just steward the word away somewhere... like a journal, until you get clarity as what to do with it and keep asking the Holy Spirit if you have any questions.
[Anyway, back to the story]
So I'm sitting in this church listening about "Zoe" life, and near the end of the sermon, the direction of the sermon changes with this phrase:
"Prayers are not for changing God's mind. Its God changing ours."
Pretty cool. The phrase that was sitting in my mind a day or two earlier was:
"Most of the time, the purpose of prayer is not us changing God['s mind, will, plan]. Prayer is God changing us."
"Ahhhhhh!"
This God echo just hits it "right there" similar to when a masseuse hit's the right spot in a place you couldn't reach by yourself. You just know that, that spot is gold. I love those moments when God "hits it home"! Its such an awesome feeling being in stride with God!
I only put most of the time, because you do see evidence in the Bible where people have petitioned God through prayer and God relents or even bargains (if you will), but to those who are seeking His kingdom first (and usually have the relationship with Him).
Well, with that off my chest, that phrase will have its own blog highlight of it's own coming up.
For this one, I think it is finished.
'Til next time!
At first it was hard to describe how I know when God is speaking to me, because even though there are times when I intentionally open myself and practice listening to the Holy Spirit, other times it is so subtle, it seems like a passing thought at times.
When it all boils down to it, it is about a relationship. Relationship takes time in recognizing someone's voice, dreams, personality and building communication. A time of intimacy of being in God's presence, understanding his heart, meditating on his word in the Bible (truths and promises), and taking time to listen, sets up a whole other world in communication.
One great practical resource, that I revisit often, is a workbook from the "Experiencing God" series by Henry Blackaby and Claude King. It does a great job showing a framework of what it looks like when you experience God and getting a taste of what it means to follow His will. For example, one of the points it mentions is that the Holy Spirit doesn't speak only in one way but many ways: prayer, God's word, circumstances, the church, to reveal Himself, His purposes and His ways.
*
It was either yesterday, or the day before, I was just about to sleep, when a phrase popped up and was just sitting in my head. I wasn't doing anything related to it, but I was so struck by it, that I wanted to either blog about it or place it on my FB page. I had already turned off my laptop, turned off the light and had the blankets over me. It was already a late and decided/half-praying, 'Lord, if this is something important, let me know now, because I will get up and start another blog tonight.' I heard softly in my soul was 'Get some sleep.' I went to sleep thinking that it was important but God cares for my rest too. The Holy Spirit will remind me when I need to be reminded (not trying to make an excuse out of it but really accepting it.)
Today I attended a service at a church that I had visited before. I was taking notes during a good sermon (which I highly suggest taking notes in order to remember things and also its great to have a pen and paper handy when the Holy Spirit wants to "hi-light" something to you.) I usually leave a section of my page where I place thoughts, questions or highlights...or as I like to call them "God echoes."
A "God echo" is when something that I heard, thought, read, questioned before (usually something that stops me in my tracks with a bit of clarity,) that comes back and hits me on the head like an epiphany. Sometimes I'll have two to ... as many as dozens of the same "God echoes" over a course of a day or even a couple years. When I started to notice strange "coincidences", i.e. my Quiet Time was on Psalm 23, and the next day a friend told me that her favorite Psalm is 23, I hear a song on the radio and the lyrics are about the "Good Shepherd", then the reader at Sunday service read Psalm 23, there was a mental note hi-lighted in my head. "Pay attention here. Something is going on!" This may not necessarily be a word for you but maybe someone close to you, a person you are about to meet, or it could be personal whether it is immediate or in the future. It could be something describing a season you are going through, or about to go through, but really, just ask the Lord before trying to figure it all out. You can just simply ask Him, "Holy Spirit, what does this mean?" and wait until He gives you an answer. You may hear something from Him immediately or later. Just know that His "sheep hear His voice." No need to freak out or fear. Just steward the word away somewhere... like a journal, until you get clarity as what to do with it and keep asking the Holy Spirit if you have any questions.
[Anyway, back to the story]
So I'm sitting in this church listening about "Zoe" life, and near the end of the sermon, the direction of the sermon changes with this phrase:
"Prayers are not for changing God's mind. Its God changing ours."
Pretty cool. The phrase that was sitting in my mind a day or two earlier was:
"Most of the time, the purpose of prayer is not us changing God['s mind, will, plan]. Prayer is God changing us."
"Ahhhhhh!"
This God echo just hits it "right there" similar to when a masseuse hit's the right spot in a place you couldn't reach by yourself. You just know that, that spot is gold. I love those moments when God "hits it home"! Its such an awesome feeling being in stride with God!
I only put most of the time, because you do see evidence in the Bible where people have petitioned God through prayer and God relents or even bargains (if you will), but to those who are seeking His kingdom first (and usually have the relationship with Him).
Well, with that off my chest, that phrase will have its own blog highlight of it's own coming up.
For this one, I think it is finished.
'Til next time!
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