"In a quarter mile, take the next right," advised a pleasant woman’s voice. As we attempted to find the auditorium where our soldier would be graduating from his Army advanced training, the digital map program’s spoken directions were proving invaluable! With its help we were going to make it just in time to celebrate our son's achievement.

Do you ever wish God spoke to you as clearly and directly as that program? How much easier it would be to discern His will or direction. Maybe He does sometimes speak that way, but for most of us it's less cut and dried.

As I have learned what it means to live my faith in God, one of the most vital lessons has been that reading and meditating on his Word enables my heart to hear His voice. Jesus' amazing statement in John 15 makes this clear. In John chapter 15, Jesus tells us one key to hearing God's voice. He calls it abiding.

What is abiding? Abiding means staying, remaining, holding steady. As His words permeate our minds and hearts more and more, we will be hearing His voice. His will and ways will become clearer to us. And, astoundingly, our prayers will be answered too! All through this close communion with our Heavenly Father called abiding.

Dear Father, often I think I hear your voice when it is only my own mind or heart. Sometimes I wonder how to listen to you when the world is full of competing voices. Teach me to abide in you – in your Word – so that my mind and heart are always tuned to yours. Amen.

Go Deeper — Reading His Word – the Bible – and praying to Him are two important pieces of abiding. A new year is a perfect time to commit yourself to spending time with God daily. As this becomes habit, you will be amazed at how rich His Word becomes to you – and how much easier it is to hear His voice.



Tags: Listen John 15
Photo Credit: Ray Hennessy