Category: Podcast

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Need to lighten your load? Consider these two simple strategies.

Too much on your plate

Have you started a week with too much on your plate, worry filling your head with all you needed to accomplish, and no idea how to get it all done?

Ever consider offloading some or all of it to Jesus?

Yeah, me neither. At least not very often, but this week I had another opportunity to do so with encouraging results.

Today I’ll share a few strategies you can implement immediately. That’s what I did.

Two strategies to lighten your load

I came into this week with a lot on my plate. On another occasion, I might have become a bit anxious or worried. This week I took a different approach. I focused on Jesus instead of my full plate.

I want to give you a couple of strategies to help bring your own days into perspective if needed.

Seek His face always and pray continually

Seek Jesus’ face always and pray continually.

Seek His face always.

Pray continually.

The first part comes from the book of 1 Chronicles chapter 16 verse 11 (NIV) in the Old Testament of the Bible. The second passage is from 1 Thessalonians chapter 5 verse 17 (NIV) in the New Testament.

Want an even simpler way to remember this?

Focus on Jesus and pray.

Prayer is connection with God

Now if perpetual prayer isn’t your thing, I want to share something else to consider. I like to think of prayer as an active connection with God. When I’m praying or even just about to pray, I am postured toward God. I’m thinking about Jesus, and am either about to speak – or about to listen.

Speaking to God

For today’s example, I’ll focus on the speaking part. Some of the previous episodes give some insight into the listening side. In this case, I have a problem, or a potential problem, and I’m looking for some assistance. I’m sharing my struggle with Jesus in hopes of receiving a solution.

Simply share your thoughts

New to prayer? Just think of it as communicating with God, sharing your thoughts out loud, on paper, or in the quiet of your heart.

Continuously

So here’s the key to this kind of prayer. It’s continuous. This isn’t the one and done prayer, like running an errand, or checking an item off your list. This is an “at any moment you are sharing your thoughts with God” kind of prayer, letting Him know what’s on your mind whenever you want.

Isn’t that comforting? I don’t know about you, but often if I have something weighing me down it’s a constant barrage of unsettled noise and worry. What I’m worried about stays on my mind most of the day.

Tell God how we’re feeling

Praying constantly means we can keep God up to date with how we are feeling about something. Isn’t it nice to have someone to talk to?

Comforting presence

Like a child on the playground whose parent sits nearby. An occasional glance up and the child makes eye contact, remembers the parent who loves this child deeply and is nearby at all times. A comforting presence.

Call out to Jesus

So if something crops up, we can call out to Jesus. Which leads us right into the first phrase, to seek His face.

When we seek His face, we focus on Jesus.

Focus on Jesus

When we focus on Jesus, we aren’t focused on our problem or struggle.

Recently I found myself momentarily dwelling on an extensive to do list.

I consciously shifted my thoughts to something like, “Hey Jesus, this is too much. Can you hold these for me?”

Share what you feel

Admittedly, I didn’t say those words out loud. What I want you to see is that I said it how I was feeling it. When you’re bearing your heart to Jesus, just share it as you feel it. That’s what the Psalmists did in the Bible, raw emotions and all.

Psalm 25

Take this example from Psalm 25, a Psalm of David addressed to the Lord. From verses 16 and 17 of the New International Version:

“Turn to me and be gracious to me,
  for I am lonely and afflicted.
Relieve the troubles of my heart
  and free me from my anguish.” Psalm 25:16-17 NIV

So in that moment when I was overwhelmed, I shared how I felt.

Peace

And there it was. A pause. A moment of silence from the onslaught of tasks, responsibilities, and self-imposed expectations.

Instead of stress, I had a moment of peace.

There’s a verse in the Bible about that too, Psalm 46 verse 10.

“Be still and know that I am God.”

Be still.

Pause.

Feel the peace that comes with releasing the burden of whatever was weighing you down.

May you always remember Jesus is ready and able to lighten your load.

Recent episode of the Encouraging Voice Podcast:

A simple way to listen for and recognize God speaking

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 5:28 — 5.1MB)

Have you ever paused to take in a view of a beautiful sunset, felt a refreshing breeze, or received a word of encouragement from someone at just the right moment?

These are a few of the ways God speaks to us.

Hearing God speak into our lives

I’ve had conversations with friends about hearing God speak into our lives. Usually someone wants to hear Him more but isn’t sure how to go about it.

God is speaking

Did you know God is always speaking to us? So it’s not whether or not God is speaking, but whether we hear Him when He does.

A simple way to listen and recognize God speaking

So today I wanted to share a simple way to listen for and recognize when God is speaking to us that will hopefully help you hear Him more in your own life as well.

Let me share with you one way I seek to hear God speak. Maybe you’ll find something that works for you too.

Listening to God

I spoke on a panel about listening to God and was asked what that looks like for me. I shared the example of a gift bag.

A gift bag

When we receive a gift bag, often two factors come into play:

Who it’s from

What’s in it

Maybe you, like me, at one time have been surprised to receive a gift bag and didn’t initially know who it was from. A quick glance at the tag tells us who it’s from. A look inside shows us what’s in it. Isn’t it true that sometimes there’s more than one gift inside?

Good gifts

How about when we recognize the name on the tag as someone who gives really good gifts? We’re excited to receive the gift before we even know what’s inside. And as we open it, we might even anticipate there to be more than one gift.

This is how I like to think of listening to God.

He gives good gifts and there’s always more if we keep looking.

God gives good gifts. There’s always more if we keep looking.

How to recognize God sent it

So back to the tag on the gift bag. It tells us who it’s from. So in order to know we’ve received a gift from God, we have to recognize that He’s the one who sent it.

How do we do that?

Practice and remembrance

Through practice and remembrance. We make a habit of listening for God and take note of the moments when He does say something to us. This provides us with a foundation of what that looks and sounds like. Then we’re more apt to look for or notice when it occurs.

Repetition brings familiarity

Repetition brings familiarity. The more we listen the more we’ll hear and discover various ways God speaks to us whether through circumstances, people, or our Bible, just to name a few.

Expectation invites opportunity

Expectation invites opportunity. If we approach our day expecting to hear from God, we have a greater chance of observing when He does.

A recent gift

Here’s one example:

Recently God showed me the gift of timing. One day my schedule unexpectedly changed which beautifully orchestrated running into a friend I hadn’t seen in a while. It also provided an opportunity to encourage someone. Rather than be disappointed with the change in my day, I saw the gift of this unforeseen schedule shift as a divine appointment.

Recognize the gift

Here’s a side benefit. Once I recognized this gift of timing, I was open to the possibility of other perfect timing moments in my day.

God did not disappoint.

Some were little, like reading a page in a book that connected to an experience in real life. Others were more significant, like an opportunity to speak encouragement into another person’s life. I also heard back from people I had reached out to – which was encouraging to me.

What gifts have you received?

How about you? Have you ever noticed the gift of God’s timing in your life? Did you recognize it to be a gift from God?

What other gifts have you received from Him?

Gospel of John

The Gospel writer John shares the words of Jesus in chapter 10.

“I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me.” John 10:14 NIV

“My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.” John 10:27 NIV

And John should know. He spent a lot of time with Jesus as one of His disciples.

Know God’s voice

In order to know God’s voice, we simply familiarize ourselves with it. One way is through the Bible which is God’s Word. What better way to know it’s His voice than to receive it straight from the source?

A quick view of the Bible

If you’re not sure how to go about approaching the Bible, I have a handy quick view of the Bible. It’s a tri-fold brochure that doubles as a bookmark, offering a quick overview of the whole Bible.

Bible quick view

Expect God to speak

If we approach our day expecting God to speak to us, we are more likely to recognize when He does.

The more we listen for Him to speak, the more aware we are of His voice, and the more likely we are to hear Him. We discover He’s been speaking to us all along. Then we can open our hearts to hear what else He has to share with us.

How has God spoken to you?

I think we can help each other through example. What are some of the ways God has spoken to you?

When we express gratitude to Him for the gifts we’ve been given, we begin a conversation with God.

May you notice additional ways God is already speaking to you.

More thoughts on how God speaks:

How to hear from God – where to look

Are we listening for ways God is speaking?

Recent episode of the Encouraging Voice Podcast:

Unexpected way Holy Spirit speaks

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 4:44 — 4.4MB)

Have you started something, then abandoned it only to discover you were on the right path in the first place? Have you considered maybe the Holy Spirit was calling you to something yet unknown to you?

Sometimes when we review circumstances in our lives, we see God’s hand in the process, even if we didn’t see it at the time. Looking for those moments where God has been at work but we didn’t initially realize it, can provide direction as we proceed or at least show us ways God moves in our lives.

(Listen to the full episode from the podcast player)

Recent episodes of the Encouraging Voice Podcast:

Unexpected way Holy Spirit speaks

A noteworthy blessing found in a detour

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 5:49 — 5.4MB)

Have you ever looked back at your day and considered how maybe the Holy Spirit was speaking to you in an unexpected way? A way you could have easily overlooked had you not stopped to pay attention to the details in your day?

Open our hearts

The more we open our hearts to expect the unexpected, the more likely we are to experience more of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

Ponder the lesson

Sometimes I think it’s okay to ponder the lesson or the takeaway from the day’s events.

(Hear one such example in the podcast above).

An illustration

And sometimes I think the Holy Spirit uses an illustration in our lives to show us something if we pause to ponder and consider a connection between what we’ve experienced and what comes to mind.

Experience different gifts

Much like perusing a passage of Scripture, we can experience different gifts from what we read at different times depending on how the Holy Spirit speaks to us through it, the circumstances we find ourselves in, our heart posture, or level of expectation and anticipation as we approach it.

I pray you will consider the possible ways God may use events in your day to speak into your life.

Recent episodes of the Encouraging Voice Podcast:

A noteworthy blessing found in a detour

Prompted to send a note at just the right moment

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 5:04 — 4.7MB)

Have you ever looked back at a series of seemingly insignificant small steps that when observed revealed a noteworthy blessing found in a detour? I’m not talking about really big stuff. There are those kinds too.

I’m thinking more of minor changes in direction. Sometimes we look back at our day and think we derailed on a task or two – or maybe that’s just me. Forgotten focus.

But sometimes those little sidesteps off the straight line that trail off actually lead us onto a trail of blessing.

Searching

So I was searching for something. We’ll say cleaning because maybe that sounds better. While I was looking for a book, I discovered a box of Scripture cards. Greeting cards with lovely images and a Scripture passage on them.

Paused to look

Naturally I paused to look at them because that seemed spiritual. Then I remembered I had wanted to send a thank you card to someone who had done something nice for me. I also thought maybe this person could use some prayer.

I paused again. You didn’t think I’d actually miss this chance to do something for someone else did you?

Something good

Okay, so maybe I used it as an excuse to stop doing something that wasn’t super enjoyable. But I would like to think I did something good in that moment because even though I got distracted, I turned my thoughts toward a friend who could probably use some encouragement. A friend who might enjoy getting a hand written card in the mail letting her know she was being thought of.

I sat down with the box of cards and selected the one that I thought might speak to her. There were three to choose from.

Series of nudges

And I realized this was a series of nudges:

To start a task that led me to a bookshelf

To find a box of cards I had forgotten about, that now had a perfect use 

To think of someone who had done something kind

To consider she might appreciate being thought of

To remember a need for which prayer might be appreciated

To discern which saying might speak to her heart

To find the words to write to her

Little things

All little things. At any point in the process the loop could have been broken, the task abandoned, the nudge ignored. But being open to recognize that maybe this was the Holy Spirit giving me a prompt, an opportunity to do something for someone who might benefit from my follow through on His gentle leading, was a gift.

So I wrote the card then placed it in the mailbox. Remember those?

Opportunity to pause

Then I saw the daffodils in the sun and the little purple flowers by the wooden path. I walked around to admire the tulips and watched a bird or two. I listened to the sounds of neighborhood construction projects and birds singing.

You might call this a detour.  I call it a divine opportunity to pause, breathe, and rest in the beauty of God’s creation.

Listened to a nudge

All because I listened to a nudge to search for something.

God gave me more than I had been looking for. He gave me exactly what I needed.

So where or when have you made a detour and done something following a trail of little prompts?

Observe gifts of God

I don’t always do this sort of retrospection on my day. Perhaps that was a nudge too to review a few elements of my day. I think lately I’ve been seeking blessings in the middle of the mundane. Keeping my eyes open to observe the small gifts of God all around me.

Look for God’s hand

We may find ourselves in a season or circumstance where the scenery doesn’t change much. If we look for God’s hand in the midst of it, we open our hearts to seeing more of His heart speaking into our lives on a daily basis.

I’d like to be able to tell you that ever since that series of sweet connections that I’ve experienced many more of those since then, but truth is, I forget to look.

Holy Spirit’s nudges

And I realize, if I remember how the experience felt to discover the blessing in a small but heartfelt way, I am more likely to open myself up to the possibility of it happening again. And I think that posture of expectation opens the door to experiencing more of the Holy Spirit’s nudges.

Unexpected blessings

And then those daily detours become an opportunity to observe the unexpected blessings that come when we follow the lead of a gentle nudge.

And in those moments, may you also discover God gives you more than you had been looking for – you’ll see He gives you exactly what you need.

What do you need?

What do you need today?

To reach out and connect to a friend?

To pause and take in the gift of God’s creation?

To simply pause without any thought as to the next step?

To remember how God has moved in your life to bless you even in the small things?

A glimpse of the gifts

Whatever it is you need today, I pray you catch a glimpse of the gifts around you as God offers you exactly what you need.

Recent episodes of the Encouraging Voice Podcast:

A simple way to encourage someone

Prompted to send a note at just the right moment