“We must have our spiritual antennas fully extended. We must be vigilant to discern the voice of God in the circumstances of our lives each day.”- Dr. Charles F. Stanley
“Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.”- James 4:7 (NIV)
Dr. Charles Stanley concludes Chapter 7 of Can You Still Trust God? with ways eight through twelve to learn to hear what God is saying.
8. Attentively. Listening to God demands our full attention every day. Above all, as Christians we must not divide our lives into secular and spiritual compartments. Because Christ is life, our whole walk is spiritual.
As a result, we must always look for God’s spiritual fingerprint in everything He allows in our lives. And listen for His voice in every sound.
9. Carefully. We need to sift everything we hear through God’s Word. And as we filter everything through Scripture, we eliminate everything that contradicts Scripture. Because Scripture = the absolute standard of God’s truth.
10. Submissively. It’s crucial to listen to God with a submissive spirit. For when God tells us something we bristle at hearing, total obedience becomes an issue. Yet, ultimately submission must accompany listening in order to fully hear and follow God.
11. Gratefully. Our heavenly Father speaks to individuals. Rather than the masses. Therefore, we need to approach God with a thankful heart. For God’s interested in you — out of the billions of people in this universe — that should invoke gratitude on your part.
12. Reverently. The foundation of hearing God centers on a reverent heart. We should be in awe of a God who created the world as well as the intricacies of human life.
In conclusion, God focuses His total, concentrated, and undisturbed attention on us individually. Thus, that knowledge humbles us and creates a reverence for our Almighty God.
Today’s question: What disciplines help keep your spiritual antennas fully extended? Please share.
Tomorrow’s blog: the September Short Meditation, “Sit quietly in a room alone – be still”
