By Andrew Williams
Series: The Year of the Prophet- Month 1: The Anatomy of a Prophet
Week 3: The Prophet’s Relationship with God
Anchor Scripture: “…and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice.” — 1 Kings 19:12 (NKJV)
The Teaching
We conclude our third week by looking at the specific “frequency” on which God most often communicates with His prophets. We see this most clearly in the life of Elijah. Elijah was a prophet of the “spectacular.” He had called down fire from heaven and commanded the rain to stop. He was used to the “loud” manifestations of God’s power. However, on Mount Horeb, God decided to give the prophet a masterclass in divine communication.
The Lord passed by, and there was a wind that rent the mountains, an earthquake, and a fire. These were all things Elijah was familiar with—the “theatrical” side of the prophetic. But the Bible pointedly says, “the Lord was not in them.” Finally, there came a “still small voice.” In the original Hebrew, this phrase is qol dĕmāmâ daqqâ, which literally means “the sound of a thin silence” or a “gentle blowing.”
The Office of the Prophet requires the ability to hear God when He isn’t shouting. Many people can hear God in the “thunder” of a powerful service or the “earthquake” of a crisis, but the Prophet must be a specialist in the “whisper.” God whispers because He is close. A whisper requires the listener to lean in, to be still, and to shut out every other competing sound. To be a prophet is to be a master of the quiet. You must learn to ignore the “spectacular” noise of the world (and even the religious world) to find the “supernatural” signal of the Spirit.
Prophetic Insight
The enemy loves noise—chaos, busy schedules, and loud opinions—because noise masks the whisper of God. If you find yourself constantly looking for the “next big sign” or the next “shaking” to hear from God, you are still in the elementary stages of the prophetic. Maturity in this office is marked by a heightened sensitivity to the subtle. Often, God’s most strategic directions for a nation or a church are hidden in the “thin silence.” If you can’t hear Him in the quiet, you will likely misinterpret Him in the fire.
The Activation
Today, engage in a “Noise Fast.” Turn off the radio in the car, put your phone in another room, and find 15 minutes of absolute silence. Don’t speak; just listen. If your mind begins to race, gently bring it back to the Person of Jesus. Ask the Lord: “Teach me to hear Your whisper.” Pay attention to the “thin” thoughts—those gentle, subtle impressions that you would normally dismiss.
Daily Prayer: Lord God, I thank You for Your presence that is closer than my own breath. Forgive me for being so distracted by the wind, the earthquake, and the fire. I want to hear Your ‘still small voice.‘ Sharpen my spiritual hearing so that I don’t miss Your whispers. I choose to lean in and be still today. Speak, Lord, for Your servant is listening. Amen.
