“O Lord, now I have heard your report, and I worship you in awe . . .” Habakkuk 3:2 (TLB)
God’s not just some distant figure—he wants to be your friend. And like any friendship, that means spending time together and talking regularly. If you’re wondering how to hear from him, try starting with worship.
In other words, thank him for being a part of your life and for being interested in the details of your life. Thank him for answering your prayers: “O Lord, now I have heard your report, and I worship you in awe . . .” (Habakkuk 3:2 TLB). When God gives you a vision, when God gives you a dream, when God responds to your prayers, thank him! That’s part of worshiping God.
I want you to stop seeing your prayers as a monologue and start seeing them for what they truly are: a dialogue. Prayer is a conversation with God. He hears you when you pray, and he answers you when you ask questions. He wants to talk to you every day. And when you faithfully talk to God every day throughout the day, it will revolutionize your life.
Now, it’s hard to recognize God’s voice if you don’t really know him—and there are three levels of knowing God: recognition, acquaintance, and friendship. You may be at the recognition level; you know God is there, but you don't really know him. Or you may be at the acquaintance level: you know God a little bit, but you don't know him very well.
God wants you to live at the friendship level. He wants to be your friend, and he wants you to be his friend. If you’re struggling to talk with God regularly, as one would talk to a friend, pray this prayer:
“Dear God, I'm amazed that you would want me for a friend. I really want to learn to have conversations with you. Help me to spend time with you everyday. Thank you that you care about every detail of my life. Jesus, I want to know you more and more every day and I want to depend on you for guidance in my job, my family, my future, and in every other area of my life. I invite you to be the manager of my life, my Lord and Savior, as I follow you and trust you. In your name I pray. Amen.”
Talk It Over
In what ways can you express your gratitude to God as part of your worship?
How can you create space to listen to God today? What questions would you like to ask him?
Consider the three levels of knowing God—recognition, acquaintance, and friendship. Where do you think you are right now? What steps can you take to grow deeper in friendship with him?
