How Do We Hear Holy Whispers in our Crazy, Conflicted Life?
Whispers Part 2:
“When we set out to hear God’s voice, we do not listen as though it will come from somewhere above us or in the room around us. It comes to us from within us, in the heart, the dwelling place of God.”
-John Eldredge, Waking the Dead.
We’ve been talking this month about whispers– the kind of whispers that build us up and the kind of whispers that tare us down. We talked in Part 1 about the difference between the holy whispers and the whispers from the world. Here is a quick review:
Holy Whispers vs. Wordly Whispers
Holy whispers are short and sweet and unmistakable. Holy whispers build us up and empower us for others. Holy whispers are not complicated but they can be surprising and life changing. Holy whispers are catalysts for transformation and equip us to to be the hands and feet of Jesus, pointing us the way to love others even as we walk through our own brokenness.
Whispers from the world leave you feeling defeated, smaller, less-than, unworthy. These wordly whispers cause us anxiety, strife, and fear.The world is a constant murmur of graceless expectations and judgements. This murmur sneaks lies into our heart about who we are and what we need for happiness.
The truth is we are much more in tune with the world than we are with heaven. Both are whispering to us even now, making claim to our hearts. To which do we tilt our hearts?
How do we even hear holy whispers? In this crazy, conflicted and confusing world of ours how do we know who is whispering what? Here are 6 steps to empower you to tilt your heart, and take seriously, the whispers from God.
1. Guard your heart.
“Every moment and every event of every man’s life on earth plants something in his soul.” Thomas Merton
In very practical ways this means to guard your ears and your lips. Realize that every kind of whispers has the power to plant a seed into your soul. Be a careful gardener and be mindful of the whispers you’ll listen to and the whispers you’ll speak. When you lower your voice, imagine speaking into Jesus’s ear. And when you strain your ear to hear only do so for the whispers that God himself would speak to you.
2. Know who you are.
“There are two things we need to know, maybe above all else. We need to know that our heart is good, and that our heart matters to God.” John Eldredge
You must believe you are worthy of good things and that God, your father, has a million good gifts to give to you through each holy whisper. He hears the whispers of your heart’s desires; they matter to him because you matter to him.
3. Make space for God.
“Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him.” — Psalm 37:7
The holy spirit will not be rushed. Our 21st century time-table is not His. If you try to squeeze God into the half-hearted moments between dinner and homework, your heart will not be satisfied and neither will His. Make quiet time for God a priority and sit a little longer than feels comfortable, after your reading and after your journaling. Just be. Still. Silent. Heart tuned-in. Head turned off. Don’t worry about formulating prayers or articulating requests. Just turn your heart toward God, in worship or meditation. Wait in peace. Give your anxiety to Him and trust that he also does work in your waiting. Listen for the gentle whispers.
4. Test the whisper you hear.
Where there is no guidance, the people fall, but in abundance of counselors there is victory. Proverbs 11:14
When we are new to this “Holy Whispers’ thing, we may wonder, ‘Am I really hearing from God?’. Bill Hybels in his book, “The Power of a Whisper,” has a whole chapter on how to test and confirm that it is truly God speaking. One of the things he tells us is to ask God directly. “Is this prompting truly from you, Lord?” And he also tells us to ask what the people we most trust think about it. Bring your whisper to the people you pray with, to elders at your church, to discerning friends. Let the agreement of many counselors bring you added confidence in what you hear from God.
5. Protect the holy whispers.
“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy…” John 10:10
“It is the image of God reflected in you that so enrages hell; it is this at which the demons hurl their mightiest weapons.” William Gurnall
Know you have an Enemy that hates the holy whispers you have been given. Know this, but do not fear this because He who lives in you is stronger than this enemy. However, take this battle over God’s whispers seriously and protect them, like you would a child entrusted to you. Expect resistance and prepare for obstacles, but do not let your heart be discouraged and do not let these precious words go.
6. Live your holy whispers to their full glory.
“…I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” John 10:10
The second part of Jesus telling us that there is a thief in this world who comes to take from us the good things God has given (those holy whispers included), is Jesus telling us that we don’t have to fear because he has come to give us a better life than we have ever dreamed of. He is encouraging us to follow him and His promptings. Taking those holy whispers seriously enough to live them out is not only the way we get better at hearing them, it’s also the way we honor God and get to experience all he has for us. Whether the whisper you’ve been given seems small, bring cookies to your neighbor today, or monumental, start a magazine, live that holy whisper out to it’s full glory.
Like sunflowers turning toward the sun, align your heart with the light and warmth of heaven. If our heart is tilted toward the world we will miss out on the holy whispers that beg to build us up. What we’ll hear instead are whispers that send us chasing half truths and leave us doubting who we are and who we love. Whispers of heaven repeat the truth that we are wanted, needed, made for something great. But the whispers we hear more of throughout the day scheme only to take us out of the game.
So here you go: Remember to guard your heart. Make space for God and wait patiently for Him. Test what you hear. Protect the holy whispers given to you. Live each holy whisper to it’s full glory.
One more thing…Do not think that holy whispers are only the ones that send you out on missions. Sometimes the most powerful whispers God speaks to us are about our identity. You are adored. You are loved beyond belief. You are mine. Treat these holy whispers as seriously if not more than you do the others. Give them full glory by honing this advice from Meister Eckhart, a christian mystic from the 14th century: “Do exactly what you would do if you felt most secure.”
Holy whispers are meant to be the treasures of our heart. With these treasures let us fill ourselves up to start a new murmur in the world: one that overrides the sound of expectations and judgments and instead sings grace. Go ahead, seek the heavenly whispers and let them sink in.
