Preparing Your Heart to Hear Him. Listening to God is like listening to anyone-before you can hear Him; you must be ready to listen. Just as in a conversation, you cannot hear the other person if you are talking or if your mind is distracted. So it is with God. If you want to hear Him speak, you must be quiet and you must be focused on what He is saying. Prayer is how we begin a conversation with God. Think of it as saying "hello."
Listening to God - How Can we Hear Him?
John 1:1 declares, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God". Listening to God requires a deliberate choice to shut out the chaos around you and focus your thoughts. Is God someone you can hear?
We live in a world of noise. Almost everywhere we go, we find sounds competing with our minds, keeping us from letting our thoughts get below the surface level. Hearing God's voice means not listening to the noise of the world around us. It's not easy, but it can be done.
Psalm 143:8 David gave us a model for meeting with God, "Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul". He sought God's direction in the morning, at the beginning of the day. Like a general in God's army, he wanted to hear from his Commanding Officer before he entered into battle. Beginning each day fresh with God is a great reminder that, as the Scripture says; His mercies are new every morning.
Do you want to hear God speak to you? Listening to God requires regular Bible reading, since the Bible is the Word of God.
Listening to God - What Now?
Listening to God requires a right attitude in our hearts. In order to listen to God and receive His instruction, we must want to do His will. God honors the heart that is fully surrendered to Him. If we are stubbornly clinging to our own desires, we are likely to get a garbled message that will not be God's voice at all. As a result, we are likely to continue pursuing a path that is contrary to the one God has designed for our lives.
Hearing God by works: Do you remember when you were new in Christ? It seemed like every time you prayed to God for something it magically appeared. In March 1981 Jayne and I were preparing to move from Savannah to Ft. Lauderdale and I did not know what to do with our second car, 1969 VW, because we could not afford to move it. A few days after Jayne and I were discussing this, we started to get phone calls asking if we had a 69 VW for sale. After asking the callers how got our phone number, we found out that an ad had been placed in the Thrifty Nickel for a 1969 VW with our phone number listed. Now some may say this was just a mistake and that they phone number was put in wrong, but I say it was God helping out.
Psalm 40:8 "I desire to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart."
Do you desire God's will for your life above every other desire? If you do, you can trust that He will direct your path. Listen to His message, and be quick to obey. Write down what He tells you and be ready to share it so that others may understand.
When you listen to God and obey Him, you will discover a life that is full and rich with purpose, confident you are following the Master's plan.
Hearing God's Voice - Are You Ready to Listen?
Hearing God's voice is something we all long for-but did you know that it's not hard to do? In fact, God wants you to hear His voice! He doesn't speak to us through a quiver in our liver or through vibes or mediums. Hearing the voice of God is as natural as hearing a friend talking to you. What's more, we can hear Him everyday and not just on special occasions or by chanting special incantations. He speaks to us in the natural moments of life. Do you want to hear God's voice? Then you must be ready to listen.
Hearing God by actions: Sometime ago I was recalling an old bible study lesson that has stuck with me for years, which was based on Luke 20:25 …Then give to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's. The part that has always stuck with me was a discussion we had on traffic laws. I was driving to work and noticed several police on my commute. I remember thinking I should slow down my driving some, but with my 50+ mile commute, I though just a few miles an hour over the limit was okay. Well, you guessed it, that night on my way home I was stopped for speeding and the officer let me go with a warning. This officer was sitting in area that for last 4-5 years of driving on this road, I had never even seen any police. [And to be honest I do not expect ever to see one in that location again] Then for the next several days, I still wasn't listening to that voice and on my commute traffic would begin to slow me down. Slow cars would pull out in front of me for a few miles then turn off. As I would then speed up again I would encounter another slow moving vehicle that would impede my progress. Then I heard the little still voice in me tell me that this is God telling me to take it easy, pray to Him, and spend time with Him!
Hearing God's Voice - Why Do You Want to Hear Him?
Why do you want to hear God's voice? That may sound like a silly question, but motives are important in anything we do. The Bible says this about God's Word: Hebrews 4:12 "For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart."
Do you want to hear God's voice? If you do, it's possible you're hearing Him already, for He may be the one giving you the longing to hear Him.
"All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness." 2 Timothy 3:16
You may hear people say that the Bible is just a book written by men, but the Bible itself claims to be God's Word! Can we rely on it? The evidence of history, archaeology, fulfilled prophecy and personal testimony over thousands of years is overwhelming that the Bible is, indeed, God's Word. Do you want to hear God's voice? Then read the Bible. Find a good daily reading plan, and stick to it.
Hearing God's Voice through Prayer
When you want to have a conversation with someone, how do you begin? Do you stand in front of the person and hope they will talk to you? That might work, if the other person is outgoing enough, but usually we begin a conversation by opening our own mouths and talking, engaging the other person's attention. It's the same with God! He loves to hear us talk to Him, and it's in those moments that we prepare ourselves to hear the voice of God. Prayer is like saying, "Hello, God, it's me. I believe You created me and that You know way more about how I should live my life than I do. I'd like to get to know You better. Here's what's going on in my life, and I'd sure like Your thoughts on how to handle it. Would You please speak to me about this today?"
In an ordinary conversation, we speak, and then listen for the response of the other person. It's the same with God! Once we've prepared our hearts to listen through prayer, we're more likely to hear the voice of God. Does He speak to us through an audible voice? Some claim He does, but usually that's not the case. We may not actually "hear" the voice of God, but He speaks to us in many ways.
God speaks through His Word, through our thoughts, through conversations with others, through circumstances, and Hearing God's Voice through Jesus. The Bible also tells us that Jesus is God in the flesh. Therefore, if you want to hear the voice of God, you must study and know the teachings of Jesus. You must also have a personal relationship with Jesus. Have you ever tried to carry on a conversation of any depth with a person you did not know? It doesn't usually go very far and can be awkward.
Hearing God’s voice: Has anyone ever heard the voice of God? It is spooky. When I was 20 years old I was at a New Years Eve party and a few of us were all sitting around about 2am talking. Sam was being very obnoxious and several of us had asked him to chill out and sit down. Sam ignored us, until we all gave up. We were all sitting around wishing Sam would shut up and sit down, when over the stereo, plain as day, and a voice came out and very softly said, “Sam why don’t you sit down and be cool.” Wow! Sam came over, sat beside me, and asked if I heard that. I told him that it came from the stereo and it could only be God speaking to him. Sam was totally blown away, as were all of us. That was 1976. Do you that Sam and I saw each other about 3 years ago and we still talked about that.
Shortly before He was crucified, Jesus met with His disciples to reassure them of what would happen after He was gone. He promised them a helper: John 14:16-17 "And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever - the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you." The Holy Spirit, then, is the fulfillment of the way we hear God's voice!
Hearing God's Voice with the Help of the Holy Spirit
"But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you." John 14:26. The second chapter of Acts describes the events that occurred on the day of Pentecost, after Jesus ascended into Heaven. Verse 4 says they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, the Counselor promised by Jesus. This unique aspect of God's personality did not come to them as someone they could see and touch, but rather He came to live inside them. That same Spirit is available to you and me today. Are you a Christian? If so, you already have the Holy Spirit available to you. Ask God for a fresh filling everyday, and He will prepare your heart to hear God's voice. His Spirit, that still, small voice inside you, is the One who will remind you of what God said, and help you recognize God's opportunities in your life.
Hearing God's Voice - Conclusion of the Matter
So we have the Bible, prayer, Jesus, the Holy Spirit and our own hearts to help us in hearing God's voice. Do you want to hear God's voice? That is the final question, for God responds to willing hearts. In the book of Revelation, Revelation 3:20 we read: "Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me." God will never force you to obey Him, but waits for your willing response to His call. Are you hearing His voice right now? Don't let your final answer be the wrong one.
Listening to God - How Can we Hear Him?
John 1:1 declares, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God". Listening to God requires a deliberate choice to shut out the chaos around you and focus your thoughts. Is God someone you can hear?
We live in a world of noise. Almost everywhere we go, we find sounds competing with our minds, keeping us from letting our thoughts get below the surface level. Hearing God's voice means not listening to the noise of the world around us. It's not easy, but it can be done.
Psalm 143:8 David gave us a model for meeting with God, "Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul". He sought God's direction in the morning, at the beginning of the day. Like a general in God's army, he wanted to hear from his Commanding Officer before he entered into battle. Beginning each day fresh with God is a great reminder that, as the Scripture says; His mercies are new every morning.
Do you want to hear God speak to you? Listening to God requires regular Bible reading, since the Bible is the Word of God.
Listening to God - What Now?
Listening to God requires a right attitude in our hearts. In order to listen to God and receive His instruction, we must want to do His will. God honors the heart that is fully surrendered to Him. If we are stubbornly clinging to our own desires, we are likely to get a garbled message that will not be God's voice at all. As a result, we are likely to continue pursuing a path that is contrary to the one God has designed for our lives.
Hearing God by works: Do you remember when you were new in Christ? It seemed like every time you prayed to God for something it magically appeared. In March 1981 Jayne and I were preparing to move from Savannah to Ft. Lauderdale and I did not know what to do with our second car, 1969 VW, because we could not afford to move it. A few days after Jayne and I were discussing this, we started to get phone calls asking if we had a 69 VW for sale. After asking the callers how got our phone number, we found out that an ad had been placed in the Thrifty Nickel for a 1969 VW with our phone number listed. Now some may say this was just a mistake and that they phone number was put in wrong, but I say it was God helping out.
Psalm 40:8 "I desire to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart."
Do you desire God's will for your life above every other desire? If you do, you can trust that He will direct your path. Listen to His message, and be quick to obey. Write down what He tells you and be ready to share it so that others may understand.
When you listen to God and obey Him, you will discover a life that is full and rich with purpose, confident you are following the Master's plan.
Hearing God's Voice - Are You Ready to Listen?
Hearing God's voice is something we all long for-but did you know that it's not hard to do? In fact, God wants you to hear His voice! He doesn't speak to us through a quiver in our liver or through vibes or mediums. Hearing the voice of God is as natural as hearing a friend talking to you. What's more, we can hear Him everyday and not just on special occasions or by chanting special incantations. He speaks to us in the natural moments of life. Do you want to hear God's voice? Then you must be ready to listen.
Hearing God by actions: Sometime ago I was recalling an old bible study lesson that has stuck with me for years, which was based on Luke 20:25 …Then give to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's. The part that has always stuck with me was a discussion we had on traffic laws. I was driving to work and noticed several police on my commute. I remember thinking I should slow down my driving some, but with my 50+ mile commute, I though just a few miles an hour over the limit was okay. Well, you guessed it, that night on my way home I was stopped for speeding and the officer let me go with a warning. This officer was sitting in area that for last 4-5 years of driving on this road, I had never even seen any police. [And to be honest I do not expect ever to see one in that location again] Then for the next several days, I still wasn't listening to that voice and on my commute traffic would begin to slow me down. Slow cars would pull out in front of me for a few miles then turn off. As I would then speed up again I would encounter another slow moving vehicle that would impede my progress. Then I heard the little still voice in me tell me that this is God telling me to take it easy, pray to Him, and spend time with Him!
Hearing God's Voice - Why Do You Want to Hear Him?
Why do you want to hear God's voice? That may sound like a silly question, but motives are important in anything we do. The Bible says this about God's Word: Hebrews 4:12 "For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart."
Do you want to hear God's voice? If you do, it's possible you're hearing Him already, for He may be the one giving you the longing to hear Him.
"All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness." 2 Timothy 3:16
You may hear people say that the Bible is just a book written by men, but the Bible itself claims to be God's Word! Can we rely on it? The evidence of history, archaeology, fulfilled prophecy and personal testimony over thousands of years is overwhelming that the Bible is, indeed, God's Word. Do you want to hear God's voice? Then read the Bible. Find a good daily reading plan, and stick to it.
Hearing God's Voice through Prayer
When you want to have a conversation with someone, how do you begin? Do you stand in front of the person and hope they will talk to you? That might work, if the other person is outgoing enough, but usually we begin a conversation by opening our own mouths and talking, engaging the other person's attention. It's the same with God! He loves to hear us talk to Him, and it's in those moments that we prepare ourselves to hear the voice of God. Prayer is like saying, "Hello, God, it's me. I believe You created me and that You know way more about how I should live my life than I do. I'd like to get to know You better. Here's what's going on in my life, and I'd sure like Your thoughts on how to handle it. Would You please speak to me about this today?"
In an ordinary conversation, we speak, and then listen for the response of the other person. It's the same with God! Once we've prepared our hearts to listen through prayer, we're more likely to hear the voice of God. Does He speak to us through an audible voice? Some claim He does, but usually that's not the case. We may not actually "hear" the voice of God, but He speaks to us in many ways.
God speaks through His Word, through our thoughts, through conversations with others, through circumstances, and Hearing God's Voice through Jesus. The Bible also tells us that Jesus is God in the flesh. Therefore, if you want to hear the voice of God, you must study and know the teachings of Jesus. You must also have a personal relationship with Jesus. Have you ever tried to carry on a conversation of any depth with a person you did not know? It doesn't usually go very far and can be awkward.
Hearing God’s voice: Has anyone ever heard the voice of God? It is spooky. When I was 20 years old I was at a New Years Eve party and a few of us were all sitting around about 2am talking. Sam was being very obnoxious and several of us had asked him to chill out and sit down. Sam ignored us, until we all gave up. We were all sitting around wishing Sam would shut up and sit down, when over the stereo, plain as day, and a voice came out and very softly said, “Sam why don’t you sit down and be cool.” Wow! Sam came over, sat beside me, and asked if I heard that. I told him that it came from the stereo and it could only be God speaking to him. Sam was totally blown away, as were all of us. That was 1976. Do you that Sam and I saw each other about 3 years ago and we still talked about that.
Shortly before He was crucified, Jesus met with His disciples to reassure them of what would happen after He was gone. He promised them a helper: John 14:16-17 "And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever - the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you." The Holy Spirit, then, is the fulfillment of the way we hear God's voice!
Hearing God's Voice with the Help of the Holy Spirit
"But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you." John 14:26. The second chapter of Acts describes the events that occurred on the day of Pentecost, after Jesus ascended into Heaven. Verse 4 says they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, the Counselor promised by Jesus. This unique aspect of God's personality did not come to them as someone they could see and touch, but rather He came to live inside them. That same Spirit is available to you and me today. Are you a Christian? If so, you already have the Holy Spirit available to you. Ask God for a fresh filling everyday, and He will prepare your heart to hear God's voice. His Spirit, that still, small voice inside you, is the One who will remind you of what God said, and help you recognize God's opportunities in your life.
Hearing God's Voice - Conclusion of the Matter
So we have the Bible, prayer, Jesus, the Holy Spirit and our own hearts to help us in hearing God's voice. Do you want to hear God's voice? That is the final question, for God responds to willing hearts. In the book of Revelation, Revelation 3:20 we read: "Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me." God will never force you to obey Him, but waits for your willing response to His call. Are you hearing His voice right now? Don't let your final answer be the wrong one.
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