Hearing God's Voice
/For many of us, the idea of hearing God’s voice feels like a scene from a movie. Or perhaps something that may have happened in the Bible, but certainly doesn’t happen today. If we were to hear someone say they “hear from God” or “have conversations with God”, we might nod our head politely and then walk away questioning their sanity. Prayer, for the vast majority of us, is a one-way conversation where we submit a request to God in hopes that he hears us and answers it with a yes.
The truth is, our Heavenly Father loves to speak to his children. We see this throughout the Bible.
John 8:47a “Whoever belongs to God hears what God says.”
Psalm 85:8a “I will listen to what God the LORD says”
Jeremiah 33:3 “Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.”
He is always there, available and welcoming, to guide, reveal, comfort and speak truth. The question then becomes, how do we hear his voice? The first step is to believe what God shows us in the Bible, that he speaks. The next steps are to spend time with him and learn to recognize his voice. Allow me to encourage you with this – hearing God’s voice is for everyone. All it takes is stepping in. The enemy wants us to believe God is distant, that he is too busy to talk to us, that hearing from God is reserved for just a few. The enemy is a liar. (John 8:44). God is always present and is delighted when his children seek Him and enter into conversation with him. He is with you right now, ready to speak to your heart. He’s simply waiting for the invitation.
Before we go further, I’d like to clarify what I mean by “hearing God’s voice”. I have not experienced audibly hearing God speak. When I hear from the Lord, it often sounds like my own voice or thoughts. The question that immediately comes to mind, “then how do I know it’s God”? It is an excellent question and one we should always ask. We are encouraged in the Bible to test everything. (1 Thessalonians 5:21) The first test when listening for God’s voice is to always run what you hear through the filter of what we know to be true in Scripture. If you hear something negative or condemning, we know from Scripture God doesn’t speak to His children in that way. If you hear something that is aligned with the character of God, that is loving and gracious, that is the voice of our Father. One additional note – the voice of God is typically the very first response you hear when you ask him a question and right before you want to dismiss what you heard as being your own thoughts.
We encourage you to start listening for his voice today. Set aside 15 minutes to spend time with God. If you have a Bible, grab your Bible, pen, paper, and headphones if you’ve got a busy household and need to block out the household noise. We encourage you to turn your phone on do not disturb or if possible, leave it in the other room. The enemy will try and distract you so minimizing potential interruptions is helpful.
Today, we encourage you to spend some time with our Father praying and meditating on Psalm 139: 13-18. To begin, I encourage you to pray:
"Heavenly Father, I love you. I'm so thankful for you, your son Jesus, your living Word, your Holy Spirit. As I read your word today, will you reveal what you'd like to speak to my heart?"
The next step is to read the passage and underline the words that are standing out to you today.
13For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.
15 My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place,
when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
16 Your eyes saw my unformed body;
all the days ordained for me were written in your book
before one of them came to be.
17 How precious to me are your thoughts,[a] God!
How vast is the sum of them!
18 Were I to count them,
they would outnumber the grains of sand—
when I awake, I am still with you.
As you look at the words you've underlined, you can engage in a conversation with God asking him to reveal more. A few questions you can ask:
God, how do you feel about me?
God, what are your thoughts about me?
God, what do you want me to know today?
Write down what you hear. The first thoughts in your head, the words that you hear, write them down. Remember, it's ok if what you hear sounds like your own thoughts. Test what you hear with the character of God. He loves you and cannot wait to tell you just how much. As you hear His words of love and encouragement, soak in them. Breathe them in. This is who you are – a child of the King who LOVES you.
The final step is to close in prayer, praising him for who he is, thanking him for speaking to you, asking for his help to continue growing in relationship and conversation with him. We are praying for you as you step into this time with Him. For any questions on prayer or hearing his voice, please reach out to prayer@calvarylg.com.
Praying blessings of joy, peace, and beautiful conversations with our Father.
