His Voice
Today, as the Underground, we come together in prayer and fasting. Every great move of God in the Bible and throughout history begins with Extraordinary Prayer and Fasting. From the other side of eternity, we will find that the most influential people were not, perhaps, Presidents or Prime Ministers but the people who walked with God through passionate prayer.
Focus:
His Voice
Today’s Scriptures:
John 10:1-5, Psalm 46:10-11, 1 Kings 19:11-13
Movement 1:
Read:
‘ “I tell you the truth, anyone who sneaks over the wall of a sheepfold, rather than going through the gate, must surely be a thief and a robber! But the one who enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep recognize his voice and come to him. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. After he has gathered his own flock, he walks ahead of them, and they follow him because they know his voice. They won’t follow a stranger; they will run from him because they don’t know his voice.” ‘
John 10:1-5
Reflect:
Jesus is the Shepherd, and we are his sheep. There are many promises in this passage: our great Shepherd knows our names, gathers us, and walks ahead of us as he leads us out into the world. But he also makes it very clear that there are those who would try to lead us astray. Thieves, robbers, and strangers are guaranteed to be in the mix.
Think back through the last few days, weeks, months, or years. What “strangers” have tempted you to walk away from the flock and follow them instead? Did you mistake their voice for the voice of your shepherd? Did you go with them or run from them?
Pray:
Talk to Jesus about potential “strangers” that have shown up in your life. Repent for times that you followed their voices instead of His voice. Hear him lovingly tell you that He has been there all along and is still your Shepherd.
Movement 2:
Read:
‘“Go out and stand before me on the mountain,” the Lord told him. And as Elijah stood there, the Lord passed by, and a mighty windstorm hit the mountain. It was such a terrible blast that the rocks were torn loose, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind, there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. And after the earthquake, there was a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire, there was the sound of a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. And a voice said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” ‘
1 Kings 19:11-13
Reflect:
While Elijah heard God’s voice in very clear ways, God also showed him other ways that he could reveal Himself. We too might look for God in a big event such as a windstorm or earthquake or fire. God certainly can reveal himself to us in those ways. However, like Elijah, oftentimes we have to look for God to reveal himself in ways that we least expect. In a still, small voice. A gentle whisper.
Pray:
How has God revealed Himself to you lately? Praise Him for the times that He has revealed Himself in “big” ways. Pray and ask Him to also reveal Himself to you in ways that you least expect, like a gentle whisper. Ask Him to increase your receptivity to His voice so that you will never miss a time when He is speaking to you.
Movement 3:
Read:
‘“Be still, and know that I am God! I will be honored by every nation. I will be honored throughout the world.” The Lord of Heaven’s Armies is here among us; the God of Israel is our fortress.
Psalms 46:10-11
Reflect:
We have all had times in our lives when we have not felt like the Lord of Heaven’s Armies is among us. Times of confusion, depression, chaos, fear, anger and more can lead to unbelief and doubt. These can cause us to remove our gaze from the Lord and fix our eyes on our circumstances. However, even in those times, he says, “Be still and know that I am God.” Two key words in that command are “be still.” In the busyness and chaos of our lives here on earth, we are often too busy moving and talking and listening and gaining information to take time to sit and be still and just meditate on the fact that our God is in charge. In order to hear His voice, we must be still and listen.
Pray:
Take time now to be still and know that He is God. For the next several minutes (or however long the spirit prompts), simply sit in solitude. Sit in His presence, feel Him so near to you, and just be still.