How Can God Speak to Me?

It was early January and I was sitting in church one Sunday. My pastor was talking to us about how to hear God speak. He gave us three simple steps, which he called “expressions of prayer”.

One of the steps is through reading devotionals. Anyone who knows me, knows that I LOVE a powerful devotional, so naturally I was really excited to find out that reading a devotional can equate to hearing from God! He talked about praying for signs during your devotion time. Asking for signs during devotional time was something I had never thought of before. Hearing from God is so special; so naturally, I prayed and asked God to reveal signs and speak to me during this time.

I asked God to reveal His promises to me. For over a year, I had been waiting for God to answer my prayers. Throughout my time of waiting, I saw so many signs of God’s promises. Verses about promises would spontaneously appear in my Instagram feed, I would see ads on Pinterest about promises, and would see things about promises throughout my day. God found so many ways throughout this last year to sneak in reminders of his faithfulness and trustworthiness amidst my busy life. It wasn’t until I set aside intentional time to read my Bible everyday and pray for signs of the promise that He spoke to me.

One night, I was deep in prayer, asking God many questions. The very next morning, I read my devotional while still in bed. This devotion brought clarity to a lot of my questions! So many of my deepest concerns, troubles, and questions were all answered… All it took was a simple five minute devo. I am still shook to say the least! Something I had been waiting to hear from God on, for over a year, was simply stated in my devotional... one night after asking Him to reveal it! God is so cool like that! Sometimes all you have to do is ask and He will fulfill His promises.

My pastor was right. Praying for signs during devotional time is definitely a way to hear God speak. It shows God we are setting aside time just to be with Him and in His presence. If I would have pressed in and connected with Him on a deeper level sooner, imagine all the great ways He would’ve spoken to me!

However, sometimes God doesn’t respond to our prayers or requests. Sometimes we wait, and it doesn’t seem like God is speaking to us at all. And sometimes, God gives us answers that we don’t like. So, if you are going through a period where God is seemingly silent, or His answers aren’t what you want, I encourage you to continue to trust Him. And despite all of this, still take time to connect with God: talking to Him, reading His Word, and reading devotionals.

That being said, if you’re feeling like you’re in a place where you’re praying but aren’t receiving a response, set aside intentional time to read the Word. The Bible app is my absolute favorite and it makes it so much easier to connect daily. In the Bible app you can easily type in keywords based on how you’re feeling or what you’re going through and find a plan that’s perfect for you! During this month of remote learning, take the time to grow your relationship with Him. And if you feel led, pray for signs!

- Lauren G.