HOW TO HEAR GOD’S VOICE - PART I

God is keen to communicate with His children. So it is reasonable for you to hear from Him.

God Talks

God wants to talk with us and wants us to hear. That may sound ridiculous to you, especially if you have never been aware of receiving anything from God. But it is true, none-the-less. The Bible is full of examples, in both the Ancient Jewish world and in New Testament times of the church age, where God gave direction, correction, instruction, comfort and wisdom to His people.

The very existence of the Bible itself is proof of God’s intention to communicate with all of us. As a Father He wants to instruct and guide His children.

A Few Bible Verses

Look at these Bible truths and see that they speak of God’s communication with ordinary Christians.

“For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.” Romans 8:14

“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me” John 10:27

“Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will
come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.” Revelation 3:20

“Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not
speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will show you
things to come.” John 16:13

“But the anointing which you have received of him abides in you, and you need not that any
man teach you: but as the same anointing teaches you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie,
and even as it has taught you, you will abide in him.” 1 John 2:27

Gideon’s Example

Consider how willingly God spoke to Gideon, who was called to lead Israel against the Midianites. First God sent an angel to tell Gideon that he was called to lead the people (Judges 6:12-16). When Gideon doubted the word and asked for a sign. He put a meal before the angel, who caused the meal to be consumed in fire. When Gideon then panicked, God spoke reassurance to him.

So right at the outset Gideon had an angelic visitation, a miracle and God speaking to him. This shows how willingly God speaks to His people.

But that’s not all. God then came to Gideon with an instruction about pulling down his father’s idols, which Gideon did (Judges 6:25-27).

As if that wasn’t enough, Gideon then experienced the Holy Spirit coming on him, inspiring him to call an army together to go to battle.

Then Gideon called on God to provide two separate signs to him that he was doing the right thing. Gideon put out a sheepskin (a fleece of wool) over two nights and asked that the dampness of the wool be reversed. God complied.

Then, as a final touch from God, Gideon was told to go to the enemy camp and spy on them, where he heard a Midianite explain that Gideon’s army was going to beat them, because of a dream.

Superlative Communication

Gideon’s case is chock full of communication from God in a bunch of different forms and at no point does God seem the slightest bit reluctant to speak, confirm and repeat the proof.

Rather than communication from God being rare and in limited supply, it is superlative. God gave Gideon more than he needed and more than we would have thought sufficient.

God went out of His way to accommodate Gideon’s need to be reassured. God is not trying to be difficult. God is Not the Problem

Our problem is not that God is not speaking, but that we are uncertain about whether what we are hearing really is God or not.

We need to become more confident in accepting what we are receiving from God. We need to tune in to the things God is saying and the various ways that He is speaking to us. We should also be more willing to ask God to speak.

God uses impressions, dreams, visions, promptings by the Holy Spirit, quickening of Bible verses, desires awakened in our heart, open or closed opportunities, peace in our heart, and various other means to confirm to us His will for our situation.

God is Speaking

Since God is speaking and is happy to speak clearly to us, the challenge now is to have the right preparation to be able to hear and act upon what God is saying.

The next part of this message will be under the heading, How to Hear God’s Voice II. In that post, you will see the simple protocols, which will help you discern the voice of God. That protocol involves the following steps: Ask God to speak; Expect the Unexpected; Test the Word; Get Wisdom; Act in Faith; Value the Mundane; and Keep a Kingdom Focus.

Written by Chris Field – June, 2009

If you are interested in more information or articles, please contact Rebecca at rsmcdowell@hotmail.com.