Personal stories from Ian’s life that are included in Gems and available to read and search as stand-alone stories here.
Hearing God's Audible Voice
I have heard God's audible voice twice in my life. The first time was when I was in the middle of having my Quiet Time in my study in Matamata, NZ in the 1970's. I had been going through my prayer list. My prayer list was on a piece of graph paper with the days of the week across the top and the list of the people or items I was praying about regularly down the side. The graph paper grid squares I used to tick off when I prayed for that person so that through the days of the week I would not leave anyone out. There were too many people on my list to pray for at one time. I had just read John 5. As I settled back into my ROUTINE, I heard a voice behind me which said, "Ian, what are you doing?" I turned around to see who had come into the room; it was that clear a voice. But there was no one in the room. I puzzled about it, even prayed about and then settled back into MY ROUTINE again. Then I heard the voice again and the same words as before only this time the intonation had changed. "Ian. What ARE you doing?". At that point I started to cry. I realised I had left God out of my Quiet Time and I was just searching the Scriptures daily thinking that they testify of Him. But I had failed to come to the God of the Bible and talk to Him, interact with Him. Don't leave God and especially the Holy Spirit out of your routine. Make your routine integrally and intimately connected with Him.