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Welcome to the Self-Love Journaling with God podcast. I am your host, Shonda, and I am so glad you are taking this time out with me today. This podcast is more than just journaling. It's about doing the heart work with God as we heal, grow, and learn to love ourselves the way God does. One page and one prayer at a time. Today we are talking about 12 faith practices to hear God clearly. Now I'm sure that we are doing a lot of what we are going to be talking about today, but it's always good to get a good reminder. And so let me say this right here at the beginning. Hearing God clearly is not about becoming super spiritual, perfect, or having your Bible highlighted in every color known to man. Though I do love a good highlighter moment, hearing God clearly is about a relationship. It is about learning his voice, making room for his truth, and quieting the noise that keeps pulling your heart in five different directions. Because sometimes we say, God, I want to hear you, but our minds are full of worry, our schedules are packed, our emotions are loud, our journals are sitting somewhere under a pile of laundry, receipts, and good intentions. So today we are going to walk through 12 faith practices that can help you hear God more clearly in everyday life, not just in big emotional moments, not just when you are at church, not just when life is falling apart, but in your quiet mornings, your car rides, your decision making, your healing journey. And even in those moments when you are sitting with your journal asking, Lord, what are you trying to show me? So I just want you to take a deep breath here. Let's walk through these together. The first practice I would say is creating a quiet space. Before we can hear clearly, we often need to quiet what is competing for our attention. We know we live in a world where there is all kinds of distractions. So we have to be intentional about creating this quiet space with God. Think about it like this. Have you ever tried to have a meaningful conversation with someone while the TV is loud, your phone is buzzing, and somebody is asking what's for dinner? At some point, your brain says, ma'am, we are closed for the day. Sometimes our spirit feels the same way. God may be speaking, but everything around us is turned all the way up. Fear is loud, pressure is loud, notifications are loud, other people's opinions are loud. But Psalm 46 verse 10 says, Be still and know that I am God. Stillness helps us remember who is in control. A quiet space does not have to be two hours. It may be five minutes in the morning. It may be sitting in the car before walking into work. It may be turning off the podcast, the music, or background noise, and simply saying, Lord, I'm here. Sometimes the most spiritual thing you can do is pause long enough to notice God has been near the whole time. So grab your journal and here's the first journaling prompt. Where do I need to create more quiet space so I can become more aware of God's presence and voice? The second faith practice here is starting with prayer before you process. So hear me out here. Now you know I love journaling because sometimes we sit down with our journal and begin unloading everything before inviting God into the conversation. We write our fears, our frustrations, questions, and emotions, and that is not wrong. Your journal can be a safe place to be honest. But there is something powerful about starting with a simple prayer. Lord, help me hear you clearly, help me process this with truth, not fear. Prayer positions our hearts, it reminds you that journaling is not just emotional dumping, it can become a sacred conversation. And so in James 1:5, it tells us that if we lack wisdom, we can ask God and He gives generously. That means you do not have to figure everything out alone. Before you try to make sense of the situation, ask God for wisdom. Before you decide what that person meant, ask God for discernment. Before you label yourself as the problem, ask God to show you the truth. Prayer slows the spiral. It says, God, I do not want my emotions to lead this page. I want your truth to lead me. And so just remember that before you are needing to process something, pray before you have to go down that road. And so the journaling prompt here would be Lord, what do you want to show me about what I am carrying right now? Let's go to the third faith practice, which is reading scripture for relationship, not just answers. And this is a good one here. Because oftentimes we could be getting into scripture just to check the box. And so we also want to remember that it's relationship. That's the purpose, not just the answers. Sometimes we go to the Bible like we are searching for a quick fix. Lord, give me the verse, give me the answer, give me the confirmation, give me the sign, preferably by noon. And listen, I understand. I could be the same way. When your heart is heavy, you want direction. But scripture is not only a place where we find answers, it is where we learn God's heart. So in John 10, verse 27, it says this, my sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. The more time you spend in God's word, the more familiar his voice becomes. You begin to recognize his character. God's voice will not shame you into healing. God's voice will not contradict his word. But always, always in alignment with his word. So when you read scripture, do not just ask, what does this mean for my situation? Also ask, what does this show me about God? Because when you know his heart, you can better recognize his voice. And so the journaling prompt here that I want you to write down is what does this scripture teach me about God's character? And how does that help me trust his voice? Number four, practice is obedience in small things. Sometimes we want God to speak clearly about the big thing, but we keep ignoring him in the small thing. We want direction about the relationship, the business, the ministry, the job, the next season. But God may be saying, start with forgiving, start with resting, start with telling the truth, start with setting the boundary, start with spending time with me. And we are like, yes, Lord, but about the five-year plan. God often builds clarity through obedience. Amen to that. Luke 11, 28 says this blessed are they that hear the word of God and keep it. Hearing and obeying go together. Obedience does not always feel dramatic. Sometimes it looks like apologizing, sometimes it looks like closing the app. Sometimes it looks like not replying out of emotion. Sometimes it looks like choosing peace when your flesh has a full speech prepared. And I'm sure we all can relate to that. And let's be honest, sometimes that speech is good too. But not everything that sounds good needs to be sent. When you obey God in small things, your heart becomes more sensitive to his leading. And so the journaling prompt here would be what small act of obedience might God be asking of me right now. The fifth faith practice is paying attention to peace. You wouldn't think that this could be a faith practice here, something that we need to do in order to hear God, but this is very important to God. Peace is not always the same as comfort. Sometimes God's peace will be present even when the decision is hard. Philippians 4 7 says, and the peace of God which passeth all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. That means God's peace can guard you when life does not make sense. But here is where we need wisdom. Peace is not just I feel good about it. Sometimes we feel good because something is familiar, not because it is God. And sometimes we feel nervous because something is new, not because it is wrong. So when we talk about peace, we are talking about the deep steadiness of God, a settledness, a holy calm, a sense that even if you do not know every detail, you know God is leading. When you are journaling, notice what happens in your body and spirit as you write. Does this direction bring clarity or confusion? Does it draw you closer to God or further from Him? Does it produce humility, wisdom, and steadiness? God's peace often speaks softly, but it carries weight. And so the journaling prompt here would be where do I sense God's peace? Where do I feel pressure pretending to be peace? The sixth faith practice here is inviting God into your emotions. Some of us learn to treat emotions like interruptions. We think if we feel sad, anxious, disappointed, or angry, we are somehow not being faithful enough. But emotions are not enemies, they are signals, they show us what needs care, truth, comfort, surrender, or healing. So our emotions are not the enemies, but we do want to know, we want to be able to be aware that they are signals. So Psalm 62, verse 8 says this pour out your heart before him. God is a refuge for us. That means God is not afraid of your honest emotions. You can bring him the tears, we can bring him that confusion. The Lord, I do not understand. We can bring him the part of us that wants to trust but feels tired. And so when you invite God into your emotions, you stop processing alone. And this is just beautiful here. You begin asking, Lord, what is underneath this feeling? What truth do I need here? What lie am I believing? What wound is speaking louder than your word? This is where journaling becomes powerful. Not because the page fixes you, but because the page helps you slow down enough to meet God in the middle of what you feel. And so this practice of inviting God into your emotions would definitely propel you to another level with God and putting you in a position to be able to hear Him clearly. And so the prompt here is what emotion have I been avoiding and what might God want to speak into it? Let's flow to number seven. The seventh faith practice is testing what you hear against God's word. If you have been listening to any of my podcasts, you will know I'm really big on words and how we use our words. This is important because not every thought is God's voice. Some thoughts come from fear, some come from old wounds, from anxiety, from pressure, and some come from that late-night overthinking committee that never seems to adjourn, right? Now, in first John, the fourth chapter, the first verse, it reminds us not to believe every spirit, but to test them. So when you believe God may be speaking, ask this. When his word says we are fearfully and wonderfully made, that's a contradiction right there. So you will know right off the bat, this is not God's words here. God would not tell us there is no hope. When his word says he makes all things new, he will not tell us to live bound by shame. When Romans 8:1 says there is no condemnation to them who are in Christ Jesus. You see that pattern? Testing what you hear protects your heart from confusing God's voice with your inner critic. So the journaling prompt here is what thoughts have I been calling truth, and how does it line up with God's word? All right, we are at number eight here. So the eighth faith practice is seeking wise counsel. Sometimes hearing God clearly includes letting trusted, mature voices help us discern. Now in Proverbs 11, verse 14, it says, in the multitude of counselors, there is safety. This is important because definitely who we spend our time with, who is speaking words in our life, this matters. Now, wise counsel does not mean asking everyone who has an opinion, because some people will give you advice based on their fear, their preferences, their wounds, or their limited view of your life. Wise counsel is different. Wise counsel points you back to God, wise counsel honors scripture, wise counsel does not manipulate you, and wise counsel helps you slow down, reflect, and make decisions with clarity. Sometimes God will confirm something through a sermon, a mentor, a therapist, a trusted friend, or someone who lovingly says, Have you prayed about why this keeps pulling on you? Those are the kind of people you want to be around. And sometimes that wise voice may say what you did not want to hear, but needed to hear. That is love too. So the journaling prompt for this faith practice would be who in my life helps me hear God more clearly? And what wise counsel have I been ignoring or needing? All right, we are at number nine and the ninth faith practice to add to your quiet your time with God just to hear him, to be able to hear him, is noticing patterns, not just moments. So hear me out here. Sometimes we want God to speak through one big dramatic sign, but often God teaches us through patterns. A scripture keeps coming up, a theme keeps showing up in our prayers, a lesson keeps repeating, a conversation confirms something you have already been sensing in your spirit. Your journal entries keep circling the same issue. That may be worth paying attention to. It says this write the vision and make it plain. So writing really helps us recognize what we may miss when we are rushing. Your journal can become evidence of God's faithfulness, instruction, correction, and comfort over time. So our journaling prop here for this faith practice is what patterns has God been highlighting in my prayers, emotions, conversations, or journal entries. And so for number 10, the tenth faith practice is gratitude. We definitely can't keep this out. And I also just want to add to this one gratitude, which could is praise as well as worship. You know, gratitude helps clear spiritual fog. When we are overwhelmed, our minds often scan for what is wrong, what is missing, what might happen, what has not changed yet. And before we know it, we are living under a cloud of not enough. But gratitude gently brings our attention back to God's goodness. So definitely, this practice, and like I said, I'm adding gratitude, praise, worship. It brings our attention back to God's goodness. And 1 Thessalonians 5, verse 18, it says, in everything give thanks. That does not mean we thank God for pain itself. It means even in hard seasons, we look for where God is still present. Gratitude says, Lord, this is hard. This is hard, but you are still faithful. Lord, I do not have every answer, but I see your hand. Lord, I am tired, but I thank you for sustaining me. Gratitude does not ignore reality, it helps your heart remember a greater reality, which is God is still good. And when your heart remembers God's goodness, it becomes easier to hear his voice above fear. So your journaling prompt here is what evidence of God's goodness can I name today, even in a hard or unclear season. And so the 11th, number 11 faith practice is fasting from noise. Not all fasting is food related. Sometimes we need to fast from the things that crowd our spirit. But other fasting like social media, constant opinions, comparison, entertainment, complaining, researching everything until we are more anxious than informed. So sometimes we need to fast from things that crowd our spirit. Noise can train us to seek answers everywhere except God. And so when you fast from noise, you make room to notice what your heart has been carrying. You may realize, I'm not confused, I'm overwhelmed. Or I'm not behind, I'm comparing. Or I'm not without direction, I have been too distracted to listen. Jesus often withdrew to pray. He stepped away from the crowds. He made space with the Father. And if Jesus needed quiet with the Father, we should not be surprised when we needed to. A noise fast may be one evening without social media. It may be one morning without checking your phone first. It may be choosing worship instead of worry scrolling. You are not being dramatic. You are guarding your heart. And so the journaling prompt for this faith practice would be what noise may be making it harder for me to hear God clearly? And what can I step away from this week? And so the last faith practice is responding when God speaks. This is a big one, right? This kind of probably goes back to goes with obedience. Hearing God clearly is not only about receiving, it is also about responding. Sometimes we hear enough to take the next step, but we keep waiting for more because obedience feels uncomfortable. God may not show you the whole staircase. Call them. Forgive. The next step might be rest, apply, release it, start again, open the journal, return to prayer. Trust me here. When God speaks, a response deepens the relationship. Think about a friend who keeps asking for advice but never takes it. Eventually, the conversation feels stuck. Sometimes our spiritual life feels stuck because God has already spoken. But we have not moved. Not because we are rebellious or bad, but because fear keeps asking for more confirmation. But faith often grows through movement. Isaiah 30, verse 21. It says, This is the way, walk ye in it. God's voice often becomes clear as we walk with him, not while we stand frozen waiting for every detail. So the prompt, the journaling prompt here is, What has God already shown me and what is one faithful step I can take in response? And so today we walked through 12 faith practices to hear God clearly. I hope that this has been a blessing for you. We talked about creating a quiet space, starting with prayer, reading scripture for a relationship, obeying in small things, paying attention to peace, inviting God into your emotions, testing what you hear against the word, seeking wise counsel, noticing patterns, practicing gratitude, worship and praise, fasting from noise, and responding when God speaks. And I want you to remember this hearing God clearly is not about striving, it is about staying close. God is not hiding from you, He's not hiding from us, He is not playing spiritual hide and seek while you try to guess the password. He is a loving God, He is a loving father who desires a relationship with you. Sometimes his voice comes as comfort, sometimes as correction, as a scripture that settles your heart, as peace that does not make sense, sometimes as a repeated theme in your journal, and sometimes as wisdom from someone who loves God and loves you well. And sometimes he speaks in the quiet place after you finally stop trying to carry everything by yourself. So if you have felt distant, distracted, or unsure, do not shame yourself. Just return. Return to prayer, return to the word, return to stillness, return to that journal page, return to the God who already knows your name, He knows your heart, He knows your fears, and He knows your next step. You do not have to hear everything today. Just listen for the next loving instruction, the next truth, the next step, the next reminder that you are not alone. Because every time we open our journal with God, we are not just writing words. We are making room for relationships. So I just want to take this time and pray over you right now. Father, I pray over those who are listening right now. I pray that you would quiet the noise around them and within them. Help them recognize your voice with greater clarity, peace, and confidence. Your word says in John 10 27 that your sheep hear your voice, you know them, and they follow you. So, Father, help each listener know that they are seen, that they are known, and lovingly led by you. Teach them to bring their emotions to you without hiding. Teach them to slow down, pray, reflect, and listen. Father, draw them closer to you. One page, one prayer, and one truth at a time. In Jesus' name, amen. And so I just want to thank you for spending this time with me. Remember, every open journal is an invitation for God to move. Until next time, keep rising, keep journaling, and keep becoming who God made you to be.