Do you know what the Bible says about how to hear the voice of God? Consider these Bible verses!
- “The sheep that are My own hear and are listening to My voice; and I know them, and they follow Me.” Jesus John 10:27 (AMP)
- “I will listen [with expectancy] to what God the Lord will say, for He will speak peace to His people.” Psalm 85:8a (AMP)
- “And your ears will hear a word behind you, saying, This is the way; walk in it, when you turn to the right hand and when you turn to the left.” Isaiah 30:21 (AMP)
Many people are comfortable with the idea of speaking to God through prayer. Maybe you have never thought about the idea that God wants to speak to you. There are many verses in the Bible that teach us about God’s desire to speak to us and that we recognize His voice.
This article discusses several principles that will help you listen for the Lord’s gentle voice, deepen your ability to understand what He is saying, and discern whether what you “hear” is from God. Our goal in learning to “hear” the voice of God is to deepen our ability to live with faith and confidence, recognize His “voice” in our spirit, and obey what He shows us. He delights in responding to His children.
Some people are so afraid of spiritual error that they reject the concept that God speaks to us today. But, the Bible is clear that those who know Him will hear Him (Isaiah 30:21; Psalm 85:8; John 10:3-4; John 10:27; Hebrews 4:7; Revelation 2:7). God gives us guidelines to protect us from error. It is our job to use those protections and test what we think we hear (1 John 4:1).
Five Ways to Improve Your Ability to Hear God’s Voice
In this article, I am going to explain five of the ways that you can begin to improve your ability to hear and recognize how God speaks to you.
- Develop a consistent habit of reading the word of God, the Bible.
- Learn how to meditate on the Bible and the promises of God.
- Learn how to cultivate your sensitivity to the presence of God.
- Develop the practice of obedience to His word and confess when you slip.
- Learn principles of how to test what you “hear”.
Develop A Consistent Habit of Reading God’s Word to Hear His Voice
The Lord tells us that our way of thinking is not His way of thinking (Isaiah 55:8; 1 Corinthians 2:14). Because of that, it is necessary that we renew our minds with His word (Romans 12:2). If we don’t develop a consistent practice of reading God’s word, we will be controlled by trends in the culture, our own preferences, or emotional pain.
The main way God speaks to us is through the Bible (Psalm 40:7; Colossians 3:16; John 5:39; 2 Timothy 3:16). If we pray but don’t take time to read the Bible, we only have a one way conversation! The Lord is more likely to respond to us when we are taking time to get to know Him (John 14:21).
It’s better to spend a consistent time of 10-15 minutes each day than to wait for a large block of time to open up in our schedule. Having a plan of how to read the Bible will help you be more consistent.
I generally read through a book of the Bible, a little at a time, in my personal devotions. Experts recommend that you start with one of the gospels, like John or Mark, if you are new to Bible reading.
Before you start reading, try to quiet your heart (Psalm 46:10). Ask the Lord for forgiveness for anything you have done wrong (1 John 1:9) Ask the Lord to speak to you from the passage you are reading today. Make this time, as best you can, quiet and focused. Relationships deepen through attention and focused time. This is not the time to multitask! This time will be the most powerful if you open the Bible yourself rather than relying on other people’s inspirational thoughts about the Bible.
Learn How to Meditate on the Bible and the Promises of God
Biblical meditation is very different from the popular approach to meditating. Biblical meditation is taking time to chew on a passage to draw out the nutrients for your soul (Joshua 1:8). This helps us get the word of God deep into the core of our being. We are told to meditate day and night in His word to have wisdom and spiritual prosperity (Joshua 1:8).
There are many ways to meditate on God’s word. I have written more about that topic in my book Correcting Distortions in Your View of God. I am going to share one simple method here for you to try during your time with God.
Choose a Bible verse to pour over, to chew on, slowly. Think about what the individual words mean. Read it out loud adding emphasis to various words each time you read. You can write it out in your own words to clarify your understanding. You might want to pray it back to the Lord or even sing it if you like.
As you spend unhurried time in the Lord’s presence, reading and meditating on a verse, He may speak to you. You may have a thought about another Scripture that corresponds to what you are reading. If so, He is teaching you about a concept and taking you deeper into His thoughts (Isaiah 55:8).
Let me share an example. A while back, I was in the middle of a very dark time. I happened to be meditating on Psalm 78:19 which says “Can God furnish the food for a table in the wilderness?” I was intrigued so I looked up the words “table” and “wilderness.”
A table is a place for strategy, a picnic, an altar, or a symbol of the human heart. A wilderness is a barren place where it is harsh and difficult to live. This certainly spoke to me at the time! As I meditated, I thought of Psalm 23 which says that He sets a table before me in the presence of my enemies. Psalm 23 also says that “He restores my soul.” A brief image flashed crossed my mind (that is, my spirit) of Jesus holding a loaf of bread at a picnic. Again, this seemed related to Psalm 23 of being in a place of rest so that He can restore me.
That meditation stayed on my mind for days. It didn’t just add to my intellectual understanding of the Bible. God used it to comfort me when I was feeling sorrow and isolation.
Learn to Cultivate Your Sensitivity to the Presence of God
When we practice the presence of God we are moving beyond an intellectual approach to God. I acknowledge the reality that Jesus is present with me moment by moment (Hebrews 13:5).
As I mentioned previously, we need to have unhurried time set aside to focus on Jesus on a regular basis. I invite His presence into my room when I sit down to read the Bible. (I also like to acknowledge Him at various points throughout my day). Sometimes, I will say out loud, “Thank You, Lord, for Your constant unbroken companionship” (Isaiah 30:18). As I do so, I am moving out of my intellect and allowing a more relational approach to my time with Jesus. I am sitting with my friend and Savior, Jesus, as He speaks to me through His word.
You might think about the practice of the presence of God as a mindful focus on the companionship of Jesus. I first learned about this concept from the book by Brother Lawrence called “The Practice of the Presence of God.” When we start our day with a time in God’s word, and listen for His gentle instruction, we will begin to recognize that sense of peace that comes from God’s presence (Colossians 3:15-16). Then, we can practice that presence throughout the day to cultivate our connection and peace in Him.
To Hear God’s Voice: Develop the Practice of Obedience and Confess When You Slip
Here are two verses to guide us regarding obedience and addressing our sin. 1 John 1: 8-9 says that “If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” In John 14:21, Jesus says, “”He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him.”
The Lord can forgive anything. You can take your sin to Him. He has already paid for your cleansing and forgiveness (1 John 1:9).
However, if we don’t know God’s word, we may not know what God considers sin! Trends in our culture have desensitized many people to what God says is right or wrong. We each choose whether to follow God or our own desires. God gives us a choice, but Jesus makes the options clear. Jesus makes Himself real to those who obey His word, the Bible.
Learn the Principles of How to “Test” What You Hear
Not everything you sense in the quiet is God. That’s why we are told to “test the spirits” in I John 4:1. If something comes from God it will be consistent with the rest of Scripture (Revelation 22:18-19). It is gentle rather than condemning (Psalm 85:8; Romans 8:1). He brings glory to Himself rather than feeding our personal grandiosity (although He does help us succeed personally and financially).
We’re also told to let God’s peace rule in our hearts (Colossians 3:15-16). If you think God is saying something to you from the Bible or during prayer that disturbs you or disrupts your peace, that is probably not God. He speaks hope and direction rather than condemnation.
Since none of us perfectly comprehends God here on earth (I Corinthians 13:12), we need a healthy community of faith to help us mature, find balance, and grow. Our own baggage, history, and personality tendencies influence what we “hear” from God. So, it is wise to allow another spiritually mature Christian to help you discern whether or not the things you sense are from God (Proverbs 11:14). We need other healthy people to help us avoid falling into error or extremes.
If this topic interests you, you might want to look at my other resources on listening to the Lord. In particular, the book entitled “Sheep Hear His Voice” is a beginner’s guide to learning how to listen. I also have that same book in an audio format. The audiobook’s title is “How to Hear the Voice of God: 30 Devotional Passages to Help You Tune into the Bible.” I also have other blog posts on how to develop your spiritual discernment.
In this article, I cited a book by Brother Lawrence. This is the reference: Lawrence, Brother. (1977). The Practice of the Presence of God. Translated by John J. Delaney. New York: Doubleday Publishing. (First published in 1691.)