HEARING GOD’S VOICE

Hearing God’s Voice

When we think about hearing God’s voice, it is important to start in the right place. The God of the Bible is omnipresent and desires to speak to us. God is spirit and He is three in one – God the Father, Jesus Christ the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Mankind was created because God is a relational God. He is from everlasting to everlasting, and although He has spoken in the past, He is also still speaking today. God’s love for mankind compels Him to speak, because He cares about us as a Father.

“God is constantly trying to speak to men. He desires to communicate Himself, to impart holy ideas to those of His creatures capable of receiving them.” A.W. Tozer

Knowing God’s Voice

A great starting point for hearing God’s voice comes from getting to know Him. Just like any relationship, the more we know someone, the easier we can recognise their voice. One of the ways we do this is by knowing His Word.

God is the living Word, so anything He says will always be in alignment with His Word. We find the foundation for all truth in the Bible. And scripture shows us that one of the key ways for hearing is from His Word.

Romans 10:17 (NKJV) So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

The more we know the Word of God, then the more we will hear the words of God.

Delighting In God

Another way to recognise the voice of the Lord is by delighting in the Lord. If we seek Him with all of our heart, we will find Him. And as we seek Him and delight in Him, He speaks to us!

Psalm 37:4 (NKJV) says, “Delight yourself also in the LORD, and He shall give you the desires of your heart.”

This verse doesn’t mean that if we love God, we will get everything we want. Firstly, the focus is to have a heart that delights in who God is. In other words, our greatest desire is knowing and loving God, even more than hearing Him speak.

Then, as we delight in Him, God takes desires from His heart and plants them into our heart. It is not about the fulfilment of what originates in us, but rather about receiving the desires themselves from our Father in heaven.

Am I really hearing God?

Questions and doubts can come when we are not sure whether we are hearing from God or not. The enemy often uses questions to make us uncertain about what God is saying. When we doubt, we question whether we can really hear God speak or even understand what He is saying. This is what happened in Genesis 3:1 when the serpent said to Eve, “Did God really say that?”

The question was intended to make Eve doubt the truth of what God was saying. And the enemy still uses the same methods today to make us doubt whether we are hearing the voice of God. This is where the importance of knowing of God’s Word comes into play. What God is saying now will never be out of alignment with what He has already said in scripture.

Confidence In God

When seeking to hear God’s voice, an understandable thought is that we don’t want to get it wrong. This is commendable, but that’s where another wonderful scripture works hand in hand with our faith.

Philippians 3:15 (NIV) All of us, then, who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you.

What a wonderful promise! If we are genuinely delighting in God with a desire to hear Him and represent Him well, He gives us permission to walk confidently. If we innocently get off track, He will make it clear to us. James 1:5-6 encourages us to ask God for wisdom, and to do so with faith rather than doubting. It’s similar to a small child with a loving parent. The child doesn’t second guess every decision – they just live life! But if they head towards something dangerous or unhealthy, they are lovingly redirected.

So be encouraged and keep leaning in to hear God’s voice! Sometimes we need to be intentional before something becomes instinctive. Delight yourself in who God is. Know His Word. Ask Father to speak to you. Then, if you have any thought or feeling that does not go against God’s Word, confidently say, “This is God!” and follow the promptings immediately. Faith pleases God!

So, ask Father right now to speak to you. If you stop and listen, you will hear His voice. It starts as a whisper in your spirit. As you wait on Him, God will reveal Himself to you. Expect to live life hearing God’s voice! Enjoy delighting in God, and find pleasure in hearing Him speak.

HEARING GOD’S VOICE