Day 3 - The Threefold Cord

I came into a prophetic ministry when I was much younger, but when people asked me how to hear from God, I never knew what to tell them. It wasn't until a few years ago that I heard a teaching about God's voice, and recognized that it was good material. I knew it was true because I had used it myself for years and had seen it work.

The teaching was not a formula with three steps, but a relationship with God that centers on three principles. Any of these principles alone can be a way to hear from God. It doesn't matter which comes first; each spills over into another.

But with the ups and downs of life, it's helpful to have several ways to listen for God's voice. Sometimes one principle is easier to access than the others. For instance, when life gets chaotic, it may be easier to focus on Jesus than to find peace. Or when it's hard to focus, we may suddenly experience flow as we hear the still small voice of God.

Solomon wrote that a "threefold cord is not easily broken." If you want to be someone who often hears God's voice, don't reduce the process to a single principle. Let these three principles work together, peace, focus, and flow. Even then, God will surprise you with the variety of ways He speaks. We'll explore them later as we walk through this devotional, but for now look at a scripture for each of the three principles that work together as we listen to God.

PEACE. "Let the peace of God rule in your hearts." (Colossians 3:15) Some people are led by the Spirit by using this one principle alone: they make choices that lead to peace at home, at school, or at work. This is how they discover God's will.

FOCUS ON JESUS. "God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son." (Hebrews 1:1-2) Whether you find Jesus in scripture, in other people, or in some other way, never forget that He is the word of God.

THE FLOW OF WORDS. "He who believes in Me, as the scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water." (John 7:38) John notes that these rivers are a flow of the Holy Spirit. You can sit in silence and listen for this flow, or you can have it pour out of your mouth as you pray or worship.

Peace, focus, and flow. This is simple enough that a child can do it. Begin with the action step.

Set aside half an hour to wait in God's presence, determined to do more listening than talking as you commune with Him.

You might want to wait on God in silence; you might want to pray a few words and take a few moments to listen before speaking again; you might want to soak, waiting in God's presence while you play a CD of peaceful worship music in the background.

Start with the principle you find easiest at the moment - peace, focus, or flow. Don't be surprised if it spills over into another principle. See what you can hear in half an hour of listening -- or if nothing else, let God's peace fill you. That alone is worth the half hour you've invested.