My sweet Madalyn calls me “Mama”. In fact, she calls me… over and over again until I look at her and give her my attention! 😛 I’ve noticed that even if I say “yes” after every time she calls me, she won’t stop until I look at her. She wants my attention before she speaks to me.
This is an important key in hearing your Father in Heaven speak to you as well. The other day, I was listening to God tell me things on His heart. He said, “Hold your hands out to me.” I did and in my mind’s eye I saw a golden brown, old fashioned key- bigger than both hands. I asked Him what the key was supposed to unlock. He said, “It’s the key to my heart”. I asked the Father what the key to His heart was.
He simply said: “YOUR ATTENTION” ♥️.
He wants his beloved children to look at Him- by turning the eyes and ears of our hearts toward him… in every free moment! Just like Madalyn waited to speak to me until I looked at her, so your Heavenly Father wants your attention before He speaks. HE IS SO WORTHY OF OUR ATTENTION AND AFFECTION. We can turn our thoughts toward Jesus when we are in the car, doing laundry, cooking dinner, at the gym, sitting at the coffee shop, drying our hair, walking into establishments, having dinner with friends, brushing our teeth, going to bed, etc. And what about at first wake in the morning?! Oh how He loves it when HE is the first thing on our mind and heart when we open our eyes! This is how He begins to lead our every decision… when we begin to include Him in our lives in all our available moments.
1 Thessalonians 5:17 says, “Never stop praying.”
Prayer is a two-way conversation. We talk and we listen. Don’t forget the listening!!!! If you are a follower of Jesus, you can hear Him.
In John 10:27, Jesus says, “My sheep will hear my voice, I know them, and they follow Me.”
It’s not a gift- it’s your inheritance as a child of God. He is waiting for you to turn your attention to Him so He can speak to your heart! When you do this, you will encounter a LOVE that will change everything.
“In those days when you pray, I will listen. If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me. I will be found by you,” says the Lord. “I will end your captivity and restore your fortunes…”
Jeremiah 29:12-14a NLT
“Don’t be pulled in different directions or worried about a thing. Be saturated in prayer throughout each day, offering your faith-filled requests before God with overflowing gratitude. Tell him every detail of your life, then God’s wonderful peace that transcends human understanding, will make the answers known to you through Jesus Christ.”
Philippians 4:6-7 TPT
For more on hearing the voice of God, check out my book, The Voice of Truth. Available at Ashley-Edwards.com