If we want to hear from God, let’s start by believing that He hears our every word and then humbly ask Him to speak to us.
After dropping off my youngest daughter at school in the mornings, I will usually walk back into a quiet house, take my cup of coffee out to the backyard, sit on my porch swing, and have a chat with God. It’s a bit of a welcome reprieve from the early morning rush. Yet, this time is so special because it often allows me to pause, take a breath, and let my blood pressure return to a somewhat normal state, just in time to place my fingers upon these keys and share my heart—with you.
While my (mid) mornings are a bit more peaceful these days, I can still easily recall a time when my house was a continuous bustle of noise, and dare I say quite chaotic. Quiet moments were sporadically tucked between naptime or the blessing of a grandparent getaway. However, what I remember the most might surprise you. As I hold many fond memories, I’m saddened by the many negative thoughts that continually pummeled through my mind, usually coming on strong and without warning, targeting my inadequacies and insecurities as a mom.
The truth is, I so badly wanted God to meet me in my motherhood journey back then and desperately longed to hear His voice. But I never did. At least not in the way I had imagined, because I allowed my own perceptions of how to hear God’s voice cripple me, along with the false narrative that I allowed to play on constant repeat in my mind. Let’s just say God didn’t verbally speak to me. He never has. Over time, I’ve come to realize that it is highly unusual and very rare for God to speak to us audibly, and maybe for good reason. I mean, could you imagine if He did speak to us out loud, what our response might be?
Yet, the beauty about our God is that He knows what we need to hear and how we need to receive it. Our purposeful God is always willing and ready to hear from us so we can hear from Him. And in this beautiful exchange, we are actively invited and encouraged to engage and pursue Him. The bottom line is that it starts with a heart posture that is attentive, observant, and obedient.
So, while our confusing and somewhat demeaning inner thoughts can be loud and the lies can sting like fiery arrows, we must recognize that God has a way of meeting us right where we are, mess and all, and He speaks directly to our hearts with a message that is comforting and full of peace. Sweet sister, are you ready to decipher God’s voice from your own destructive inner ramblings? Well, then read on, because I personally believe it all starts with a two-way conversation, and then trust me, God will take it from there!
It’s Starts with a Two-Way Conversation
As believers, we will quickly claim that there is power in our prayers, yet we may fail to realize the connection and impact it has on hearing from God. Prayer is our personal hotline to God. Did you catch that? If we truly want to hear from God, we simply need to talk to Him!
Unfortunately, the enemy wants you believe that the only way you can hear from God is from the insight of others. You know those wise pastors, biblical scholars, or even that Instagram spiritual leader that must somehow have direct access to God that you don’t. While gaining wisdom from those who may have more seminary degrees is surely helpful in building our faith, they will not give you direct access to God. Don’t fall for that! That is an inner thought (lie) you need to expel right now. That’s because prayer is about creating this lovely relationship with God. Just you and Him! No intercessor is needed.
In Matthew 7:7, Jesus reminds us that we must come to prayer with a desire to intimately and eagerly seek God while whole-heartedly knowing that He hears our prayers. Even more, He will answer them! If we want to hear from God, let’s start by believing that He hears our every word and then humbly ask Him to speak to us.
God’s Voice Aligns with Scripture
If we want to truly be able to distinguish God’s voice above all the other noise and distractions this life can bring, we must know the nature of His character and how He would talk to us. Think about how you feel when you meet with your bestie and end up talking for hours. It’s like that, but a thousand times better! Every time you open His precious love letters, you are opening up a dialogue to hear from Him. Not to mention, the more we meet with God through His Word, the more we come to understand the magnitude and gentleness of His loving voice. How incredibly sweet is that?
Scripture tells us that we will know the sound of His voice as we walk in obedience and follow His ways (John 10:27-28). God will light our way with truth and always lead us to the path of righteousness (Psalms 119:110). His voice may convict but will never condemn (John 16:7-8). God uses our circumstances to shape and mold us to become more like Christ (Romans 8:28-29). God’s voice is like a calm river, but with a clap of thunder (Psalm 29:3), insinuating that God is gentle but affirmative, just like any loving father. Yet, God being the ultimate Father, speaks with firm and loving authority, offering us safe boundaries in which to live in this fallen world.
So, when we are entertaining the voices in our head, we must ask ourselves two questions:
1. Does this sound like something your best friend, Jesus, would say to you?
2. Does this thought line up with Scripture?
God’s Speaks Through the Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit is often a misinterpreted force and person of the trinity. While we can place much of our focus on the Father and Son, the Holy Spirit is a vital part in our walk with God and gives us the unique ability to fellowship and commune with Him. The Bible tells us that when God first created mankind, He breathed a “spirit” into Adam (Genesis 2:7). Jesus is also portrayed as a Spirit in 2 Corinthians 3:17. When Jesus appeared before the disciples after His death and resurrection, He breathed to them, and they “received the Holy Spirit” making a new creation (John 20:22). These verses give us the illusion that God isn’t just a creator that is invisible, infinite, and omnipresent, but He holds a special spot in His heart for His children and has a purpose to use each of us to grow the Kingdom!
How do we get in tune with the Holy Spirit? The Holy Spirit can surely speak to us through our prayers and The Word, yet we can simultaneously have a random thought or certain situation that plagues our heart, prompting us to take action. This is the way in which the Holy Spirit moves as it is led by the power of God. It causes us to do God’s will and calls us to all kinds of places to shine His radiant glory. What a precious gift we have been given and a beautiful way we can commune with our God!
Our Circumstances Come into Play
God tells us that there will be trials in this life and that we will encounter hardship. We can be certain of this. However, it is often in these times where we can either feel close to God or a sense of disconnect. In our humanness, we can discount how God is moving in our lives and easily be swayed by our emotions, giving our circumstances leverage to overtake our thoughts. This is precisely where the outside pressures of this world and the enemy collide, targeting our already worn and weary mind with malicious thoughts.
But take heart, as John 16:33 tells us. While the enemy would love nothing more than for us to take the bait of his tantalizing temptations that always come with temporary benefits, God speaks with power over our circumstances and reminds us that this life is full of seasons (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8), and the pain won’t last forever. God also proclaims joy over our circumstances and chants victory, stating that one day we will be in His full presence (2 Corinthians 4:18).
We can also take comfort in knowing that the enemy even tried tempting Jesus in the wilderness when He was tired and hungry (Matthew 4:1-11), but was not successful. Jesus provides a way for us to escape the schemes of the devil by recognizing the liar’s voice and combating it with Scripture. As we come to know God through prayer, dig into His Word, and tap into Holy Spirit, we can come to hear the still, soft nature of God’s voice, giving us the power to call on Him for help when lies infiltrate our minds. Remember that God is made perfect in our weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9), and He can and will use each and every circumstance in our lives to exude His glory, allowing us to praise His holy name (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)!
Father God, we seek to know You better and long to hear the mighty power and gentleness of Your voice. Help us shut down the lies of this world with the truths found in Your Word, give us the means to lean into the Holy Spirit, and use our circumstances to grow us closer to You. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Photo Credit: ©Pexels/Dương Nhân
