Hearing God's Voice, Recognizing His Nudges & Why Most People Miss the Moment

What if the most important thing that was supposed to happen this week… didn't? Not because God didn't show up — but because you didn't recognize the moment when He did. In this week's Midweek Motivation, Jess sits down with Rita — former atheist of 13 years and now one of the most spiritually tuned-in people you'll meet — for a powerful, honest conversation about hearing God's voice, stepping into His nudges, and what happens when we explain them away.

Discover:

• How a 13-year atheist heard God's voice for the first time on an ordinary Sunday morning
• Why knowing Scripture is the foundation for recognizing God's voice
• The "quiet persistence" test — the clearest sign God is actually speaking
• How to tell the difference between God's nudge and your own thoughts
• Why intellectualizing and debating pushes you away from obedience
• A real-time story of a late-night call that came straight from the Holy Spirit
• The Esther 4:14 principle and what "such a time as this" really means
• The simplest prayer for hearing God: "Speak, Lord, your servant is listening"

Reflection paragraph: God is still speaking. He still nudges. He still calls ordinary people into extraordinary moments. The question was never whether He's talking — the question is whether we're listening, and whether we'll move when He moves us. Some of the most important assignments of your life are hiding behind a quiet thought you keep brushing off. Don't explain it away. Stay in the Word, stay close, and when the nudge comes — go.

Key Takeaways:

• God's voice always lines up with His Word and His character — no exceptions
• Familiarity is everything; you recognize the voice you spend time with
• Quiet persistence is one of the clearest signs God is speaking
• Debating and "logicking it out" is how we lose the moment
• Don't ask "why me?" — God chose you because you're uniquely positioned for this
• Even if you miss the nudge, God will still work. But you miss the privilege of being used.
• The simplest response you can give is: "Speak, Lord, your servant is listening" — and then actually listen

Question for you to think about: When was the last time you felt a quiet, persistent nudge from God — and what did you actually do with it?

Calls to Action: If this conversation hit you, do three things: hit subscribe so you never miss an episode, share this with one person who needs to hear it, and drop a comment telling us about a time you obeyed (or missed) a nudge from God. We read every one.

• LINKS & RESOURCES: SUBSCRIBE to always see our content and let us reach more people for Jesus: https://www.youtube.com/westsidecommunitychurchpdx?sub_confirmation=1 Give to support this ministry and help us reach people all around the world: https://www.westsidecommunitychurch.com/give
• STAY CONNECTED: Website: https://www.westsidecommunitychurch.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/westsidecommunitychurch Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/westsidecommunitychurchpdx

#MidweekMotivation #WestsideCommunityChurch #HearingGodsVoice #HolySpirit #ChristianPodcast #FaithJourney #SpiritualDiscernment #ChristianDiscipleship #SuchATimeAsThis #SpeakLord #ChristianGrowth #FaithInAction #PortlandChurch #JesusFollower #BiblicalTeaching

Transcript

SPEAKER_04 0:00

I was an atheist. One Sunday morning I woke up and there was his voice clear as practically in the room that said, You're going to church today. Okay. And my response was, what? Yeah. I don't go to church. I'm not a believer.

SPEAKER_00 0:17

Welcome to the Midweek Motivation Podcast, where we bring practical help for your faith and life. Here's today's episode.

SPEAKER_02 0:24

Welcome to this week's Midweek Motivation. My name is Jess, and I have an awesome friend here, Rita. And um we so um we're gonna jump into a great topic that I that Rita, you are excellent at. Like you're a pro at this. God's trained you up really, really great. But I think I think that the um important question is um, what if the most important thing that was supposed to happen this week didn't? And um not because it it not because God didn't show up, but because um we didn't recognize the moment, right? And we didn't step into it. So um today my friend Rita is here, and uh, I'm telling you, I don't know anybody who is better in tuned to the nudge of God than you, Rita. And so uh so we're gonna jump into this conversation, and I really would love for you to just share your um experience, your expertise, like God's just fashioned you into this person. But um before we jump into that conversation, you want to share a little bit about yourself?

SPEAKER_04 1:33

Yes, I will. I think um what I'd like people to know most about me is that I'm an apologetically a disciple and a follower of Jesus Christ. Yeah. And I say that because of my background of being an atheist, an active atheist, I may add, for 13 years before God spoke to me. This guy that I didn't believe in spoke to me.

SPEAKER_03 2:06

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 2:07

And called me into himself. And I've been walking with him for 43 years, August 18th this year. That's awesome. So it's been a journey.

SPEAKER_02 2:20

Yeah. No kidding. Exciting. I wish we had time to dive into all the questions around that. Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 2:28

But that's who that's who I am. Yeah. And I've been at West Side, it'll be 10 years, uh Labor Day.

SPEAKER_02 2:35

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 2:35

This Labor Day. Yeah. So that's been wild.

SPEAKER_02 2:38

Yeah, and fun. An amazing blessing too. It's really cool. Um, I uh love I love that you blow my mind when we have these conversations and and you just share with me the thing that you did last night or yesterday, or you know.

unknown 2:56

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 2:56

Like God's moving all the time. Yeah. And and you'll like every once in a while just be like, oh yeah, like this is my new friend, whoever it might be that I met like at Safeway. And so um uh based on your like on your background and and what you just shared with us about you know your your your faith, um, how did you uh come to the point where you were able to actually, I guess, discern or hear the nudge of God? Like, does that make sense, the question I'm asking? Yes.

SPEAKER_04 3:34

It actually was initially immediate. Like I said, I was um an atheist. And one morning I Sunday morning, one Sunday morning I woke up and there was his voice clear as practically in the room that said, You're going to church today.

SPEAKER_01 3:55

Okay.

SPEAKER_04 3:56

And my response was, what? Yeah. I don't go to church, I'm not a believer. And so I was, but it was a very clear statement. It wasn't a question, it was a statement.

SPEAKER_03 4:08

Wow.

SPEAKER_04 4:09

And so while I was continuing arguing, it was back in the day, I was heading into the kitchen to find my yellow pages to um look for a church. Okay. But still arguing. Yeah. So I look for uh look in the yellow pages for churches, saw there was a Catholic church on Walker Road. That was my background, so I went for a familiar.

SPEAKER_01 4:31

Okay.

SPEAKER_04 4:31

Found the address. We didn't have any. There was no maps. Right. This is 43 years ago. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 4:40

So there were no maps. No Google Maps.

SPEAKER_04 4:42

No Google Maps. But I knew where Walker Road was. So I headed down and I followed the traffic.

SPEAKER_03 4:48

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 4:50

And um, there was people out there directing traffic, cars going in. I'm like, okay, I guess I'm just going following these cars, got in there, got in to the into the park, got in the lobby, and it was like, wow, these people are really happy.

SPEAKER_01 5:06

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 5:07

Yeah. Oh. They were excited, they were happy. They were like, he's gonna start. We gotta get in, he's gonna start. There was like this excitement. And so I went in, sat in the back, very quietly, sat in the back. And it was then Pastor Ron Mel, who's who has passed on since, um, spoke and I heard the gospel. And then I just kept coming back.

SPEAKER_02 5:31

Oh my gosh, that's incredible. It gives me chills, like tingles every time I talked to him about these things.

SPEAKER_04 5:38

That's so yeah, I just kept coming back, and this young man apparently got the assignment to talk with me.

SPEAKER_01 5:44

Okay.

SPEAKER_04 5:46

And I had I had a lot of questions. I was I was probably exhausting to him. And then one night we were standing in the parking lot, and he just said, Rita, I have told you everything that I can tell you. But he said, You have a hardened heart.

SPEAKER_03 6:05

Wow.

SPEAKER_04 6:06

And when he said that, I was it was like it was, it was like almost like a physical back and like a sword through my heart, because it was the truth. And that's one thing that um I've always wanted to know is the truth. Even if I don't necessarily like it.

SPEAKER_03 6:24

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 6:24

Or if it doesn't agree with what I currently believe.

SPEAKER_02 6:29

Yeah, that's awesome. I agree. I tell people that all the time. If you are looking for the truth, you are going to find it.

SPEAKER_04 6:35

You find it. Yeah. Even if you don't like it. Yeah. So that's where we started hearing his voice.

SPEAKER_02 6:41

That's awesome. I love it. Thanks for sharing. Okay. Well, so so that's your first experience with God, really. It's it sounds like. Yeah. Yeah. And uh, and so being able to really just recognize God talking to you and the the nudges and stuff, it sounds pretty immediate.

SPEAKER_04 7:03

It was. Yeah. But then it grew.

SPEAKER_02 7:05

Yeah. Okay. Well, so tell me about that then, because I think that there's a lot of um, like even for me, like I how do you recognize, how do you put your finger on and point to uh, oh my gosh, this is a God moment and know that it's a God moment, and then have the boldness to step into it, the courage to step into it, you know.

SPEAKER_04 7:29

Well, the first thing I would say is um know scripture. I mean, the first thing is like if you know the word of God is most important thing. Yeah. Because the first get in the Bible, read the Bible. What does it say? Study, you know, online, go to groups, listen, you know, take notes, read, read, do it daily, do whatever you can do to get the word in your heart, to know what the word says. Because one thing that is absolutely non-negotiable is if you believe you're hearing from God, it must absolutely, without exception, line up with his word and his character. Agreed. And that is the first step.

SPEAKER_02 8:20

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 8:21

And if it doesn't, it's not him.

SPEAKER_02 8:23

Awesome. Done. Yeah. I've I read a book, um, and I've shared this before. I've shared it so many times, I don't remember who with, but um, the author said something like the the um Bible is the language of the Holy Spirit. So, like when God's trying to get a hold of you, if you know the Bible, if you know scripture, he like for me personally, that scripture will pop into my head. Absolutely. Or s or uh uh something that, like you said, you you said aligns with God's character. We learn what God's character looks like by getting into the word of God, learning who he is. Absolutely and so if uh if God wants to like smack me upside the head because my thoughts aren't, you know, then then he'll like I'll be thinking about something and he'll throw something into my head that will realign me, you know. So yeah, that's good stuff.

SPEAKER_04 9:19

And the word also says that um his sheep know his voice. So if you're a sheep and you're in the word, yeah, there's a better chance you're gonna recognize his voice. Yeah. And like any relationship, you're gonna recognize it more quickly.

SPEAKER_02 9:40

Yeah, because you know the language.

SPEAKER_04 9:42

It's like a because you know the language. Yeah, yeah. It's like this is kind of a little bit of a rabbit trail, but but knowing that you could recognize like um my husband was a musician, and we were at a a wedding reception and there was a a jazz trio there. And um, I was just wandering around, chatting with people, and all of a sudden I was like, that's David on the keyboards. Yeah, you just recognize the wow. And that's because of the familiarity.

SPEAKER_03 10:14

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 10:15

And that's that's how it is with God and a relationship because it's unique.

SPEAKER_03 10:20

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 10:21

It's unique to each relationship to be able to say, Oh, that's my father's voice. Yeah. Recognize it.

SPEAKER_02 10:29

Yeah, not a rabbit trail at all. I like it.

SPEAKER_04 10:33

Very cool. Well, speak to the musicians.

SPEAKER_02 10:35

Yeah. So what else? What like what what other things do you think are indications that you're talking about?

SPEAKER_04 10:41

The other indication, and I did um, I did actually spot that this morning as God was talking with me uh today, and I was asking him, because one of the the things that I learned early on was persistent.

SPEAKER_03 10:57

Okay.

SPEAKER_04 10:58

Like if I believe I heard something from God, I would just say, okay, God, if that's really you, like have it just like in my head. And if it's not, have it just go away. Okay.

SPEAKER_03 11:10

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 11:10

And that has happened. Yeah. Whereas like two days later, it's like, oh, I didn't hadn't even thought about that. Versus, I cannot shake this thing.

SPEAKER_03 11:19

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 11:20

And in Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest, um, described it as, and of course, this was shown to me this morning. I picked this up, and this little note just kind of fluttered to the ground. And I'm like, that's an interesting flutter. I feel like I should pay attention. I should pay attention. I wonder where that was. And it was just like, look where your thumb is. Because I had opened the book and this fellow. I don't know if it was in that spot.

SPEAKER_03 11:49

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 11:49

But what he says, um, I know when the instructions have come from God because of their quiet persistence. Okay. And it is a quiet persistence.

SPEAKER_02 12:05

Just it won't go away.

SPEAKER_04 12:06

It won't go away. Yeah. And it won't go away. Yeah. And that is a and then he talks about when we get like debate into our mind and we start kind of intellectualizing it, it can move you away.

SPEAKER_02 12:26

I was I was about to ask that. Because I think there's a a lot of in my personal experiences, a lot of times when I shut up God's voice. And we can. Sure. Yeah. Sure. With distraction or whatever, but that's not uh that's not the situation that that you're talking about here. Like you're talking about making space for that quiet persistence, right? Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 12:49

Making space for it. And he talks and he talks about that if you'd like me to read more into that. Yeah, please. Um, so he says, I know when the instructions have come from God because of the quiet persistence, but when I begin to weigh the pros and cons and doubt and debate, because I'm very linear, I'm very logical, I'm very pragmatic, so that's really easy for me to do, that enter in my mind, I am bringing in an element that is not of God. This will only result in my concluding that his instructions to me were not right. Many of us are faithful to our ideal ideas about Jesus Christ, but how many of us are faithful to Jesus Himself? That's huge.

SPEAKER_02 13:35

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 13:35

Especially when he gives you something big.

SPEAKER_02 13:38

Right? Yeah. So you so it like uh in my own words, I guess, of re rephrasing that, it's uh um the things that are actually important to you show up in the things that you do. Yeah, true.

SPEAKER_04 13:54

Yeah, and I can talk myself out of stuff.

SPEAKER_02 13:56

Yeah, same easily. Okay, awesome. Well, so was there uh was there a has has there been a moment, I guess, where you recognized the um nudge of God that you can like share with us that Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_04 14:15

Um it happens a lot when he's wanted me to talk to someone. But just recently, last night, um I got a I got a prayer need from a friend. I'll just call him Bob for general. General, it's not his name. And there was a very strong, and sometimes the quiet persistent is louder. Yeah, sometimes it depends on the urgency. And it was like, call Bob. And I'm like, oh okay. And then I started going to the kitchen doing call Bob. I guess I guess I better call Bob. So I did, and um my friend, and uh, he was just in a really bad spot. And he needed that phone call.

SPEAKER_02 15:07

Just needed some encouragement or yeah.

SPEAKER_04 15:09

Words of encouragement, words of the word, the word. He needed the word to say, this is who you are, this is who you are in Christ. You're gonna be okay. I'm here. And I'm with you. And and then that continued for some texting and more conversation last night, more conversation this morning, and um just getting him through a very, very rough time. But God is faithful. And so I just reminded him of the word. And and one of that was who he is in Christ. And that I was here to remind to not only remind him of that, but I think this morning I said, um you know where it says to sp that we put on the full armor of God and then we stand, and then we stand. Yeah. You stand and then you stand. And then the first next thing it says is you buckle on, you put on the the belt of truth. So I just texted him and said, buckling on the belt of truth for you, and I'm standing.

SPEAKER_02 16:21

Oh, that's awesome.

SPEAKER_04 16:25

So could have been a critical time of maybe just not wanting to be here right now.

SPEAKER_02 16:31

Yeah. Wow. That's that's a that's an interesting thing to push on too, I think. And uh and that is the idea that uh, like I said at the very beginning, like what if I didn't? Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 16:47

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 16:47

What if I didn't what if you don't step into those nudges, you know?

SPEAKER_04 16:52

And and through the years I have had that, and it's devastating when you when you know that you were told but you hesitated or you logiced it out, and then the consequences of that, you know, if God's calling you to just do it. Yeah. Because some the the um some of that has happened, and it's been devastating to me personally, and um and um globally in the things I was called to pray for, and I freaked out and didn't, or you know, a thing that a crazy thing that he was called me to do, and then find out that that person died, and I'm like, wow. So yeah. So some harsh lessons, but then also, you know, God uses who he uses. Yeah, yeah. So there may have been someone that he's like, oh, I'll send that person before that person takes her final breath, and that's okay. Yeah. But I'd like to say be used. Choose me.

SPEAKER_02 18:07

So yeah, yeah. Uh I'm I'm looking up the scripture right now because I was in preparation for this. I was looking up in Ruth, and I gotta find the right scripture, so this might take me a second, but um because she was called to do some pretty crazy things. Yeah, she was, and man, she got called out hardcore on it, too, didn't she? So I'm looking for the right scripture. So Caleb, you might have to edit some of this out.

SPEAKER_04 18:42

But it also doesn't mean it's fully on your shoulders. God just may have had to move on to another person.

SPEAKER_02 18:47

True.

SPEAKER_04 18:47

I think it was great training.

SPEAKER_02 18:49

That's the I think that's the thing that um that I want to call out. I um I had the scripture here somewhere and I don't I can't find it now. But context. Huh? It was Ruth. Yeah, it's Ruth. And it was um wait, was it Ruth?

SPEAKER_04 19:04

Was it Esther? It was Esther. Esther.

SPEAKER_02 19:06

That's why I can't find it.

SPEAKER_04 19:07

That's why you can't find it. It's funny how that goes.

SPEAKER_02 19:10

There you go. Um the so it is Esther. Um, maybe you were born for just such a time as this. Okay, I'm not gonna look for the scripture. Oh, it's Esther four. Um, who knows who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this. So the the um the reason why the scripture came to mind is because what you just laid out is uh mirrors that experience that Esther had, right? Where I think it's Mordecai, right, is uh coming to Esther and he's like, Hey, who knows? Like this could be why you are where you are. And if you don't act, don't think that you're going to like get away scot-free. Yeah, get away from from having to deal with the consequences, deal with God will still work. He's still gonna work, but He's chosen you. He right. And if you don't do it, then you don't get to get used, right? And the and then there are like consequences for not stepping out and being obedient in that. And and like I don't say that to be all ooh, you know, like because uh consequences to me are um are um not benign, what's the word? It they're neutral. The the idea of consequent is consequence is new neutral, but if we engage, then the consequences of being used by God in the way that he called us is positive. The consequence of not being used is could very well be negative in some way.

SPEAKER_04 20:45

So yeah, neutral at best and negative at worst. Right.

SPEAKER_02 20:48

Yeah, yeah. So uh I don't know. I just the the picture that you're painting from real life experience mirrors Esther so much that I was like, oh yeah, we need to point that out, I think. Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 21:04

She had a rough road.

SPEAKER_02 21:05

She did, she had really rough road, but God abused her in huge, incredible ways. Yeah, exactly. Yeah, so good. Okay, well, so um I think the the next question I have for you really is um what if you're talking to somebody who maybe hasn't learned how to hear God's nudge or recognize it? Um, or maybe they have, but they've uh like me so many times, have been like, I don't know why you're tapping me on the shoulder, God. Like, no. Yeah. Um, what like what kind of encouragement would you offer them? Like how uh how would you encourage them to take a practical next step?

SPEAKER_04 22:00

Next step is don't explain it away.

SPEAKER_02 22:02

Okay.

SPEAKER_04 22:04

Just don't explain it away.

SPEAKER_01 22:06

Okay.

SPEAKER_04 22:06

Or don't say, well, no, why me? It's he why me? Because you're you and you're unique to the situation that he knows about that you don't know.

SPEAKER_03 22:19

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 22:20

So don't explain it away and ask, which is kind of a very simple thing. It's like when um uh Samuel and Elijah. Yes, you know, he was saying, you know, calling his name, calling his name, and he kept thinking it was Elijah. Yeah and then Elijah being wise said, Hey Samuel, that's God.

SPEAKER_02 22:44

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_04 22:44

And so, and this is such a simple thing.

SPEAKER_02 22:48

Yeah. So, so for for like clarity of context, Samuel uh Samuel is uh apprenticing, right? And he keeps he keeps on getting woken up in the middle of the night by this voice, and he is assuming that it's Elijah who is calling his name. So he gets up and he goes to check on Elijah, who is old and you know needs to be looked after. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And so, so Samuel, Samuel, like three times he goes to Elijah, right? Right.

SPEAKER_04 23:18

Yeah, he says, and is like, I haven't called you, and it happens again. He's like, I didn't call you, happens again. And then Elijah was like, Oh, I think I need to mentor Samuel. Yeah, and say to hear the hear if this is God speaking to you, and when he does, and this is where my point was going to is speak, Lord, your servant is listening. Such a simple thing, but wow, powerful.

SPEAKER_03 23:46

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 23:46

So a practical advice would be like, okay, speaking.

SPEAKER_03 23:50

Be like Samuel. Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 23:51

Be like Samuel. Speak, Lord. Your servant is listening, and then listen.

SPEAKER_02 23:56

Yeah. Listen and then listen.

SPEAKER_04 23:58

And then listen.

SPEAKER_02 23:59

And then that's so good. I love it. And it's so simple. It's so simple. Yeah. Very easy to explain away, though. Right. So let's not do that.

SPEAKER_04 24:11

Don't do that. Just don't.

SPEAKER_02 24:12

Yeah. Take the moment and listen. So good. Awesome. Well, thank you so much for joining and just sharing your your expertise and your wisdom. Like you have so much spiritual wisdom that I I love having conversations with you. So thanks for sharing. Thank you, Jess. Yeah. Hey, can I ask you? You are um on our prayer team. Yes. Yeah. Can I ask you to pray us out? Yes. Yes. Awesome.

SPEAKER_04 24:40

Thank you. Father God, we praise you. We thank you for the mighty God that you are amazing. You are more than we can ever imagine. And Father, I thank you for the ones that you have brought to listen to this today. Father, that the hearts are open. And the hearts do want to learn. And Father, I thank you for those open hearts. And just um thank you for the work that you're doing in every person's life that are hearing these words today whenever they hear them, that they would listen and obey. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen. Amen.

SPEAKER_02 25:40

Awesome. Thanks, my friend. You're welcome. All right, guys, we'll catch you next time.

SPEAKER_00 25:45

We hope you enjoyed this episode of Midweek Motivation. To make sure you don't miss any content in the future, please subscribe, share, and if you enjoyed this, give us a like and consider popping by a Westside service some weekend. You can find out more at Westside Community Church.com.