Learning To Hear The Voice of God

Hearing the Voice of God • Sermon • Submitted 3 years ago

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Develop your relationship

How, then, does one learn not only to recognize the Lord's voice but also to respond in a way that pleases him? The Bible is all about God's relationship with his people. Christianity is a relationship with the person Jesus Christ. The closer the relationship, the better the communication. Observe a man and woman who have been married for fifty years and compare their communication skills with those of a newlywed couple. Both couples genuinely love each other, but the younger couple is disadvantaged in their communication because they still have much to learn about each other. A young husband can make a casual comment and be surprised to find his wife hugging him and thanking him for being so thoughtful. Shortly afterward a second casual comment can cause hurt feelings, even tears. He soon realizes there is much about his life partner he has yet to understand! The older couple, on the other hand, have walked together through life. They can communicate all sorts of information with a glance. One raised eyebrow can telegraph all the other needs to know. As you spend time with Jesus, you will gradually come to recognize his voice more readily than you did at first. You will more easily discern what he is saying because you know his character better. You won't be fooled by other voices because you know your Lord's voice so well.

Blackaby, Henry; Blackaby, Richard. Hearing God's Voice (pp. 234-235). B&H Publishing. Kindle Edition.

There is no shortcut to intimacy with God. It takes time and many experiences with him as he teaches you and guides you in his ways (Ps. 25).

Blackaby, Henry; Blackaby, Richard. Hearing God's Voice (p. 237). B&H Publishing. Kindle Edition.

The only way to build intimacy with God is to spend time with Him. The more time you send with Him the better you will be able to recognize His voice. You spend time with the Lord, not only in your quiet time, but also in everyday living. As you go about your day, be cognizant of His presence. Pray about every day events and listen to your heart as He speaks. Over time you will be able to recognize His voice and follow in obedience. It takes time and experience to fully recognize the voice of God.

Seek to understand God's ways

God's people must heed his words: “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways.… For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts” (Isa. 55:8–9). One reason God's people miss hearing him speak is their disorientation to his ways. Sometimes Christians expect God to do one thing, and when he does another, they miss him. The truth is, God is not our servant. He does not speak to us on demand. He communicates on his terms, in his timing, in his way.

Blackaby, Henry; Blackaby, Richard. Hearing God's Voice (p. 237). B&H Publishing. Kindle Edition.

The more you understand God's ways, the more easily you will identify his words, and the better you'll know how to respond. For example, you may be in a business meeting in your church and become frustrated with some belligerent church members. You may want to express your frustration and put the obnoxious brethren in their place. However, you know God's way is to build up the body, not to divide it and tear it down (Rom. 14:19). That truth tells you all you need to know about your urge to lash out at those who frustrate you.

You become aware of a single mother who is struggling to make ends meet while raising her children. You know God has a special place in his heart for the widow and the orphan (Ps. 10:14; James 1:27). You know in your heart God wants you to help somehow, so you seek the Lord. As you pray, God leads you to a specific, practical way to assist the family.

You become involved in conversation with an unbelieving colleague at work. As she begins to voice questions about spiritual matters, you know God wants every person to have eternal life (John 3:16). You don't need to spend weeks in fervent prayer to determine whether God wants you to share your faith. As you quietly pray for direction, the Holy Spirit confirms he is initiating this opportunity, and you share the good news of the gospel with her. Understanding the ways of God allows you to anticipate what God will say, so you are prepared to receive the word that comes from the Lord.

Blackaby, Henry; Blackaby, Richard. Hearing God's Voice (pp. 237-238). B&H Publishing. Kindle Edition.

Understanding God’s ways comes from studying His word. When we know what God’s word says we can follow what it says. The principles that God has laid out for us in His word are meant to be applied to our lives and shared with others. Once you understand the heart of God, you will discover the ways of God. A simple way to do this is to study the life of Jesus. He did this perfectly.

Prepare your heart

I assumed if I preached a “good” sermon, everyone would like it; and if I preached a “bad” sermon, people would politely ask me about the weather. However, I discovered that whenever God's Word is preached, some will be profoundly impacted while others will remain unaffected. It has little to do with the style or delivery of the preacher. It has much to do with the condition of the listener's heart.

There is no better way you can be ready to follow God's voice than to cultivate your heart. Jesus' parable of the four soils outlines the relationship between God's Word and the heart condition of those who hear it (Matt. 13:5–23). People whose hearts are hardened will reject the word outright. This is why the prophets urged people to “break up the fallow ground” of their hearts so they could receive God's Word (Jer. 4:3; Hos. 10:12).

Those with shallow hearts will look for a “quick fix” from God's Word, but they will lack the depth to persevere until they receive the entire message God has for them. Such people will never experience the fulfillment of a close walk with God.

Then there are the distracted people. They are the ones who cannot seem to focus on a word from God. Their mind wanders during prayer, and they use the sermon time to mentally plan their agenda for the coming week. The danger for the preoccupied heart is its tendency to drift toward other gods (Deut. 30:17). God's Word says, “Take to your heart all the words with which I am warning you today,… for it is not an idle word for you; indeed it is your life” (Deut. 32:46–47). The fact is, everyone has the capacity to hear from God and to respond to what he says (Matt. 13:16). It's all a matter of readiness and willingness.

Blackaby, Henry; Blackaby, Richard. Hearing God's Voice (p. 239). B&H Publishing. Kindle Edition.

Expectation of hearing the voice of God should be part of reading the Bible. We must not approach the Bible with preconceived notions, but allow the Holy Spirit to guide us into the truth of God’s Word. Our heart must be ready to receive correction, encouragement, guidance, or any other thing that God has for us. We must be ready to receive it

Learn to Concentrate

Part of preparing your heart for God's Word is to eliminate distractions. This discipline is difficult for most people. Life can be incredibly busy. But with a determined effort you can make a deliberate choice to concentrate on your Lord and what he has to say to you.

Blackaby, Henry; Blackaby, Richard. Hearing God's Voice (p. 240). B&H Publishing. Kindle Edition.

Have you ever tried to read when there is some dust or a small particle in your eye? Even though the speck is tiny, you can be totally distracted and unable to concentrate on what you are reading. Only after you've removed the offensive particle are you free to resume reading. When you have a healthy relationship with God, it is not difficult to focus on him. When there is sin in your life, however, focusing on God's Word can be difficult. The bombardment of media images that comes with modern life can make it difficult to seek God's guidance. Exposing your mind to a graphic image on television can distract you for days and even weeks afterward. It takes deliberate, concentrated effort to steer your attention away from the cacophony of voices competing with God for your attention.

Blackaby, Henry; Blackaby, Richard. Hearing God's Voice (p. 240). B&H Publishing. Kindle Edition.

Discipline yourself to concentrate. Set aside a time each day that you can devote purely to seeking the Lord. For many people, the early part of the day is the best time to meet with God. Oswald Chambers gave this counsel to those who struggled to rise early to meet with God: “Get out of bed first and think about it later.”4

Blackaby, Henry; Blackaby, Richard. Hearing God's Voice (p. 242). B&H Publishing. Kindle Edition.

Likewise it is important to find a room or a private place for prayer and Bible study.

Blackaby, Henry; Blackaby, Richard. Hearing God's Voice (p. 243). B&H Publishing. Kindle Edition.

If you find yourself continually distracted, there are other things you can do. It might be that you don't get enough rest to enable you to concentrate on anything. If you have a quiet time in the early morning, you may find it impossible to focus on the Lord for long if you stayed up late watching television the previous night. Focusing on the Lord is easier with preparation. Some people concentrate more effectively with music playing softly. Others need absolute silence. Be diligent to create an atmosphere conducive to optimum concentration. At times you will not be able to escape to a place of solitude, yet you will still need to focus on the Lord. That is when spiritual concentration is particularly important. Occasionally, if possible, set aside a time for prolonged meditation on God's Word. Escape for the morning, the afternoon, or the entire day to a peaceful venue and spend uninterrupted time seeking the mind of God.

Blackaby, Henry; Blackaby, Richard. Hearing God's Voice (p. 243). B&H Publishing. Kindle Edition.

There are some truths God reveals only as you spend prolonged, focused time in his presence. The reason many Christians have a shallow understanding of God is they have never developed the ability to stay in God's presence for a protracted period of time to focus on him in the midst of their busy lives.

Blackaby, Henry; Blackaby, Richard. Hearing God's Voice (p. 245). B&H Publishing. Kindle Edition.

It is important to be discipline and create an environment that is conducive to concentrating on the Lord. You need to find a time and place where there are very few distractions. For example, you may need to put your cellphone in a different room. Or you may need to pick a time when you can be alone and not bothered with other family members in the house. You may need to go to bed early to get enough rest to concentrate. It is very important to learn how to remove distractions and concentrate on the Lord.

Develop Habitual Obedience

James Chalmers, the great missionary martyr to the savage cannibals of New Guinea, once said, “Let us be men with men, but always children before God.”8 Obedience is the key to experiencing God. Jesus said the way we respond to God's Word is a direct reflection of our love for him (John 14:15). Jesus said, “If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them” (John 13:17 HCSB). The blessing comes not in the hearing but in the doing. One of the most disturbing questions Jesus asks is, “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and don't do the things I say?” (Luke 6:46 HCSB). Many in Jesus' day did not consider it unusual that they never heard from God. They carried on with their work in his name and never saw the need to develop a relationship with him. Jesus cautioned that only those who hear his voice and respond in obedience are his true followers. He said, “Not everyone who says to Me ‘Lord Lord!’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of My Father in heaven. On that day many will say to Me, ‘Lord, Lord, didn't we prophesy in Your name, drive out demons in Your name, and do many miracles in Your name?’ Then I will announce to them, ‘I never knew you!’” (Matt. 7:21–23). Christians must never lose sight of the huge difference between doing what God specifically tells us to do and merely doing what makes the most sense to us. If we settle ahead of time that we will obey whatever God tells us, we will go into our time with him ready to hear his voice.

Blackaby, Henry; Blackaby, Richard. Hearing God's Voice (p. 245). B&H Publishing. Kindle Edition.

The key to continuing to hear the voice of God is being obedient to His voice. If you haven’t heard the voice of the Lord in a long time, go back to the last time you heard it and do what He said. If we continue to disobey God’s voice, there is no point in Him continuing to speak.

Conclusion

The depth of your walk with God is directly proportional to the zeal with which you seek him. If you seek after God in a halfhearted, inconsistent manner, you cannot expect to hear him speaking at the deepest levels. But if you will discipline yourself to concentrate on the Lord and if you diligently obey everything he says, then you will be prepared to experience God at an increasingly profound and personal level. God has invited you to go deeper in your relationship with him. The depth of that relationship ultimately rests with you.

Blackaby, Henry; Blackaby, Richard. Hearing God's Voice (p. 246). B&H Publishing. Kindle Edition.

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