I’m going to state the obvious here: Lions and lionesses roar. The sound of their roar has the ability to travel five miles on the still night air. But they don’t use the power of their roar at any given time. If they did, they would make themselves known during a hunt or mistakenly lead predators to their cubs. They roar only when necessary: to rally straying members of the pride or to fend off rivals.
One lion’s roar is enough to shake the hearts of men and creatures in its path. As sons and daughters of the Most High, we have the potential of the roar, but not as individuals. I believe for humans the roar is a collective expression of more than voices. I believe it is the sound of people living their faith out loud while sharing hope and expressing God’s love.
Before we can roar, we must first find our declaration. This is often found in a gentle whisper (the complete opposite of a roar). The Magnificent One speaks in tender undertones, underscoring the harsh reality of our human life. We were created to hear our Creator. And thus our invitation to be quiet:
Be still, and know that I am God!
Psalm 46:10 NLT
God is willing to speak to all who are quiet enough to listen. Seasons of quiet listening can be uncomfortable, but it is a process we must go through if we ever want to find ourselves in the right position for God to say:
What I whisper in your ear, shout from the housetops for all the hear!
Matthew 10:27 NLT
Allow Him to speak into the depths of your soul and fulfill the longing of your heart. When we can no longer hold back His truth, love, and goodness, we’ll release a stirring declaration of all God is. As we exemplify our Lion, the world will hear His roar.
If we are ever going to produce a sound of such magnitude—a fearless proclamation, it will require a change in our posture. Let’s take our lead from the way a lion changes its position to produce a roar:
- It rises
We too must rise up and recover our feet. - It shakes or rouses itself
We must release ourselves from the lethargy of our day to day. - It drops its head
We must be humbled to repentance so that we are emptied of ourselves. - It inhales until it reaches capacity
When we are humbled, we are positioned to be filled by what God alone can provide. - It releases what is within
As we are truly filled with His life and light, we have something to release to others. - It listens for a response
We lift our voices first in a whisper, waiting for the echo of others. - It repeats all the steps above until it knows it is heard
When the whisper is echoed, we raise the volume and roar.
This stance of humility and prayer will position us to receive a fresh infilling of the breath of God’s Spirit. Lovely one, let’s lift our voices together.
