Hearing His Voice (by Cathe Laurie)

“I am fully convinced, my dear brothers and sisters, that you are full of goodness. You know these things so well you can teach each other all about them” (Romans 15:14 NLT).

A friend’s in crisis. They’re seeking wisdom, guidance, encouragement. You scan through your memories and dredge up any taglines from the thousands of sermons and books you’ve seen and read, hoping for the right one-liner to make everything alright.

Often, we may feel like if we don’t say just the right thing, have every Bible verse memorized, or experience an intense prophetic vision from the Lord, then we are useless. We might as well just say, “Well . . . good luck to you,” tip our hat, and go on our way.

After all, if we’re not regularly preaching to the masses or leading a small group, how can we really give advice?

Let me stop those lies right there! The key to sharing wisdom from the Lord? Being close with Him.

Closeness with the Lord

Our greatest power and tools come from drawing near to the source—spending time with God in His Word and in prayer. When the Word of God dwells richly in our hearts and minds, we are able to hear His voice and know His response as if it were our own.

“My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me” (John 10:27 NLT). That close relationship between a shepherd and his flock—that is the relationship that Jesus calls us to. If we are in relationship with Him, we can hear His voice plainly. It’s like if I was in a crowded room, I could pick out Greg’s voice easily! Because I know him and I spend time with him.

Being that close with the Lord equips us to speak with wisdom to offer a gentle, “Maybe try this,” or a loving, “Girl, not that.” When the Word is written on our hearts already, the Spirit will guide us in the direction we should speak and direct. He will give us the words we need, the nudge we require, to point each other in the right direction.

“I am fully convinced, my dear brothers and sisters, that you are full of goodness. You know these things so well you can teach each other all about them” (Romans 15:14 NLT).

We were made to help each other. We were designed for community, for life together. We are called to help each other, to point each other in the right direction, to call each other out when needed. And you don’t need a theology degree to do it!

You already have what it takes! If you are dwelling richly in the Lord and letting His Word soak into your spirit, He has already equipped you. You need only show up and be willing to let Him speak through you.

Spend time with the Lord. Dwell richly in His Word. And trust that when you need to speak, He will be there guiding you with His voice, the one you know well!

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Cathe Laurie is the founder and director of the Virtue women’s ministry. She is also a featured speaker on The Virtue Podcast, at Harvest events, and the author of As I See It. You can find her weekly articles here on devenv.harvest.org.