Hearing from God in Everyday Living
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The fear of missing out has become so commonplace that it now has its own acronym: FOMO. We’re afraid of missing out on great opportunities, the right timing or relationship, the chance of a lifetime, popularity, making a difference—the list is long. But it’s the same old lie, the same old story. It’s Adam and Eve in the Garden (Genesis 3:1-7).
Perhaps God wanted Adam and Eve to develop maturity before knowing about good and evil, and as a protection, told them not to eat from that one tree. In the Garden, they had everything they needed. God was their companion and would lead them through each day. But instead of obeying God, they decided to judge for themselves what they should do. They listened to the serpent, believed a lie, and had the first earthly case of FOMO. They were afraid of missing out.
Today the lie is fueled by serpents in the form of the media, advertising, comparison, and discontent. The sources are endless. Instead of fearing we’re missing out, what if we lived with the firm belief God is caring for us? What if we implicitly trusted Him in all things, at all times, in all ways? What might life be like? Let’s explore this idea.
Take a moment and imagine:
You are in the center of a giant garden. Everywhere you look there is lush beauty and provision. Four rivers flow through the garden, each watering the land and contributing to the abundant splendor. The garden is described as paradise, a place of bliss and delight. It is your home.
Everything you need to sustain your life and well-being can be found here, and everything in the garden is available to you. Everything, except for one tree. The generous Giver-of-Life has asked you not to eat off the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. For if you do, you will die—the purity of your soul will be tainted.
You are content and satisfied with life in paradise and can’t imagine not willingly agreeing with your Creator. Life is good. Every need you have— physical, emotional and spiritual—is being met. You trust and delight in your Creator and the companion He has given you. You live free, covering nothing.
One day, you encounter a creature who questions you about the Giver-of-Life. You try to explain what God said and did not say. The creature questions you again, placing doubt in your mind. Confusion enters in and you wonder if God is holding something back from you? Are you missing out—being deprived of the exquisite looking fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil? Are you limiting yourself by not eating it? And besides, did God actually tell you that you’d die? Why would He say that?
So you eat. You offer your companion a bite. And your eyes are open to things you didn’t need to know. You are embarrassed by your nakedness, and shame seeps into your soul. You cover your body. You cover your heart. You hide from God. And you begin to die. The safety you felt in His presence is gone. You’re embarrassed to see Him. Where can you find rest for your soul?
Try it out:
Listen to God: Take a few minutes and compare the difference you sensed in your well-being at the first of the story and then at the end. Ask God at which point in the story you live in most days. Take time to listen.
Think about it: It’s the same old story, the same old lie. Did God really say that? Is He keeping something good from me? Am I missing out? Imagine if you trusted God and chose to believe He always has your best interest in mind. What if you stopped wondering if you should judge for yourself? Just imagine…
Return to rest, O my soul,
For the Lord has dealt bountifully with you.
–Psalm 11:7
Pray: Lord, forgive me for not trusting You, for wondering if I’m missing out on something in life. I’m constantly bombarded with opportunities, possibilities, and seemingly good ideas. Lord, is there an area where FOMO is robbing me of Your ways and Your peace?
(If something comes to mind, ask the Lord what He has to say about the situation. Next ask what needs to change in your thinking or actions. Then respond to Him.)
Why is forgiving ourselves more difficult than forgiving others? We condemn ourselves, thinking we should have known better or been stronger, wiser, or less selfish. It’s as if we leave the door open for the tormentor, Satan, to point his finger and whisper, “Shame on you,” over and over. Why do we sometimes believe the lies of the enemy more than the Truth, Jesus?
From my life and through prayer ministry, I’ve seen that the expectations we place on ourselves are often unrealistic. We recognize mistakes we made and the consequences to ourselves or others and can’t let them go. We think we should have been able to control outcomes or fix situations and tend to blame ourselves for things we didn’t see coming.
Some people are distraught over things they did out of desperation or before knowing God’s ways. Abortion, cheating, deception, adultery—the list is long. Yes, we have consequences, but even after we repent, make amends if needed, and ask God for forgiveness, sometimes we still live in shame. We need to forgive ourselves.
I’ve needed to have the same compassion towards my younger self—the one who knew about God but didn’t know Him—as I have toward others. I’ve had to remember that the only perfect person who ever lived is Jesus, and not be surprised at my imperfection. I’ve needed to forgive myself for words I spoke, perhaps yesterday, that sounded judgmental or were insensitive. I apologize, allow someone to tell me how my words or behavior affected them, and let them know what I would have liked to have said or done if I could do it over. Then I forgive myself.
I’m saddened by the number of people who hold their younger selves captive to judgment. For example, a woman I prayed with could forgive her father for abusing her over and over as a little girl, but she couldn’t forgive that little girl for both hating what her father did, but craving the attention he gave her. She was ashamed of the little girl’s enjoyment of feeling special or needed.
A prayer model we can use as we pray for others and ourselves is to imagine the younger self in conversation with our adult self. With this woman, I asked her to picture the little girl at the age the abuse was taking place along with her adult self. Then we invited Jesus into the prayer picture and she asked Him to show her how He saw her younger self. Jesus revealed the little girl’s confusion, pain, and longing to be loved and safe. The woman’s heart for her younger self broke. In prayer, she spoke,
In each situation, Jesus does something different. In our prayer picture, He may initiate a group hug or walk away holding our younger self’s hand to go be with Him, but at the same time coming to us and setting us free from the shame and weight of the unforgiveness we’ve carried. He showed this woman how she had been given extraordinary compassion for children and an ability to love in difficult situations.
We are not the exception to the gift Jesus gave when He died on the cross. We are forgiven. It’s time to forgive ourselves. Then we are free to love and serve others more whole-heartedly.
If we humbly confess and acknowledge our terminal selfish condition,
he faithfully and rightly forgives us for all the mistakes we made
while living in selfishness; but more importantly–
he heals us from all corruption, decay, and sickness of heart and mind.
–1 John 1:9 (The Remedy paraphrase)
David, God’s anointed king over Israel, lied, committed adultery, and had a man murdered. Yet God called him a man after His own heart (Acts 13:22). How could that be? David repented, dealt with the consequences of sin, and kept going back to God. He knew he was far from perfect, but he continually pursued the only One who is.
As the deer longs for streams of water, so I long for you,
O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.
When can I go and meet with God?
–Psalm 42:1-2 (NLT)
Pray: Lord, I come to You for Your perspective, insight, and heart. You are the only One who can satisfy the deep longings in my heart. I want to live in freedom—forgiving others as well as myself. Show me, Lord, if there’s any place I’m carrying unforgiveness toward myself.
(Take time to listen. God will reveal it if there is.)
(If something comes to mind, go through the prayer exercise above, adapting it to your situation. Be sure to take time to listen to God. He is the Healer, Restorer, and Priest. Allow Him to minister to you.)
Lord, You called David a man after your own heart. What do You call me?
The Invitation: Rest is usually considered a physical need. But now, more than ever, rest is also needed for the soul. On a daily basis we are bombarded with new ideas, demands, political agendas, bad news and relational issues. These, along with the uncertainty of the times, can feel weighty. So how can we find rest for our soul? What does it even look like?
It seems the one place our soul is truly able to find rest is by returning to the Lord. He knows what we need for the day. Is it His comfort, truth, or promises? Perhaps a walk, companionship, or music? Listen to Him, learn from Him, and your soul will find rest.
Return to your rest, my soul,
for the Lord has been good to you.
–Psalm 116:7 (NIV)
The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul.
–Psalm 23:1-3a (NIV)
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
–Matthew 11:28,29 (NIV)
Your Response: Lord, sometimes I feel burdened by the world around me, and my soul is weary and looking for rest. I take this opportunity now to turn my focus, love and affection to You. Speak to me, Lord, as I listen.
(Read through the scriptures above. With each one, ask the Lord: What is it You want to show me or You want me to know about rest?)
(Then ask the Lord how you are to apply your insights to this day.)
What If I Listened to God . . .
“I can’t hear God talk to me! He might talk to you, but not to me!” announced 7-year-old Ali when she was at my house recently. Her frustration was real and her words seemingly out of the blue.
I reminded her of times she’s heard God when we pray at bedtime. “I just make that up because I want to hear Him,” she said. So I asked if she’d like to learn more about God’s voice.
We went up to my loft and I read her a little bit about hearing God from a book for children. I explained how we hear God’s voice through the Bible, but also through thoughts that comes into our mind. Then I asked if she wanted to practice. We looked at the trees out the window, and I prayed, “God, if Ali was one of the trees outside, which one would she be?” I waited a few seconds and asked if she heard anything. With bright eyes, she said, “A palm tree!” There weren’t any of those nearby, but I went with it!
I asked if she knew why He said a palm tree, and she replied, “I don’t even know what they look like.” I described the tree and told her some palm trees grow food for people, like coconuts or dates. She said, “That’s it! I want to give food to the homeless, but no one will help me!” And she started weeping. She’d talked about helping the homeless before, and I knew this was something planted deep in her heart. I told her I would help her figure out how to do that. Then I shared that palm trees provide shade for people in really hot areas—like God giving people what they need because He is compassionate. Ali said she really cares about people, too. Then she ran off to play.
The next week, Ali, her brother, my husband, and I made sack lunches for a homeless shelter in Yakima. We went to the camp and gave them to people at lunchtime. Knowing many of the residents had dogs, we brought dog biscuits, too, and Ali passed those out. She radiated joy, and wanted a tour of camp.
One of the staff women learned we were there because Ali wanted to feed the homeless. She leaned down to Ali’s level and asked what made her want to bring lunches to people. Ali looked her in the eyes and said matter-of-factly, “God told me I’m like a palm tree.”
The woman looked confused, so I prompted Ali to tell the rest of the story. But I think for her, it would have been enough to stop there. She knew God valued who she is and loved her compassionate heart. She had put her faith in action.
It was a reminder to me that a word from God changes things. We were created to hear from Him! What if we’d known this as a child? What if we believed today and everyday that God is speaking to us? What if we didn’t discount the thoughts of possibility and promise that pop into our minds, but talked them over with God in prayer? Would it change how we live?
Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.
—Galatians 5:25 (TPT)
Pray: Lord, thank you that I was created to hear Your voice. Thank you, Holy Spirit, for living in me and for enabling me to know God’s heart and ways. I want to keep in step with You. I want to remember to ask for Your perspective and love for every situation in my life.
Lord, how would things be different if I remembered to do this?
Is there one thing You would like to talk with me about right now?
(Take time to respond to God, to ask Him questions, or to thank Him. Then, if you’d like to practice hearing His voice, try a listening prayer exercise about trees. Maybe you’re a palm tree, too!)