In our noisy, fast-paced world, listening to God’s voice can be a challenge. We are often so busy with our own thoughts and activities that we forget to pause and listen. We forget to be still. Yet, hearing God’s voice is foundational in our spiritual growth and discernment. It’s through His voice that He guides us, corrects us, and reveals His will to us. So, let’s take time to stop and listen.
God speaks to us in all sorts of ways. Sometimes He speaks through His Word. He uses the Scriptures to guide us and reveal His truth to us. Through spending time in God’s Word, we learn so much about His character, His promises, and His plans. Scripture is ALIVE and ACTIVE, and it equips us for the things we inevitability will walk through in life. It’s so amazing to me that we can read the same passage over and over again and learn something new or have a new revelation every time. God truly uses His Word to speak to us…all we have to do is listen!
For some people, God speaks through circumstances. Sometimes He uses our situations to guide us or to get our attention. It could be a closed door, an unexpected blessing, or maybe a really difficult trial you’re trying to navigate for the first time. In every situation, we have the opportunity to turn to God, listen for His voice, and discern what He’s doing and where He’s guiding us.
God also often speaks to us through prayer. Prayer isn’t just about us talking to God; it’s also about God talking to us, and us listening to Him. As we quiet our hearts and minds and focus on God, we make it easier to hear what He has for us. He may comfort us, convict us of our sin, give us wisdom, or reveal something new to us. Prayer is such a powerful thing and, just like communicating with a friend, it requires talking AND listening. Some of my most notable moments of hearing from God come from time I’ve spent in prayer.
Listening to God’s voice isn’t always our first inclination. Listening often requires discipline and intentionality. It requires us to slow down, be still, and focus on Him. It requires us to be open, humble, and willing to hear what He has to say. And it requires us to be discerning, to test what we hear against the truth of God’s Word. Remember, when it’s truly God’s voice it will always align with His Word. It will always lead us towards love, truth, and righteousness. If what we hear contradicts the Bible or leads us towards sin, we can be certain that’s not God’s voice.
So, how do we cultivate a listening heart? Start by spending regular time in God’s Word, in prayer, and in worship. Practice being still and quiet in God’s presence. Ask God to help you recognize His voice and be obedient to what He tells you. Over time, you’ll become more familiar with His voice and more responsive to His guidance. Let’s commit to making the practice of listening to God’s voice a priority in our lives.
Challenges:
- Start with 5 minutes. Each day, I challenge you start with at least 5 minutes of stillness/silence, just listening for God’s voice. It might feel awkward at first, but once you start doing this, it will quickly become one of the best parts of your day. Then, each day or week, you can increase the time and start sitting for 10, 15, 20 minutes.
- Find accountability. Since this is something you do alone, it can be easy to neglect because no one will ever know if you do it or not. So, find someone in your life that will continuously ask you about it and keep you accountable in this area of your life.
- Keep a journal. Write down what you think God is speaking to you when you sit and listen. This is just such a cool way to remember all the things God has spoken to or revealed to you over the years!
Prayer:
Lord, thank you for your guiding voice. We rejoice in the fact that we do not walk through this life alone, but that you are with us through every moment. I pray that we would grow in our awareness of you and that we would challenge ourselves to not just present our prayer requests to you, but that we would also take time to sit, listen, and receive what you have for us. You are constantly chasing after us, may we constantly chase after you, also. We love you and give you all the praise! In Jesus name! Amen!
In our noisy, fast-paced world, listening to God’s voice can be a challenge. We are often so busy with our own thoughts and activities that we forget to pause and listen. We forget to be still. Yet, hearing God’s voice is foundational in our spiritual growth and discernment. It’s through His voice that He guides us, corrects us, and reveals His will to us. So, let’s take time to stop and listen.
God speaks to us in all sorts of ways. Sometimes He speaks through His Word. He uses the Scriptures to guide us and reveal His truth to us. Through spending time in God’s Word, we learn so much about His character, His promises, and His plans. Scripture is ALIVE and ACTIVE, and it equips us for the things we inevitability will walk through in life. It’s so amazing to me that we can read the same passage over and over again and learn something new or have a new revelation every time. God truly uses His Word to speak to us…all we have to do is listen!
For some people, God speaks through circumstances. Sometimes He uses our situations to guide us or to get our attention. It could be a closed door, an unexpected blessing, or maybe a really difficult trial you’re trying to navigate for the first time. In every situation, we have the opportunity to turn to God, listen for His voice, and discern what He’s doing and where He’s guiding us.
God also often speaks to us through prayer. Prayer isn’t just about us talking to God; it’s also about God talking to us, and us listening to Him. As we quiet our hearts and minds and focus on God, we make it easier to hear what He has for us. He may comfort us, convict us of our sin, give us wisdom, or reveal something new to us. Prayer is such a powerful thing and, just like communicating with a friend, it requires talking AND listening. Some of my most notable moments of hearing from God come from time I’ve spent in prayer.
Listening to God’s voice isn’t always our first inclination. Listening often requires discipline and intentionality. It requires us to slow down, be still, and focus on Him. It requires us to be open, humble, and willing to hear what He has to say. And it requires us to be discerning, to test what we hear against the truth of God’s Word. Remember, when it’s truly God’s voice it will always align with His Word. It will always lead us towards love, truth, and righteousness. If what we hear contradicts the Bible or leads us towards sin, we can be certain that’s not God’s voice.
So, how do we cultivate a listening heart? Start by spending regular time in God’s Word, in prayer, and in worship. Practice being still and quiet in God’s presence. Ask God to help you recognize His voice and be obedient to what He tells you. Over time, you’ll become more familiar with His voice and more responsive to His guidance. Let’s commit to making the practice of listening to God’s voice a priority in our lives.
Challenges:
- Start with 5 minutes. Each day, I challenge you start with at least 5 minutes of stillness/silence, just listening for God’s voice. It might feel awkward at first, but once you start doing this, it will quickly become one of the best parts of your day. Then, each day or week, you can increase the time and start sitting for 10, 15, 20 minutes.
- Find accountability. Since this is something you do alone, it can be easy to neglect because no one will ever know if you do it or not. So, find someone in your life that will continuously ask you about it and keep you accountable in this area of your life.
- Keep a journal. Write down what you think God is speaking to you when you sit and listen. This is just such a cool way to remember all the things God has spoken to or revealed to you over the years!
Prayer:
Lord, thank you for your guiding voice. We rejoice in the fact that we do not walk through this life alone, but that you are with us through every moment. I pray that we would grow in our awareness of you and that we would challenge ourselves to not just present our prayer requests to you, but that we would also take time to sit, listen, and receive what you have for us. You are constantly chasing after us, may we constantly chase after you, also. We love you and give you all the praise! In Jesus name! Amen!