Whispers in the Night: When God Speaks: Ep 1: Recognizing the Call

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Music.

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Welcome to the Diary of a Black Woman podcast with your host,

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Connie Morris, where truth speaks, healing begins, and every word is rooted in faith.

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Before we begin, let us go before the Lord in prayer. Father God,

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we thank you for this moment.

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We thank you for every listener, every heart, and every home represented.

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We invite your presence into this space. As we begin, we stand on the words

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of Jabez in 1 Chronicles 4.10.

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And Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, So that thou wouldest bless me

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indeed, and enlarge my coast, and that thine hand might be with me,

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and that thou wouldest keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me.

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And God granted him that which he requested.

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Lord, today we echo that same prayer. Bless us indeed.

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Bless every woman listening. Bless her mind, her body, her relationships.

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Her dreams, and her destiny.

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Let your blessing not only surround her, but transform her.

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Enlarge our coast. Stretch us beyond what we thought was possible.

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Expand our influence, our impact, and the reach of this message.

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Not for our glory, but for yours.

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Let your hand be with us. Go before us in every conversation.

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Guide our words, anoint our purpose, and let every episode carry your truth with clarity and power.

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Keep us from evil that it may not grieve us.

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Shield us from harm, from cycles of sorrow, from spiritual attack and emotional heaviness.

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Cover us in your grace so we rise in strength, not in grief,

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in wholeness, not in wounds.

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And just as you granted Jabez what he requested, Lord, grant it unto us.

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Let this podcast be a wellspring of truth, a refuge for healing,

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and a launchpad for purpose. In the mighty name of Jesus, amen.

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Welcome back to the Diary of a Black Woman podcast. We are beginning a new episode

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with our Faith on the Go series.

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This title you're going to love is called, it is titled, When God Wants to Talk,

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The Whisper in the Night. But before we begin, I want to activate the prayer

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of Jabez like I always do.

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Do. So we want to welcome and declare that God's hand is upon us.

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Our territory is expanding and we are kept from harm.

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Our prayers are heard and they will be answered.

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Here we rise from pain, walk in truth, and return to deep intimacy with God,

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healed, empowered, and walking boldly in divine purpose.

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And I just want to reach out and say thank you to each and every one of my ladies.

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And even if there's some gentlemen out there listening, what you have really

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empowered me to do with this podcast.

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I've even upgraded a little bit. You want to notice a little music in the beginning,

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the prayer of Jabez, and at the end, as we always activated the promises of

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Jeremiah, a little music beat just to get you going.

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I didn't want a lot of music. I have promised you from the beginning that I'm

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just going to have straight up word.

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I don't want any distractions, but I like a little music. I know you do.

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So when I pray in the morning, I do have little music on.

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And so I wanted some signature beat just to remind you that we are going live, right?

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And so as I go on with this series, it's called, this title,

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like I mentioned earlier, When God Wants to Talk, the whispers in the night.

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And as I was preparing this, I just had this warm feeling in my heart how God

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really wants to talk to each and every one of you.

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And usually the times that he wants to talk to us is when it's quiet and you

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might feel that little warm feeling in your heart as I do now,

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that he really wants us to turn off all the distractions and come closer to

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him. So I just want to get started.

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I'm your host, Connie Morris, and we're just going to just go and we'll see where it ends today.

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So there's something sacred about the stillness of the night and the quiet when the world is asleep.

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You know, that can happen in the morning and the distractions fade.

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God often chooses to speak. His voice isn't always loud or commanding.

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Instead, it comes as a whisper.

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A gentle nudge, a stirring in the soul, or a scripture that suddenly comes alive in our hearts.

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These are moments when the creator of the universe desires to commune with us,

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not to demand, but to invite.

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And we know that happens usually when we are usually in prayer or we're waking

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up, and God just suddenly stirs our heart with a scripture, a reminder of a

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promise that He's already spoken to us.

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But many times, and if you're like me, we're in a rush and we said, was that the Lord?

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What was that? But I want to remind you that when God wants to talk,

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it's usually in a whisper, you know, and so slow down a little bit.

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In today's world where technology is always within reach, our first instinct

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when awakening may be to grab a phone or a tablet, distracting ourselves from

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the noise of the digital world.

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But in doing so, we may miss the opportunity to hear from God.

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Instead, what if we allow ourselves to sit in the quietness,

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embrace the stillness, and tune our hearts to His voice?

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Psalms 46.10 reminds us, be still and know that I am God.

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It is in the stillness that we hear His whispers most clearly.

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So we can get into a routine of.

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Waking up in the first scene, grabbing our phone or our tablet to see what's

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happening first in the world, instead of just pausing and being still to see what is God saying to us?

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What is his word for us today?

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So through this journey for the next, I think I speak to you guys about 11 to

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12 days in the month of July, I wanted you to be encouraged to resist the urge

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to distract yourself when God calls.

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Resist the urge of these habits we have of looking at our phone or our tablets

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the first thing in the morning, or even checking our emails.

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Instead, you'll learn how to sit in his presence, listen for his voice, and respond in faith.

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By embracing these divine moments, you may discover new depths of peace,

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purpose, and a new connection with our Heavenly Father, by the Holy Spirit or

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even Jesus, you know, they all work together in unison.

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If God has been working, waking you up in the night or stirring your heart, it is not by accident.

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He wants to talk to you, but are you ready to listen?

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Once again, the title of this series is When God Wants to Talk,

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The Whispers of the Night.

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Have you ever found yourself awake in the middle of the night, unsure of why.

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Perhaps you've reached for your phone or tablet to pass time,

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distracting yourself when scrolling our videos until sleep returns.

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Sometimes you may wake up and you can't go to sleep and you pick up your iPad

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and you just want to watch some videos to put yourself to sleep.

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But what if these moments were not interruptions, but invitations?

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What if God himself was calling you to a sacred conversation.

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Through scriptures we see, God often chooses the stillness of the night to speak to his people.

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It's when the noise of the day fades and the distractions of life are momentarily

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set aside that our hearts become more in tune to his whispers.

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We see here in 1 Kings 19.12 that God speaks to Elijah, not in the whirlwind,

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not in the earthquake, not in the fire, but in a gentle whisper.

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This same gentle voice calls out to us often in the most unexpected times.

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However, in the face of our technology-driven world, it's easy to miss these moments.

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Our devices have become extensions of ourselves and the temptation to fill every

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silent space with noise is overwhelming.

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But when God wakes us, it is an opportunity to resist the urge to distract ourselves

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and instead lean into his presence. Wow. So this.

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Faith on the Go series is an invitation to learn how to recognize and respond

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to those divine wake-up calls.

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It will guide you into resisting distractions and embrace the stillness.

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And that's very uncomfortable because if you ever notice in society,

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people are walking around with their phones glued to their faces.

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It's like if it doesn't happen on YouTube or TikTok or on the news thread,

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then it didn't really happen. but God wants to speak to you in that stillness.

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Sometimes you can just take your phone and tuck it away in your purse and your

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backpack and just even on your drive home, find that quiet time to just listen to the Lord.

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You also learn how to recognize the ways God speaks in the quiet hours.

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Reflect on his word and his promises and purposes for you.

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Respond with faith, trust, and obedience.

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Many of the devotionals that I have written has come from these times.

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And many times, if it's not in the night that he's awakened me,

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it's early in the morning after maybe a good rest and you're asking the Lord,

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like you just wake up and he's speaking to you.

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It could be in a song. It could be in a verse. It could be in a word.

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God has many ways to communicate his direction

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to you. And then our response to his direction to us should be faith, trust, and obedience.

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Even when you don't know, how do you do it in faith? You write it down.

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How do you do it in trust? You ask more questions.

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I don't know what this means, Lord.

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Or sometimes it's a confirmation. It could be a great thing to have a daily

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communion with God when God gives you the answers before you even ask.

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When you write it down and you meditate on it as you're preparing your day,

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and then when you get to work or wherever you go in to that day,

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whatever that may be during your daily activity.

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And you already have, God has already prepared you for what may come,

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and you have your answer.

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You may find that God uses these moments to reveal insights,

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give direction, or remind you of his love and faithfulness.

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Whatever the reason, when God calls,

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he always has something important to share with us. How fun is that?

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That he always has something important to share.

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God of the universe speaks to you is not a waste of time.

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I'm a retired police officer, and I can't even count the numbers of time that

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I hear people say something told me.

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So that means And God is always warning, talking, revealing to us different

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ways to avoid getting ourselves in trouble, answers to prayers that we have already asked for.

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So as you journey through this Faith on the Go series, I want to encourage you

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to create a sacred space during these nighttime awakenings or morning awakenings

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to put away your phone or tablet,

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open your heart to allow God to speak into the quietness of your soul.

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You may find that these moments of communion with Him will be the most cherished

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times of your spiritual walk.

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My question to you, God is calling. Are you ready to listen?

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That's the end of the introduction. I want to get right into our first devotional.

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Devotional for our Faith on the Go series.

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I call it devotional number one. It's recognizing the call. Now,

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as we said, you may be standing or listening or driving.

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When you really reflect back on recognizing the call, we can sit,

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if we really look at our routine, just take a moment and reflect.

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If you're driving, keep your eyes on the wall, on the wall, on the road.

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Think about the scripture. Isaiah 50, verse 4.

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It says, He wakens me morning by morning, wakens my ear to listen like one being instructed.

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I'm going to read that again. He wakens me morning by morning,

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wakens my ear to listen like one being instructed.

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You know, it's the God who created the human body.

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So he's the one that puts us to sleep and he's the one that awakens us.

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So when he awakens us and the first thing we do is grab our phone.

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I mean, is that kind of out of a dishonor to him? Just something to think about.

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Have you ever considered that those nighttime awakenings are intentional?

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Have you ever woken up in the middle of the night and you could not go to sleep

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and you know that you have to go to work in the morning and you're like,

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oh my gosh, if I don't get back to sleep, I am going to be tired.

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But then for that moment, you might say, Lord, is that you?

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And then you spend the time communing with him. But yet you still go to work

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and you are not exhausted because God will renew your energy.

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The feeling feels like this. Your body is stirring.

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Your mind is still foggy from sleep. But it's easy to kind of just miss this

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moment as coincidental or inconvenient.

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You know, it usually happens to me if I drink a lot of water throughout the

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day or if I happen to have a craving for like chips or something that,

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you know, and then I know that if I have chips, I know I'm going to have to

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get up in the middle of the night to go to the restroom.

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So I try to avoid my craving for chips or any type of sweet things because that

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just seems to hold more water and cause me to wake up in the middle of the night.

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But even when I try to do everything properly in order, I still maybe have that

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morning time where I just roll over, maybe not even have to go to the bathroom.

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And I know that's too much information, but maybe that's the signal that God wants to talk to me.

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And I can wake up sometimes in those mornings to find that there's a song on

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my heart or awaken from a dream where God gives me revelation or a scripture

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or even an answer to an incident that may have occurred at work.

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And now I can feel like pain.

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I can walk into work with an answer to some big problem I had,

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or maybe an answer to an issue or situation where I may not be getting along with someone.

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But the Bible continues to tell us that Scripture reveals that God often chooses

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the stillness of the night to speak to his children.

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And in those hours, free from noise and distraction of our daily life.

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That our hearts are most open to his whispers. In 1 Samuel 3,

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God called Samuel by name in the night.

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And though Samuel never recognized it at first, he responded.

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So you get a chance to read 1 Samuel 3.

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At that time, there was no, God was silent.

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God was silent at that time. But yet he chose to speak to this little boy named Samuel.

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And at first, he never heard God's voice before.

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But he had a heart to listen at that time of the evening. So think about that.

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His willingness to listen, open the door to a lifelong relationship with God and a divine purpose.

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Similarly, when God calls us, it's an invitation to pause and listen,

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not with anxiety or frustration, but with reverence and expectation.

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So it's like God wakes you up instead of us thinking about, oh my gosh,

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I'm going to be so tired if I don't get any sleep. We can actually say, Lord, here I am.

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Speak to me. You know, we don't have to be frustrated. We don't have to be anxious.

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We can just open the door so that God can speak to us.

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We can also ask ourselves, what if God is waking me up because there's something he wants me to hear?

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It reminds me just real quick of the, it's a story in the Bible.

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I believe it's in Matthew 1.

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It's the three wise and the three foolish virgins.

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You know, the three wise version came full with oil and the three foolish virgins didn't have enough oil.

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And then when they left to go get oil, the foolish version left to go get oil.

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Then the bridegroom came and they missed him.

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And so many times these are little clues to keep us alert for the bridegroom's

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coming. We know that Jesus will be returning, and we need to be alert to that.

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Could that be a practice for us to be alert for his calling,

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to be discerning when he's speaking?

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Because we notice if you get a chance to read that story, they all were waiting,

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that some just weren't prepared. And so when God wants to speak, are you listening?

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Are you prepared to not be so hungover to get that sleep and pay attention just like Samuel did?

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So what if God is waking me because he has something to say?

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When the God of the universe has something to say, are you interested in that, what he has to say?

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It could be a reminder of his love,

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his guidance for a decision or call to intercede for someone in need.

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Let's talk about that for a minute. A call to intercede for someone in need.

00:18:04.842 --> 00:18:07.802
I remember as a new Christian, I remember I was half asleep.

00:18:07.982 --> 00:18:09.782
I remember, and this goes way back.

00:18:10.022 --> 00:18:17.502
And I dreamed this dream about, it was a female and it was really graphic scene

00:18:17.502 --> 00:18:21.682
that I was witnessing in my dream, but yet I didn't witness all of it.

00:18:22.222 --> 00:18:28.402
I felt like God tapped me on my shoulder to wake me up. And I woke up and I prayed for this,

00:18:28.596 --> 00:18:34.076
girl in my dream to be rescued from this situation. And then I ended up going back to sleep.

00:18:34.296 --> 00:18:38.416
And it was so real to me because at the time I was a police officer.

00:18:38.576 --> 00:18:43.636
So I've seen a lot of things in doing my career. So I don't know if it was real

00:18:43.636 --> 00:18:46.216
or what it was, but in my dream, it felt real.

00:18:46.336 --> 00:18:48.676
And when I woke up and prayed, it felt real.

00:18:48.836 --> 00:18:54.016
And then I went back to sleep and just believed that God needed me at that time

00:18:54.016 --> 00:18:58.356
to intercede on behalf of this girl who was in this dire situation.

00:18:58.596 --> 00:19:04.636
So remember, we are God's vessels in the earth and we really don't know the

00:19:04.636 --> 00:19:07.856
power of our prayer because when we pray,

00:19:08.116 --> 00:19:14.396
when God asks us to pray, it's a dire need for someone to be intercepted.

00:19:14.536 --> 00:19:17.736
And so that that person could be rescued, that person could be saved,

00:19:17.856 --> 00:19:22.756
that person could be delivered from whatever they're going through. Or it could be you.

00:19:22.896 --> 00:19:30.776
It could be you needing that prayer. And it could be you in your future needing that prayer. Amen.

00:19:31.076 --> 00:19:37.816
And so when God wants to talk, you don't know how important it is that you wake

00:19:37.816 --> 00:19:39.816
up. And it takes practice. Don't get me wrong.

00:19:39.996 --> 00:19:42.896
Don't get me wrong. The first time you always like, whoa.

00:19:43.376 --> 00:19:47.836
The second time, third time you get to know the voice of God.

00:19:47.996 --> 00:19:51.976
And then as you get to know his voice, you realize it's your turn.

00:19:52.236 --> 00:19:55.656
It's like when you're on a team, it's your turn to wake up and pray.

00:19:55.836 --> 00:19:57.456
It's your turn to wake up and listen.

00:19:57.756 --> 00:20:03.076
But as you begin to honor that, and when you begin to realize that it's the real thing,

00:20:03.316 --> 00:20:08.916
when you get to realize that God loves you so much that he wakes you up to speak

00:20:08.916 --> 00:20:14.116
to you, he wakes you up to pray for people, he wakes you up to show you his

00:20:14.116 --> 00:20:17.736
love because he wants to personally have that attention.

00:20:17.796 --> 00:20:21.596
Remember, we have a God that does not sleep or slumber.

00:20:21.716 --> 00:20:25.616
So he's roaming around saying, I think I'm going to wake up Connie today.

00:20:25.796 --> 00:20:27.596
I'm going to wake up Barbara today.

00:20:28.029 --> 00:20:31.449
I want to just talk to them. And it's a two-way communication.

00:20:32.069 --> 00:20:35.869
Sometimes he does just talk, but then sometimes it's like, Lord.

00:20:36.509 --> 00:20:38.069
Wow, thanks for waking me up.

00:20:38.309 --> 00:20:40.829
And that's a chance when you can have a two-way conversation.

00:20:41.109 --> 00:20:43.569
Because remember, he knows what's going on in your life too.

00:20:43.769 --> 00:20:49.769
So whatever that reason is, by honoring his voice, you begin quieting your heart

00:20:49.769 --> 00:20:54.749
and resisting the temptation to be distracted by your phone or your tablet.

00:20:54.989 --> 00:20:58.709
A lot of times I think it's easy to be distracted because we use our phone,

00:20:58.789 --> 00:21:01.309
our tablets for everything. It's like our alarm clock.

00:21:01.629 --> 00:21:07.389
You know, it tells us when to eat. You know, we use it. It's like really a tool.

00:21:07.689 --> 00:21:10.509
But the first thing you should do is like, I want to resist.

00:21:10.509 --> 00:21:14.329
I turn my phone over, you know, because sometimes when you touch it,

00:21:14.389 --> 00:21:15.029
it has that bright light.

00:21:15.189 --> 00:21:19.549
I turn it over and I, because I don't know what time it is. I have a clock on

00:21:19.549 --> 00:21:20.929
the wall, kind of in the hallway.

00:21:21.149 --> 00:21:25.629
It doesn't light up. It's just a regular clock. And so that'll tell me what time it is.

00:21:25.689 --> 00:21:29.929
If it's around in the midnight hour and it's not before I have to go to work,

00:21:30.069 --> 00:21:31.369
I know that's got to be God.

00:21:31.629 --> 00:21:34.689
Because usually the alarm clock goes off for me about four o'clock.

00:21:35.409 --> 00:21:40.009
And so I know if I'm waking up, that's not the alarm clock. And so I look at

00:21:40.009 --> 00:21:41.709
the clock, then it has to be God.

00:21:41.909 --> 00:21:47.449
Then I'll lay there and see what he has to say and write it down.

00:21:47.769 --> 00:21:50.949
And then I need to pray, whatever it is. You can feel the urgency.

00:21:51.209 --> 00:21:53.949
You just have to get to know the voice of God.

00:21:54.289 --> 00:21:58.369
Let's go back to Psalms 46.10. It reminds us to be still and know I am God.

00:21:58.589 --> 00:22:04.249
In the quiet, we learn to recognize his presence and trust his purpose for calling

00:22:04.249 --> 00:22:06.089
us at that specific moment.

00:22:06.369 --> 00:22:09.549
I mean, he's the God of the universe. He's not sleeping.

00:22:09.829 --> 00:22:15.169
He's up on alert. He's not on assignment, but he's watching over his word to

00:22:15.169 --> 00:22:20.329
perform it. And when he's ready to perform it, are you ready to receive it, right?

00:22:20.609 --> 00:22:25.949
So to honor this moment of divine awakening, we must first, number one, cultivate awareness.

00:22:26.269 --> 00:22:31.469
Begin to see nighttime awakenings as sacred interruptions, not annoyances.

00:22:31.829 --> 00:22:36.649
Keep a journal by your bed and write down thoughts or descriptions that come to mind.

00:22:36.849 --> 00:22:41.089
That's God talking to us, the Holy Spirit of God awakening us.

00:22:41.249 --> 00:22:46.769
Number two, waking us. Number two, practice stillness.

00:22:47.049 --> 00:22:52.449
Instead of reaching for that device or turning on lights, remain in the quiet,

00:22:52.749 --> 00:22:55.129
closing your eyes, breathing deeply.

00:22:55.329 --> 00:22:59.749
Lord, what would you have me to hear or do? Lord, I'm listening.

00:23:00.009 --> 00:23:03.609
Lord, I'm available. I'm here. I'm just laying there listening.

00:23:04.209 --> 00:23:09.189
You know, being available, you know, not rushing up out of the bed.

00:23:09.349 --> 00:23:12.629
That's why I always like to set my alarm clock a little bit earlier because

00:23:12.629 --> 00:23:15.189
sometimes we set it, you know how we do,

00:23:15.369 --> 00:23:20.309
we set it just enough time to do our 12 things and get out the door instead

00:23:20.309 --> 00:23:25.569
of setting that little space so that we can spend a little bit of time listening

00:23:25.569 --> 00:23:29.609
to the voice of the Lord before we head out into the world.

00:23:29.609 --> 00:23:33.009
I like to say into them streets, you know, but into the world,

00:23:33.169 --> 00:23:36.249
into our busy day. Number three, you want to seek confirmation.

00:23:36.509 --> 00:23:41.889
If a thought, name, or scripture arises, reflect on it. Give it time.

00:23:42.149 --> 00:23:47.149
And that's something you're going to think about when God gives you a scripture or verse or a song.

00:23:47.249 --> 00:23:51.929
Sometimes the songs that I wake up hearing in my heart is the songs that I'll

00:23:51.929 --> 00:23:53.109
sing throughout the day.

00:23:53.429 --> 00:23:59.089
Remember, it's the victory song that God has on your heart. That's the song that he's moving.

00:23:59.389 --> 00:24:02.749
Remember that victory song, it steals the enemy.

00:24:02.949 --> 00:24:07.789
So he wants to sing it through you. And he said, God often confirms his messages

00:24:07.789 --> 00:24:10.049
through his word or circumstances.

00:24:10.389 --> 00:24:14.529
And so in a way of going deeper here and honor these moments,

00:24:14.869 --> 00:24:20.669
you cultivate his awareness by acknowledging that this is a sacred time.

00:24:20.889 --> 00:24:28.049
Practice the stillness by listening and not meditating on or asking him Lord,

00:24:28.309 --> 00:24:30.269
what would you have me to do? I'm listening.

00:24:30.609 --> 00:24:33.989
And then seek confirmation on what scripture arises.

00:24:34.809 --> 00:24:38.609
And maybe he went to sleep. I don't know about you, though. Seek confirmation.

00:24:38.849 --> 00:24:41.709
We got cultivated awareness, active stillness, and seek confirmation.

00:24:42.049 --> 00:24:47.549
Many times you can go to bed with a question and wake up with an answer. Come on now.

00:24:47.869 --> 00:24:52.449
Some scriptures I want you to focus on. Exodus 33, 1.

00:24:52.829 --> 00:24:56.549
Lord would speak to Moses face to face as he would a friend.

00:24:56.549 --> 00:24:59.889
So when he, think about this, out of all the people in the world,

00:24:59.969 --> 00:25:03.189
we don't know what's happening in the world, but you know, if God chooses to

00:25:03.189 --> 00:25:05.649
tap you on the shoulder in the middle of the night,

00:25:05.829 --> 00:25:11.069
would you consider this the Exodus 33, 11 moment that the Lord would speak to

00:25:11.069 --> 00:25:17.149
Moses face to face as one speaks to a friend that maybe he is considering this

00:25:17.149 --> 00:25:19.569
a personal intimate communication with us.

00:25:19.669 --> 00:25:22.309
Maybe he wants to kind of create a friendship.

00:25:22.709 --> 00:25:27.509
Hello. I don't know. Right. You know, some people don't get that awakening.

00:25:28.948 --> 00:25:35.848
Is special. Psalms 119.62 says, at midnight, I rise to give thanks to your righteous laws.

00:25:36.248 --> 00:25:41.348
Nighttime can be a time of praise and communion with God. Have you ever gotten an answer?

00:25:41.568 --> 00:25:45.008
You might be on your way to the bathroom and God speaks your answer and you're

00:25:45.008 --> 00:25:50.048
praising him in the midnight hour, like Paul and Silas, because you have your

00:25:50.048 --> 00:25:52.148
answer. You went to bed with a question.

00:25:52.508 --> 00:25:56.248
Maybe you were worrying and fretting and you got your answer.

00:25:56.388 --> 00:26:01.608
And as I was thinking just Now, many times we go to church and God's answer

00:26:01.608 --> 00:26:05.148
is available all throughout the service and we might miss it.

00:26:05.228 --> 00:26:08.428
I get my answer sometimes during offering, praise and worship.

00:26:08.748 --> 00:26:12.328
Sometimes you just have to just tap in to what God is saying.

00:26:12.528 --> 00:26:16.848
This is about when God speaks and this is at that midnight hour when God wants

00:26:16.848 --> 00:26:19.428
to talk, but he wants to talk all the time.

00:26:19.488 --> 00:26:22.268
So I want you to always be alert. Yes, in the morning.

00:26:22.508 --> 00:26:24.888
Yes, at night. But yes, during the day.

00:26:25.248 --> 00:26:32.128
Yes, in services, all levels of the services, you know, on your way home when God wants to speak.

00:26:32.388 --> 00:26:36.408
And then Psalms 42.8 says, By day, the Lord directs his love.

00:26:36.568 --> 00:26:41.488
At night, his song is with me. A prayer to the God of my life.

00:26:41.568 --> 00:26:43.848
Psalms 42.8. I'm going to read that again. It's so powerful.

00:26:44.108 --> 00:26:49.188
It says, day the Lord directs His love. At night, His song is with me,

00:26:49.348 --> 00:26:51.908
a prayer to the God of my life.

00:26:52.148 --> 00:26:56.588
God presence spans every moment, including the stillness of the night.

00:26:56.688 --> 00:26:59.848
Something like I just said, like God is always speaking.

00:27:00.128 --> 00:27:03.608
Are we listening? Like some action steps that you can take place.

00:27:03.708 --> 00:27:08.608
I know this is a long, longer podcast because this is really on my heart.

00:27:08.888 --> 00:27:11.108
Really, if it's on my heart. God's put it there.

00:27:11.528 --> 00:27:15.508
It's like he wants to talk to his people. Things are happening in the world

00:27:15.508 --> 00:27:18.348
and they're happening at a faster rate. And I want.

00:27:18.955 --> 00:27:23.875
This Diary of Black Women podcast with your host Connie Morris.

00:27:24.075 --> 00:27:29.715
So just to get our women, get the women to listen, not to be the foolish versions,

00:27:29.935 --> 00:27:32.435
but to be part of the wise versions.

00:27:32.675 --> 00:27:37.835
And so some action steps that I want you to partake in for the month of July

00:27:37.835 --> 00:27:40.955
as we go through this Faith on the Go series.

00:27:41.115 --> 00:27:45.595
When God wants to talk, it's going to be filled with all kinds of wisdom and

00:27:45.595 --> 00:27:49.235
information that you can use, but just for this first devotional,

00:27:49.535 --> 00:27:53.275
it says, what I have down is create a sacred nighttime routine.

00:27:53.475 --> 00:27:56.935
Before bed, pray and invite God to speak to you in the night.

00:27:57.475 --> 00:28:01.735
Dedicate unexpected awakenings to him. So now you're already,

00:28:01.955 --> 00:28:07.035
instead of it being a surprise, you already know that when you wake up, it's God.

00:28:07.315 --> 00:28:10.075
So you're not hoping, is that you, Lord? You're waking up, you know,

00:28:10.295 --> 00:28:14.935
you already set a tone that if I wake up and I can't go back to sleep,

00:28:15.235 --> 00:28:18.875
that that is my invitation that God wants to talk.

00:28:19.135 --> 00:28:21.835
Number two, build a listening toolkit.

00:28:22.255 --> 00:28:27.835
What is a listening toolkit? It's keep a journal, a Bible, a pen nearby.

00:28:28.055 --> 00:28:34.975
If you wake up, jot down what's on your heart or read a verse that resonates, right?

00:28:35.175 --> 00:28:38.995
And so you might, usually for me, I'll get a word, a phrase,

00:28:39.455 --> 00:28:40.935
something maybe I've never heard of before.

00:28:41.255 --> 00:28:44.155
First thing I'll Google, is that in the Bible? Find that scripture.

00:28:44.415 --> 00:28:47.875
Lord, what are you saying through this? I might kind of marinate on it for a

00:28:47.875 --> 00:28:49.475
while because usually you marinate on it.

00:28:50.055 --> 00:28:56.255
We have a vast memory and we can kind of relate that to something that may have happened in our life.

00:28:56.495 --> 00:29:01.195
And God and the Holy Spirit can help pinpoint where that is and draw a picture.

00:29:01.395 --> 00:29:05.015
So before I even kind of figure out where it is in the Bible.

00:29:05.175 --> 00:29:07.995
I want to kind of see, Lord, where are you pinpointing this?

00:29:08.115 --> 00:29:10.695
Where is that in the Bible? What scripture do you have?

00:29:10.835 --> 00:29:14.855
I'm trying to see my vast knowledge of scripture that I have already in me.

00:29:14.975 --> 00:29:17.035
What are you saying with that verse?

00:29:17.308 --> 00:29:23.028
Or that word. And the action step says here, it says embrace stillness as worship.

00:29:23.448 --> 00:29:29.228
You know, sometimes we are so busy, we don't get a chance to even sit still. You ever notice that?

00:29:29.388 --> 00:29:34.168
We move, move, action, action all day long, and we never actually get a chance

00:29:34.168 --> 00:29:38.168
just to sit and be still before the Lord.

00:29:38.388 --> 00:29:41.888
So view sitting in silence with God as an act of worship.

00:29:42.148 --> 00:29:45.928
No word may be needed, just your presence in his presence.

00:29:46.168 --> 00:29:51.568
And so if you have had a busy day, you can actually just, before you even pray

00:29:51.568 --> 00:29:57.568
that prayer, just sit in silence, maybe open up your Bible, get into a routine

00:29:57.568 --> 00:29:59.548
to prepare yourself for sleep.

00:29:59.748 --> 00:30:04.428
Sometimes we're so exhausted that we take a shower, prepare for bed and go to

00:30:04.428 --> 00:30:07.328
sleep without even preparing for that moment.

00:30:07.688 --> 00:30:12.088
Like putting that oil in our lamps, like the foolish, like the wise virgins

00:30:12.088 --> 00:30:17.368
to prepare for that moment where we prepare for that bridegroom, right?

00:30:17.648 --> 00:30:21.668
And so I'm going to close this out. I want to do a prayer and then maybe see

00:30:21.668 --> 00:30:24.768
if we can have a challenge for you and see what happens.

00:30:24.888 --> 00:30:27.328
I like to keep it active because God is active.

00:30:27.488 --> 00:30:31.348
Heavenly Father, thank you for loving me enough to call me into your presence.

00:30:31.508 --> 00:30:36.668
Even in the stillness of the night, teach me to recognize your voice and respond with faith.

00:30:36.848 --> 00:30:43.208
Help me to quiet my heart and resist the distractions that I may fully exercise,

00:30:43.548 --> 00:30:46.028
fully experience what you have for me.

00:30:46.228 --> 00:30:52.868
Guide me, Lord, and let these sacred moments draw me closer to you. In Jesus' name, amen.

00:30:53.208 --> 00:30:56.308
It's a little challenge for the week. I gave you a lot of things to do,

00:30:56.308 --> 00:31:01.028
but the next time you're waking in the night, you already invited him.

00:31:01.268 --> 00:31:03.208
Now you're already saying, okay, this is the Lord.

00:31:03.468 --> 00:31:07.668
So avoid distractions, sit quietly in His presence, and allow God to minister to you.

00:31:08.048 --> 00:31:14.528
Write down anything He says, like we said, in your heart, and just pray over what He said.

00:31:14.648 --> 00:31:18.708
Sometimes when you go back to sleep, He'll give you more insight, you know?

00:31:18.828 --> 00:31:23.988
But just making that your chance to just connect with the Lord.

00:31:24.128 --> 00:31:26.228
You may even say, Like he said, speak, Lord.

00:31:26.708 --> 00:31:31.008
Like Samuel said, your servant is listening, you know?

00:31:31.208 --> 00:31:34.848
And so I'd like to close out today. I'd like to thank you for joining us.

00:31:34.998 --> 00:31:38.058
Diary of a Black Woman with our Faith on the Go series.

00:31:38.358 --> 00:31:42.138
I look forward to continuing to have this conversation with you.

00:31:42.278 --> 00:31:47.058
And if you want to, this podcast has touched you in any way,

00:31:47.258 --> 00:31:49.818
go ahead and subscribe so you don't miss an episode.

00:31:50.098 --> 00:31:53.198
This copy of this devotional will be on the website,

00:31:55.558 --> 00:31:59.638
diaryofblackwomenllc.com. And all my information.

00:32:02.078 --> 00:32:05.458
Diaryofblackwomenpodcast.gmail.com. Excuse me if you want to reach out.

00:32:05.938 --> 00:32:09.438
Otherwise, until next time, I'll see you then. Goodbye.

00:32:09.758 --> 00:32:13.438
As we close this episode of the Diary of a Black Woman podcast,

00:32:13.438 --> 00:32:17.938
we declare the word of the Lord from Jeremiah 2911.

00:32:18.238 --> 00:32:23.678
I speak this over every listener. You'll rise again. You'll recover what was lost.

00:32:23.838 --> 00:32:26.698
And you'll walk boldly into what God has prepared.

00:32:26.978 --> 00:32:30.158
With no shame, no fear, and no apology.

00:32:30.778 --> 00:32:37.198
May every broken place become a place of breakthrough. May every delay become divine preparation.

00:32:37.518 --> 00:32:43.078
And may the fire of God stir up every gift lying dormant within you.

00:32:43.218 --> 00:32:46.738
This is more than a podcast. This is a call to arms.

00:32:46.898 --> 00:32:49.158
We're not just healing. We're rising.

00:32:49.438 --> 00:32:54.478
We're not just telling stories. We're building an army of women walking in truth,

00:32:54.618 --> 00:32:59.538
in power, and in purpose. This has been the Diary of a Black Woman podcast with

00:32:59.538 --> 00:33:00.838
your host, Connie Morris.

00:33:01.118 --> 00:33:06.958
Don't forget to subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with someone God is calling higher.

00:33:07.378 --> 00:33:15.318
Visit www.diaryofablackwomanllc.com to stay connected, get resources,

00:33:15.558 --> 00:33:18.858
and join the movement. And I'll see you on the next episode,

00:33:18.858 --> 00:33:21.798
because God's not finished, and neither are we.

00:33:22.000 --> 00:33:32.153
Music.