HOW TO STILL YOUR MIND FOR COMMUNICATION WITH THE LORD:

In June I published two books on hearing God's voice.
"Preparing Ourselves to Hear God's Voice" and 15 Ways to Hear the Voice of God".

Hearing God's voice and communicating with Him is not natural, but supernatural, like our new spiritual birth. There are some practical applications I have learn from the Word of God that taught me how to do what the Word said I should be doing, "My sheep hear my voice and follow me."

PRACTICAL APPLICATION: 
 
1. Find a quiet undisturbed place. Our Lord Jesus called it a closet of prayer. That means you are to be alone. "Shut the door" refers to locking out every distraction and interruption! This includes the cell phone. Unless we are a first responder, none of us are so important to be held captive by our phones. Don't take your phones into your prayer time.

2. Kneel in the Lord's presence. Kneeling or laying are worship positions. You need not be uncomfortable but neither should you be lazy in prayer. Read Philippians 2:10-11

3. Focus: Make your mind stop its commotion and noise! Stop listening to the confused voices reminding you of duties, tasks and obligations. Silence them! Make a willful choice that your mind is not a noisy playground, but a sanctuary. Your mind is yours. Make it obey you. See it as an altar built to bring your acceptable sacrifice to the Lord. I'm not speaking about yoga. I am speaking about us practicing the Word of God.

2 Corinthians 10:5 "Bring it into subjection to Christ."

Prov. 25:28 "He who has no rule over his own spirit is like a city with out walls."

1 Peter 1:13 "Gird up the loins of your mind."

Take control of your thoughts!

4. Slow down! Relax! Refuse to be rushed in the presence of God. It won't come naturally because we don't like stillness. So work at learning to BE QUIET! Remember that if you cannot control your body, you cannot expect to control your spirit either.

1Th 4:11 KJV And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you;

1 Corinthians 9:27 ."..I keep my body under, and bring it into subjection..."

5. Refuse to go on to the next step until the body and mind have obeyed you. If they are not subject to your will, neither will the rest of your thoughts in prayer. If you cannot exercise authority over your own body and mind how will you exercise spiritual authority in prayer. If you cannot bring your own body and mind into subjection how will you wrestle with spiritual forces and win?

1 Thessalonians 4:4 ESV that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor,

These steps are difficult! That is because it is contradictory to our natural worldly driven lifestyles. Is it any wonder we do not hear the voice of God as we would like to? Though it is difficult, once mastered, this will bring great spiritual, emotional and mental satisfaction. Keep at it. A few minutes may not seem like, much but it seems an eternity when your are quiet and still before the Lord.