"I’ve been told I can hear the voice of God but, when I’m sitting in my room with my Bible, I really feel like I can’t. I ask questions and I wait patiently but it feels like nothing comes. Thoughts pop into my mind – and sometimes they’re good ideas or helpful answers – but I don’t know if it’s God or just me. Help!"
Maybe this is how you feel too. The purpose of this blog post is to move you to a place where you can confidently say "I can hear God's voice!"
In John 10 we hear Jesus saying, “My sheep hear my voice.” That is a good place to start. Don’t shut down just because it's a scripture you’ve heard a million times! You see, the Word of God is:
- Living and active.
- Your daily bread.
- God’s will for your life.
- What renews your mind and transforms you.
- What framed the universe.
- What we use to frame our world.
So, what does that have to do with hearing God?
Everything.
God speaks to you through His Word.
Now don’t trip up on this. You may be thinking, “Okay I hear you, but the question I have for God is ‘What should I study?’ and I know I’m not going to find the name of a course written in the Bible.” No, you won’t find the names of a course or your future spouse or the city you should move to in the Bible – but that doesn’t mean you won’t find the perfect answers to every question in the Word. Because they're in there!
However, it’s important to note that God is not a genie – and His Word is not there simply so you can get answers on how to live your best life your way. No. The Word reveals Jesus to us by the Holy Ghost. And our instruction as Believers is to ‘seek first the Kingdom and His righteousness.’ As we do this, as we prioritise the Kingdom, God does everything else: He meets our needs, He fulfills our desires, and He helps us with the answers we're seeking.
Take a moment to check your heart. If you know that you've been prioritising yourself over God then simply repent and make the quality decision to seek first the Kingdom from this day forward.
Okay, now back to hearing God’s voice. The Word says that if you are His sheep, you hear His voice. That is the beginning and the end of the matter. It is IMPOSSIBLE that you are the one exception to the rule and that God talks to each one of His people – except you.
You may say “But then why does it feel like I can’t hear God?” Well, here are 4 things to consider:
- First, your feelings are lying to you.
- Second, the enemy wants to tempt you into believing that God doesn’t want to talk to you – he wants you to think that perhaps God’s being quiet because He’s angry with you or He’s not interested in answering you. (Both are lies).
- Third, sometimes you overcomplicate hearing His voice. Hearing God’s voice is the most natural thing for you as a born-again Believer. After all, you are only saved because God called you first! God doesn’t speak to you as booming thunder: He speaks to you in a still, small voice of calm. Sometimes you expect to hear God audibly in your ears. This is not the primary way God speaks to His children, and most people will never hear the audible voice of God during their life on earth.
- Lastly, most of the time you may expect to hear the voice of God as a thought in your mind. God does not speak to your mind! He speaks to your spirit.
So, what now? Having read all this, how can you practically move forward regarding hearing God’s voice?
- Settle it in your heart that the Word of God is not lying to you when it says that you can hear the voice of God.
- Repent to the Lord for your unbelief regarding hearing His voice. (This is not intended to bring shame. God never wants to shame you. But faith pleases God – and unbelief does not. You are forgiven immediately when you repent, and then you can go forward in freedom.)
- Meditate on John 10, and never stop meditating on it. Put it in the first person and declare “I am Your Sheep, Jesus! I hear Your voice! Thank you!”
- Seek first the Kingdom every day for the rest of your life.
- Invite the Holy Ghost to teach you the Word as you read the Bible. Let Him reveal Jesus to you.
- Ask God your questions: He will answer you. You will know in your spirit what the answer is. And the Lord will confirm it with His Word.
- Whenever a thought about being unable to hear God’s voice pops into your head, recognise it as a trick of the enemy and take it captive. As soon as the thought registers in your mind, simply declare “I take that thought captive to the obedience of Jesus Christ. I know that I hear your voice, King Jesus, and I don’t pick up on this lie!”
- Luke 11:9 says "So I say to you, Ask and keep on asking and it shall be given you; seek and keep on seeking and you shall find; knock and keep on knocking and the door shall be opened to you." God wants to give you what you're asking for! Sometimes you need to persevere a bit and choose to continue asking and seeking and knocking instead of doing it once and giving up.
God loves talking to you!
Infinitely more important than the blog post above are the scripture references below. Take a moment to read through them now.
My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand. I and My Father are one.
John 10:27-30
For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
Hebrews 4:12
And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
Romans 12:2
By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.
Hebrews 11:3
But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.
Matthew 6:33
But the Helper (Comforter, Advocate, Intercessor—Counselor, Strengthener, Standby), the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name [in My place, to represent Me and act on My behalf], He will teach you all things. And He will help you remember everything that I have told you.
John 14:26
We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ
2 Corinthians 10:5