It is important that Christians know how to hear from God. In fact, the success of our Christian walk depends upon our ability to hear from God and follow His leading. God has designed each of His children with the ability to hear from Him. So, it is vital that you develop your ability to hear God’s voice.

God Wants to Speak to Us

We cannot become mature Christians on a diet of constant activity such as ministry, retreats, weekend conferences, and church meetings. While these activities are valuable, they are not our main source of strength. Strength comes out of solitude – being alone with God.

Jesus listens for God’s voice in a solitude place

There was never a man as busy as Jesus when He was on the earth. He daily taught, preached and healed. In fact, Jesus was constantly surrounded by multitudes of people. Yet, He would find the time to retreat to a solitary place to pray and commune with His Father (Mark 1:35). Jesus did this because He needed His Father’s assurance, comfort, and direction. If Jesus needed these things, how much more do we need them?

Prayer is a two-way conversation

Most of us think of prayer as “talking to God.” However, rarely do we stop and wonder whether God has anything to say to us. We cannot build relationships on one-way speeches. How many friends would we have if we constantly dominated the conversation without giving the other person a chance to speak? Yet, how often do we do the same with God?  Our prayer to God should never be a monologue but a two-way conversation with God.

Some people feel that God only speaks to those who are called into full-time ministry. But in reality, God speaks to all of us. Throughout the Bible, we see that God spoke to His people who were from all walks of life. We are part of the New Testament Church and that means that God is still speaking to us today!

We will experience times when we are confronted with serious situations or have to make major decisions. In light of this, we need to know how to hear God’s voice clearly. We never know when our lives may depend on it.

Four ways to develop your ability to hear God’s Voice

Just like couples regularly communicate with each other, God desires to be in constant communication with His people. There is much that God wants to share with us, but we must be willing to position ourselves to hear. Hearing God speak to us will change our lives when we follow what He tells us to do.

There are four ways to help us hear God’s voice:

1. Develop your “inner man.” What is your “inner man?” It is the spirit within you that connects to God. Moreover, it is the part of you that is revived after you received Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Reading the Bible and meditating on the Scriptures contribute to the growth of our inner man. As a result, we become stronger believers and more willing to rely on God to direct us.
2. Prayer, Praise and Worship. We usually use our prayer time to petition God for things that we want and then walk away, without waiting for a response from Him. The Bible tells us in Philippians 4:6 (NIV) that we are to “present our requests to God.” However, we should also build in time for praise and worship simply because God is worthy of our praise (Psalm 145:3).

   The Bible says that “God inhabits the praises of His people,” (Psalms 22:3). In other words, God “dwells” in the atmosphere of our praise. Both praise and worship are the doorway into God’s throne room. Often during this time, God speaks to us and provides clarity as to what we should do in certain situations. Finally, praise and worship help to give us a strong confidence that God will answer our prayers.

3. Get rid of any unconfessed sin or unforgiveness. David said in Psalm 66:18 (NLT), “If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened.”  Also, in Mark 11:25 Jesus says, “And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.” So, we should always ask the Holy Spirit to reveal hidden sins that are hindering our prayers. Then, we must repent of these sins and ask God for His forgiveness (1 John 1:9) before we can move forward.
4. Develop the discipline of stillness. Get quiet before the Lord. You won’t develop a “hearing ear” on the run. It is only when our minds and spirits are still before the Lord, we are open to hear His voice. Find a place where there is privacy and no distractions. Then, schedule a time to be alone with God.

God may not always speak to you immediately after you ask Him to. But rest assured, He will speak to you in His appointed time. The Bible says in Psalm 34:15 that, “The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous and His ears are open to their prayers.” We must realize that God has the right not to speak. Sometimes, a “no” or a “silent” response is God’s way of saying, “Continue to walk on this path until I am ready to change your course.”

Act on what God tells you

Once you know in your spirit that you have heard from the Lord, then it is time for you to act on what you have heard. Do not be passive. Step out and boldly follow God’s leading. There comes a time when delay can amount to sin and disobedience (James 1:22).

God wants to have a closer relationship with us, and that relationship includes two-way communication. Imagine how many potholes in life we can avoid if we would just listen to God. Jesus says in John 5:19 that He did not do anything on His own. He only did what He saw the Father doing. So, if Jesus listened and did what His Father told Him to do, how much more important is it for us to hear from God and obey Him?

READ MORE: How to Judge What We Believe God Is Saying to Us

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