He said, "Go out, and stand on the mountain before Yahweh." Behold, Yahweh passed by, and a great and strong wind tore the mountains, and broke in pieces the rocks before Yahweh; but Yahweh was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake; but Yahweh was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake a fire passed; but Yahweh was not in the fire. After the fire, there was a still small voice. When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle, went out, and stood in the entrance of the cave. Behold, a voice came to him, and said, "What are you doing here, Elijah?" 1 Kings 19:11-13 WEB.

Elijah was a seasoned prophet of the Lord who recognized the voice of God. When he was told to go and stand before God on the mountain, Elijah remained inside the cave until he knew that the Lord was there. He waited, and he listened for His voice.

Elijah ignored the tornado or strong wind that came by. Then he dismissed the earthquake that shook the mountains. Elijah disregarded the fire passing by outside. Finally, he heard the sound of a low whisper, and He knew that it was indeed God Almighty calling to him. Only then did Elijah rise and go out to meet Him.

That still, small voice was a gentle whisper. The soft voice of God that speaks to your conscience and illuminates your mind. We are meant to hear His voice, created to listen for His voice. That was His original plan that each person would listen to the voice of God and obey Him. But in Exodus 20:19, the people were afraid and said, "Do not let God speak to us. Let Him speak to you."

Jesus said, "My sheep hear My voice" (John 10:27). Hearing the gentle whisper yourself changes your life. It will give you an edge that no one can take away. Yet, when the Lord speaks to us, it can be drowned out by our busy lives. He does not shout over the noise. I find that I have to get quiet so that I can listen.

This includes inner calmness and quieting your mind as well. A quiet room is nice, but if your life is in turmoil, there will still be noise in your head. I have been there. There have been times in my life when I could sit in a quiet room and yet feel like I was standing in the middle of a busy intersection internally. It is hard to hear from the Lord like that.

We are often looking for the supernatural, but His message comes to us in such a natural way that we can miss it. Instead of hearing a booming voice from heaven, it may come through the words of a mentor or a friend. Maybe something they once told us in the past. A song we have heard comes to our mind, and the words now have a new meaning. That is the whisper of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus said, "But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things, and will remind you of all that I said to you" (John 14:26). Reminding us of things that were spoken to us in the past is part of the Holy Spirit's work. He is the living breath of God who lives right here with us.

Listen for the voice of the Lord always, and try to be sensitive to the Spirit. That gentle whisper will make all the difference in your life, and it can turn disaster and terror into peace and joy.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, please teach me to hear Your voice and recognize when You speak. Please help me make the right decisions and guide my steps today. Speak to me and through me, Lord. In the name of Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen!

Note: "Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray.” James 5:13 ~ If you have a prayer need, we are here for you! We and the prayer team are ready to lift you up at our private prayer page: RHM Prayer Network. If you are interested in joining the prayer team, here is how to get started Prayer Partners.