“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 that person, and they with me.”
– Revelation 3:20
We all want to experience the voice of God speaking in our hearts. But most of us struggle hearing him especially when we need his guidance the most. Learning how to hear God is crucial for our spiritual lives to grow and mature in our faith.
For me personally, the busier I am, the less I hear God. The more distracted I am in social media and surfing the internet, the more God’s message is muddled. The more I worry, the more God’s voice is stunted. When I haven’t been reading God’s Word, the wrong voices creep in.
But here’s good news! There are many ways to hear God. If we are committed to studying, practicing and learning, our communication with Him grows stronger. Here are five ways I discovered to hear God and hopefully they will help you.
- Read God’s Word: The Bible is the only written book you need to learn how to hear God. The Bible is God’s gift to help you know him and to discern the messages you receive. God’s Word is a living, breathing spirit that speaks to you through scripture to transform your mind, heart and soul. His word always leads you in the right path and never astray.
Have you ever read a passage and discovered it spoke to whatever you were going through? But then read the same thing years later to receive a completely different message? That’s because God knows what you need to hear in the present moment, giving you the right guidance to move forward.
Not only is it important to read the Bible, but study and memorize it. By meditating on God’s Word, the passages sink in allowing us to understand the deeper meaning of scripture while keeping us on the narrow path.
“Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.”
– Psalm 119:105 - Know God Wants to Talk to You: God created you for his purpose and wants a relationship with you. The best way to grow and nourish a relationship is through communication.
The more you communicate, the more you get to know God. The more you know God, the easier it becomes to hear and understand him.
Focusing on developing your relationship with God results in becoming more spiritually mature. With the right focus on creating a stronger connection, you will create clarity for concise communication that matters.
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”
– John 3:16 - Set a Daily Quiet Time: Create a consistent schedule to spend time with God reading his Word and following it with prayer daily.
Ok…I know you are saying to yourself, “Well, I don’t have time for this. I have way too much on my plate to sit in quiet time!”
But let me tell you this. God loves you and desires to spend time with you. He wants to hear your problems and concerns even though He already knows what they are.
If you have kids, you know how much you want them to come to you for their problems. God is the same way with you. You are child of God and he is your Heavenly Father who loves you so much and wants you to seek him with anything you need.
All you need is 15 minutes a day. That’s it. Just 15 minutes. Get up earlier, spend less time on social media or watch your favorite TV show later. Make quiet time with God a priority. You will never regret it.
“Seek the Lord and His strength; seek His presence continually!”
– 1 Chronicles 16:11 - Through Godly People: 100% I believe God speaks to us through our Christian brothers and sisters. Time and time again whenever I was going through something and needed guidance, God’s answer came through a sermon I heard in church, an unexpected message from a friend, or an article I read from a Christian-based blog.
These experiences are sometimes dramatic and often repeated. Hearing messages from God through a trusted friend is powerful and reassuring like receiving a big hug making you feel safe and secure.
“Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.”
– 1 Thessalonians 5:11 - When God Speaks, Act: God doesn’t just want you to listen, He wants you to act. What good is hearing his message if you don’t do anything about it? Sometimes he wants you to do something that challenges you. But whatever emotions arise, act anyway.
The more you obey, the stronger his voice will be making you more confident you are doing the right thing. If you disobey, you turn down the volume of his voice making it harder to hear creating discontent and frustration.
“It is the LORD your God you must follow, and him you must revere. Keep his commands and obey him; serve him and hold fast to him.”
– Deuteronomy 13:4
God is always speaking to us. But it’s up to us to create the space and the environment to hear his voice. If we listen with an open heart and respond with obedience, God will never fail us and always leads us down the right path.
Photo by Artem Kovalev on Unsplash
Jodi Heisz 