DEVOTIONALS

A 5 Day Devotional from Pastor Kyle

God still speaks, and learning to recognize His voice is a journey that grows through closeness, humility, and practice. Over the next five days, you’ll reflect on Samuel’s calling and develop simple, faith-filled habits to tune out distraction, tune in with expectation, wait with patience, and respond with obedience.

Day 1

1 Samuel 3:1-10

Samuel’s story begins in a season when God’s word felt rare, yet God was still present and still calling. Samuel heard a voice but misunderstood the source, running to Eli instead of recognizing the Lord. Many of us know what that feels like—sensing a nudge, a conviction, or a prompting, but assuming it’s only our thoughts, our emotions, or someone else’s influence.

What changed for Samuel wasn’t that God started speaking louder; it was that Samuel learned how to respond. Eli helped him adopt a simple posture: “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.” Hearing God often starts with admitting we don’t naturally recognize His voice and choosing availability anyway. The goal isn’t to impress God with spiritual skill, but to becomethe kind of person who is present, teachable, and ready tolisten.

Today, let this be your starting point: God knows your name, and He can reach you even when you feel inexperienced or unsure. Your part is not to force clarity but to offer attention—creating space to listen and a willingness to be guided as youlearn.

• Where do you notice “noise” most often—rushed schedules, constant media, anxiety, or other people’s opinions?
• When you sense a spiritual nudge, what do you usually assume it is? Why?
• Pray a simple prayer today: “Speak, Lord, your servant is listening,” and sit quietly for two minutes.
• Who is a spiritually mature person you trust that could help you discern God’s voice like Eli helped Samuel?
• What is one small change you can make today to create a little more space to listen?

Day 2

Isaiah 55:6

The sermon emphasized that you cannot hear someone you’re not close to, and Isaiah’s invitation is deeply relational: “Seek the Lord while he may be found.” Seeking is not chasing information—it’s moving toward a Person. When we drift, God can feel distant, not because He stopped speaking, but because we’ve filled our days with so many other voices that His becomes unfamiliar.

Seeking the Lord involves intention. We bring our attention, our desire, and our honesty to Him, not pretending we’re fine but choosing to come near. Proximity grows when we consistently show up—opening Scripture, praying, worshiping, and turning our heart toward God throughout the day. Over time, closeness reshapes our spiritual hearing.

Today’s focus is pursuit: choosing steps toward God even if youdon’t feel “spiritual enough.” As you seek Him, you’re training your heart to recognize that He is near and accessible. The journey of hearing begins with the decision to come close.

• What competes most for your attention and affection right now, and how does it affect your closeness to God?
• What does “seeking the Lord” look like for you in a normal weekday—specifically, not ideally?
• Choose one pursuit practice today (10 minutes in Scripture, a walk with prayer, or journaling) and do it before you check entertainment or social media.
• Where have you been tempted to believe God is distant? What truth from Isaiah 55:6 challenges that assumption?
• Write a one-sentence intention for this week: “I will seek the Lord by _________.”

Day 3

Isaiah 50:4-5

Isaiah describes a posture that is learned over time: God “wakens my ear to listen.” Hearing God isn’t only about a moment of inspiration; it’s about a heart trained for receptivity. The sermon highlighted posture—humble, open, and non-resistant—because God’s voice is often missed not due tosilence but due to stubbornness or self-protection.

Notice the connection between listening and obedience: “I have not been rebellious, I have not turned away.” Sometimes we struggle to hear because we already suspect what God might say, and we’re not sure we want it. A listening posture says, “Lord, you have access,” even when the instruction might challenge our comfort, pride, or habits.

Today, practice yielding before you receive. When youapproach God with surrender—without bargaining or defensiveness—you become more sensitive to His guidance. A teachable spirit doesn’t guarantee easy answers, but it creates a clear channel for God’s loving instruction.

• Is there an area where you sense you may be resistant toGod—relationships, money, purity, forgiveness, or control?
• What might it look like to approach God today without defending yourself or explaining yourself?
• Before you pray, say: “Lord, I am willing to be taught,” and pause for 30 seconds in silence.
• When you think about obeying God, what emotion rises first—peace, fear, annoyance, hope? What might that reveal?
• Identify one “turning away” pattern (avoidance, numbing, distraction) and choose one alternative response today.

Day 4

Proverbs 2:1-5

Proverbs paints listening as a set of practices, not a personality trait. Wisdom is received, stored, and pursued—turning your ear, applying your heart, calling out, searching. The sermon’s “tune out/tune in/turn it up” language fits this perfectly: spiritual hearing grows when we consistently make room for God and treat His voice as treasure rather than background noise.

“Tuning out” means canceling the noise that dulls our spiritual sensitivity—habitual distraction, constant input, and the pressure to react instantly. “Tuning in” means expecting God tospeak through His Word, godly counsel, and the Spirit’s promptings. “Turning it up” includes willingness to wait; sometimes clarity comes not through intensity but through patience and repetition, like Samuel hearing God call again and again.

Today is about building rhythms that make listening more normal. You don’t have to overhaul your whole life; you can start small and consistent. Over time, the practices of Scripture, prayer, and quiet attentiveness form a heart that recognizes God’s wisdom and welcomes His direction.

• Which is harder for you right now: tuning out distractions, tuning in with expectation, or waiting patiently? Why?
• Pick one “noise source” to reduce for 24 hours (notifications, news, streaming, or multitasking) and decide what you’ll do with the reclaimed time.
• Read a short passage of Scripture slowly today and write one sentence: “What I sense God highlighting is ______.”
• What is one decision you’re facing where you need wisdom? Pray specifically and ask God for insight.
• Choose one daily rhythm for this week (same time, sameplace, 5–10 minutes) to practice listening.

Day 5

Matthew 11:15

Jesus’ words are direct: “Whoever has ears, let them hear.” The issue is often not whether God can speak, but whether we will respond. The sermon’s final movement—turn it into action—reminds us that hearing God isn’t complete until it produces obedience. God’s voice is not merely for comfort or curiosity; it’s for transformation and faithful love in real life.

Obedience doesn’t need to be dramatic to be real. It can look like making the apology, telling the truth, extending forgiveness, changing a habit, serving quietly, or taking the next right step with courage. When we act on what God has already shown us, our spiritual hearing sharpens because we learn His character: He leads with wisdom, love, and holiness.

Today, aim for faithful follow-through. Ask God not only for guidance but also for strength to obey what you already know. As you respond, you’ll find that listening becomes less like guessing and more like walking with a trustworthy Shepherd.

• What is one thing you already sense God has been prompting you to do that you’ve delayed?
• What would obedience cost you—comfort, pride, time, money, or control—and what might it grow in you?
• Take one concrete step today that aligns with God’s wisdom (a conversation, a boundary, a confession, an act of service).
• How can you distinguish between information and transformation in your spiritual life right now?
• Pray: “Lord, give me ears to hear and a heart to obey,” then write one action you will take in the next 24 hours.

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