Have you ever heard anyone say “You just know that you know when something is right? Like knowing when you’re in love, or when God speaks to you.
For most people, “knowing that you know” is an unhelpful description. What is that supposed to mean? But there is help, at least for knowing if you’ve heard God.
It’s a myth that hearing God’s voice is just open to a spiritual elite or a select few. There are a few things you need to know to learn how to hear God’s voice.
Who does God talk to?
God is a loving Father who wants to speak to everyone. In John 1027, Jesus said: “My sheep hear My voice.” If you’re a follower of Jesus, you can hear Him.
Throughout the Bible, and in history since, there are clear examples of God speaking to all types of people from all walks of life.
How does God Speak?
If you look at Hollywood for example, you are probably expecting a “big booming” voice from the clouds. But in 1 Kings 19, God shows Himself in quite the opposite way. When Elijah wanted to hear God he didn’t hear Him in the wind, an earthquake, or a fire, but in a gentle whisper.
Of course, God is able to get our attention in that vivid resounding voice, but that’s not always the way it happens. Only a few times have I been awoken from a dead sleep, with the vivid voice of God and it’s usually because I have been missing the more subtle one. It’s like Him telling me, “You better listen and do it now.”
In the Bible, God speaks through dreams, visions, pictures, scriptures, prophets, His subtle voice, angels, miracles, and even a donkey. God is not limited in the ways He can communicate with us. We are the ones who limit Him.
Who are you listening to?
Hearing God is about learning to listen for a whisper, asking God to speak in the quiet of your mind. But what if other inner voices seem much louder and clearer? How can we tell if we are hearing God, and not something else?
There are three options for who we might hear when we’re listening out for what God is saying. Yourself, Satan, or God. Let’s hope you can differentiate between the three:
- Yourself
Your one thought is probably going to sound logical, or analytical. It will sound like the kind of things you often think.
2. Satan
Satan always condemns us. His purpose is to steal, kill, and destroy. So if the thoughts you’re hearing are negative, destructive, vicious, or accusing it’s the enemy.
3. God
When God speaks, it always lines up with the Bible -His character and His actions. He is kind, loving, and does not condemn.
My Pastor always says that “God speaks to us every day.” We just need to listen and obey.
There are four keys to hearing God’s voice, that people from all over the world can use:
- Be Still: Quiet Yourself Down.
In our crazy- bust lives, it’s important to take some time out to find peace and listen to God without any distractions. Find a quiet spot, get comfortable, and get rid of any distractions like computers, cell phones, etc… Keep a paper and pen close by for the items on your to-do list, that will inevitably pop into your mind.
Welcome the Holy Spirit, simply by saying, “Holy Spirit, I welcome You. Come and be here with me.”
- Look: Fix Your Eyes On Jesus
Use the eyes of your imagination to picture Jesus. You might see in black and white or color, or a still image or a movie on the screen in your mind.
Most of us have been told at some point in our lives that it’s not good to use our imagination. But, if it’s so bad why do we have one? It’s important to remember that people heard from God through visions all throughout the Bible. Jesus even used vision to connect with the Father. “The Son can do nothing by himself, he can do only what He sees His Father doing” ( John 5:9).
As you picture Jesus, ask Him a question, “Jesus what do you want to say or do today?
- Listen: Tune To The Spontaneous Flow
Listen to what Jesus is saying. His voice might not be audible, but God often speaks in our thoughts. It might sound like your own thoughts at the start, but as you practice, you’ll be able to more clearly distinguish God’s voice.
This is where the last key comes in.
- Remember It
- Write it down if you have to. write it down just as you heard it -unfiltered. Don’t worry about spelling correctly or grammar, and don’t try and correct it with your own beliefs or views.
The last thing you should do it to obey what God told you. What’s the point of hearing God’s voice if you’re going to ignore it and not act on it?
Believe me when I tell you, I have brushed off somethings that God has told me, and I have always regretted it.
From Pity to Praise 