21 Days of Prayer – Make Room for His Presence

Hey everyone, welcome to 21 Days of Prayer.

This is day 16, and my name is Seth.

We're going to be reading out of James chapter 4, verse 8, and 1 Kings 19, verse 12.

James 4:8 1 Kings 19:12

James chapter 4 says, Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.

James 4 · chapter mention

Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

1 Kings 19, verse 12 says, And after an earthquake, a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire.

1 Kings 19:12

And after the fire, the sound of a low whisper.

When I was a kid, I had a weird habit.

Growing up, I would always whisper.

It didn't matter what I was doing or where I was, I would just always whisper.

It was just a fun habit that I always had.

But I remember I was in a store with my mom one day, leaning in and whispering to her, and she said, Son, I can't hear you.

She just stopped me and said, I can't hear you.

You need to speak up.

And instead of raising my voice, I simply just got closer to her and continued to whisper.

That moment truly stuck with me because it reminded me of a story in 1 Kings 19, where the prophet Elijah was on the mountain seeking God.

He experienced great winds, earthquakes, and fire, all very dramatic and all very loud.

Yet the text says at the end of the passage that the Lord was not in the big wind or the earthquake or the fire.

It was after all that Elijah heard a gentle whisper.

See, oftentimes we go through trials and circumstances of life where we're looking for a big sign or maybe a huge breakthrough, a loud voice from God.

We may feel like we're not hearing Him, but maybe the issue isn't God isn't speaking, but maybe we're not close enough to hear the voice of the Lord.

His whisper is subtle.

Just like I move closer to my mom so she could hear what I said.

Maybe today we need to draw closer to the Lord so we can hear what he is saying to us.

As James writes in James 4, verse 8, draw near to God and he will draw near to you.

James 4:8

That's not only for the moment of trials and circumstances, but that is our everyday life, our posture.

So here's my question for you.

When was the last time you were still and close enough to the Lord to hear his gentle whisper?

Maybe it's a quiet moment, a walk, a simple pause.

God is inviting you into his presence, and when you draw near, he draws near to you.

Let's pray.

God, thank you for always being near.

Help me today to quieten the noise of life and draw closer to you.

Teach me to listen to your gentle whisper.

And in that stillness, may I hear you.

May I respond, and may I rest in your presence.

Amen.

Hey, Access Family, we are so excited for tomorrow, day 17 of 21 Days of Prayer.

See you then.