The Journey - Learning to Hear God
Dialogue with God is not only possible, it is essential. Ability to hear our Teacher is a necessary part of being one of Jesus’ disciples. There is great joy in discovering experientially that God really wants to be with us and talk with us. —David Takle (1)
Greetings! Thanks for joining in! We are on a journey to learn about and experience Life with God. An important part of our life with Him is hearing God.
As time goes by, I am increasingly aware of my need to hear God. So many choices lay ahead of me, it’s hard to know what is best. There are times when I thought I had the answer, then later realized I had not sought to hear God and reaped the consequences. And too many times my motivations are crooked (and I don’t even know it!) My hidden agendas can be –
I want to be liked.
I want to be successful.
I want to get what I want.
But none of that is where God is moving! I need to hear His voice and know that I am hearing Him.
Last time, we talked about how our Divine Friendship with God can help us hear God in conversation with Him. This time we are going to dig deeper –
What is it like to experience hearing God’s voice?
How do we know His voice, over all the other voices that are in and around us?
First, there are no “techniques” for hearing God. No three-step programs or ten-step processes. Hearing God is about staying close to our Divine Friend. Getting to know Him so well that we naturally want to hear what He has to say, and we know what His voice sounds like.
Next, we need to keep returning to the character of God. Out of His character flows the distinctive content and tone of His voice. It’s critical to remember and rehearse the truth of Who God is. We know from 1 John 4:16 that “God is love.” This is what Scripture says about love -
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 1 Corinthians 13:4-7
With this truth as the foundation for our friendship with God, we can learn to discern what His voice sounds like. As we get to know Him better, we will know when He is speaking.
The shepherd of the sheep… calls his own sheep by name and leads them out… He goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice… I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me… My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me. John 10:2-4, 14, 27 (NSRV)
Tone and Content
There are two aspects of His voice to be aware of. The first is the tone of His voice. His tone will have a distinctive quality and manner of expression that reflects His character. Second, the content of His voice will also flow out of God’s character. It will line up with Scripture and, even when it is firm and challenging, will have an aspect of love in it.
We can know the distinctive qualities of God’s voice. We also benefit from knowing what is not God’s voice. These would include voices from within us, from the world, or from the evil one.
Help for Discerning The Voice of God (2)
TONE
Leads and invites. Not driving or pushing.
Quiet. Not loud.
Invited and wanted. Not forced entrance into your mind.
CONTENT
In line with scriptural principles. Passage not pulled out of context to make point.
Has inward solution. Not outward solution.
Full of mercy. Not merciless.
Corrects actual behavior. Not broad condemnation.
Convicts of specific sin. Not condemning.
Peacemaking. Not divisive.
Practical, even mundane. Not impractical or sensational.
Simple and definite. Not complicated and confused.
Brings love, peace, joy . Not anger, worry, discouragement.
Full of hope. Not hopelessness.
Faith increased. Not deflation of faith.
More understanding of others. Not despising of others.
A few of these really resonate with me.
God’s voice always…
Is in line with scriptural principles.
Is quiet, not loud and demanding.
Corrects actual behavior, is not a broad condemnation.
Brings love, peace, and joy.
Which ones make sense to you? Which do you have questions about? Which ones bring you a sense of peace and relief?
Simple Test
Here’s a simple test for how you tend to hear God. Read a piece of Scripture out loud. What tone do you hear? Does your tone reflect God’s character? If not, try reading it again until you hear His voice as described above. Here’s a verse to try –
“I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. You shall have no other gods before me.” Exodus 20:2-3
Other verses to try – Isaiah 43:1, Matthew 5:46, Mark 10:42-45, Luke 4:18-19, Luke 21:34-35.
Ways to Practice
Some practical suggestions for learning to hear God’s voice. You may want to choose one or more to experiment with.
As you are reading your Bible…
Ask God to show you what He wants you to know today. Pay attention to stirring in your spirit. Do you sense any of these?
Wow God! You are so amazing! Thank You for expanding my understanding of who You are! Help me to know You better.
Ouch! That pokes me in a place that feels hard! I don’t like that truth. God, I don’t want to talk about that. Will You help me have courage to be honest with You and hear You?
Huh? God, that doesn’t make sense. Why does Your Word say that? Help me understand more about who You are, who I am, and more about the world You created.
When you pray…
Ask God to help you be completely honest with Him. Remember, He already knows. Honesty opens up our ability to hear Him.
After you talk to God, allow some time to be silent and listen to Him. This takes practice. It’s hard to sit in silence! Start with a couple of minutes and do not be concerned with your wandering mind. The most experienced praying people have wandering minds! Simply return to a posture of focusing on God and listening.
As you go about your day…
Look for God throughout your day. Two things may be helpful –
Gratitude can help me remember that God is in charge of everything. Even my breath. As I remember to be grateful, my mind turns to God.
Every once in a while in your day ask God one of these questions – Hi God. What do You think of me? Or What do I need to know?
Special Note - When We Don’t Get a Clear Answer
Sometimes we are looking for direction, need a clear answer, and we don’t get one. What do we do? Here are a couple of things to consider.
Often, God’s answer is “Wait.” The story He is writing is so much bigger and better. We cannot comprehend all He is doing. He will use times of waiting to show us more of Himself and give us opportunities to rely on His faithfulness.
Other times, you have a deadline, so you want an answer soon. Perhaps you need to decide about a job offer or buying a new house. God may leave the decision up to you.
It’s important to check your heart… are you truly seeking God’s voice? If after doing your best to pray, listen for Him, look at Scripture, and get counsel from wise godly people, you still do not have clarity, God may be saying, “You can decide.”
He calls us to responsible citizenship in his kingdom… as often as possible, “My will for you in this case is that you to decide on your own.” God is preparing us for a life of initiative, so I know that God will be with me even when he does not tell me what to do. – Dallas Willard (3)
This is freeing. We don’t have to be perfect. We are doing our best to hear Him and follow Him. He will be with us, no matter how we choose, or what the results are.
Recognizing His Voice
The more time we spend listening for God’s voice, the more attuned we become to His voice.
God, our Good Shepherd, speaks to show us His character, His love, His provision, and His guidance. This is abundant life with God.
The abundance of life comes in following him, and “the sheep follow him because they know his voice” (Jn 10:4). – Dallas Willard (4)
Coming Soon
Interested in learning more? Join us this fall for From the Inside Out, a six-session course developed by Renovare that goes deeper with the topics we’ve been exploring in The Journey. Want to sign up? Have questions? Email me - anne@shallowford.church
Next Time
Next month, we will look at a useful approach to living life with God - The Cycle of Grace.
References
(1) David Takle, The Truth About Lies and the Lies About Truth. Pasadena, CA: Shepherd’s House, 2008, 160
(2) Renovare Institute, Course II March Monthly Practice: Recognizing God’s Voice
(3) Willard, Dallas. 2012. Hearing God: Developing a Conversational Relationship with God. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 230
(4) https://renovare.org/articles/barriers-to-hearing-god
Additional Resources
Free Book from Renovare, Learning to Hear God
Book Excerpt by Dallas Willard, Barriers to Hearing God
Essay by Lacy Finn Borgo, Can Children Hear God?