Preparing Our Souls to Hear from God
Ever felt stuck waiting on God’s direction, wrestling with decisions, or worrying you might be missing His voice? You’re not alone. Today’s devotional reminds us that discovering God’s will isn’t about striving harder — it’s about surrendering deeper.
Did you know that today's host, Jennifer Slattery, has a podcast of her own? Check out Faith Over Fear, where Jennifer helps us see different areas of life where fear has a foothold, and how our identity as children of God can help us move from fear to faithful, bold living.
✨ Key Takeaways
💡 A pure, surrendered heart hears God more clearly than one tangled in pride, fear, or self-reliance
💡 Whole-self worship means offering our time, emotions, resources, and decisions to God in view of His mercy
💡 Trust grows when we reflect on God’s radical love revealed through the cross — the more we remember, the more freely we surrender
💡 There’s a cause-and-effect relationship: when we offer ourselves fully to God, we position ourselves to discern His good, pleasing, and perfect will
💡 It’s not about perfect trust, but about moving closer to Jesus daily, letting His love quiet our fears and guide our hearts
🌿 Intersecting Faith & Life
- Is there an area of your life you’re holding back from God’s direction out of fear or uncertainty?
- How might remembering Christ’s sacrifice help you surrender that area with greater trust?
- What practices can help you keep your heart pure and receptive to God’s voice this week?
📖 Further Reading
Matthew 5:6-8 | Psalm 51:10 | Psalm 19:12-14 | Psalm 29
💬 Join the Conversation
How has God’s mercy transformed your ability to trust and surrender to His will? Share your story with us @LifeAudioNetwork or at Crosswalk.com — we’d love to hear how you’re walking this out.
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Full Transcript Below:
Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will (Romans 12:1-2, NIV).
We’ve probably all had times when we felt stuck in indecision, waiting for God’s leading. We’ve probably also felt the angst that comes from fretting that we’ve missed His guidance, that we’re maybe unable to hear His voice, or that we’ve heard Him incorrectly. I’m currently seeking His direction for a decision that could drastically affect my life for the foreseeable future. I know the stress, anxiety, and futility of living misaligned with Christ and the joy and fruitfulness that comes from anchoring ourselves in Him and yielding however He leads. Frankly, that is the only way to experience the thriving life He promised in John 10:10—a life characterized by love, joy, peace, kindness, and eternal impact.
A life of ever-increasing intimacy with our Lord.
Therefore, if we want to fully receive all the blessings He died to give us, it’s imperative we live the life He assigned.
But what if we don’t what that is? What if we’re not certain whether He wants us to pursue additional training to prepare for a promotion that might allow more career autonomy, or to step away from a demanding position to free up more time to spend with teenaged children? Or maybe we’re working through a really difficult, painful and confusing relationship not knowing whether to speak hard truths or offer grace, to step back and initiate some firm boundaries, or to simply wait.
When I find myself in those types of situations, I’m challenged and encouraged by today’s passage. First, it reminds me that a pure heart “hears” God more clearly than one consumed with pride, selfishness, and fear.
Romans 12:1 invites me to offer my entire self—my time, resources, agenda, emotions—all that I am, to the Lord. That is perhaps the hardest act of obedience we will ever choose, especially if our trust feels a big wonky. Put simply, our ability to yield to Christ is directly tied to our trust in Him.
I don’t say this from a place of condemnation. We can’t “will” ourselves to trust Him, nor is our wobbly trust an act of rebellion. Rather, it’s an indication that we need to get to know Christ, His ways and His heart, better. And we never see Him more clearly than when He hung upon the cross. This is why I find the first part of Romans 12:1 so helpful.
“In view of God’s mercy …” In view of all He’s done for me and in me. In view of His radical sacrifice, offered in the most extreme display of love known to humanity and all that I have received through His death and resurrection, I offer myself back to Him.
Earlier in Romans, prior to issuing this really challenging and freeing invitation, Paul, the first century church planter who wrote this letter, stated, “He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?” (Romans 8:32, NIV).
That, and the verses that follow, recorded in one of the most beautiful and profound passages in Scripture, inform and ignite our ability to offer whole-self worship.
Intersecting Life and Faith
When we recognize how much Jesus loves us, the vivid and horrifically painful way He revealed this, and all we have in Him, our ability to rest in Him increases. The fear and anxiety that otherwise lead to self-reliance and survivalist behavior quiet in His loving embrace, allowing us to respond more freely to the gentle nudge of His Spirit within us.
Reflecting upon the cross also helps us turn from the sin that otherwise clouds His voice and hardens our hearts against Him. According to Scripture, whenever we’re operating in pride, we are placing ourselves in direct opposition to God and His will (James 4:6).
But like a said previously, a pure soul remains receptive to, and easily moved by, the Lord.
This brings me to the most encouraging part of today’s passage. Notice the cause-and-effect relationship revealed. When we offer ourselves to Christ, approaching Him with open and pliable hearts, we will know God’s will, which is good, pleasing and perfect.
Because again, will not the One who, in love, gave us His precious Son, give us everything we need to thrive?
Further Reading:
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