To hear God’s voice

Many people long to hear God’s voice. They long to have some message from Him to direct them in the paths they are to go. There is so much uncertainty, so many voices calling from all different directions and often we are confused as to which is the correct way to go. These voices may not be calling from worldly sources or from evil people – many of them may be coming from perfectly viable sources, and we are led to wonder, which is God’s way? For example, there may be choices in job opportunities. Two equally good employers have decided to hire us, which one should we choose? Or perhaps the choice we have to make as a young person entering University – which course of study would the Lord want me to pursue – or is it His will to go to school? Is the Lord calling me to missionary work? Whom shall I get married to? So many questions, so many choices, so many ways to go, which way is God’s way? The secret is to know how to hear God’s voice speaking to us. Sometimes we have to step out by faith, take the first step and then God will take over. If we sit at home simply wondering and waiting, we may be waiting for a long time.

How can we hear God’s voice speaking to us? Where did Elijah hear God’s voice? It was in the mountaintop – not in the midst of the fire, hail or earthquake, but in “a still small voice.”

The Lord still does speak to us with a still small voice, but sometimes we don’t hear it amid all the external sounds around us. We need quiet time.

There are many instances in the Bible where people wanted answers from God. Let’s see what they did.

For Peter: “When Peter also was imprisoned, the entire church engaged in fasting and prayer.” AA, p. 144.

For Paul and Barnabas: “Before being sent forth as missionaries to the heathen world, these apostles were solemnly dedicated to God by fasting and prayer and the laying on of hands.” AA, p. 161.

Esther: “Go, gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan, and fast ye for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day: I also and my maidens will fast likewise; and so will I go in unto the king, which is not according to the law: and if I perish, I perish.” Esther 4:16.

Jehoshaphat: “For years he had taught the people to trust in the One who in past ages had so often interposed to save His chosen ones from utter destruction; and now, when the kingdom was in peril, Jehoshaphat did not stand alone; “all Judah stood before the Lord, with their little ones, their wives, and their children.”.. Unitedly they fasted and prayed; unitedly they besought the Lord to put their enemies to confusion, that the name of Jehovah might be glorified.” PK, p. 200.

Jesus: “And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungered.” Matthew 4:2.

Ninevites: “So the people of Nineveh believed God and proclaimed a fast.” Jonah 3:5.

Anna: “And she was a widow of about fourscore and four years, which departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day.” Luke 2:37.

There are many more examples, but what is common in all these cases? It is not only prayer, but also fasting. I am sure we are all familiar with the concept of prayer and fasting as we have our annual fast day in the church, but how many practice it regularly at other times during the year? As we come closer to the time of the end, great momentous events will soon take places and we must be listening to God’s voice daily. Sometimes it is necessary to fast along with prayer in order to hear God speaking to us, especially if we have difficult decisions to make.

“All our praying and abstinence from food will avail nothing unless we resolutely lay hold of this work. Sacred obligations are resting upon us.” 2T, p.34. Or praying and fasting, must be combined with action or it will be useless. Roman Catholic monks have tried this. They isolate themselves in monasteries and devote their lives to simply praying and fasting. They have become useless members of the human race. They have nothing to contribute in aid to suffering humanity. “If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?” James 2:15, 16. “He that hath two coats, let him impart to him that hath none; and he that hath meat, let him do likewise.” Luke 3:1.1.

PERSONAL EXPERIENCES

I want to share some of my experiences in this regard, to be a blessing for others. I was one of those who only fasted once a year on the day of fasting, until I got married. At that time, my husband fasted on occasion for three days at a time. He asked me to join him. I did. Did I enjoy it? No way, from the first I did not like it at all. All I could think of was food until I saw how much weight I lost each time, (which was about 2.5 kg each time and it stayed off). I decided that as soon as I lost the desired amount of weight I would never fast again except for the annual day of fasting.

At first it was a very displeasing task, done for all the wrong reasons, while my husband was trying to do it for the right reasons. But after some time, I started to appreciate the rest from cooking, and the rest for my stomach. I started to appreciate the Lord more and the blessings that He has given to us. And I started to hear God’s voice speaking to me more clearly. I also started to think that why did I ever have to eat again? Well it is a fact of life so, we eat, but as we eat, we should try to eat as wholesome food as is available in order to keep our minds clear to continue hearing God’s voice. He wants to speak to us all the time but when we have special burdens on our hearts, we need to pray and fast, in order to be certain of what God’s will really is.

As time went on, after we had children, we no longer did our regular 3-day fasts however I found that when I was under extreme stress, I could not eat. At one point in time I was under so much stress, with so many people coming and going in our house (people who did not appreciate what you were doing for them, and wanting more from you) that I did not eat well for days. The rest that my stomach received had a calming effect on me and helped me to handle difficult situations. I found the Lord ever near to me to help me through. It was then that I really began to see the true value of fasting. It is not simply God making an arbitrary rule that we have to deny ourselves before He speaks to us. That is what Martin Luther thought before he was converted – he denied himself food as well as performed various other punishing tasks in order to appease an angry God, or so he thought. This is not the kind of God we serve – He will no ignore us until we have sufficiently denied ourselves and suffered, before He answers us.

It is just that our mind is much clearer with the stomach and digestive system at rest and we can hear God speaking. He most likely is speaking at other times also, but we don’t hear His voice so clearly.

The Lord has helped me through various situations with this most precious tool and I want to share two more experiences here in Australia. The first one occurred when I failed my first driving test. I drove very well, but made one careless mistake that caused me to fail. I was so angry with myself, I refused to eat. I could not forgive myself and I refused to eat to punish myself. Without making any efforts towards calming down my anger, with the empty stomach, the calming came automatically. It took two and one half days before I was over my anger and I could forgive myself that I allowed my stomach some food. It was at this moment that I really saw how fasting can also help to overcome sin. Previously it would have taken me many more days to forgive myself but with the fasting (for the wrong reasons again) the anger dissipated quicker and I was able to come before the presence of the Lord once again, without any anger in my heart. I can only thank Him for this. He sure, has been patient with our stubborn hearts.

The second instance was when we were waiting news from immigration about our permanent residence in Australia. Our lives had been in a sort of limbo for 2 years and I was desiring to settle down. It was March of 2000 that I felt impressed by the Lord that we would finally receive our answer before the end of the month. In a day or two I forgot about this message from the Lord, but I still checked the mail eagerly, every day to see if the immigration letter was there, as I had done for months prior to this day. Then it was the last day of March and I was so troubled, wondering where the letter was. I decided to fast and pray that morning because I wanted an answer from Him. I remember I was in the kitchen cooking during the morning hours and talking to the Lord when suddenly He told me, “I told you it would be here before the end of March, it’s in the mail box, go and get it.” Of course, now I remembered. Yes, He had told rne and here it was the last day of March. I quickly dropped everything and drove down to the town to check the mailbox. There
was a letter in there. I knew exactly what it was and upon opening it, I was right. Although this was not an earth shattering decision that I had to make, it was a point of trouble in my mind. To others it may not have been such an important issue, but when we are troubled about something, it is important to the Lord, no matter how minor the issue may seem. When Ezra was returning to Jerusalem with some of the captives who were still living in Babylon, he was unsure of which way to take. What did he do?

“Then I proclaimed a fast there, at the river of Ahava, that we might afflict ourselves before God, to seek him a right way for us, and for our little ones, and for all our substance…So we fasted and besought our God for this: and he was entreated of us.” Ezra 8:21,23.

I am sure there was a good road from Babylon to Jerusalem, and only one road at that, however Ezra felt it important to pray and fast for guidance before embarking on such a perilous journey.

I share these experiences because they have done much to impress me with the importance of praying and fasting today. I have heard the subject of prayer and fasting preached for many years, but never took it as seriously as I should have. Through these experiences the Lord has shown me that He is really a God close by, but we simply have to take the time to listen to His voice. What a wonderful blessing He has given us in prayer and fasting. It is no longer a burden to bear, but a time of joyful fellowship.

“Be still and know that I am God.” Psalm 46:10.
Another way to hear God’s voice is to stop and listen. If we fast and pray, we are often led to slow down and listen. We have more time, as less time is taken for meals, and food preparations. We feel calmer, and we feel closer to the Lord. We talk too much and listen too little. We lack Christian poise and steadiness, because of our ceaseless busyness. Moses spent 40 years in the wilderness, learning to listen to God. He was ready to rush and deliver Israel while he was a prince in Egypt. He even went as far as to kill a man, but he was ready – or so he thought. The Lord had to separate him for forty years from active life, to learn the lesson of being still, and listening to the voice of the Lord for direction. Paul spent three years in Arabia in the desert after his conversion, and of course, Jesus spent 40 days in the wilderness. Fasting has a calming effect on a person, and they learn to listen.

“For the Egyptians shall help in vain, and to no purpose: therefore have I cried concerning this, Their strength is to sit still.” Isaiah 30:7.

Egypt promised to help Israel, but did nothing when the help was needed. Isaiah told the Israelites, to sit still and see the Lord work for them. Sometimes we are told to sit and wait for the Lord to work, other times we are sent into active duty, not seeing the end from the beginning, but just going out in faith. How will we know what we are to do? By prayer and fasting – the Lord will speak to direct and guide.

“Therefore the prudent shall keep silence in that time; for it is an evil time.” Amos 5:13. It is indeed an evil time in which we live. There will be times when we must keep silence and listen to God’s voice.

Today there are so many voices, and the most deceptive voices are those in false religious movements. Those who are very close to the truth may seem like such good people, (which I don’t doubt their integrity and their love for the Lord), however if they refuse to accept all the truth, 100% of it, then they are really a very subtle tool of the devil, since it is so difficult to discern between the error and the true. If we cannot tell the difference and are unsure which way to go, the best thing to do is to ask God, and do what we can to hear His voice – fast and pray, and a plain path will be opened before us. “An intensity such as never before was seen is taking possession of the world. In amusement, in moneymaking, in the contest for power, in the very struggle for existence, there is a terrible force that engrosses body and mind and soul.

In the midst of this maddening rush, God is speaking. He bids us come apart and commune with Him.. . Many, even in their seasons of devotion, fail of receiving the blessing of real communion with God. They are in too great haste. With hurried steps they press through the circle of Christ’s loving presence, pausing perhaps a moment within the sacred precincts, but not waiting for counsel. They have no time to remain with the divine Teacher. With their burdens they return to their work.” Ed, p. 260.

“All who are under the framing of God need the quiet hour for communion with their own hearts, with nature, and with God. In them is to be revealed a life that is not in harmony with the world, its customs, or its practices; and they need to have a personal experience in obtaining a knowledge of the will of God. We must individually hear Him speaking to the heart. When every other voice is hushed, and in quietness we wait before Him, the silence of the soul makes more distinct the voice of God. He bids us, “Be still, and know that I am God.” Psalm 46:10. This is the effectual preparation for all labour for God. Amidst the hurrying throng, and the strain of life’s intense activities, he who is thus refreshed will be surrounded with an atmosphere of light and peace.

He will receive a new endowment of both physical and mental strength. His life will breathe out a fragrance, and will reveal a divine power that will reach men’s hearts.” MH, p. 58.

OTHER REASONS FOR FASTING:

Fasting is something that is done in private, between a soul and God. The Jews fasted as an act of merit, and the most rigid fasted two days a week. “Jesus had shown in what righteousness consists, and had pointed to God as its source. Now He turned to practical duties. In almsgiving, in prayer, in fasting, He said, Let nothing be done to attract attention or to win praise for self.” Give in sincerity, for the benefit of the suffering poor. In prayer, let the soul commune with God. In fasting, go not with the head bowed down, and heart filled with thoughts of self… ‘Thy Father which seeth in secret Himself shall reward thee openly.'” DA, p. 312.

For physical healing:
“There are some who would be benefited more by abstinence from food for a day or two every week than by any amount of treatment or medical advice. To fast one day a week would be of incalculable benefit to them.” 7T, p. 134. This testimony, however, was written over 100 years ago, surely we have much superior medical drugs and medical treatments today, than something simple as mere fasting.

However for those with chronic, non-life threatening illnesses, this is a much better alternative. Rather than suffer discomfort for years, dependent on medical drugs, why not suffer a little hunger for a while and see the miracle that fasting can do.

“Intemperate eating is often the cause of sickness, and what nature most needs is to be relieved of the undue burden that has been placed upon her. In many cases of sickness, the very best remedy is for the patient to fast for a meal or two, that the overworked organs of digestion may have an opportunity to rest. A fruit diet for a few days has often brought great relief to brain workers. Many times a short period of entire abstinence from food, followed by simple, moderate eating, has led to recovery through nature’s own recuperative effort. An abstemious diet for a month or two would convince many sufferers that the path of self-denial is the path to health.” MH, p. 235.

For Spiritual healing. “Therefore also now, saith the LORD, turn ye even to me with all our heart, and with fasting, and with weeping and with mourning:” Joel 2:12. When we become aware of some besetting sins that have been plaguing us for years and we desire healing, this healing can be brought about more effectively and quicker through prayer and fasting. It is often while praying and fasting that the Lord will reveal to us the plague spots in our character. We see the perfect character of Jesus and compare our lives to His perfect example and we see that we need a lot of healing to come up to the standard of perfection that He has placed before us. He has promised us all the help that we need for this cleansing process. We have an ever-present help in all our struggles through life.

To overcome in time of temptation.
I am sure that most of us have faced difficult circumstances and fierce temptations that have almost overwhelmed us. Jesus was our example in these situations because “He was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.” Heb. 4:15.

How did He gain the victory? Only through prayer and fasting. “When Christ was the most fiercely beset by temptation, He ate nothing. He committed Himself to God, and through earnest prayer, and perfect submission to the will of His Father, came off conqueror. Those who profess the truth for these last days, above every other class of professed Christians, should imitate the great Exemplar in prayer.” 2T, p. 202,203.

Some temptations and sins can be overcome only through prayer and fasting. The devils are so powerful, much more powerful than mere human beings. In the time of Christ, the disciples tried to cast out a demon, but were unable. Upon inquiring of Christ as to the reason for this, His answer was their lack of faith as well as, “Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.” Matthew 17:21. To expel this kind of demon required prayer and fasting. In the same manner, to expel some sins that threaten to overwhelm us, require prayer and fasting to overcome. To understand scripture. Fasting is known to clear the mind and aid the understanding of scriptures when things are difficult to be understood. “Difficult points of present truth have been reached by the earnest efforts of a few who were devoted to the work. Fasting and fervent prayer to God have moved the Lord to unlock His treasuries of truth to their
understanding.” 2T, p. 650. “When the time shall corne, in the providence of God, for the world to be tested upon the truth for that time, minds will be exercised by His Spirit to search the Scriptures, even with fasting and with prayer, until link after link is searched out, and united in a perfect chain.” 2T, p. 692. “Let brethren unite in fasting and prayer for the wisdom that God has promised to supply liberally.” GW, p. 236.

WHEN FASTING WILL AVAIL NOTHING

“When they fast, I will not hear their cry;” Jeremiah 14:12. Here I spent all this time telling you God will listen if you fast and pray but now Jeremiah is telling us that God will not hear their cry even with a fast, why? “If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me.” Psalm 66:18. This goes with prayer and fasting. Fasting is for cleansing, both physical and spiritual and if we refuse to be cleansed because of some darling sin we can’t let go of, then we will not be cleansed. Our fasting is useless.

“For certain things, fasting and prayer are recommended and appropriate. In the hand of God they are a means of cleansing the heart and promoting a receptive frame of mind. We obtain answers to our prayers because we humble our souls before God.” CDF, p. 187,188.

“Time is short; the Lord desires that everything connected with His cause shall be brought into order.” T 9, p. 98. As we continue reading the pages of Testimonies for the Church Volume 9, we see urgency in the writing. The time is very close when Jesus will soon come and we all have a work to do individually and as a church. It is not time to fall asleep, but to wake up. Almost 100 years have passed since the writing and how much closer are we to His coming today?

It is a solemn and serious time; a time to afflict our souls, fast and pray, and ask for direction and guidance from the Lord. “Soon there is to be trouble all over the world. It becomes everyone to seek to know God. We have no time to delay.” T9, p. 228. “Walk humbly with God, and ask Him to make your course of duty plain.” 9 T, p. 202.

It is my wish and prayer that we would use wisely this valuable tool that the Lord has given us to use so that we can hear His voice more clearly when He is speaking to us.
AMEN

Wendy Eaton