How Can I Learn to Hear from God?
Let me start by saying this blog post is adapted from a short (six minute) message I presented as part of the internship program at our church. It was well received, so I pray it provides value to you as well.
Let’s start with a question
Who do you listen to the most? I know for me it’s my amazing wife Sally. She is the person whose input I value more than any other. Is she the wisest person I’ve ever met? She would humbly, but emphatically say no. But I would NOT ever disparage her wisdom.
Y’all, we’ve been very happily married for over 32 years. I’m not falling for a rookie mistake like that. It’s not as hard as the ‘do these capris make me look fat’ trick, but still, I’m no fool. Seriously though, she absolutely is the wisest person for me to listen to. I wish I had time to tell you some of the stories of how the Holy Spirit has spoken to me through my lovely bride, my favorite girl.
Here’s another question. Who is wiser than anyone else? Of course, that’s God. So, He is the One we should listen to the most. But there is one problem. We’ve been led to believe it’s hard to hear from God. Y’all, if that were true, how could we believe James 1:5:
“If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking.”
-James 1:5 NLT
The truth is, God wants you to hear from Him. And He speaks to us in three primary ways.
God Speaks to Our Ears
Let’s jump into something Paul wrote.
“And he (God) gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ.”
-Ephesians 4:11-12 ESV
Beloved, one way God speaks to us is by us listening to other mature Jesus followers. Now, I spent quite a bit of time talking about this in another recent blog post, Is There a Quick, Simple Way to Grow Closer to God?
But the gist is to take time we are already using listening to or watching media that is not benefitting our relationship with God and redeeming it into God time. I would like to add one caveat. Make sure you are listening to voices which preach the Bible truly and accurately and apply it to life very well. Some suggestions would be: LifePoint Church, Church of the Highlands, Life.Church, and Gateway Church.
God Speaks to Our Eyes
You know where else God speaks to us? Through our eyes. Take a look (pun intended) at Joshua 1:8 (NIV):
“Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.”
Beloved, have you ever done “check the box” devotions? You know, a couple of verses, a couple of paragraphs, and you’re all Bibled up for the day. Sisters and brothers, that is NOT feasting on the Word. We need a full on, heaping to overflowing seven-course meal of the Word of God, every single day. You can’t get to know God; you can’t hear the full range of God’s voice for you by picking out a verse here and there. Go all in. Read big sections and when the Holy Spirit hits you with a truth, take some time to chew on it for a while. Your spiritual growth is limited by how much time you spend in God’s word on a consistent basis. God speaks to your eyes through His word.
God Speaks to Our Hearts
Oh beloved, this last one unexpectedly changed my entire life. I was reading a book, Fear is Not the Boss of You, by Jennifer Allwood. 233 pages and I only remember one thing…but it was the most important thing for me.
Here is what she said (paraphrased), “When you pray, ask for your requests, Jesus told us to do so. But then ask the Holy Spirit to speak to you directly and wait until He does.” Family, before God showed me that truth, I had often prayed in direct violation of Matthew 6:7.
“When you pray, don’t babble on and on as the Gentiles do. They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again.”
-Matthew 6:7 NLT
I was a babbler, FOR REAL! Same prayer, same requests, almost the exact same words, over and over. I’d say my piece and then “in Jesus’ name amen” then go on about my business. Is that how we build friendships? Tell them all about us and what we care about and then, “see ya later!” I hope not. Nobody likes that self-centered babbling person.
Here is the key that escalated my prayer life, and because of that, everything else in my life as well. Pray your requests, then ask the Holy Spirit to speak to you. And sit in the silence until He does. You’ll get ideas, solutions, and guidance you won’t get any other way. God wasn’t kidding in James 1:5 when He promised us wisdom if we asked, but y’all we need to sit still long enough to hear the answer. Make your prayer time at least 80/20. Give God a good 20% (or more) of your prayer time to speak to you. If you do, you’ll be amazed!
A Quick Summary
Beloved, you can learn to hear God…because He loves to talk with you. Listen with your ears to great Bible teaching. Listen with your eyes by reading BIG chunks of the Word of God. And listen with your heart by allowing the Holy Spirit time to respond to you in prayer.
If you have follow-up thoughts, feel free to reach out to me directly via our contact form. Also, if you’d like to learn more about me and why I create all this content about following Jesus, check out my About page.
Love you Jesus follower!