She's the wise, indefatigable friend you wished lived right next door. The friend who loves God. The friend who mentors and creates and serves. The friend whose favorite thing to do is work alongside Jesus. The friend who does all she can to equip you to be the person God made you to be. As a life coach, speaker, teacher, and author, Elisa Pulliam works to equip women, and the generation to come, to live lives of authenticity and courage. Through writing and speaking, Elisa communicates the message of Christ in 2 Corinthians—wanting women and girls to know the beauty and brightness of a life fully surrendered and awake to God. Since meeting Elisa years ago—sharing with one another the vulnerable stories that have made us who we are—I have wanted you to hear her voice—particularly her thoughts about imagination, faith, and listening to the voice of God. Here is my interview with Elisa Pulliam:

• Elisa, what are some of your very favorite things to do with God? How do you fit these things into your week, your day?

Hands down, my most favorite thing to do with God is to spend time in His Word. In the last few months, He’s grown my appetite for Scripture in such a way that I want to read the Word, un-rushed and without commentary or a Bible study. I’m in awe at how the Lord speaks to our hearts and gives us fresh understanding of familiar Scripture, simply through the work of the Holy Spirit. Fitting in this time is something I count as a privilege in this season and stage of life. As soon as the kiddos leave for school, I head straight for my time with the Lord before I start my work day. It’s a luxury to work from home! On the days I don’t have client appointments right away, I can linger long and spend extra time in prayer, journaling my longings and listening to the Lord, too.

• What obstacles distract you from getting into God’s presence—and what is your favorite way to pull yourself back?

The greatest obstacle is my desire to meet everyone’s needs and “getting everything done." I’ll break my own boundaries, allowing appointments and deadlines to crowd out the un-rushed time with the Lord that I know I need. If my mission is to live from the overflow of God in my marriage, motherhood, and missional work, then I need to make time for the necessary “in-flow” from God. When I realize I’m caught in a cycle of over-commitment with no margin space, I look ahead at the calendar and block off time to reconnect with God and re-assess my boundaries.

• How would you define God’s “voice”? Do you think it is possible for everyone to hear Him?

I do believe we can all hear from God, if we have placed our faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, and have received the Holy Spirit as promised in the Word. But I also think that hearing from God requires being in the Word consistently, under Godly teaching, and in biblically accountable relationships. And I believe we have to guard ourselves from the noise of the world, which will drown out the voice of God.

• What role does imagination play—if any—in having a conversation with God? Describe your state of mind—or your heart—when listening for God’s voice.

I am a super creative and visually-bent kind of gal, so my time with the Lord, and hearing Him throughout the day, tends to come in waves of metaphors and imagery. I see His lessons in the ordinary moments that take on some dual meaning and spiritual lesson.

• What are some favorite resources—music, books, media—that you treasure and can’t help recommending to friends?

My favorite two resources are quite dated, but timeless. Henry Blackaby wrote the Bible study, Experiencing God, which radically shaped how I see my purpose in joining God in His work daily. Anne Ortlund wrote Disciplines of A Beautiful Woman, which influenced my understanding of intentional discipleship and forged my concept of Biblical mentoring. That book also inspired a desire to create a plan for today’s woman to be as intentional and purposefully as Anne, which culminated in my book, Meet the New You: A 21-Day Plan for Embracing Fresh Attitudes and Focused Habits for Real Life Change. Elisa, thank you. So, go ahead, tell us in the comments . . . what resonated with you when you read Elisa's interview with us here?