The Voice of a Child

Last week, my four year old grandson was witness to a very angry neighborhood argument with much shouting and name calling. He, his mom and brother came to my house that evening and I could tell it was heavy on his little heart because he kept mentioning it. I asked a couple of times if he wished to talk to Jesus about it and he would say no. The third time he brought it up, seemingly out of the blue, I said, “Dominic, let’s pray about this now!” He agreed and I led him and his brother in a simple prayer. “Dear Jesus, help these people to not be angry. Please soften their hearts so they may be kind to each other. Please help them to stop shouting. Amen!”

If you’ve ever sat near us in church, you’ve heard his exuberant “Amen” at the end of praying. This time, immediately after he gave his signature “Aaa-men!” he grabbed my arm firmly and asked with great intensity, “Maw, what did Jesus say?”

And there, in that sweet voice of a child, was conviction. Even as I responded “He said that He will help them to not be angry if they listen to Him. He said He loves them very much and thanks you for praying to Him about this,” my mind was full of the many times I’ve mentally dashed off a prayer but didn’t wait to see what Jesus had to say back!

The precious face of this child, his eyes searching mine for Truth in his four year old understanding – full of wonder that Jesus listens and answers us – filled my heart with joy. To be part of that moment was such a blessing! I asked if he felt better after talking to Jesus and he responded with a firm “Yes!”

So here I am this early morning, with my coffee and keyboard, so very thankful for a Savior who listens and responds as we seek Him. So many scriptures come to mind. Isaiah 40:31 “But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.”

How will He renew us, except that we listen? How will we find power and strength to soar like an eagle, to follow Him tirelessly, to walk His path steadily without knowing His direction? And how exactly, do we hear Him?

To keep this blog readable this morning, I will be brief. There are many books written about hearing God’s voice, some are based firmly on Biblical principles and some are ritualistic fluff and hold no real truth. Beware who and what you read. Know these basic tenets to hearing God’s voice:

1. Pray. As you pray, pause and let your mind be open to the Holy Spirit and the inner urging you feel tugging a particular way.

2. Read the Bible. God’s answer to you will always, always, always, be in line with Scripture. He does not change. He will not lead you into something that doesn’t line up with His Word.

3. Sometimes, God uses other believers or a sermon or song to help guide our decisions. But this will always be affirmed through prayer and His Word.

Henry Blackaby’s Experiencing God is an excellent study and follows those steps to hearing from God. Another good resource I’ve read is Marilyn Hontz Listening for God. Her book focuses on reading the Bible, prayer and meditation.

For me, at the heart of it is simply slowing down mentally long enough to hear. To know with conviction that as soon as I ask Jesus a question, He has a response. Perhaps it’s simply “I hear you, my child” or it might be “you’re not ready yet” but He does respond. Sometimes He says “keep praying” Luke 18:1-8 explains:

One day Jesus told his disciples a story to show that they should always pray and never give up.  “There was a judge in a certain city,” he said, “who neither feared God nor cared about people.  A widow of that city came to him repeatedly, saying, ‘Give me justice in this dispute with my enemy.’  The judge ignored her for a while, but finally he said to himself, ‘I don’t fear God or care about people,  but this woman is driving me crazy. I’m going to see that she gets justice, because she is wearing me out with her constant requests!’” Then the Lord said, “Learn a lesson from this unjust judge. Even he rendered a just decision in the end. So don’t you think God will surely give justice to his chosen people who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will grant justice to them quickly! But when the Son of Man returns, how many will he find on the earth who have faith?”

Thank You, Jesus, for listening and answering us. Thank You for Your Truth found in the voice of a child! May I always stop to hear what You have to say, Jesus. Amen