God is anointing our ears to hear a new sound. It's Heaven touching earth—the sound of answers to prayer on their way! And it comes with grace and comfort for every circumstance: "Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know" (Jeremiah 33:3 NKJV).
A Sound of Rain
Recently, as we were praying, Elijah's words came to mind: "there is the sound of abundance of rain" (1 Kings 18:41 NKJV).
It wasn't just a phrase. It was an alert—a summons: "Listen! Listen, for I have given you ears to hear. I am tuning your spiritual hearing to the sound of what I'm about to do."
Elijah heard rain before his servant saw the first cloud. While the land was still in drought, before the downpour arrived, the prophet responded to a noise. It wasn't physical rain but a sound of what was to come... a prophetic sound. That sound caused Elijah to announce the rain and to pray (1 Kings 18).
"Ask the Lord for rain in the time of the latter rain." (Zechariah 10:1 NKJV)
The Holy Spirit and Rain
Rain is a recurring theme in God's Word. God promises to send His Spirit like rain to bring us these things:
• Refreshment (Psalm 68:7–9; Acts 3:19)
• Empowerment (Acts 1:8, 2:17–18)
• Restoration (Joel 2:23–25; Hosea 6:2–3)
• A harvest of people turning to Him (Isaiah 44:3–5)
Of the Messiah, the psalmist writes, "He shall come down like rain upon the grass before mowing, like showers that water the earth" (Psalm 72:6 NKJV). Rain is often used in Scripture as a picture of the Holy Spirit poured out from Heaven. (Photo via Pexels)
When You're Longing for Change
In times of drought, we long for rain, and the land yearns for showers. Many are waiting for a move of God to reach this generation, and it feels long overdue—or for relief, provision, or change. If this resonates with you, be encouraged by this promise: "For I will pour water on him who is thirsty, and floods on the dry ground; I will pour My Spirit on your descendants, and My blessing on your offspring" (Isaiah 44:3 NKJV).
God's answer may lie beyond your horizon, but it's already in motion.
Hearing Precedes Movement
"Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; then he bowed down on the ground, and put his face between his knees, and said to his servant, 'Go up now, look toward the sea.'" (1 Kings 18:42–43 NKJV)
Elijah sent his servant to look for rain, for he was expecting it "now." Finally, on the seventh time, the servant reported a cloud "the size of a man's hand" (Kings 18:44). That small sign was a clear indicator that God was at work, and it was time for Elijah to run.
Responding to the Sound
There's a time to pray, but there's also a time to act. At the sound, Elijah prayed. Then at the sign he moved.
Sometimes, the sound itself is the sign to move. God spoke to David: "[W]hen you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the mulberry trees, then you shall advance quickly. For then the Lord will go out before you" (2 Samuel 5:24 NKJV).
Sound from Heaven
We can anticipate hearing the sounds of Heaven because it is filled with sound! And it is rich, abundant, and powerful. The Bible tells us of thunder and lightning around the throne (Revelation 4:5), and of voices, instruments, and declarations (Revelation 14:2–3).
Heaven releases sounds to herald what God is doing on earth:
• Angelic choirs (Revelation 5:11–12; Luke 2:13)
• Prophetic declarations (John 12:28–30)
• The voice of the Father (Luke 3:22)
On the Day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit came with a sound—the noise of a mighty, rushing wind (Acts 2:2)! When God speaks, His voice releases power that shifts things on earth.
"The voice of the Lord echoes above the sea. The God of glory thunders. The Lord thunders over the mighty sea. The voice of the Lord is powerful; the voice of the Lord is majestic." (Psalm 29:3–4 NLT) (Photo via Pexels)
Practical Ways to Hear the Sound
Jesus said of those who believed in Him, "Blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear" (Matthew 13:16 NKJV). The Greek word for "blessed," makarios, means "supremely blest," "fortunate," and "well off" (Strong's G3107).
Some ways we can participate in this include the following:
1. Ask God questions.
Here are some powerful prophetic questions: "Father, what are You doing?" or "What time is it?"
Ask and listen for what He says.
2. Wait in His presence.
Anticipate that the Holy Spirit will give you sensitivity to His voice.
"He awakens me morning by morning, He awakens my ear to hear as the learned." (Isaiah 50:4 NKJV)
3. Discern the time you are in.
Like the sons of Issachar, we can know the times and what to do (1 Chronicles 12:32). Like Solomon, we can pray and seek wisdom and discernment.
4. Believe God responds in real time.
As Elijah did, we can pray and keep watch for what God is doing.
"As soon as you began to pray, a word went out." (Daniel 9:23 NIV)
5. Spend time in worship.
Praise is the sound of Heaven on earth, and power is released as we participate in praise and worship (Acts 17:25–26).
An Invitation to Hear the Sound
If you've been waiting, longing for promises to be fulfilled, know this: There is a sound in the Spirit. It's a move of God, initiated by sound. You may not see it yet, but something has shifted. The drought is breaking. The heavens are heavy. And the rain of the Spirit is on its way.
So listen and pray. And when the time comes, move, because the sound of an abundance of rain is your invitation to participate in Heaven's downpour.
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Helen Calder
Enliven Ministries
Email:Â helen@enlivenpublishing.com
Website:Â www.enlivenpublishing.com
Helen Calder is a prophetic minister and writer, and founder of Enliven Ministries, in the David McCracken Ministries family. Helen has a unique gift of equipping in the areas of prophetic ministry, discernment and prayer. She is known for Enliven Blog, an online prophetic training and mentoring resource that reaches thousands of people globally. Helen and Malcolm have been married for over forty years and are at home in Planetshakers Church, Melbourne, Australia.
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