When You Do Not Need Another Answer

An open Bible and journal beside a cup of coffee, reflecting a quiet moment to listen for God’s direction.

The MOMENT

I am a person who likes answers.

I like knowing what comes next. I like plans, calendars, lists, and knowing that something has been handled.

Maybe you can relate.

But lately, I have been reminded that there are moments when I do not need another answer. I need to become quiet enough to recognize the direction God has already been giving me.

Sometimes I pray about something and then immediately start trying to solve it myself.

What should I do? Who should I call? What is the next step? What am I missing?

And before long, my prayer has turned into another project for me to manage.

Perhaps the problem is not always that God has been silent.

Sometimes there is simply so much noise around us—and inside us—that we have trouble hearing Him.

Scripture

“Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, ‘This is the way; walk in it.’”
— Isaiah 30:21

Today’s Reflection

Listening to God does not mean that we will always receive an immediate answer.

Sometimes His direction comes through Scripture. Sometimes through wise counsel. Sometimes through a door that opens—or one that remains firmly closed.

And sometimes God asks us to wait.

That may be the hardest kind of listening.

I am learning that waiting does not mean God has forgotten about me. It does not mean nothing is happening. It may simply mean that I do not yet see what He is doing.

This lesson has followed me through motherhood, work, ministry, writing, and seasons when my own plans changed unexpectedly.

I still have questions.

I still make lists.

I still want to know what comes next.

But I am learning to leave a little more room between my question and my next move.

Room to pray.

Room to read God's Word.

Room to notice.

Room to listen.

Because sometimes the next step is not something I need to figure out.

Sometimes I simply need enough faith to recognize it when God shows me.

MOMENT Prayer

Father, there are so many voices competing for my attention, including my own. Help me recognize Yours. Give me wisdom when I need to move, patience when I need to wait, and faith when I cannot see what You are doing. Keep me close enough to You that when You say, “This is the way,” I am ready to follow. Amen.

This Week’s Challenge

Before making one decision this week, resist the urge to immediately solve it.

Pray about it first.

Read a passage of Scripture.

Give yourself a little time before responding.

Then ask:

God, is there something You want me to notice before I decide what to do?

Before You Go

You do not have to have every answer today.

You only need enough light for the step God is asking you to take next.

Pause. Pray. Reflect.

Every moment teaches us something. The question is: Are we paying attention?

— Monica Lynne Wilkins

Do I Recognize God's Voice?

Woman sitting quietly in prayer beside a sunlit window, reflecting on recognizing God’s voice amid the noise of everyday life

Pause. Pray. Listen.

Before you continue reading...

Pause for just a moment.

Ask God to quiet the noise around you and help you recognize His voice today.

📖 Scripture to Read This Week

1 Samuel 3

Psalm 23

John 10:27

"My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me."

—John 10:27

🙏 A MOMENT Prayer

Lord,

Quiet the distractions around me so I can recognize Your voice.

Help me become so familiar with You that following You becomes my natural response.

Amen.

🌿 MOMENT Reflection

This morning I was reading 1 Samuel 2 and 3, and one verse just stayed with me.

"In those days the word of the Lord was rare; there were not many visions."

—1 Samuel 3:1

I kept rereading this verse and asking myself...

Why was hearing from God so rare?

As you read these chapters, you can't help but notice what was happening around Eli. His sons were serving in the tabernacle, but they were living in ways that dishonored God. Eli knew what was going on, yet he failed to deal with it.

The people were still worshipping.

The sacrifices were still being offered.

But something was missing.

God's voice had become rare.

Then there's young Samuel.

Samuel was in the tabernacle.

He was serving faithfully.

Yet when God called his name...

he didn't recognize His voice.

That made me stop and think.

I wonder if sometimes we can become so familiar with doing church that we forget the most important part is knowing the God we're there to worship.

Sabbath is such a beautiful gift because it strengthens what we've hopefully been building all week long.

It's possible to know the praise songs...

the order of service...

the traditions...

and even the Scriptures...

yet still struggle to recognize when God is speaking to our hearts.

Recognizing God's voice doesn't begin when we walk through the church doors.

It begins in the quiet moments throughout the week—

when we open His Word...

when we spend time in prayer...

when we listen instead of rushing...

and when we invite Him into our everyday lives.

Then I thought about the next generation.

Whether we're raising children...

loving on grandchildren...

mentoring young people...

teaching a class...

serving in ministry...

or simply living as women of faith...

someone is watching how we follow Jesus.

Are we only teaching them how to attend church?

Or are we showing them what it looks like to have a real relationship with God?

Do they see us praying because we love talking with Him?

Do they see us reading His Word because we want to hear His voice?

Do they see us trying to obey Him—even when it's difficult?

As I continued reading and reflecting this week, my thoughts kept returning to Psalm 23.

"The Lord is my Shepherd."

Those simple words reminded me that our Shepherd is still leading His sheep today.

He still provides.

He still restores.

He still guides.

And just as sheep learn to recognize the voice of their shepherd by spending time with him, we learn to recognize God's voice by spending time with Him.

Maybe that's what God was reminding me through these passages.

He is still our Shepherd.

He is still speaking.

The question isn't whether God is speaking.

The question is...

Are we becoming so familiar with our Shepherd that we recognize His voice, trust where He's leading, and willingly follow Him?

As I continued reflecting on these passages, one thought kept coming back to me.

Maybe God's voice wasn't rare because God had stopped speaking.

Maybe it was rare because so few hearts were truly listening.

That thought challenged me.

God still speaks today—

through His Word...

through the Holy Spirit...

and through those quiet moments when we choose to be still before Him.

The question is...

Am I slowing down enough to listen?

Today I'm asking the Lord to help me—and all of us—

become women who know Him well enough to recognize His voice...

trust Him...

and obey Him when He speaks.

Because one day...

someone we love may recognize God's voice...

because they first saw what it looked like in us.

💛 Today's MOMENT Thought

Every moment we spend listening to God prepares us to recognize His voice when He calls.

Have a wonderful Sunday and an even better week.

My prayer is that each of us will make time this week to pause, listen, and allow God to speak to our hearts.

Until next time...

Pause. Pray. Reflect.

Every MOMENT matters. 💛

— Monica