1Kings19:12 and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire [a]a still small voice.13 So it was, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave. Suddenly a voice came to him, and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
THE STILL SMALL VOICE
Prophet Elijah heard God through the still small voice after several attempt to hear God through the earthquake, wind and fire. He expected God to speak to him through those spectacular means but God wasn't there. I have been in such situation before. I was expecting God to speak to me in a spectacular way but he didn't. There is a gentle voice of the Holy Spirit that speaks to us( our spirit) which we may not recognize.
Let me state clearly that the inward witness and the word are the primary means through which God speak to his children. That's why we spent so much time dissecting how the inward witness works. However, God may choose to speak to us through his still small voice or the gentle whisper of the Holy Spirit. It is not a loud voice, it is a soft, gentle and small voice of the Spirit. It is not forceful. One of the reasons why many do not recognize the still small voice of the Spirit is because of internal noise.
Some are silent without but their minds are ever talking. Anyone that hasn't mastered internal stillness may not hear the still small voice of the Spirit. We may confuse it with one of the several voices that speaks to us. The Psalmist said, "Be still and know that I am God"(Psalm46:10). Though the context of that chapter was referring to wars. The Psalmist's admonition was that it is in our stillness(from wars) the knowledge of God comes. We also need to still our minds from internal wars. Daily meditation on scriptures is the key to still our minds so that we can hear the still small voice of the Spirit (Psalm 119:15, Joshua 1:8, Luke 5:16, and others).
Father, I receive the grace to be calm from within so that I can hear you in Jesus name.