Have you ever wondered how to hear God’s voice above the noise of daily life?
Sometimes we hear people say, “God told me such-and-such,” and we secretly wonder, How did you know that was God?
Elizabeth Alves wrote,
‘God spoke to me’ is one of the most misunderstood phrases among His people; it can create misunderstanding, confusion, hurt, rejection, jealousy, pride and other negative responses. Perhaps you have run into someone who feels he or she has an edge on hearing from God . . . If you are unfamiliar with the phrase ‘God told me,’ or you do not understand how to hear God’s voice, you might feel inferior, thinking God never speaks to you.
If you’ve never heard God speak to you through the Holy Spirit, don’t worry. I believe you’ll begin to discern the leading of the Holy Spirit as your prayer life becomes more active and powerful. You may hear the Spirit speak within your mind and heart as your communion with God deepens. The development of active listening skills and a quiet, expectant spirit are keys to hearing from the Lord.
We battle busyness and distractions as well as emotional stresses, such as exhaustion, depression, fear, anger, grief, and anxiety. Satan loves to ratchet up the emotional chaos in our lives to keep us from walking in fellowship with God. He jam-packs our days with noisy distractions in his efforts to get us to tune God out.
Why are we so addicted to activity and noise?
Because we’re afraid to be alone with our own thoughts. We’re afraid of quiet and solitude. We avoid peaceful fellowship with our Savior because we fear that we might not be good enough without all our “stuff.” We’re afraid of what God might say to us or ask us to do if we sit still long enough to hear Him speak. We’re not quite sure how to handle the sacred responsibility of being still and knowing that He is God (see Psalm 46:10).
At certain times in Scripture (especially in the Old Testament), God spoke clearly and audibly to His people. According to Job 40:6, God once spoke to Job out of a whirlwind. Habakkuk knew the sound of God speaking to him (Habakkuk 2:2). Elijah described the sound of God speaking as “a still small voice” in 1 Kings 19:12.
God has already spoken to us through natural revelation (His creation) and through special revelation (His Word). He may also choose to communicate with us at times through other methods, such as books, movies, videos, sermons, our conversations with other people, and our personal experiences.
When we’ve been faithfully praying for God’s answer, we may hear that answer in the most unexpected way, at a spontaneous and surprising time. Sometimes God speaks to us in what seem to be the strangest and most chaotic moments. His “voice” (the voice of the Holy Spirit speaking within our hearts) cuts through the noise inside our souls as He makes His will and His message clear.
I’ve never heard God’s voice audibly, but I’ve heard the Holy Spirit “speaking” within my heart. It’s unmistakable.
Hearing God’s voice has happened to me most often when I was in the middle of a period of waiting, praying about an important issue in my life or the lives of my children, or transitioning from one life stage to the next.
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