The irony of God's Holy Spirit, is that the more stressed out we are, the harder it can be to hear God's wisdom and guidance at a time when we need it the most. The good news is that we can create habits that foster our hearing.

But first, empathy. You are not alone!

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been frustrated by not being able to hear God’s guidance for my life when I needed it the most. I've learned that this is because it is easy for the voice of fear to drown out or override the Holy Spirit when stress hits.

Then, when life is good, the guidance can become clear as day! God places something on my heart, or whispers a whim of wisdom, and it immediately illuminates my path. For those moments, I’m truly grateful.

Can you relate?

Below are three things to consider when you are seeking God’s guidance. I revisit these anytime I feel stuck or worry God has left me. In truth, God, like the sun, is always shining wisdom our way. The question is: Are we listening in ways that increase our ability to hear in the moments that matter?

Reception Leads to Direction

“I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
I will counsel you with my eye upon you.” - Psalm 32:8

Have you ever considered how prayer is often a one-way street? We pour out what is on our hearts. We lift up our cares and requests. We speak to what needs God’s attention. Yet, in doing this outpouring, we sometimes forget to let God’s inpouring come through.

Notice how Jesus carved out solitude time and intentionally created space to be with God.

• "Yet Jesus himself frequently withdrew to the wilderness and prayed." - Luke 5:16

• "Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed." - Mark 1:35

• "After he had dismissed the crowds, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray." - Matthew 14:23

To hear God’s answers, I invite you to carve out time without distractions and sit with God in reception. Clearing the clutter on the outside helps us to clear the clutter on the inside. In that space, God is there saying, “I’ve never left. I’m always here.”

Once we open up the floodgates of God's wisdom, you may notice miraculous opportunities begin to open up. We can start receiving God's prompts and knowledge more and more readily.

God Prompts

When was the last time you felt God place an act of service on your heart and you followed it? Or did you spend time serving another person in need, and it filled you up with joy? Listening to the God prompts connects us with something much bigger than ourselves.

Placing ourselves in moments of service also fills us up! Being of service gives us access to all of God’s virtues and opens pathways of inspiration.

In these moments, God’s Holy Spirit shines through us!

3) Be Still and Know

Did you know Harriet Tubman, who forged the Underground Railroad and freed people from the evils of slavery, did so through the power of prayer and receiving knowledge? In an interview with Sarah Bradford, Harriet shared that God would literally direct her where to go.

Consider this. In a time before cell phones, before GPS, and without a map, this woman who had been ravaged by the evils of abuse - resulting in a traumatic brain injury - forged her way to freedom using God as her GPS! Her story and life are a living miracle.

And, good news! We all have a God Protection System (GPS), the Holy Spirit, to guide us. The question is, are we accessing it?

I wonder if Harriet carried Psalm 37:7 upon her heart like a shield?

“Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him;
fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way,
over the man who carries out evil devices!”

Harriet’s fortitude and the guidance of Psalm 46:10, "Be still, and know that I am God,” teach us that in order to hear, we must first be here.