Naomi Raine Gives Powerful Reminder of How We Hear From God
By Movieguide® Contributor
Singer Naomi Raine reminded her listeners that their relationship with God does not have to look a certain way. Communing with God is what matters.
“I love the Bible, but the Bible that we read, the people that are in it did not have one,” Raine said. “Yet they were still able to walk with God. Yet Abraham was able to hear God tell him to go to a place that He was going to show him. Some of the way we have been brought up is to believe that in order to have a relationship with God you have to do A, B and C, when God is like, ‘I’ve got A through Z for you. But you’ve been focusing on this one little part and really that part is not even the first part.’”
While the Bible is God’s word and is the best way to hear Him, it is not the only way to hear His voice.
“There are countries and nations in this world where people are not able to legally have Bibles, yet they have thriving relationships with Jesus Christ,” Raine said. “I think sometimes we have put devotionals or journaling or these other things – they are beautiful, they are tools, they are good for us – over praying, over actually communing or talking to the Lord.”
“What would make Abraham, a pagan, say, ‘I’m just gonna listen to what You’re saying?’ He recognized He is God. Moses, God stops him with a burning bush. God will get your attention; I think the onus is on us to respond to where He is trying to get our attention.”
Sometimes, we can become so attached to our routines that we place too much of an emphasis on them and forget to look for God in other parts of our lives. We begin to take on the mindset that those routines are what make us followers of Christ rather than where we are at with God.
“Paul talks about this in Galatians. He’s like, ‘You foolish Galatians. Who’s bewitched you? Who’s tricked you into thinking that what you’ve got and what you’ve gained by grace you now have to keep by the law?’” Raine said.
“There’s nothing against growing and spiritual disciplines, but what I’ve noticed about the spiritual disciplines that we see Jesus do, most of it has to do with denying ourselves,” she continued. “Many of us don’t want to pray. Many of us don’t want to fast. Many of us don’t want to be quiet. I think there are so many voices that are speaking to us that have caused us to get into this guilt and shame cycle.”
Raine rose to prominence during her time with Maverick City Music, and she released her first solo album, “Journey,” in 2022.
“The music helps me talk to God, it helps me hear from him, it helps me vent and it helps me show people what my conversations with him are like,” said Raine. “This is my tool of catharsis, it’s how I heal and feel. For me, each song is a journey.”
“I hope they get that God loves us,” she said of the album. “He’s okay with us being honest. That honesty is the journey…I think our creator is more okay with our humanity and the truth of who we actually are than even we are. I also hope they become self-aware and be okay to take the journey that God has us all on.”
Movieguide® previously reported on Raine:
Grammy-winning gospel singer Naomi Raine is emphasizing the importance of remembering God’s purpose for us.
“Sometimes we get so focused on our purpose that we forget that our purpose should be a part of God’s greater purpose and His will,” she said in a recent TBN video. “Preach the gospel, heal the sick, cast out the devils; this type of stuff.”
Raine continued, “I’m just trying to see, ‘Okay, Lord, in whatever I’m doing, how am I accomplishing this great commission that you’ve given us?’”
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