One of the most crucial pieces to life as a Christ-follower is learning to listen to the voice of God. We have to position ourselves to be able to hear from Him. We have to learn to listen to God because it’s a key part of being in relationship with Him.
Our lives are so filled with noise that we probably miss His voice on a regular basis. If you’re anything like me, there’s very little silence in my life. When I get into the car, the radio kicks on and I listen to it all the way to work, or I make a phone call. When I sit down at my desk, I often plug in my headphones to listen to music as I work. As soon as I get home, I turn the TV on for some background noise while I get dinner ready. At bedtime, I often watch a show on Netflix until I fall asleep.
I’ve given God very little opportunity to speak because my life is so loud.
I wish I could give you a recipe for listening to God, but I can’t. It’s not that simple. We can look at Scripture to see that God uses so many ways to speak to His people—a burning bush, a wet fleece, a pillar of cloud by day and fire by night, the words of prophets, His own voice, fulfillment of prophecies, through thunder and earthquakes, and countless other ways. He uses His Word to speak to us—it’s His letter to us as believers.
Here are a few things to think about:
- What’s your motive in wanting to hear from God?
- Have you put a timeline on hearing from God?
- How have you made room for God to speak into your life?
- What does God’s Word have to say?
- Are you actually listening?
One crucial thing to remember—God never contradicts His Word. If you feel like God is prompting you to do or say something that is against what is in Scripture, it’s time to re-evaluate. We have to learn the difference in listening to our own head and heart, and listening to the voice of God. There’s a critical difference between the two.
John 10:27 says, “My sheep hear My voice, I know them, and they follow Me.” When we are in relationship with Jesus, we know His voice. We know when it’s Him, and we trust Him, whatever it looks like. It’s so similar to a mom knowing her child’s voice or cry—we learn to hear the voices of those we love and spend time with.
If you feel at a loss for what it looks like to hear from God, first give yourself room to hear from Him. Aside from your own quiet time with Him, pray that He would make you aware throughout the day of how He’s working. When He prompts you to speak or act, don’t miss out on the opportunity to be His hands and feet. Ask other believers what this looks like in their life, and ask God to speak to you.
There are a few resources that we recommend as you’re learning to listen to God: Discerning the Voice of God, He Speaks to Me, and Can We Talk? by Priscilla Shirer.
When Mary Margaret isn’t coordinating leadership events for women or hosting the {MARKED} podcast, you can find her watching Florida Gator football, cooking with friends, or reading a good book. She loves teaching God’s Word, Mexican food, a good pair of jeans, and calling Nashville home. Follow her on Twitter: @marymargaretc.