Today, we talk about how to have a ‘burning bush’ moment with God, and how to discern his direction as we prepare for our journey out of fear and into freedom.
Here’s the guided prayer that you may use to ask God for his help and direction on the journey:
God, thank you for being a God who sees, hears, and knows about our suffering. Thank you for knowing and loving me. Today, I’m struggling with so many worries and fears. I know that you see how it’s affecting my heart, my mind, my physical health, my relationships, and my peace. I don’t want to live like this anymore; I want to trust you more and be able to live my days free of this prison that my mind is in. I believe that with you, this is possible. Would you rescue me, God, from this cycle of anxiety?
Wait to hear what God says. Just be silent and still. You might not hear audible words, but can you feel what he’s saying? Sometimes it’s more of a wisp floating through your consciousness, something that you’ve not heard before and you know isn’t coming from yourself. It doesn’t sound like your usual inner dialogue. Or sometimes it’s more of an impression on your heart, like God is stamping his words there. Stay here and listen to God as long as you like. When you’re ready, move on to this next question:
God, what do you ask of me in all this? Please speak to me in a way that I can hear and understand, and please give me enough courage to trust and obey you.
Again, listen. A couple notes on discerning God’s voice: If/when you hear something, consider writing it down. Later you might question and wonder whether God really said that. [Side-note: that’s Satan’s favorite way to play with our minds; it was the very thing he asked Eve in the garden: Did God really say not to eat the apple? It’s like, his OG lie.] It’s helpful to save what God spoke to us in a whisper in writing; that way we can go back and be assured that we heard what we heard. If you’re still not sure if it was God’s voice that you heard, ask yourself: Does it align with what God says in the Bible, and does it align with God’s character? If you’re new in your faith, be encouraged. The more that you read your Bible, the more you’ll know God’s character. The more you know God’s character, the more you’ll be able to hear and discern his voice. As Jesus said, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me” (John 10:27-28). There’s no better time than now to start listening for his voice and savoring the fact that he knows you, because it’s him you’re going to need to follow on your way toward freedom, and you’ll want to stick close to his side.
Joshua Year Series | Episode 02: What God Asks of Us