How to Hear God’s Voice

Day Five

Often I have had people—even born-again Christians—ask me how it is that I hear God speaking to me, and how do I know it’s not just my own thoughts.  If you’re following my blog, then you know that I am doing a 21 day fast, praying for understanding of the things to come, and how we can prepare.  Almost everybody agrees that we are living in the End Times.  The Bible speaks of many dangers to come, and one of the most dangerous is deception.  We need to be tuned-in to God’s voice so that we can know truth from deception.  The enemy’s deception will be so strong, supported by counterfeit miracles, that even Christians will be in grave danger of believing his lies (Matthew 24:24; Mark 13:22).

With this in mind, I had come across notes from a 2010 cell group meeting a few days ago.  These were notes titled How to Hear God’s Voice, and taken from Matthew 7:24: “Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock,” (emphasis mine).  A lot of times we hear God’s voice, but for whatever reason (timidity, the instruction seems crazy, we don’t want to do it, etc.) we don’t do what He says.  If we don’t do what He says, He won’t speak again—why should He?

Ask yourself: did I obey God the last time I heard His voice?

If not, then do the thing He told you to do, if possible.

Submit to His lordship and resist the devil.

James 4:7

Confess any known sin.

God is not going to share His thoughts with someone who is unrepentant or continuing in sin.

Ask specific questions and expect an answer.

I have always disliked my forehead, and felt embarrassed about it.  One time I was going to get my hair cut and I looked in the mirror and said, “Lord, why is my forehead so big?” not expecting an answer, but immediately He said, “To kiss!”  In my mind I saw God kiss me on the forehead.  Sometimes even when you don’t expect an answer, you will get one.

Allow God to speak to you any way He chooses, and don’t limit Him.

Understand that God will never contradict His Word, the Bible.  He speaks:

1. Audibly, often in a still, small voice, other times in a voice that sounds like your interior voice
2. Through the Bible, which you should be reading daily
3. Through other believers
4. Sometimes even through strangers or unbelievers

Step out in faith.

Trust God that He can and will lead you in the right direction, even when you don’t know exactly where you’re going

Don’t talk about your word too soon.

The enemy is listening, but he can’t hear your conversations with God, only with other people, so be wise.

Unless you must act immediately, wait and watch for confirmation.

Beware of counterfeits!

The devil may try to lead you in a wrong direction, but you can avoid this danger (see below).

Cultivate a relationship with God.

Spend time with Him in prayer.  Pass time quietly in His presence, without making requests.  Include listening when you pray.  Just as you walk and talk with friends, walk and talk with God.  Practice hearing His voice so that you won’t be fooled by counterfeits.  This means really listening for Him to speak.

You’ve got to want to hear Him speak to you.  

• Don’t be surprised when God’s response is not what you expect, His thoughts are higher than your thoughts (

Isaiah 55:8-9).

• Concentrate on His love for you, and you will hear His voice.

Fall deeply in love with Him, and be willing to p

• ut aside the things that distract you from hearing His voice:

1. Turn off your cell phone, tablet, video games device, MP3 player, computer, tv—anything that prevents you from being fully present
2. These things are not evil, but the enemy can use them to distract you
3. Practice being fully present for at least an hour a day

I believe that it will become increasingly important for us to be listening to His voice.  If the world’s Christians don’t willingly turn off the distracting electronic devices, then God will allow the whole internet worldwide to come crashing down.  Frankly, I’m surprised that it hasn’t happened already.

My Last Day in Sofia

Angie flew back to Germany very early this morning, and I am waiting for my evening flight right now.  I had a really nice last day here in Sofia.  After breakfast I needed to change money in order to pay my last night’s stay at the hostel.  When I did that, having time before Bill was to come pick me up, I went to the center of town and bought some postcards.  I don’t always have time to look for postcards, buy stamps, write, and send them.  But this time I did.  Let’s hope they arrive as they should.  Bill had his doubts, but I have faith.

Then he took me to another mall, so now I’ve been to 3 malls in Sofia.  I don’t know how many malls Sofia has, but all 3 of these could be in the US because there were so many familiar stores—particularly at the food court: Starbucks, KFC, Subway, Dunkin Donuts, and of course McDonalds.  He bought me an Italian cappuccino and told me about his ministry as a Christian businessman.  He has plans that will bless others both materially (the homeless, for example) and will be financially very profitable in a very short time.  The most impressive things about his ideas are that they are easily sustainable and reproducible throughout Bulgaria and even beyond.  He is putting the finishing touches on his business plan, and when he launches his website, they will take off and that is when he will find investors from all over the world.

When the topic turned to technology, I had to admit that my computer is just a really fancy, smart typewriter that helps me to stay in touch with people.  He smiled and took me to the technology store to show me what he thinks I need: a tablet.  I resisted buying cellphone until 2005, and resisted buying a portable computer until 2009.  And so far, I have resisted buying a GPS device, a smart phone and a tablet.  But as he showed me how easy they are to use, I felt my resistance crumble.  How have I managed without a tablet so far?  Well, I have managed.  It is something to think about, but do I really need it?  I’m tempted, but resisting.

In a few minutes we will be boarding the plane.  All electronic devices must be turned off.  Ha!  They can’t turn my book off!  And prayer is always online with God.  He will show me if He wants me to get a tablet.  God is good!

God’s Standard

Grace is amazing!  I’m so thankful for grace that saved me through no effort of my own.  After all, I could never live up to God’s standard without the work of salvation by grace in the death of Jesus on the cross.  All our good works are like filthy rags to God (Isaiah 64:6—some translations actually say “like menstrual rags”).

But even if grace is free, it doesn’t mean that we are excused forever from doing good works.  Good works are not how we get into Heaven, but they do have value.  Here are some of my thoughts about good works and the fruit (results) of those works:

• Good works are something that we were created to do (Ephesians 2:10)
• God’s work of salvation in us will come out as good fruit (Matthew 12:33)
• Our work will bear fruit, either good fruit or bad (Matthew 7:16-19)
• We are expected to bear fruit for the Kingdom of God (Matthew 3:8)
• If we don’t bear fruit, the Father will cut us off (John 15:2)
• We will bear fruit if we stay close to Jesus (John 15:5)
• Our work will be tested (1 Corinthians 3:12-14)
• It’s important to keep doing good works because we will reap a harvest if we do not give up (Galatians 6:9)

We could never save ourselves by good works, so that’s not the point of doing good works.  When we do “good works” in our flesh, we produce filthy rags.  Yes, even those things that seem good are nothing without the Holy Spirit’s guidance.  So you can spend your whole life working alongside Mother Teresa, but if God didn’t call you there, it’s all wasted effort.  And even if you are called there, but don’t spend daily time in prayer, seeking God’s face, it’s wasted effort.

Good works should produce good fruit (results) for the Kingdom—fruit that lasts.  So to produce good fruit, we’ve got to stay close to Jesus through the Holy Spirit.

Now examine yourself.  Think about how you spend your time each day.  How much time do you spend praying and reading God’s Word and then doing good works that He’s called you to do?  Now compare that to how much time you waste in front of the TV, at the computer, or playing with electronic gadgets.  (I’m not perfect, either, just in case you’re wondering.)  The world has lots of ways of seducing us away from our first love (God), so it takes some effort to resist those temptations.  Even things that are not sins, strictly speaking, can be sins if they take us away from those things that we should be doing.

So thanks to Jesus, we’ve gotten a boost that gets us entry into Heaven.  But now it’s up to us to do the good works that will bear lasting fruit for the Kingdom.  And these things we do not just because it’s required of us, but out of a grateful heart.

Once you do surrender your will completely to Him, you’ll find that His yoke really is easy and His burden is light.

God is good.