The Practice of Hearing God's Voice

Jeremiah 29:13 - "You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart" (NIV).

John 10:2-5 - "The man who enters by the gate is the shepherd of his sheep. The watchman opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice" (NIV).

Hebrews 11:6 - "And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him" (NIV).

1 Peter 5:5-9 - “'God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.' Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings" (NIV).

How do you know the voice of your best friend so well? You have heard his voice over and over. You know what even the grunts and sighs of your best friend mean. This didn't happen overnight. But, because you have spent so much time together, you trained yourself to pick up on all the nuances of his voice. You can have the same experience, if not at a much deeper level, with God. The foundational principle is that we need to practice listening to His voice. "The sheep know His voice," (John 10:4) because they have heard it so often. Let's look at the best way to practice…

In order to hear God's voice most clearly, you need to get in position to hear Him. Just like your mobile phone needs to be in a good position to get a signal, you need to position yourself for the greatest reception of God's voice. What does this mean?

  1. The position of faith - The Bible says that "without faith, it's impossible to please God" (Heb. 11:6). And in James 1:6-7, we are taught that when we ask God, we must believe and not doubt. If we doubt, we should not expect to receive anything from Him. Faith means that you are actively believing that God can speak to you. His ability to speak to you is far greater than your inability to hear Him. Do you believe that? Standing in the position of faith means that you will trust the soft promptings He gives you. It means that you will not quit listening, assuming that you cannot hear properly. In faith, you will keep practicing.
  2. The position of humility - "God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble" (1 Peter 5:5). If you are proud, you will experience more of the hand of God resisting you than the voice of God wooing you. Even in His resistance, God's desire is always that His child will soften his heart. But, walking in humility before God - recognising your great need and dependence upon Him - will cause the grace of God to flow in your life. With His grace comes the comfort of His clear voice into your life.
  3. The position of purity - God desires "truth in the inner parts" (Psa. 51:6). If our inner parts are clean and pure, it is easy for us to hear His voice. If our minds and hearts are filled with impurity, the voice of God will be hard to detect. Impurity (i.e. sin) produces "static noise" which makes getting clear reception very difficult. In fact, Psalm 66:18 says, "If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened" (NIV). Our sin cuts off communication. As you ask the Holy Spirit to search your heart for impurity and dealing with what He shows you, the signal again becomes clear. Let the practice of being open and broken before God be very common, so that you can hear clearly His voice.
  4. The position of authority - The enemy is prowling around looking for someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8). He is looking to harass our relationship with God… to interfere with the lines of communication. Scripture tells us to "Resist him, standing firm in the faith…." (1 Peter 5:9). It is important that we take up our position of authority and cut off the works of the enemy. Sometimes, our sin is deafening our ears to God's voice. But, other times, the enemy is bringing confusion or unbelief into our minds. We must resist him in the name of Jesus. And he will have to run away (James 4:7).
  5. The position of truth - The Holy Spirit comes to remind you of everything Jesus has said (John 14:26). When the words of Jesus are already in you, it is easy for the Holy Spirit to clearly communicate to you. Being full of God's words through study, meditation and memorisation of the Bible puts you in a great position to hear Him. You will find that you are "being transformed by the renewing of your mind" (Romans 12:2, NIV). Knowing Scripture sensitizes you to God's voice, confirming that you are really hearing Him. Otherwise, you will be constantly wondering if you are just listening to your own voice. God's word is the boundary and test for the hearing of His voice.
  6. The position of obedience - Obedience to what God tells us to do brings a heightened sensitivity to hear His voice the next time. Likewise, disobedience brings a deafness to our ears that won't be remedied until we repent. What God really delights in is obedience, not empty religious words and actions (Psa. 51:16-17). When we obey God's voice, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit promise to come and make their home with you (John 14:23). If the Godhead is living in your home, then I think you'll be able to hear His voice.

​For More Study
  • 1 Kings 18:16-46
  • Psalm 119:9-16
  • Isaiah 55
  • John 5:16-30

Thoughts and Questions for Application
  1. If you feel like you don't hear God's voice often, would you like to practice? James 4:8 says, "Come near to God, and he will come near to you" (NIV). He is waiting for you to move toward Him in faith. He is waiting for you to practice listening. Don't just wait for His voice to strike you like lightening. Practice asking Him questions and then waiting in faith for His answers.
  2. Ask God to check your life for pride or any other impurity. Make this a regular habit to ensure that the communication lines are clear between God and you.
  3. When listening to God, make a practice of cutting off the enemy. For example, you can say, "In the name of Jesus, I cut off every spirit of unbelief and confusion." Then, after dealing with the enemy, invite the Holy Spirit to speak to you.
  4. Take time to memorise a bit more Scripture (see below). It will increase your ability to hear God's voice in amazing ways.

Memorization

John 10:2-5 - "The man who enters by the gate is the shepherd of his sheep. The watchman opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice" (NIV).