It was an ordinary day, yet extraordinary after days of unrelenting mental and physical struggle to be well and out walking again. My heart was full with gratitude for the gift to simply be outside, walking around my neighborhood and enjoying the beauty of creation. The sun was beaming and the flowers were just beginning to bud while others had blossomed. I paused to capture the soft pink flower in my eye gaze, beholding her beauty. I carried on, leisurely strolling and listening to faith filled messages. By the time I had made my final neighborhood turn, I was eager to return home and sit before my King and listen. I sensed my Father was beckoning me to rest – to rest my soul.

I proceeded to my closet space, turned off the lights and began soaking in instrumental worship music. My soul began to be saturated with His peace and rest. The longer I stayed in stillness, the deeper I felt I could go into rest. My body was beginning to surrender too. Where I had started immediately upright, the weight of God’s rest positioned me to lay back and truly receive. Oh, the power of stillness. I had been so consumed with fear and worry – trying to fix things when all the while Father God was saying rest. I did not receive an answer but I did receive Him. Nothing else was needed. The fruit was refreshment, satisfaction and peace in my soul. It was then I could begin to open my heart, truly cry out in my need and hear the comforting words of my Father.

As I prayed, my spirit bubbled up, “my ears are attentive to your Word”. In that moment, my hearts desire, my prayer was to hear Him. I recalled the scripture and began to search His Word. Yet I soon discovered, Daddy God had a word for His daughter. My ears are attentive to YOU. God wanted to hear me. He had been longing to hear me cry out to Him. Have you ever been so scared, worried, confused, struggling so deep the words just don’t come out? My soul had been aching and I had been struggling from within but I had not yet actually spoken it. The groanings were deep. I felt desperate in my pain and alone. It was not until I surrendered to the stillness the deep groanings could come to the surface and in that moment my Father could reach me. I could visualize myself laying on His chest, wanting to hear Him speak yet He was showing me His posture. He was laying His ear – His breath right by my mouth longing to hear me speak. I cannot even begin to express to you the depth of healing, freedom and love I experienced in this moment. To know my Father was listening intently to me. I wept. I’m actually weeping now as I write this. The richness of His love and presence is all consuming. Have you thought to mediate on the Father’s heart to hear His daughter, Selah.

It has been since this time, the Father released His word to me for His daughters, His bride. A depth of His heartbeat I long to encounter again and again and now express to you. “Daughter, I hear your cries. I have heard your prayers. I am coming to restore you.”

For I know the plans and thoughts that I have for you, says the Lord, plans for peace and well being and not for disaster to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call on Me and you will come and pray to Me, and I will hear (your voice) and I will listen to you. Then (with a deep longing) you will seek Me and require Me (as vital necessity) and (you will) find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. I will be found by you, says the Lord, and I will restore your fortunes and I will free you and gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you, says the Lord, and I will bring you back to the place from where I sent you into exile.

Jeremiah 29:11-14

Oh how He longs to hear you….

Love, Ashley Shuell, Journalist for Jesus ✍️