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Making Room for God - Part 1

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We have all faced situations that caused us to look inward first—toward our own strength, our own plans—rather than lifting our eyes to God. Maybe we have thought, I just need to do this one more thing, as if the breakthrough depended on us. Or maybe we have heard the question, is that all you’ve got? —whether asked by others or whispered within. Even when it is well-meaning, that question can stir something unhealthy in us. It is designed to provoke, to push us into action—but often without reflection, wisdom or prayer. More than anything, it tempts us to respond out of pride, pressure, or emotion.

That’s the trap. The enemy wants us focused on why we are doing something—but through the wrong lens. He wants us driven by fear, performance, or approval. But God is more concerned with what we are doing—and for Him, there is only one true why: to bring Him glory (1 Corinthians 10:31). If your actions—no matter how small—are not rooted in that, then even the what will miss the mark. In order to give room for God to show up in our lives, the why must drive the what—and the why must always be about Him. When we act out of pressure or pride, we often end up relying on our own wisdom instead of God’s Word. That’s when we start improvising instead of obeying, reacting instead of discerning. But if we truly want to give God space to show up big in our lives, we need to graduate from good intentions—we need a foundation. And that foundation is His Word.

It Is Also Written

When the serpent tempted Eve, she had no clear comeback. Whether by omission (Adam failing to pass on God’s word) or commission (Eve not asking or confirming what God said), she did not truly know what the Lord had said. So, she believed the lie (Genesis 3:1–6). In contrast, when Jesus was tempted in the wilderness, He responded each time with: “It is written” (Matthew 4:1–11). That is the language of someone who spends time in the Word and in prayer. You cannot let the enemy—or your circumstances—have the final word in your life. You must be able to say: “It is also written.”

We often divorce prayer from Scripture, forgetting they were never meant to be separated. Church tradition has given us prayers for every occasion—so much so that we may be tempted to recite them without understanding or connection. But in truth, your prayer life is intrinsically tied to your Word life. Without the Word, your prayers will never scratch the surface of what God wants to do. Jesus could say “It is written” because He was saturated with the Word—because He is the Word (John 1:1), and because He spends time with the Father (Mark 1:35). And out of that marriage of Word and communion flowed both power and precision. Prayer includes declaring the Word, because God watches over His Word to perform it (Isaiah 55:11). Every thread of creation was spoken into existence by that same Word (John 1:3). So, fill yourself with it. Let the Word dwell in you richly. That way, when trials come—whether from the enemy, from people, or from your own circumstances—you’ll be able to stand firm and say with confidence: “It is also written.”

Eve illustrates what happens when we don’t dwell in the Word. But Noah shows the opposite: what happens when the only thing you have is God’s Word. He had no physical evidence, no support, yet he obeyed for years because he believed what God said (Hebrews 11:7). Simple obedience. Like Mary reminds us at the wedding in Cana, we must do whatever He tells us (John 2:5). Sometimes that instruction might be as strange as serving water as wine, but obedience to His Word is the key that turns water into whatever else we need it to be.

How can one hear from God? God has already spoken through the Scriptures. The better question is: “Am I a student of the Word?” The best way to recognize His voice is by spending time in what He’s already said. His voice never contradicts His Word. As Jesus said, “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me” (John 10:27). So instead of waiting passively to hear something new, open your Bible and begin declaring what God has already said over your life and circumstances. And do not be afraid to preface it with: “Thus says the Lord.”

Reflection

  • What decisions in your life have been driven by pressure instead of prayer?
  • In what area do you need to shift from good intentions to a Word-based foundation?