There are people who love you unconditionally. Then there are people who nudge you past your edge. My friend Christy is one of the rare few who does both. She is what grace looks like. Here’s her description of how listening prayer is changing her life:

How do you experience God’s voice in your life?

I’ve always experienced God’s voice in a general way; through his Word, in community, and by walking with the Spirit. Listening prayer has helped me experience God’s voice in a much more specific, personal way.

As a mom of five, I’ve become adept at gleaning spiritual insight whenever I can, but listening prayer adds a more tangible, intentional dimension to my spiritual life.

In the past twelve years God’s brought me through having a child diagnosed with multiple chronic illnesses, developing new technology and starting a business at God’s prompting, severe financial difficulties, and my mom’s sudden death. Through all this, He has repeatedly assured me of His power and His provision.

How would you describe the difference between walking with the Spirit and listening prayer?

I see walking in the Spirit as parallel to eating healthy, exercising, etc. Listening prayer is more like hopping up on the operating table and asking the Physician, “Anything need fixing here?”, and then listening to His answers.

What do you sense as you listen to Him?

The main theme God has been emphasizing is His love for me. For some reason, it’s so much easier for me to see this truth for others. But the first time we practiced listening prayer, I heard, “You are so precious, you are so precious, you are so precious.” God knew He needed to repeat Himself several times so I’d get the message. Many times since then, He’s reaffirmed His love and care for me.

What’s the biggest challenge you’ve faced since becoming more intentional about listening:

I’ve faced a couple of major challenges. The first is doing it consistently. With multiple children, long work hours, and illnesses, it’s hard to plan a time and stick to it. Putting it on the calendar definitely helps!

The other challenge is believing what I hear God saying during listening prayer. I’ve heard God speak to me frequently about my worth. Yet it can be hard to receive that message when daily I feel inadequate as a wife, mother, and friend.

How are you responding?

I’m believing His truth about who I am to Him – His precious and loved child. He’s made me not only a supporter of others as a wife, mother, and friend; but also a beloved child of the King.

What’s happening in your life as a result?

I’m more confident in my Father’s love for me, and have a deeper trust in Him.

(If you aren’t familiar with listening prayer, you can get a free guide that describes the process by signing up here.)

How does what Christy shared encourage or challenge you? Read my answer (and share yours) in the comments below.
What can we learn from how you listen and respond to God? Tell us about it here.