Week: How to Hear God
Each day we will simply pray (P.R.A.Y.) together.
P: PAUSING to be still.
R: REJOICING with a Memory Verse and REFLECTING on some verses from the Bible.
A: ASKING God to help us and others.
Y: saying YES to God’s ways.
We start by pausing and taking a deep breath:
In and out.
In and out.
We remember that God is here, and so together we prepare ourselves to be with God.
Pause
Father God, we’re listening. We look forward to what You want to say to us today, through the Bible, through other people, through what we see and hear around us, even through our hearts. Help us to hear You.
We REJOICE and celebrate God’s goodness with this week’s memory verse:
Read by Ruby
Jeremiah 33:3
Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.
Jeremiah 33:3 (NIVUK)
God, help us to remember Your Word.
Today, we’re REFLECTING on the prophet Elijah – in particular the moment when he stood on Mount Horeb, waiting for God to pass by.
Read by Ruby
1 Kings 19:11-12
Then [Elijah] was told, ‘Go, stand on the mountain at attention before God. God will pass by.’ A hurricane wind ripped through the mountains and shattered the rocks before God, but God wasn’t to be found in the wind; after the wind an earthquake, but God wasn’t in the earthquake; and after the earthquake fire, but God wasn’t in the fire; and after the fire a gentle and quiet whisper.
1 Kings 19:11-12 (MSG)
Elijah was waiting to encounter God. While he was waiting he experienced a hurricane – a wind so strong that it shattered the rocks. After that there was an earthquake, and after that there was fire, but God wasn’t in any of these things. Instead, God came in the quietness after all of these things – God came in an unexpected whisper.
It’s easy to think that God will always be in big displays of power and noise, but if we’re not careful, we might miss the times when God is in the quietness of a gentle whisper instead.
Let’s press pause and try something together: How quietly can we whisper something and still be heard by the others in the room? Let’s try it now.
If we want to hear someone who is whispering, we have to be really quiet, and we have to listen very carefully.
Father God, we ASK you to help us quiet the loudness of our lives and the busyness in our minds so that we can hear You speak… especially if it’s in a whisper.
When we expect God to speak to us or answer our prayers in one way, but then He doesn’t, we can feel disappointed.
Gentle Father, we ASK You to be with anyone who feels like this today. Please whisper Your love and comfort to them – help them to hear You speaking to them.
As we read the Bible again, let’s listen for a word or a phrase that the Holy Spirit might want to say to us from today’s verses.
1 Kings 19:11-12
Then [Elijah] was told, ‘Go, stand on the mountain at attention before God. God will pass by.’ A hurricane wind ripped through the mountains and shattered the rocks before God, but God wasn’t to be found in the wind; after the wind an earthquake, but God wasn’t in the earthquake; and after the earthquake fire, but God wasn’t in the fire; and after the fire a gentle and quiet whisper.
1 Kings 19:11-12 (MSG)
What word or phrase stood out from today’s Bible verses?
And now, let’s say YES to God together.
Loving God, we say YES to waiting for you and listening for your voice, especially when it comes quietly. We want to learn to hear you in unexpected ways and unexpected places.
After enjoying this time with God and each other, let’s say our memory verse together:
Jeremiah 33:3
Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.
Jeremiah 33:3 (NIVUK)
Let’s put a hand on our heart.
Father God, fill us with Your love. Help us to love You, and everything that You’ve made.
Let’s point to our eyes.
Lord Jesus, help us to see You, and to see others the way that You see them too.
Let’s point to our ears.
Holy Spirit, help us to hear You, and give us courage to do what You say.
To find out more about Pete Greig’s book go to https://www.24-7prayer.com/how-to-hear-god/
Phil lives close to a beach in the north of England with his wife, his daughters and his dogs. Phil works for 24-7 Prayer, mostly doing Lectio stuff, and helping to run Prayer Spaces in Schools. He runs a lot, usually for long distances. He likes curry, mountains, reading books and he still plays Pokemon Go.
Ruby is 12 and she lives in Dublin, in the Republic of Ireland with her family. Ruby is a gymnast who never sits still! She loves dogs (but her mum won’t get her one), she loves her friends and she’s always up for a laugh. Ruby would love to work with animals when she’s older.
