PRAYER SWEETS Encouragement word ... October 2026

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 Written By: Elder Renita Richardson

of the St. Stephen Baptist Church

Our world is rapidly changing, and so many things are distracting our attention from the scriptures and from God. The but the people of God should not be surprised or caught off guard like the rest of the world when something unprecedented or unexpected occurs. God shares His secrets with us, and He keeps us informed by revealing His heart to us. John 10:27 says 27 My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. This means that there is a relationship here, and because of that relationship we’re then able to hear His voice. It’s our birthright as born-again spirit filled believers. And if we are one of His sheep, then we should expect to hear from God. We should anticipate God speaking to us. It’s relational, it’s borne out of intimacy, and it is our birthright. What will help us to hear Him clearly in this season? Develop a steady diet of the word of God. 2 Timothy 3:16 ... All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.

Spending time in the word of God daily is so very important. Because this is the primary way that God speaks to us, through His written word. As we begin to weigh out whether we are hearing God’s voice, or the voice of a stranger we must know that He will never go against His word. The word of God must be the boundary for His voice; the word of God must be the standard because the enemy wants to look and sound as close to God as possible. To discern the enemy’s voice, we must know the word of God because the enemy wants to make sure we miss hearing God, so that he can deceive us. Only the bible is the foundation for knowing and hearing God’s voice. We must ask ourselves, ‘What does God say in His word’? This is the way we can test whether God is really speaking to us. Psalm 119:130 ... The teaching of your word gives light, so even the simple can understand. (NLT) The word of God shines light on our situations. Holy Spirit will illuminate God’s word and reveal something that will relate to our personal situation. Don’t miss the opportunity to connect with God and hear from Him because you’re too busy for your bible. The word is extremely valuable to us and should be treasured. It’s not just words, but it is literally God speaking to us, giving wisdom and guiding us. So often we don’t recognize God’s voice, and that’s because we really don’t know His word as we should.

Prayer

Father, thank you for loving us so much that the privilege of communing with you becomes ours. Thank you for creating us for intimacy and closeness with you. And we know that you desire to be close to us even more than we desire to be close to you. Lord, please make our ears sensitive to your voice, and please make our hearts tender that we may discern your leading and long for your presence above all else. Then we will be able to navigate through turbulent times with your guidance. In Jesus name, Amen!