3 Ways to Recognize When God Is Talking to You - The Crosswalk Devotional - July 23
3 Ways to Recognize When God Is Talking to You
By Kelly Balarie
“The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.” – Psalm 19:1 NIV
I walked with a friend. Struggling with a sickness that was incredibly hard, I sought just the right words to encourage her.
No words would suffice. What do you say when there is nothing to say?
I’ve learned, listening is always more powerful than speaking when one is going through the wringer of life. So, I asked her questions and then let her speak. I actively repeated what she spoke to let her know that I was hearing her heart.
Eventually, the moment of awkward silence arrived where I had nothing left to ask. I needed to say something.
God, help me?!!
I looked towards my feet, pondering what to say. A leaf caught my attention. Amazingly, it was shaped like a heart.
I knew God wanted me to share His love for her. He gave me an answer to my inner unsaid pleading for just the right words!! “God loves you so much.” I told her.
A well-spoken word at just the right moment has the ability to break through to a person’s heart like nothing else. God reminded me of His heart for my friend through nature. This is one of the many ways that God speaks to us.
Scripture says, “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.” – Psalm 19:1 NIV
How else does God speak?
The second way that God speaks is through the Word of God. To store His Words in our heart is to hear them sound in our mind when the going gets tough.
When my kids act up, sometimes I feel afraid. When fear comes at me a mile a minute because I have stored God’s Word in my mind, I often hear a Bible verse pop in my head. His Word kills my fear.
The third way God speaks to us is through people. Have you ever experienced a repeat situation time and time again? Maybe it feels like people are always telling you the same thing.
Once, I had a women’s minister at a church tell me that I was intense. Again, a friend, I prayed with told me I also was intense. I started to feel a little upset about that. People don’t want to be around intense people. However, the more I considered their words, the more I realized that Jesus was intense too.
God was communicating to me, through people’s words that what people noted about me, was something He loved and created.
How might God be trying to reach you?
Intersecting Faith & Life:
Is there a Bible verse that keeps coming to mind? Are you unable to get it out of your head? Maybe God is putting it there for good reason. Pray and ask Him what He wants you to know. Do you keep running into a similar situation with people? What might God be trying to say to you through this? Do you ever sit and look at God’s creation? What can you surmise about God’s character and nature based on how He has created the world?
Photo Credit: ©GettyImages/Digitalskillet
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Related Resource: Bold Prayers: Asking God to Reveal the Roots of Our Anxiety
Sometimes, anxiety can hit without any recognizable provocation, or our anxiety can feel more intense than the situation warrants. When we find ourselves in that place, we can pray the prayer ancient Israel's second king, David, prayed at the end of Psalm 139, trusting that our God will and is leading us to increased freedom. Listen in to this episode of Faith Over Fear and have your mind and heart fixed on the truth you need for your day! If you like this episode, be sure to subscribe on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an episode!
