Let us journey together into the wilderness, going lower in humility and slower in our daily rhythms. As we surrender our distractions, comforts, and conveniences we long to be set apart as a people who hear God’s voice and obey his commands. The wilderness invites us to get quiet, get alone, and get desperate again. Use the following guide to spend an hour with your king, your brother, and your friend Jesus. 

Be Still then Read Aloud (10 min, individual)

Breath deeply. Close your eyes. Listen to the sounds around you. Feel the air on your skin. Be present.  Read the scripture aloud. “This is what the Sovereign Lord, the Holy One of Israel, says: “In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength, but you would have none of it.” Read it again and allow the words to wash over your mind. 

Listening Ears: Isaiah 55:2-3 (15 min, Individual)

“Come and listen that you may live”

One of the roles of the Holy Spirit is to bring conviction to our hearts. By the grace of God we are able to discern what is good and life-giving and what is destructive and harmful. Every once in awhile we find ourselves living in grey space, an area of our lives where we experience the nudging of the Spirit but either don’t make time or purposefully avoid getting honest with the Lord. In quietness and vulnerability, ask the Lord if there is any conversation you’ve been avoiding, anything He is shining a light on. He is a loving Father. His heart for you is that you would, “come and listen that you may live.” Invite the Father to reveal any place in you that is not aligned with His heart. Repent and ask for forgiveness. Draw near to His love and be washed clean.

Soft Hearts: Hebrews 3:12-15 (15 min, share with someone to promote accountability)

“Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts.”

Our love for the Lord is revealed in our obedience to His voice. He deeply desires to co-labor with us in expanding his Kingdom. Our work is not required to earn his approval. It is a privileged gift that we would know Him better by coming alongside Him. What is the Lord asking you to do? Is there any assignment He has given you that you have delayed, an action you know you’re supposed to take that you have been putting off? Write it down. If it’s possible, complete the assignment within 48 hours as an act of quick, joyful obedience. If it requires more time, what is one step you can take in the next 48 hours? Hearing and obeying the Lord is a sign that our hearts remain soft towards His leading. Give thanks to the Lord for extending His grace. 

Hungry Spirit: John 6:48-51 (20 min, pray in pairs or groups if you can)

“The living Bread I give you is my body, which I will offer as a sacrifice so that all may live.”

Jesus allowed His body to be broken. He became the pure Lamb having been slaughtered as a sacrifice to make us clean again. He is our living sacrifice who reconciles creation back to the Father. Pray for our families, our regions, our cities and churches to consume this revelation and be changed by His death and resurrection. Begin to pray for an outpouring of His Spirit in your heart and your region. 

• Ask the Father to give you greater capacity to be filled with the mysteries of heaven. 
• Pray for the leaders of various churches in your region and city.
• Pray for local government officials to return to the Lord.
• Invite the Holy Spirit to come in whatever way He wants.