A Listening Moment...

"So Eli told Samuel, “Go and lie down, and if he calls you, say, ‘Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.’” So Samuel went and lay down in his place.10 The Lord came and stood there, calling as at the other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” Then Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening.” 1 Samuel 3:9-10

In the book of 1 Samuel, we find Samuel has been sleeping but he hears a voice calling out to him repeatedly. Because he does not yet know the Lord, he mistakes the voice for that of Eli. After the third calling, Eli advises Samuel that it is the Lord calling to him, and when he hears His voice again, he should acknowledge the Lord and let him know that His servant is listening. When the Lord finally did speak, He confided in Samuel the plans that He had for Eli's family.

I can imagine that Samuel was probably nervous, excited, and maybe even a little afraid knowing the Lord wanted to speak with him. Scripture tells us in verse 1, a word from the Lord in those days had become rare and there weren't many visions as in times past. We can relate to that today.

However, I believe there are times when the Lord speaks to us. We have to be sensitive to the calling of Holy Spirit and to the voice of Almighty God speaking to us. There may be times that like Samuel, we don't recognize His voice. That doesn't always mean that we aren't in relationship with Him. I believe in these times, we get so caught up in the ways of this world and in daily living that we become "de-sensitized," if I can use that, to His voice.

Internet, social media, school, work, families, extracurricular activities, and financial and health issues all lead to stress, causing us to become consumed with worry and LIFE. When we are overwhelmed like this, it is easy to miss the voice of the Lord. However, He always has a plan for our lives (Jeremiah 29:11). One that won't fail, and will eliminate the stress if we only trust Him to guide us. But how can we hear His voice, when we're so consumed with the world?

1. EARLY PRAYER - We must first carve out time to get alone with the Lord. Starting your day off early in the morning to allow Him to guide your day is instrumental. He provides solid instruction for what we should do throughout the day, and how to maintain ourselves in every encounter.
2. MEDITATE ON HIS WORD - Read His Word in the morning before you start your day. Meditate on some key points in the selected passage and ask Him to show you how to apply it to your life, or what you can learn from it.
   
3. SEEK GUIDANCE - Ask Him for instruction in various areas of your life. When you encounter situations, ask the Lord what to do and how to handle it. Don't move full steam ahead without hearing His response.
   
4. WAIT - Always wait to hear what the Lord says. In the morning when you pray, when you meditate on His Word, and when you seek His counsel. He wants to speak to you, as much as you desire to hear from Him. You must be patient.
   
5. UNPLUG - Turn off the radio, stay away from social media for a day or two, disconnect from distractions in your daily world. Sometimes, our brains are so flooded with messages from a variety of medium that we cannot enjoy a moment of peace and silence. It's in those moments of peace and silence that we're best able to connect with the Almighty and learn what He desires from us. We live in a world where we need constant and instant gratification and entertainment, that it is difficult to shut it down. Yet, that's when we become refreshed, rejuvenated, and empowered to be at our best and to draw closer to the Lord, Who will in turn draw near unto us (James 4:7-8).
   
6. RECOGNIZE - It isn't always a deep spiritual experience that you will undergo when the Lord speaks. Learn to recognize His voice, or His counsel in the reading of His Word, the voice of a family member, friend, co-worker, or even a complete stranger. You may find the answers you seek in a song playing on the radio, a book you're reading, or something someone says. The Lord will bring His answers in a variety of ways and they will always align with His Word. Just focus and pay attention.
   

Every day is not always easy to stay focused on hearing the Lord and pulling away from the cares of this world. However, if you take one step at a time and spend time in prayer and in His Word daily, it will become second-nature to you. Below are a few scriptures that will give you more insight into hearing from the Lord.

STRENGTHENED IN OUR FAITH (ROMANS 10:17)
CALL AND RESPONSE (JEREMIAH 33:3)
FOLLOWING HIS GUIDANCE (ISAIAH 30:21)
VOICE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT (JOHN 16:13)
THE HOLY SPIRIT IS ALWAYS WITH US (JOHN 14:16-17)

This wraps up another Motivational Monday Moment. I would love to hear from you, so share your favorite Scripture, or an encouraging thought you have about hearing from the Lord.

About Chelle Ramsey...

Women's fiction author and blogger, Chelle Ramsey brings a refreshing perspective into the lives of her readers and wants them to find entertainment, healing and inspiration in each novel. Using real problems and challenges faced by ordinary people, Chelle wants readers to become empowered to rise above life's adversities, with faith in God, and belief in themselves.

Her stories are relatable to individuals of diverse demographics, who have suffered a loss, been hurt, have low self-esteem, have lost hope, or need a word of encouragement. She strives to take your emotions on a roller coaster ride, one page at a time. Chelle holds an MBA in Human Resource Management, which she puts to use in her Human Resources role by day, while she writes her fiction novels at night. And in her spare time, she’s a blogger, freelance writer, and ghostwriter. 
Her most important roles are those of a wife and mother of three. During her “me time,” she becomes enraptured with the enthralling stories of Terry McMillan, Nora Roberts, James Patterson and Stuart Woods. Chelle Ramsey resides in a rural community in Atlanta, Georgia and enjoys writing, family time, and watching NBA games.
She hosts the annual 20 Days of Love authors’ blogging campaign, March Madness authors’ giveaways campaign, and showcases other authors on her blog at www.chelleramsey.com/beautifully-inspired-blog. Her novels can be found online at Chelle Ramsey Amazon.
 
LINKS:
WEB: www.chelleramsey.com
BLOG: http://www.chelleramsey.com/beautifully-inspired-blog
EMAIL: chelleramseywrites@gmail.com
FACEBOOK: ChelleWrites
TWITTER: @UndeniablyChell
PINTEREST: ChellesBooks
INSTAGRAM: UndeniablyChelle

Thanks for joining me for another Motivational Monday Moment! Please be so gracious as to leave a comment below, I would love to hear from you!

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