Prayer has been my focus for the first month of this new year. I actually want it to be my focus for the rest of my life. Here is a prayer quote by Andrew Murrray: “Prayer is not a monologue, but a dialogue; God’s voice in response to the assurance that He will listen to mine.”
It was cause for concern in my early years as a Christ-follower. How are we supposed to hear from God and how do we know it’s God when He speaks? We wonder, “Perhaps the voice I am hearing in my head is my own, or maybe Satan himself trying to derail me?” Maybe it’s like Scrooge as he tried to dismiss the voice of Jacob Marley’s ghost, “Perhaps you are a bit of undigested beef,” as he wondered if what he ate earlier caused him to see and hear this apparition.
I got more clarity when a pastor friend of mine explained that God often speaks to us as “an interruption of thought.” As I quiet myself, my mental commotion dies down, and a crystal-clear thought often dispels all the others. When God is trying to get my attention, it’s not just some random interruption. It’s a clear, succinct thought that provides peace and offers help. The wisdom and clarity presented are far beyond my ability to conjure up in that moment, leaving me more convinced than ever that the message is divinely inspired.
As that clarity comes, I write down those words just as I have written my thoughts and feelings, (See my earlier blog post, “Write To Know How You Feel: Waiting, Part 4) But I highlight the current words of wisdom. I often keep writing to finish getting my feelings out, but I can come back later to those words of insight for the answers that I am seeking. Then I read and reread the counsel they offer me.
Please understand, I am not one of those people who claim, “I do whatever the voices in my head tell me to do!” The interruption of thought I am referencing here is uncluttered by confusion and unencumbered by fear, and it possesses a power to bring peace and an assurance that it is the Truth. The old saints of the Church would often call that one’s “Inner Witness” referring to the voice of God in each of us
I am training myself to listen to that Inner Witness, that interruption of thought. I want to hear the voice of the Lord directing my path. Psalm 73:24 states, “You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory.” I don’t think it gets much better than this. Do you?