“God wants to talk to you as much as he talked with David, Isaiah and other people of the Bible.”
When I first read this claim, I was stunned. Could that actually be true? I thought God did his speaking through the writers of the Bible. Theologians explain those biblical truths, and so I needed to study theology, and while at it also study philosophy. I was on my own to apply those insights to daily life. Application was mostly sanctified common sense.
Learning the difference between newness and nowness helped. God isn’t going to tell me new truths beyond those in Scriptures. The Bible is still the standard by which to determine what is God-pleasing. But he can and will guide me in applying those truths now to situations I encounter.
Here are some other discoveries. God speaks in whispers of thoughts that enter into my thinking, not in an audible voice. Some whispers are very time-specific. God whispers in the conversation called prayer
Have you ever had the thought pop into your head that you should visit someone right now to offer valuable help? Those may have been experiences of the Holy Spirit at work in your thoughts. In my workshops, I arrange for discussions in small groups. Almost always each group has someone who has a story to tell about acting on such a thought and having a good result.
One woman driving home from the grocery had the thought that she should visit an old friend right now. Her friend was getting ready to bake but did not have eggs. The storyteller was able to give her the eggs she had just bought. That welcome interaction led into a lengthy discussion of issues in the friend’s life. The storyteller was able to share her experiences.
A story like that came in the first workshop I did. The pastor reported afterward the relief of several participants that such thoughts can be seen as a whisper of the Spirit. They weren’t crazy, and this was more than just coincidence.
Twentieth-century Norwegian Pietist Ole Hallesby notes that Jesus knocking on the door in Revelation 3 is appealing to those who were already Christians. He sees Jesus knocking at the door of a believer’s thoughts to initiate the conversation called prayer. We think of prayer as words we say to God that can often seem empty. But something exceptional may come when we finally get engaged in the informal conversation. God in his grace initiates the relationship of conversational prayer. We find ourselves responding.
The most practical “nowness” emerges from recognizing the Holy Spirit as the dove that came down from heaven to rest on Jesus’ shoulder. I envision the dove of the Spirit on my shoulder whispering into my ear godly thoughts about what to do as I think about specific situations I am encountering. Of course, we should also imagine the Enemy sitting on the other shoulder and whispering his view.
One such encounter happened when loading groceries into my car and discovering a jar of jelly that had not been bagged and thus wasn’t paid for. What should I do? It would be a big pain to go back inside and stand in line again. Besides, it was only a few dollars. A mile down the road I turned around and did what I was supposed to do. The Spirit prevailed in that internal whispering contest in my head.
Can anyone prove these are genuine encounters with the Spirit? No more than anyone can “prove” beyond doubt that God exists. The writer of Hebrews explains that faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. Then he goes on to receive encouragement from the “great cloud of witnesses” who have lived out strong faith in previous generations.
Be encouraged by the cloud of witnesses today who react to whispers from God and live daily Spirit-driven lives. Find time to hear their stories. Share your stories of specific experiences.
Thanks for the Ole Hallesby example about how prayer works. I’ve read some of his books and found them to be sound and worthwhile reads for all people, though he was a University professor in Oslo.
Ole Hallesby more than any other writer (except maybe for C. S. Lewis) shaped my thinking about conversational prayer. I tried to describe my understanding in the book How the Spirit Shapes Prayer. Send me your address and I will be glad to send you a copy.
Hallesby works out of the Norwegian Lutheran tradition shaped by Pietism in earlier centuries. Lutherans today have a lot to be learned from Pietist movements.
Pastor Dave, I have strong convictions that when we are finally present with the Lord that He will share with us a multitude of those Holy Spirit whispers He sent to us. Recently, I have made a commitment to follow those convictions with more fervor. Earlier today at our offices I shared a conviction with our plant manager about some work to be done. I ask for discernment and clarity between being hard-headed and being convicted. And I pray that those convictions are guided from above. Which means I need to guard my walk with the Lord and be close to Him at all times.
Thank you Pastor Dave!
Hi, Mike.
Well said. The constant question is, what would God have me do in this situation. Let your spiritual convictions guide your actions. That works out better when you do guard and refresh your walk with God. In my administrator days decades ago, I did not have this perspective. I would probably have done some things differently.
Dave
I remember the Holy Spirit whispering to me on countless occasions but one that is strong in my memory was when I was in high school and worrying very strongly about some issue in my life. As I was arguing in my mind about this the thought suddenly came clear that what I should do is turn the issue over to God to solve and stop trying to control the solution myself! I was immediately at peace about it! I attribute that most absolutely to the whispering of the Spirit to me and I am so grateful!
I have appreciated your articles, Dave, and thank the Lord for your insights and spiritual urgings. The Lord is using you good, Cousin! Gordy
Hi, Cousin Gordy.
Thanks for sharing the whisper you heard and how you handled it. It took me a long time to conclude that God does speak to me with insights and cautions. Faith life is so much fuller when thinking that God wants to communicate to me as much as he did with biblical persons. In writing these blogs I have had times of inspiration in the early morning that give me new appreciation of the inspiration especially for what Paul wrote. I don’t expect new truths but I can and do look for applications now.
Thanks for your encouragement. Let me know sometime what you are doing these days (dsluecke@aol.com).
I have often heard God’s voice through other Christians. I was at a friend’s house and we were developing a seminar for Nurses Christian Fellowship that we were going to present. The focus was on how to live out our faith in a nursing environment. In the midst of a conversation, I heard as clearly as anything ” You need to resign the job”. In a few minutes, I asked my friend why she had said that. She had no awareness or memory of having said anything like that. So, the next day I resigned from a job that was bothering me as I was aware of some unethical practices. I was so glad to hear God’s voice! 🙂 On occasion, at home, I hear my name called in a deep male voice. Like Samuel went to the priest, I go to my husband and ask him what he wants. He says that he never called me. This voice has awakened me from sleep also. I know God speaks to us. I need to listen and be sensitive to His Word.
Marilyn,
My major experience was when driving on a five-lane freeway in Los Angeles. I suddenly had the thought to check the gas gauge. It was on empty. I quickly crossed four lanes to get to the side. As soon as I was safe, the engine stopped. What (or who) had drawn my attention? I have not heard before of an audible voice. Clearly you were given a message.
Thank you, David, for this article and such a great title that grasps your mind immediately. It is a great article, very inspiring, down to earth, and lovely thoughts of how one can be alert to the whispers of God. I think, so often, we don’t listen many times when the Holy Spirit descends on us in our daily life. Thank you for keeping the ever presence of the Holy Spirit in our thoughts. It is a challenge, but a wonderful challenge to have prayer and conversation with God, just needing to listen to His whispers.
Elaine,
I recognize the whisper as an inner conviction in a specific situation. In the first workshop I did on the Spirit, I talked about the Spirit as a whisper. The small group discussions brought many other examples from participants. The pastor told me they were relieved to have this explanation and that they weren’t crazy. In every workshop I have done there has been at least one good story of a whisper.
Thanks, for commenting back. I enjoy your blogs so much. I know you had asked in one e-mail if there were any suggestions for articles. Have you thought about one that targets our youth? I know that all that you have shared in previous blogs, can be applied to their lives, but something that would be specific to the teen world. Perhaps, having a teen contribute a testimony on one of your blogs, that would be read by pastors, church workers and all who receive your blogs, and would be inspirational that they could share with the teens in their congregations.
Yes, something aimed at youth would make sense. But I recognized from the outset that I don’t know how to get on their wavelength. I think ministry to millennials needs to be done by millennials. They are not going to listen to the oldest generation talking about a world that no longer exists. The best we elders can do is help raise up a new generation of church leaders. That probably involves financial support. The Pastoral Leadership Institute is an LCMS organization that is trying to do so with its 1,000 Young Leaders program. For many, ordination is really not a concern. They just want to reach others, usually through small groups. Smart institutional church bodies will find new ways to bring young people into ministry through ordination.
I was returning home after a long trip with my then girlfriend in the car. We neared the long term healthcare facility her dad was at. He suffered from Cardiomyopathy and needed constant care. It was late so I asked her if she would like to stop in to see her dad. I encouraged her to do so as she was favoring just getting home as she had to work in the morning. We ended up stopping in only to find that a team of doctors were in his room working on him. When they came out they said we could go in. We could give him some ice cubes but no water. Needless to say he gobbled the ice chips down because he was so thirsty. His body just couldn’t handle the water because his heart was very weak. With every breath I heard an all too familiar click as years earlier I heard the same from my grandfather who passed away from heart failure. It was beautiful to watch the interaction between him and his precious daughter. They loved each other so much. By the time we got home the hospital called and said he had passed away. Hanging on to see his daughter one more time. I wasn’t close to God back them but looking back now His hands were all over that timing! I see His at work all the time now especially when we go out and do out Planned Acts of Christian Kindness! Love on everyday people of your community giving the credit to Jesus and see what miraculous things you can witness!
Lee,
Thanks for sharing. I have heard other experiences like this–getting somewhere just in time for an important spiritual event. We had several hours to prepare before my father passes: there were 19 of us around the bed.