God speaks to anyone, at any time, through any means He chooses, regardless of whether the person is actively listening for His voice. (Consider how, in Numbers 22: 20– 28, God boldly chose to communicate with the prophet Balaam through his donkey!) Nevertheless, Scripture provides clear principles that empower us to be ready to hear His voice.
Here are five basic prerequisites that are commonly found in people who hear God’s voice on a regular basis.
1. We Must Recognize the Importance of Seeking God’s Voice
If we want to hear God’s voice, we must first understand the importance of it. Those who listen to God’s voice understand that this is how God designed the Christian life to be lived.
Romans 8: 14 declares
“Those who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.”
Our spiritual and personal growth depends on receiving and responding to His leadings. Only when we hear God’s voice, and follow His leading, can we remain in the center of His will, experiencing all that He has for us. “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” (Revelation 3: 20). The Holy Spirit desires to lead and guide you. He knows the path that will glorify the Father and be productive for you, and He wants to put you on it, but if you are not listening to Him, you will not know where He is going. Jesus promised that the Holy Spirit “will guide you into all truth” (John 16: 13), but He can only do that as you are sensitive to His prompting and leading.
2. We Must Commit to Obeying God’s Voice
If we want to hear God’s voice, we must be committed to obeying it. How can you expect God to give you more information, if you are not even acting on what He has already revealed in the Word? We must be living according to God’s commands to learn His will. Sometimes we can feel distant from God because of something we have done. Sin in our lives can have a powerful disconnecting effect that causes us not to hear God’s voice. We must individually repent of sin in our lives to clear the channels between us and God. “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is— His good, pleasing and perfect will” (Romans 12: 1– 2). We must realize that the only “good move” is “God’s move.” “ The sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice” (John 10: 3– 4). Jesus exhorts, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear” (Mark 4: 9). The Greek verb akouo refers to more than the ability to hear audible sound and understand its meaning. It is clear that “hearing” has everything to do with the attitude of the Christian disciple. “Hearing” has to do with a person’s willingness to be changed by what he or she hears (Hayford 2001, 30– 31). If we do not follow through on the Holy Spirit’s leadings, He may see no reason to continue speaking.
3. We Must Stop Long Enough to Hear God’s Voice
A primary reason many Christians do not hear God’s voice is that they do not stop long enough to let Him get a word in. Our culture operates at such a fast pace; we go to work early and stay late. We take work home and make phone calls while we drive. We check our e-mail from our palm pilots as we watch the news and eat our dinner. The pace never lets up, and while there is never a dull moment, there is seldom a reflective moment either. Where does the still, small voice of God fit into our hectic lives? When do we allow Him to lead and correct and affirm? And if this never happens, how can we be led by the Spirit? We must schedule times of stillness that make communication possible. The story is told about an old man who had become concerned about his wife’s hearing. He was convinced that she could not hear, but he could not get her to admit she had a problem and see a doctor. One day he decided to prove his point. He entered their living room where his wife was seated, facing the fireplace. From behind her he said in a clear voice, “Honey, I love you. Did you hear that?” No response. He walked halfway across the room and repeated, “Honey, I said I love you. Do you hear me?” Nothing. Finally he walked over, stood in front of her, and shouted, “I love you. Can you hear me now?” She looked up from her knitting and replied, “Yes dear, and for the third time, I love you too” (Moon 2004, 84). “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” Any parent knows about ears that do not hear. “But I did not hear you,” a child protests, after clear instructions. A revealing comparison— for we often fail to “hear” God’s clear commands (Yancey 2006, 187). Listening is an important part of hearing. We need to develop a lifestyle that allows opportunities to slow down and listen to His voice so we can lead an authentic Christian life. Most of us have to be intentional about stopping long enough, and quieting ourselves, to be in a position that we can hear His voice. We must turn everything else off; tune it out. If there are distracting thoughts, jot them down and forget about them. May we say, like the young Samuel, “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening” (1 Samuel 3: 9).
4. We Must Learn to Recognize God’s Voice
Sometimes when God speaks, we may not recognize it as God because we are not accustomed to hearing His voice. If we want to hear God’s voice, we must learn to recognize the sound of it. Jesus said, “My sheep know my voice” (John 10: 27). We must spend enough time with the Shepherd that we know His voice when we hear it. Some people only come to God when they are in trouble and need help. But if they are not used to hearing from God, they will find it difficult to recognize His voice when they really need Him. Jesus knew that the practice of solitude sharpens our awareness of God’s presence and helps us learn to discern God’s voice. Jesus often retreated from people to better discern the will of His Father (Matthew 4: 1– 11; 14: 14, 23; 17: 1– 9; 26: 36– 46; Mark 1: 35; Luke 6: 12). We learn to recognize His voice as we actively listen for it. The following story illustrates this point well. A zoologist was walking down a busy city street with a friend. In the midst of the honking horns and screeching tires, he exclaimed to his friend, “Listen to that cricket!” The friend looked at the zoologist in astonishment and asked, “You hear a cricket in the middle of all this noise and confusion?” Without a word, the zoologist reached into his pocket, took out a coin, and flipped it into the air. As it clinked on the sidewalk, a dozen heads turned in response. The zoologist said quietly to his friend, “We hear what we listen for.” What are you listening for? Are you able to discern God’s voice in the midst of life’s noise? We must be listening for, and able to recognize His voice if we want His guidance.
5. We Must Anticipate Hearing God’s Voice
If we want to hear God’s voice, we must expect that He will speak to us. We need to work on the sensitizing of our hearing— having ears to hear. Become intentional in listening for God. Ask God, “Lord, if you could say anything to me right now, what would you say?” Have a journal open, and be ready to write the ideas that come to mind. When He speaks, make note of what God has said, and look for ways to apply what you have heard. Write what you sense you have heard (a word, phrase, passage of Scripture, and so forth) and carry it with you throughout the day. We really do forget most things unless we record or apply them in some way. If you do not hear anything, relax and enjoy the stillness. Be assured that God is present. During these times we can learn to be content with His presence, with or without any specific message or insight.
Further Reading
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