Reason #4...

Women will often share the pain they are experiencing in their lives with me. What a privilege to be trusted with such information. I'll hear stories of cancer, children who are in rebellion; big decisions that need to be made. Stories of marital unfaithfulness, of broken relationships, of broken homes and of broken dreams. As these women share their stories or if I'm experiencing any of the above in my own life - the first question I wonder, if not ask is:

What does your time with the Lord look like? Are you reading your Bible and spending time each day in prayer?

The answer - more often than not - is "no."

Reason #4 we do not hear God's voice: We do not spend time with Him.

Psalm 107:19-20

"Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and He saved them from their distress. He sent forth His Word and healed them; He rescued them from the grave."

Oh, that's good stuff! But how can we expect to hear from the Lord - to hear words of comfort - to receive words of healing - to be rescued from the pits that our circumstances often bring if we are neglecting our quiet time? Will it happen by osmosis? Albert Einstein defined insanity as: "doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." Do we expect healing to come from a girlfriend? Our husbands? (As great as they may be, they make very poor gods.) From busyness so that we can ignore the issue and hope it'll just go away and resolve itself? (Perhaps it eventually will.) But in the meantime -what is your state of mind? Are you stuck in the pit and with each passing day inching closer to hopelessness and depression?

GO TO THE LORD!

Be still before Him. He is waiting to comfort you, to love on you and to give you encouragement. Stop doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. Ask the Lord to speak to you from His Word. To give you a promise - something to cling to in the midst of your trials. Scripture promises that He will!

Our circumstances may not immediately change - but by spending regular, quality time with Him - we will change. His Word alone - spoken into the depth of our brokenness can heal and transform our broken hearts to joy, peace, and contentment.

It is miraculous and possible. But we must first go to Him.

If you do not know how to get started in a quiet time or need a fresh spark to your time with the Lord, consider getting my Bible study Intimacy with God, Establishing a Vibrant Quiet Time and Prayer Time. It is a resource that has helped ignite a fresh spark in the lives of many women as they seek to hear the precious voice of God in their everyday circumstances. Have a great day!