Prayer in its essence is communicating with God, our Father. It is going before His throne of grace. Any form of real, meaningful communication is not just one-way communication. In other words, praying to God is not just talking to Him, but praying is actually listening to God. God can do way more when we listen to Him than when we only talk to Him. If you have the faith and the courage to pray, “Speak to me, Lord,” then when God does, His voice may convict you. His voice may challenge you. What He asks of you may seem completely impossible. He will stretch you and teach you to depend on Him and live with even greater faith. Let this be your everyday prayer: “God, speak to me today. And give me the faith to follow Your voice.”

Day 1     1 Samuel 3:1-10 

Reflect:   Why do you think it took Samuel so long to recognize the Lord? How does this story reflect the common experience of hearing God’s voice?

Apply:   When you pray, do you spend more time talking or listening? Why? What things in your life distract you from hearing God’s voice? When has God clearly spoken to you?

Pray:      Speak, Lord, for Your servant is listening.

Day 2    John 10:1-5 

Reflect:  How would you describe those who hear Jesus’ voice? Those who do not? Why is it           important for the sheep to know the voice of the shepherd?

Apply:     Describe the relationship the shepherd has with his sheep.  How does that apply to your relationship with Jesus? How good are you at discerning His voice from Satan’s?

Pray:        Jesus, because You know me and provide for me, help me to also know You and trust You, to seek help and comfort in You, and to obey Your voice with all my heart.

Day 3       John 16:12-15  

Reflect:   How does this text assure us that God speaks to us? What will He speak to us and  why? What do you learn about the Godhead from this passage?

Apply:     Jesus says that He has much more to say to you. How does this make you feel?  When have you felt afraid to listen for the Lord because of what you might hear?

Pray:        Lord, thank You that as Your child, I have the privilege of knowing wonderful things from Your Word. Through the indwelling Holy Spirit, help me to grow in the grace of the things of God.

Day 4     1 Kings 19:11-13

Reflect: What does this text tell us about the kind of voices we should expect to hear from God? Why did God choose this kind of voice here? Is His “voice” always a sound?

Apply:   In what kinds of ways has God spoken to you in the past? Have you experienced a  loud voice? Quiet? An impression? Dream? Ask Him to speak to you in new ways.

Pray:      Jesus, thank You that You desire to speak to me every day. Help me to know Your         voice and to be confident that I will hear You.

Day 5     Jeremiah 33:1-3  

Reflect: Why do you think God described Himself this way in verse 2? Dig deeper into what God is saying by reflecting on each part of verse 3:  a) Call to me  b) I will answer you c) I will tell you great and unsearchable things  d) things you do not know.

Apply:  God promises to answer us. What unanswered question of your heart will you call out to God? He may give you a verse, He may give you just a word. Listen patiently!

Pray:     God, Thank You that You are a listening God whose nature is such that what pleases You is our need for You. When I pray, You hear me, You listen and You care. I look forward with anticipation to seeing You face-to-face in Heaven.

Put it into Practice:  Sit with God and ask him what He likes about you. Then, ask God how He wants to use that in your life, how it may bring Him glory, be for your good, and/or for the good of others. Put that into practice this week. Or keep asking the question if you haven’t heard anything.