How to Hear God’s Voice: A Learning Experience

Jesus tells us that His sheep hear his voice, and they follow Him. That means that as long as Christ is your Shepherd, you should know His voice.

John 10:27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me;

God speaks to us through His Spirit in different ways. Here are some ways He uses:

1. The Word of God.  The Lord has spoken to us already in His Word. Whenever you feel like the Lord has spoken to you, make sure what is said is aligned to the Bible.

Cathy was going through a very difficult time. She had been betrayed by her friend and she would cry herself to sleep every night.

One day at church, during praise, she just felt that she must read Isaiah 43:2. This was the first time she was seeing it. It said: “When you pass through the waters I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.” That was the comfort she needed to break the chains of her hurt and disappointment.

2. A small still voice— Some may hear a small still voice when reading Scripture or during prayer. In this case, it is not a physical sound but instead something deep inside them that speaks to their spirit. The more sensitive you are to the Spirit of God, the more you are able to discern His voice.

3.  Dreams are another powerful mode that God uses to speak to us.  When the life of baby Jesus was in danger, the Lord spoke to Joseph in a dream to take the baby and His mother to Egypt. (Matthew 2:14)

If Joseph had ignored the dream because it was “just a dream”, then baby Jesus could have been killed before His time.

Job 33:14-15 For God speaks time and again, but a person may not notice it. In a dream, a vision in the night, when deep sleep falls on people as they slumber on their beds.

4. Visions. Some may receive visions while asleep or half awake. Others have had while wide awake. A lot of prophets such as Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel in the Bible have received messages in visions. Visions are usually specific.

Genesis 15:1 After these events, the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision: Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield; your reward will be very great.

5. Knowing – This is a prophetic dimension. There are times when you just know something without knowing how you know. This works hand in hand with discernment. The Holy Spirit will reveal things about a person, either for you to help them back to God, or to warn you.

6. Audible voice – Moses was one of the people who heard the audible voice of God.

So, today we want to hear God’s voice, either for something specific or for daily guidance. One thing we need to do is to always clear our minds of the clutter and noise from emails, social media, media, and daily chit-chats.

The Bible admonishes us to renew our minds, and this becomes very important when it comes to hearing the voice of God.  We should also seek to hear His voice because if we seek him with all our heart, we will find Him.

Let Us Pray

Oh Lord, it is a precious thing to hear your voice! It is a precious thing to follow You and to walk in your will. Lord Jesus, You said that I know your voice and I follow You because I am Your sheep.

Lord, I do not want to live in ignorance. I pray Lord that You give me discernment to recognize when You speak to me. Give me discernment to distinguish your voice from the voice of my mind, my circumstances, and that of the enemy.

Lord, I live in a noisy world. The media and news constantly bring me worries and bad news. My job keeps me busy all day. I’m always mentally tired. I do not seem to find enough time to rest and be with You.

I pray that You renew my mind as I study your word. Remove all junk from my spiritual system. Cleanse my mind and give me rest as I wait on You.

Teach me to fellowship with You throughout the day, so that when I come to fellowship with you alone, I will not be tired.

Jeremiah 29:13 You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.

Father, teach me to wait on You in the place of prayer. Teach me to wait until You speak. Sometimes I allow impatience to drive me out of my waiting. Sometimes I go ahead and do what I think without waiting for You. Lord, I want to hear Your voice. I want to know You and know Your ways.

Psalms 37:7a Be still before the Lord, and wait patiently for him;

Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.

Oh Lord, open up my eyes to see visions and dreams. Open up my ears to hear from You.  Open up my spirit to discern spiritual things. Open up my understanding, and teach me how to listen to You. By the power of Your Spirit, let my spirit be synchronized to You. Let me be aligned to Your Spirit and let me hear from Him. In the name of Jesus Christ.

Lord, I refuse to be caught by surprise. Speak to me about events around my life and my family. Reveal to me things that You want me to do. Show me what You want me to pray about. In the name of Jesus Christ. I receive grace to walk in discernment today.

Father, I pray for spiritual sensitivity. Let my Spirit be sensitive to Your leading. Let my Spirit be sensitive to Spiritual things. Give me sensitivity, Lord, that I may take notice of Your move in my life May I be sensitive to all seasons.

Give me the grace to study your word as much as I need. As I meditate on Your promises, may I become more like You. May the mind of Christ be formed in me, in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen, and Amen.

Acts 2:17-18 And it will be in the last days, says God, that I will pour out My Spirit on all humanity; then your sons and your daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, and your old men will dream dreams. I will even pour out My Spirit on My male and female slaves in those days, and they will prophesy.

In Closing

I pray that today’s message and prayers have been a blessing to you. Share with someone who needs this today. Leave a comment below.

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