With whom do you communicate?
How do you communicate?
When do you communicate?
Why do you communicate?
What do you communicate?
Relationship, is the journey of life. It begins with your spirit man and God, yourself and others.
Babies move in the womb communicate through movement and can hear. Did you know they recognize the voices in the family distinct to others right at birth? And that the mother's voice is the one to which they most respond? The moment they arrive, they cry to let us know they'd like to suckle. They communicate by settling in and dozing when they are close to you and hear your heartbeat, another constant for their first months of formation and lives.
We listen to our spouse or a friend in times of pain, joy, and day to day activity.
We hear what's going on in culture and society through the news and experience a different kind of communication.
Even silence is a form of communication which ranges from the comfortable silence of a knowing glance or giving someone the silent treatment.
What are you hearing?
We give information. We receive information. Then we feel, sense, decide, and do something with what we have given and received. Hearing and listening are perceived; and not just with our ears.
Rainbows and double rainbows have almost been a mainstay here where I live this summer. There have been alignments by 5 planets visible to the naked eye this year. We have had the oddest weather and literally almost daily rain (helps with rainbows). Then an entire month of no rain, almost drought. Nature seems on alert....I'm listening with my own antenna in the Spirit. I love nature. It speaks.
God loves me. See John 3:16; 1 John 4:7-8,19; Romans 5:8; Psalm 103:17; Psalm 136:26 (to name a few)
Do you believe it? If you do, why do you believe it? If you do not, read the Word and see for yourself. If you say you do believe it, but your heart really doesn't, then what has occurred or not occurred to make you doubt?
I can read, I can hear, but am I listening. Experience is a good listening tool.
What God is saying to you can be different than what you think God is telling you.
Some of the ways we communicate:
Verbal- What is said. This can be through another individual, a group of people, or social media. What about the Holy Spirit? Action is a form of verbal (my personal opinion). Jesus died on the cross for you and me. I mean who really does lay his life down for his friends or for those who hate him? You know the saying...put your money where your mouth is. Have I listened and then responded?
Non verbal- What is he not saying? What are you noticing or seeing? What is being said in your conscience? Are you ignoring it? How about your heart? Is it cynical or open to experience love or asked to risk?
Written- Ever had a love letter? Movies are made from these because in ink, it feels eternal. That's God Word to us.
Visual-We all give clues and/or give perceptions by our gestures, facial expressions, how we live, and what we do or do not have. Most people make assumptions first by what they see, not what is said or even done! Ah yes, I have been guilty.
Hearing is passive and listening is intentional.
It takes TIME.....often we communicate on auto pilot. We make assumptions based on repetition of something received over time. Sometimes we tune out what is going on around intentional or unintentional.
Listening is a developed habit. Taking the time to hear and really listen.
Seek first to understand and then to be understood. Thanks Covey.
What if we took that focus with God?
James 1:19a Be quick to listen, but slow to speak.
I want to hear what He is hearing! He is ALWAY listening!
Sometimes it feels like, "ET phone home."
He wants to tell you, about you! It may NOT be what you thought he thought or believed about yourself or even what others have told you. He is gracious and merciful towards us. That's his voice. He comes always to bring life. See Luke 9:55
And he DOES understand you and wants to hear what you have to say!
Psalm 139:6 This is just too wonderful, deep, and incomprehensible! Your understanding of me brings me wonder and strength.
My prayer for you today as you practice the habit of seeking to understand God, yourself, and others:
May you hear what he is hearing. May you listen to heaven's voice of what is truth. May you sense through your instincts, head, and heart His will for you. May you be alive with tuning out the noise and tuning in His love.
Ask Him what He thinks. EXPECT to HEAR.
If you're interested, get up a little early before the rest of the world around you is awake. Get a cup of coffee or tea, with a journal, and sit in silence. Listen to what's around you. Listen to the inner voice of the Spirit of God within you. Holy Spirit will speak. Write it down. One word to pages. You'll be pleasantly surprised at how His voice is exactly what was needed.
Here is an example:
Need protection: Psalm 91: 14-15 TPT For here is what the Lord has spoken to me: Because you loved me, delighted in me, and have been loyal to my name, I will greatly protect you. I will answer your cry for help every time you pray, and you will feel my presence in your time of trouble. I will deliver you and bring you honor.
Need assurance and understanding in the midst of the trials of life: Jeremiah 33:3 Call to me and I will answer you, and I will tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.
And a personal favorite of mine: Isaiah 65:24 It will come to pass before they call out I will answer. Before they finish speaking I will have heard.
He wants real relationship. With you. You ask, He does answer.
Are you listening?
KTWL
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