The Voice of the Good Shepherd
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Do you recognize the voice of Good Shepherd in your life? Do you have a sense that God is guiding and leading you? Dr. Sri teaches us how to practically hear the voice of Christ in our lives so we can follow him faithfully just as the sheep follows his shepherd.
“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.”- John 10:27
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. He who is a hireling and not a shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. He flees because he is a hireling and cares nothing for the sheep. I am the good shepherd; I know my own and my own know me, as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. And I have other sheep, that are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will heed my voice. So there shall be one flock, one shepherd.
-John 10:10-16
“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.”
- John 10:27
How can we hear the voice of the Good Shepherd in our lives? How do we learn to hear the voice of God as we make decisions in our lives? Oftentimes, prayer can feel like an interior monologue instead of a conversation with God. We can spend a lot of time asking God to help us achieve our goals, dreams, and plans. However, do we ever pause to ask God what he wants for our lives? Do we take time to listen to him so we can hear how he would like us to serve him and his loved ones? God has a plan for our lives and he is always prompting us to love him and follow him. Here are some practical ways to hear the voice of God in our lives:
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Make time for silence
It’s important to pull back from all the noise and distractions in our lives and make time and room for silence in our lives. Make sure you find time where you unplug from music, videos, and tv shows so you can sit in silence with God.
“Be still, and know that I am God.”
- Psalm 46:10
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Make daily prayer a habit
Talk to God every day and express your desire to hear his voice and follow him. While you’re in prayer, don’t focus on yourself or everything you have to get done. Listen carefully to God in the silence of your heart and allow God to share his plans and desires for your life. When you hear his voice, make sure to respond to it faithfully.
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Surrender
Bring all your dreams, desires, and plans to God and surrender them confidently to him.
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Trust
Remember that Jesus, the Good Shepherd, is trustworthy and that nobody knows you better than him. He desires to give you an abundant life in him.
Resources
- Visit Dr. Sri’s website at www.edwardsri.com and to book online events with Dr. Sri email events.edwardsri@gmail.com
- Theology of the Body Virtual Conference
- Find more of Dr. Sri’s episodes at ascensionpress.com/allthingscatholic
- Ascension is pleased to offer our new and improved online bible study programs and sacramental preparation programs digitally to help you minister with flexibility. Go to ascensionpress.com to view all our offerings.