Hearing God

I have made mention of it recently in blog posts about how God speaks to us and of course the other important factor when somebody is speaking to us is hearing and listening! I think for many Christians it is easy to be so tied up in knots with everyday life that we are not really hearing God or what he has to say to us. We may pray every day even and still sometimes we might think we are not getting the answers. Perhaps we are getting the answers but not actually hearing them. I think earlier in my Christian life I had long periods like this, perhaps you can say the same. I also think that when we are asking things of God that we do so with Faith, I think this plays an important part, remember the woman who wanted healing in the New Testament who touched his cloak, she knew if she could just touch the hem of Jesus garment she would be healed.

"..And a great crowd followed him and thronged about him. 25And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, 26 and who had suffered much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was no better but rather grew worse. 27She had heard the reports about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his garment. 28For she said, "If I touch even his garments, I will be made well." 29 And immediately the flow of blood dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. 30And Jesus, perceiving in himself that power had gone out from him, immediately turned about in the crowd and said, "Who touched my garments?" 31And his disciples said to him, "You see the crowd pressing around you, and yet you say, 'Who touched me?'" 32And he looked around to see who had done it. 33But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling and fell down before him and told him the whole truth. 34And he said to her, "Daughter,your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease." Mark 5 vs 24-34

There are many many illustrations throughout the Bible where Faith led to results, such as the blind man receiving his sight " 42Jesus said to him, "Receive your sight; your faith has healed you." 43Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus, praising God. When all the people saw it, they also praised God. Luke 18 42-43

And again in Matthew Chapter 9 we get the following "27 And as Jesus passed on from there, two blind men followed him, crying aloud, "Have mercy on us, Son of David." 28When he entered the house, the blind men came to him, and Jesus said to them, "Do you believe that I am able to do this?" They said to him, "Yes, Lord." 29 Then he touched their eyes, saying, "According to your faith be it done to you." 30And their eyes were opened. And Jesus sternly warned them, "See that no one knows about it." 31 But they went away and spread his fame through all that district."

I have also come to recognise in recent years how God can speak to me in a more direct way and that if I wait on him and rely on him more I have much more success in the every day things. There are so many instances recently where I know God has spoken to me through people or situations even the more mundane things where perhaps sometimes we don't think to involve God. I am learning that a mighty God is interested in these things, the incidental things. Yesterday I needed to collect a large picture from the picture framers in town, always a nightmare to park- I thought what are the chances of finding a space. I then recalled a conversation with another Christian who mentioned that often he will pray to find a parking space and often he will find one. Anyway I did a quick prayer along the lines of "I know this might be a strange thing to ask but it would be really great if there was a parking space outside the shop and I ask in Faith that if you desire it, it will be there". The parking space was there just outside the shop at the end of a row of cars. On seeing this space I admit I had a little moment where my heart smiled, if that doesn't sound too corny!

I am also seeking God's direction in another area of my life and am just resting on him for the answers and direction I am to take. I know that sometimes I may have missed what God is trying to tell me and I think sometimes he needs to speak to me in more direct ways. In this particular area my prayer is that I have clarity on what path I need to take. On the way to work this morning whilst praying about this, I passed a white van with my initials on it M G and the words "Restore. Maintenance". Now before you think I have really lost my trolley, this actually made some a lot of sense to me.

Going back to Mark Chapter 5, what encourages me about this story is that is relates how the Lord acted on an individual need even when "..a great crowd followed him and thronged him.." and how even the disciples doubted when they said "..you see the crowd pressing against you, and yet you say, Who touched me?". Amongst all the noise and din of life, the Lord can just cut through. As a Christian we are amongst a great crowd around the Lord with our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, yet the relationship is one-to-one with God. When I recall to other people the times when God has spoken to me of late I know that they might think "yeah, okay..whatever.." a bit like the disciples - a doubt like "how can you tell?" or people might think it's just coincidence, but I know (like the woman who touched the hem of the cloak) and the Lord is definately ready to give an answer.