How often do you wonder if God is speaking or if it is just you?  I do most of the time!  I have had times of second guessing myself so often that it is hard to act on anything. It is a very uncomfortable place to be, to say the least. 

Recently, I believe the Lord told me clearly to make reading His word a higher priority, even more priority than getting the Blog Posts out.

The more we read His Word, the easier it is to recognize His voice outside of the Bible.  I believe this whole heartedly, but the Lord has had to refocus me several times in this area. It seems odd to me that I let the priority lessen because I really do love studying and meditating on His Word.

This week’s entry is an example of how I heard the Lord in this simple way while talking to Him about my life in 2001.

I was journaling and excited about a women’s Bible study that was starting up.

From the journal . . . . January 2001

Lord, please prepare me to be helpful so that these growth groups can get started.  Patsy* has already volunteered to host my group at her house! I’m excited about it!  We could listen to “Just Give Me Jesus” ** at the first meeting.  I hope to give a big encouragement for personal devotional time.  I could do like Cliford Ellis* did years ago when he taught some of us to listen as God revealed what book in the Bible He wanted us to study.  We could do a little worship and then prayer and, Lord, I believe You will personally give each woman the name of a book to read from the Bible.  We could do a little worship and then prayer and, Lord, I believe You will personally give each woman the name of a book to read from the Bible. 

*Names changed. *“Just Give Me Jesus”. Recording by Anne Grahm Lotz

Prayer, study, worship, ministry, evangelism. Time: 1 ½ hours 1 night a week.  Lord?  I believe You are speaking. . .

And He Said to Me:

•  Get someone to be responsible for two or three songs
•  Ask for opportunities to share about Jesus. Give some time to report
• Ask Me to give a book for personal study.  15 minutes a day.
• Encourage family prayer
• Play ‘Just Give Me Jesus’.    That’s your theme
• Pray about a book for all of us to study together.
• Pair up for personal accountability for personal study.

Thank You Jesus! I Love You!

Be a leader and lead with confidence.

So how did I know this was from the Lord?  I knew because He was with me when we were talking about it!  It was clear and I believed.  It was not an audible voice that someone else could hear, but I knew in my knower. 

Matt 7:9-11 Or what man is there among you who, when his son asks for a loaf, will give him a stone? ¹⁰ Or if he asks for a fish, he will not give him a snake, will he? ¹¹ If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!

Isaiah 65:24 It will also come to pass that before they call, I will answer; and while they are still speaking, I will hear.   NSAB

2 Cor. 4:13  But having the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, “I believed, therefore I spoke,” we also believe, therefore we also speak,  NASB

Nothing was contrary to Scripture, so I believed!  God knows my heart and my mind.  He knows what I will believe and what I will act on, so I believed and acted on it!  I chose to believe Him!