My husband and I are getting ready to take a weekend road trip to Georgia to see my beloved Georgia Bulldogs (Go Dawgs!) take on the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders tomorrow (a game that, thankfully, was not cancelled by Hurricane Florence). Since my family is still in Georgia, I make that 800 mile round trip drive pretty often, and as a result I have chosen to equip my car with satellite radio. I love satellite radio, because I can drive anywhere in this vast country and never lose the signal – I don’t even have to change stations if I don’t want to. It’s a luxury that I enjoy since I love a good road trip.
Recently, however, I took a business trip to Columbus OH (about a 400 mile round trip from where I live) for a seminar. I drove the company car on that trip, and it just had a regular radio in it. That meant that every so often, the signal of the station I was listening to would get fuzzy and would fade in and out. I had to find a new station to listen to in the midst of negotiating traffic in unfamiliar areas.
As I changed stations, the Lord reminded me that if I’m not careful, His “signal” can get fuzzy to me as well. If I’m not careful to maintain my prayer life and keep my quiet time with Him, I will lose my focus on His voice – His signal to me. If I’m not in fellowship with believers and I’m not in the Word regularly, I will cut off some of the ways that He speaks to me most often. If I’m not taking time to be still and to be quiet, I’m going to mess up my “reception”.
How do you most love to stay in touch with our Lord so that you can hear His voice? Do you love your quiet time? Getting away to the wilderness? Being with other believers? I’d love to hear how you stay connected to Him!
Adventures in Grace 
I love being out in the woods with the Lord! Have fun tomorrow! God bless and Go Dawgs!
Thanks, Ryan! I love getting out in the woods with the Lord, too. He speaks to me through nature quite often. Blessings to you!
Hi Liz
I hope you and your family had a great New Years Eve. My wife and I returned a short while ago from a prayer service our recovery group does yearly. What better way to prepare for the work Jesus plans to do in our lives than to pray in the new year.
My wife Maryellen and I have this tradition we have done for more than 15 years now. Since there are 31 days in December and January we read the 31 chaptesr of the book of Proverbs these months. We think it is great way to end one year and gear up for the next. Each time we read we chose different translations.
Now we have both been praying for a number of the people I have met through my blog site. After I told her about some of the things I felt the Spirit telling me about your posts Maryellen has read through them. At tonight’s prayer service she said your post were heavy on her mind and the Holy Spirit lead her back to a couple of scriptures from Proverbs. Maryellen said the post Fuzzy Signals, Wrestling with Resentment and Praising God for Trails were the three in particular she felt a burden for so I am putting this same message on all. Maryellen gave me these verses to pass on to you and said to use these translations.
Proverbs 1:20-31 Living Bible (TLB)
20 Wisdom shouts in the streets for a hearing. 21 She calls out to the crowds along Main Street, and to the judges in their courts, and to everyone in all the land: 22 “You simpletons!” she cries. “How long will you go on being fools? How long will you scoff at wisdom and fight the facts? 23 Come here and listen to me! I’ll pour out the spirit of wisdom upon you and make you wise. 24 I have called you so often, but still you won’t come. I have pleaded, but all in vain. 25 For you have spurned my counsel and reproof. 26 Some day you’ll be in trouble, and I’ll laugh! Mock me, will you?—I’ll mock you! 27 When a storm of terror surrounds you, and when you are engulfed by anguish and distress, 28 then I will not answer your cry for help. It will be too late though you search for me ever so anxiously.
29 “For you closed your eyes to the facts and did not choose to reverence and trust the Lord, 30 and you turned your back on me, spurning my advice. 31 That is why you must eat the bitter fruit of having your own way and experience the full terrors of the pathway you have chosen.
Proverbs 28:9 The Message (MSG)
9 God has no use for the prayers of the people who won’t listen to him.
Easy-to-Read Version (ERV)
9 When people do not listen to God’s teachings, he does not listen to their prayers.
Amplified Bible (AMP)
9 He who turns his ear away from listening to the law [of God and man],
Even his prayer is repulsive [to God].
Maryellen wanted me to pass on she hears the Spirit saying Liz your signals are fuzzy and the reason you are not seeing breakthrough in your relationship trials is that Your words are empty. For you give me only lip service but do what you want anyway. You are calling on your friends to pray for God to change the situation but you yourself refuse to change. You speak wisdom to others but fail to follow it yourself. You say you love me but it is lip service your words are empty and I don’t respond to your prayers.
Ephesians 4:22-24 New Living Translation (NLT)
22 throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. 23 Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. 24 Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy.
Easy-to-Read Version (ERV)
22 You were taught to leave your old self. This means that you must stop living the evil way you lived before. That old self gets worse and worse, because people are fooled by the evil they want to do. 23 You must be made new in your hearts and in your thinking. 24 Be that new person who was made to be like God, truly good and pleasing to him.
The message tonight at prayer service was on the idea of Gods 20-20 for 2020. How we want to have and see perfect of what Jesus wants from us this year. Maryellen wondered if you wore contacts or glasses because she felt the Holy Spirit saying you need to see clearly your own denial of Gods word in your life. Whatever these relationship challenges you have are, they stem from a holdover and a true desire to repent and change. In recovery breaking those old patterns take a lot of deep digging and true soul searching. Maryellen also encourages you to get a sponsor or accountability partner to help you flesh our these issues.
Liz we pray that you and your family see that 20-20 vision that God has for you in this new year.
John and Maryellen
Thank you.