Mrs. PIE

Navigating Life's Storms: Embracing Faith and Hearing God's Voice for Guidance and Hope

• Shelley Jeffcoat • Season 4 • Episode 94

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Feeling overwhelmed and lost amidst life's storms? You're not alone. Join me as I share deeply personal stories of navigating emotional and physical exhaustion due to family health issues, like my husband's hospital stays and my brother-in-laws' illnesses. Despite these trials, discover the power of gratitude and hope, supported by colleagues and listeners who have been a guiding light. Inspired by Isaiah 30:21, we explore how to discern God's wisdom and direction even when life feels tumultuous.

Imagine walking alongside Jesus, feeling like a child under His guidance. In this episode, we journey through the concept of aligning ourselves with Jesus to hear God's voice in our everyday lives. It's about moving beyond seeking answers from outside sources and instead recognizing the subtle ways God communicates with us. By trusting in the Holy Trinity's unwavering support, we learn to act in obedience to God's guidance, even when His answers may not match our expectations. Whether you're waiting for life-changing news or simply seeking direction, stay open and attentive to His voice.

Faith and obedience become our compass through life's challenges. Here, I share how tuning out distractions and embracing encouragement aligned with trusting God allows us to hear His voice clearly during tough times. Through personal anecdotes, we uncover how steadfast faith and maintaining daily responsibilities invite God's guidance and assurance into our lives. You're invited to join our free prayer calls, emphasizing collective prayer's power for safety and blessings. Together, let's focus on being a blessing to others, holding onto our faith, and knowing God's favor remains with us always.

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Speaker 1:

no-transcript coming on live. I'm having a whole conversation over here with the Lord, but I am so grateful to be here. I feel a little bit good morning, dr Tracy. I feel a little bit low energy this morning, partially because I'm emotionally and physically tired, and so I thought you know something, I, you know something. I promised myself that I would never do.

Speaker 1:

I'm not that person that kind of comes on and pretends like everything is okay, because I keep saying, y'all, I'm a real person with real issues, okay, real stuff happening in my life. And so this morning we're going to talk about this is week two. We're going to be talking about hearing God's voice. I do have a scripture that we're going to cover, but I just wanted to share again just personally, because I know I'm not the only one going through it my family, I should say, going through the things right now and you know it's only the ninth day of January, but we expect that, even as God continues to show us favor in our lives, we're going to have troubles and situations. We're going to have things happen. So I'm a little low energy because I'm sleep deprived, but I'm still very hopeful, I'm still very grateful and I'm really glad. I appreciate all of you all who wake up early. I appreciate all of you who listen to me on the audio versions, those of you who watch the replay, all of your kind thoughts, all of the prayers that's coming from my family this morning.

Speaker 1:

Yesterday Even want to call out those who I work with. Again, I'm a corporate girl. Those who I work with have been just so kind to me and my family over the past few days because literally yesterday I'm having to go back and forth to the hospital for my husband and so, just even knowing that, I didn't have to worry about the perception of anything. Like you know, the seeds were planted and people were pouring back to me on the job. So I just wanted to just take a moment to just say all of the things y'all we got to be grateful.

Speaker 1:

And it's so crazy because last night, you know, as I was talking to both our daughters about what's happening, we're waiting for a health report for my husband, but we also have other things that's going on with both my brother-in-laws are ill and I found out another woman was in our family spaces going through. So there's a lot of things. Folks who are losing their jobs, they're reaching out, and then people right now in Georgia are freaking out because there is a storm coming, and so, in that context, though, we're talking about hearing God's voice. It's so incredibly important Something that I shared with both our girls last night as I was just talking all of us through some things that it's so important right now that you don't get caught up in the distractions of the actual, of the storms and all the things. You don't get caught up because you'll miss hearing God's voice, you'll miss watching him move.

Speaker 1:

So, lord, as we go into further this morning, as we talk about hearing your voice in the middle of storms, lord God, even as some are preparing for physical storms that's coming through, whether it's the fires in California or the winter weather that's coming through the US, or wherever people are across the world as they're hearing this all of us face a storm in our lives, whether it's financial or health, or spiritual or physical, whatever it is that we don't miss your voice, your voice in the middle of the storm. So now I ask for God, that you will even allow me, lord, god, to be your vessel as you speak to each of us and uplift our souls this morning. Lord, god, I thank you for everything that you're already doing for us. I thank you that you are still with us, you're still providing for us and for those who are not believers, that they will encounter you in such a mighty way, through confirmation of your word this morning, that they too will be blessed, that they'll see you and not me, and that you will get all the glory for everything that you're doing. Amen, all right, so I'm going to pull up this scripture, and it's Isaiah 3. Now I already said I'm sorry y'all, I'm a little low energy because I'm tired. I have my coffee. Please don't judge me, y'all. But Isaiah 30, verse 21,. And the word says and your ears shall hear a word behind you, right, saying this is the way. Walk in it when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left, and so, lord, I just thank you that you're going to give us wisdom and show us how this applies to each of us.

Speaker 1:

So I believe on Monday, if you go back and watch the live prayer no, it's not on there, y'all. See, I told you my brain is muddled. I think it's in our after we close out live prayers. We have a fellowship, if you will. So we just kind of talk through some things and we don't put that on the live because some of it is very personal. But I believe I was sharing the way that I see Jesus when I'm especially when I'm in a time like this that for me, I feel like and I appear as a little girl and he is I'm just walking with, I'm walking with my father, okay, and so he is before me, and so, because Jesus is walking and I'm, I'm happening, I happen to be this little girl, if you think about this, spiritually Right, I'm literally where my feet goes, where his feet go, so I go in step with where he's going.

Speaker 1:

And what I didn't realize until this morning with the scripture is that it was pulling this imagery back for me and I hope this does this for you of how, what our approach is and, first of all, being in the position where you can actually hear from the Lord. A lot of us want to hear from him and we want to hear from him in such a powerful way, like we're looking for the prophets and the apostles and the pastors and your church mama and the auntie that prays the right prayer and you're waiting for the exact word in scripture. But what he was showing me was that it's sometimes in the most simplest things, it's as we're going along. So in Isaiah 30, and again, you can go back and read the full context of Isaiah 30, but this is the scripture. And, by the way, this teaching, this entire month of January's teaching, was launched, I believe, early December, so it's not like I knew what was coming. All right, I don't. I don't change anything once I put it out, I just go with the scriptures I get. Literally, this is what he says, this is what I'm telling y'all, and then it just kind of falls into play.

Speaker 1:

So Isaiah 30, verse 21, when it talks about your ears, shall hear a word behind you. It reminds me that first of all, it's the Lord. He's with us, right, it's not. It's not so much like some of us. We want, we want to hear, we want to hear God before we make a decision. So that means, like you know, when people say this to me, I know it's an act of disobedience right away, but I got to pray about it. Well, he's already answered you and he's shown you and he's sending you help, and he's and some of the answers might not be the answer that you want. If you're asking God. You know I need financial help and he's showing okay, well, here's a different way for you to increase your income and it might cause you to work a little harder. And then, all of a sudden, it's well, you know, I need to hear from the Lord. That's an act of disobedience, because he's shown, he's provided you a way, but you don't want to do the work right. Your ears shall hear a word behind you means that you're already in tune with what Jesus has to say. You're already tapped in. So it's a matter of just being in alignment with what he has to say. Right?

Speaker 1:

And something else that I was thinking about, as you know the little girl walking in his footsteps. It's. I think of the Holy Trinity, I think of God, the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit, all with me. So it's not just the imagery, if you will, if you allow me to expand on it. It's not just the imagery of me walking and stepping in Jesus' feet, right, with Jesus leading me right. He's our Lord and Savior. That's what we said, right. It's also knowing that the Holy Spirit is with me, all around me, and God is still with me all around me. It's, I'm not doing this by myself.

Speaker 1:

So what this does is, when you put yourself in a position, if you will, a posture, where you, you know that you're hearing from him, that he's with you, he's speaking to you, then you're more open and apt to hearing than what he has to say. And then, when he speaks to you, this is the way, walk in it right, pick up the phone, the call right. If you, you know when he starts giving you these types of instructions, you know then we, then you need to act in obedience, and that's where our faith gets tested, cause, a lot of times, the answers that we're looking for isn't the answer that we get right, whether you turn to the right or you turn to the left, wherever it is that he's sending you. So hearing God's voice for me this morning looks very simply like waking up. I already had a prayer on my heart, I'd already given everything over to him. Here's what's happening, father. You know what's standing.

Speaker 1:

And again, even for those, if you're waiting for whether it's a health report, or you're waiting for news on the job, or you're waiting for something with your kids, your family, maybe you're waiting for this storm and you're trying to prepare. What are the things that I need to do, lord, putting things in place? Are kids going to go? Whatever it is that you're praying for and you're waiting, you're in the waiting period right now. You know you're wanting to hear from the Lord. Is that I'm going to ask you to?

Speaker 1:

Just, you're going to have to tune out some of the distractions. Right, there are very few people who can give me quote encouragement, because sometimes people will encourage you into a worldly response. You know what I mean They'll encourage you, but it's away from trusting God. You know what I mean They'll encourage you, but it's away from trusting God. So even that, you know, even some of the words that's coming in can become a distraction. So I'm going to caution you to this focus, because God works through people. Right, we're people, but he also speaks to you through scripture. He also speaks to you through confirmation, the Holy Spirit, all other things, and it is an amazing thing when he starts to show up in your life and you start to hear from him very clearly.

Speaker 1:

So for me this morning, just hearing from him was just a reminder that I still, despite, all in all, despite the storm raging around me and my family, I still have to act in obedience and show up in the way that he told me to go walk in it. Right, I could have, um, you know I could have had one of those. You know, oh Lord, I'm not going to make it y'all. You know I've got things, everybody's got things, I've got things going on, but he showed me that I still had to operate out of obedience, because obedience yielded rewards.

Speaker 1:

So that's an example of when, sometimes, when you're in the middle of a storm and the Lord tells you something you're like, but you know, haven't you heard what I'm asking you for? I need you to give me a good health report for my husband and you're telling me to go be obedient. What he's doing is he's showing right, this is the way, walk in it that I have to be obedient to the, to what he's asked me to task and asked me to do, because this, this obedience, yields reward. It shows my faithfulness towards him in the same way he's faithful towards me. Right, it doesn't mean that every prayer is going to be an immediate yes, but there are seeds that I also have to plant. I hope you're hearing me that, while I'm in the middle of the storm, there are still seeds that I have to plant.

Speaker 1:

There's still things that you've got to do right. Look again at the scripture when it says and your ears shall hear a word behind you, it means that you're actually moving. It's not saying that you're not in a stopped or stalled position in the storm. You're still going to have to move forward, one foot before the other. You still got to do the thing, and then the Lord will come alongside you and show you this is the way, walk in it. You still have to do the thing and so the more that you're obedient to these small steps that you have to take. So, for example, a small step, another small step I have to take is I have to physically, right, physically, be present, go back to the hospital, pray along with my husband. I've got to encourage the family. I've got to do the things right, prepare for the storm. I've got to go to work. I've got to do. These are the things that I still have to do, right.

Speaker 1:

But in the middle of my day, right in the middle of these things that I still have to push through and do, I'm still able to hear from him and he's showing me. You know, take this call, go this place. I've got you covered. I still walk in his favor and his protection. The grace that's on me, is on my family. I still, I still hold on to my faith. I don't lose doubt. You know, I'm still a strong believer that this is miracle season. Maybe you know miracle season for you ended in Christmas. Mine is year round right, so I still have that.

Speaker 1:

But that comes from also being in tune and listening. I'm anticipating an answer from God. I'm not hoping he answers, I know he's answering. I know he's speaking to me even this morning, because one of the other things that happens is as we go more in scripture.

Speaker 1:

Remember, I told y'all at the beginning of the year we need to get back in our scriptures, we need to get back in the Bible. Y'all, however you get it, whether it's the you know hard copy or the app, whatever you do, we got to get back into scripture because there was a Psalm that came back to me, was ringing in my spirit all morning. What I was talking about? Uplifting my soul, renew my soul, you know, and speaking, you know, oh, downcast soul and playing back some of the graces and the promises that God has already revealed to me. So, having that scripture in my heart, that's another way that the Lord was showing me, he was uplifting my soul, he was reminding me that he's not an absentee father. That's something else that he showed me this morning.

Speaker 1:

Right, he's like I'm not an absentee father, I'm not leaving you because there's a situation or a storm. And if you're in a storm right now, again, whether it's on your job or your health or your finance or whatever, you're working on the toughest project ever, you got a horrible. Whatever your siblings going crazy, kids going crazy, whatever the storm is for you, god is not. Jesus is not an absentee, he's not absentee savior, he's not an absentee Lord. When the word says that I am with you and I will never let you go, it's real, it's absolutely real, and that you need to be able to hold onto that in the middle of your storm, so that you don't lose hope and you don't lose faith. Right, and then, my friend, then you start to hear God's voice more clearly. Right, you start to hear because what happens is my spirit is calmer, I'm not freaking out, right, I'm filled up with hope and faith, and so now I can hear him clearly when he's telling me to do the things that might seem difficult. Like, girl, get up, get on that live and talk to my people. I am not an absentee father Girl. Get up and do what I tell you to do, right, right. So I hope that blesses you. Like I said, I'm just sharing my walk with you in the way that it's happening for me. I am not ever going to pretend like everything means pull the scripture down, ever going to pretend like everything is perfect, because it's not.

Speaker 1:

There are many, many people who are suffering in different ways right now, and it just happens that here we are in the month we started out. I started out sharing with y'all that this year the theme is discipline and it means that every area, all five areas, as he showed me I spoke it to y'all All of these five areas in our lives will go through a testing. It will go through something and maybe it's not impacting you directly, it's impacting those around you. But we talked about our health, the discipline in our health. We talked about the discipline in our finances, right. We talk about the discipline in our career and our professional growth. We talk about the discipline in our finances, right. We talk about the discipline in our career and our professional growth. We talk about the discipline in our spiritual lives, having actually a spiritual like a worship. You know, like you pray, like you go to a church, a Bible believing church. When we talk about our personal growth right, our discipline in our mindset, in our relationships and in how we take care of ourselves, and all five of those areas.

Speaker 1:

Thank you, god, for the grace that you're going to give us and the favor in every one of those areas this year so that we'll see victory at the end of the year. And remember, I told y'all this is a plant seeding. I'm seeding this year. I'm planting seeds this year. It means that I have to build up my faith this year, and it really doesn't matter what storms come, because I know God's got me. And so I just want to encourage all of you this morning, whatever storm you're in. Maybe you're not in a storm right now, but I promise you a storm is coming. Okay, it's how we're going to respond differently this year, that we're going to lean on what he says, that we're going to wait to hear his voice and we're not going to fall for the distractions.

Speaker 1:

So, lord, I just thank you for uplifting our souls this morning. I thank you for blessing every person represented under my voice, for those who are standing in great need or little need. For those who, right now, lord God, who don't know where the next check is coming from, or the jobs that they've lost or what to do with their family. For those who are waiting for a good health report or waiting for a doctor, an assignment. For those who are waiting, lord God, for the project and they're putting their hearts into these projects on the job and they want success. For those who are leading other people, that they'll have wisdom and understanding and empathy this year, lord God, I just ask, lord God, that you'll bless all of our government workers and those who are going out, Lord God, those who are going out to take care of our communities, with all the storms and winter storms and fires and all and everything that's happened.

Speaker 1:

There's so much happening all at the same time right now that you will give us peace, lord God, so that we can hear your voice. I thank you, lord, for those who are still obedient to your call that, regardless of what storms coming, that we don't lose faith. We thank you for your supernatural favor that you've given us because of your grace. I thank you for your mercy and your goodness. I thank you that we will see you, lord, god, operate in such a mighty way, in a way that's so incredible, that's so amazing that only you could have done it. Thank you for the witnesses, lord, god, that you're building up and these wonderful army of men and women who are wanting to witness more and share more and just love more and take care of the people around us more. I thank you for those who are building up that you've called onto yourself, and I bless all of them, every single person that stands in need of anything this morning. I bless them. Thank you, lord, for touching us and for waking me up this morning and uplifting my soul.

Speaker 1:

All of these things I ask for God, no matter where they are across the world. I pray that your word would touch somebody and encourage them to just trust you one more time in Jesus name. Amen, amen, y'all All right. So that's what I had. I hope that bless you hearing God's word.

Speaker 1:

And again, we're praying for those. We still have our phone line, no matter where you are in the US or UK, is free. You can call us 1 o'clock or 7 o'clock it's 30 minutes of prayer. So we encourage you to do that and obviously you know we're going to continue to pray for the safety not just of all of our kids and you know everyone as we're going out, but please pray for the safety of the workers that are out there that are cleaning the streets and putting out the fires, and all the government workers and everybody. I pray that everything that we touch y'all, that we're going to be blessed in everything that we touch, that we're going to be the blessing for somebody else. And again, don't be distracted, don't let all of the things that are happening pull you away from believing that God is still in this thing, with you. You still have his favor and you're still blessed, and I thank y'all so much for supporting me. I love y'all, jesus loves you more and I promise I will be back next week, amen.