So many people ask me, “How do you hear God?” Most Christians I meet say they have never heard God speak to them. I completely understand this. For many years after I became a child of God, I rarely ever heard Him speak to me. But…it was NOT because He wasn’t speaking; it was simply because I didn’t know how to listen.
I thought that outward obedience was enough to satisfy the inward hunger of my soul; thus, I never truly developed a close enough relationship with God to hear Him.
Conforming to rules isn’t enough to enable us to hear God. Granted, God is ALWAYS speaking and WILL be heard, even if it means He must speak to us out of the mouth of a donkey! (Read Numbers 22:21-39 to learn about that remarkable event.)
But, oh, my dear friend, God wants to share so much more with us than we can learn from conforming to outward obedience!
There are basically two obstacles to hearing God:
- We are spiritually dead because we have never received the GIFT OF SALVATION; or
- We are spiritually alive, but we have chosen to live in a spiritual coma
When we nourish our spirit man the way God intended, then our spiritual senses are developed and we begin to hear God. Jesus gave us a clear idea that we’re designed to hear Him when He said:
“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.”
(John 10:27)
When we passionately seek to know God by spending quality time with Him every day, we will begin to hear His Spirit speaking to us. In my experience, God speaks to me primarily through His Word, His Spirit, other Christians and His Creation. Though I’d say that more than 95% of the time, He speaks through His Word…reading, praying, and meditating on it.
For example, When I read,
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart; and lean not unto your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct your paths…”
(Proverbs 3:5-6)
I am inspired to meditate and ask God, “teach me.” I may begin to pray: “God I trust You so much, that I give you 100% of my heart, my time, my money and everything You have given me. Show me how to use it all. Guide me by Your Spirit. Help me to not miss even one opportunity to glorify You today. Keep me alert to the leading of your Spirit. Help me to walk in the path of peace.”
Then, throughout the day, I discipline myself to listen for His guidance with the goal of everything I do being–for HIS glory. It’s amazing how much that being in God’s Word and developing the mind of Christ changes the course of a day. A word about having the “mind of Christ,” it’s kind of like the unspoken communications between a happily married couple who have known each other for 50 years. We know God so well that we know His mind and what He wants us to do as each situation approaches.
God paid the ultimate sacrifice so we could live our best life.
God’s love is worth trusting.
God’s Spirit leads us where His love can keep us in perfect peace.
To learn more about Kimberly Faith and the mission of Faith Strong, click HERE.
Out Now – Essential Faith, Volume II. Find it on Amazon by clicking HERE.
