Our lives are full of voices; of demands, expectations, hopes, and dreams.There are the voices of our families, friends, bosses, teachers, society, T.V, and the media just to name a few. In amongst all this noise and activity people are looking for guidance and clarity on what to do, where to go, and what to believe. We try to listen for God or a voice of guidance.
Christians, and those who don’t yet know Jesus personally all look for direction, purpose and answers to life’s questions.
We may hear that Jesus is the answer, but we often don’t live with the confidence that He is. Part of the reason is that people are not confident of hearing God’s voice, or don’t recognise or understand when and how He does speak to us.
The bible talks a lot about God speaking to mankind. In the Old Testament God’s voice was often heard audibly by people such as Moses (Exodus 3:4), Joseph (Genesis 37:5) and the prophets like Isaiah, through vision, dreams and messages.
The New Testament begins with a burst of communication from God.It is full of people experiencing visions, dreams, and angelic visitations. Angels spoke to both Mary, Joseph, Zachariah and Elizabeth. Peter gained direction in a vision in an encounter. (Acts 16:6). Others were directed by the Holy Spirit through inner promptings, prophetic utterances, or external circumstances that were God speaking and guiding them
Why all this speaking? Why all the angelic visitations, dreams, messages, and promptings? Why? Because God is speaking!
God has and continues to speak to mankind because to Him it’s all about a relationship with us. He may speak in many different ways to different people, but He is and does speak, guide and lead us if we are listening and taking notice.
All of us want to know the best direction to take. We all need purpose, strength, assurance, comfort and confidence in our journey.
The good news is that God promises that He will lead and guide us. That He will show us the right way to go. If we want to know God’s voice, and to know Him, there are some things I’ve discovered that help:
1.Spend time in quietness and solitude away from all the noise and distractions. The bible encourages us to “Be still and know that He is God“. (Psalm 46:10) Without taking the time to come away and get quiet it is difficult to hear God speaking clearly.
2.Learn to focus our hearts and lives before God. There are many things that can crowd our hearts and minds, cluttering our ability to hear from God. When someone is speaking we have to focus on them and what they are saying to hear clearly. The more noise and distractions the more focus is needed.
Tradition and religion has taught people that God only wants servants, that He directs, and we “work” for Him. But in actual fact God really wants each one of us to be His friend! Jesus himself said it, “I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends”. (John 15:15)
What is your view of God? How do you relate to Him? Because God wants to be more to us than traffic lights – Go, stop, take caution. He wants a relationship.
Hearing His voice comes from finding a way that works for you. Find a way that stops your body from racing, that stills your mind, and emotions, and softens your heart to enable you to listen to God’s quiet voice speaking. He will speak from His word (The Bible), from a quiet voice in your thoughts reminding you what the bible says and/or telling you what to do, through a peace that comes so that you know God is leading you in the right way to go, in visions, dreams, an urgency or prompting about something, and even angelic visitations.
I have discovered that real power comes out of stillness; strength comes out of solitude; decisions that change the course of our lives come out of times of stillness with God as He wait to hear His voice.
God is speaking. Are you listening?
Prayer: Lord I want to know your voice more clearly, please help me to make time to quiet my heart and mind. Guide me as I read your word, so that I learn to recognise and know your voice when you are speaking to me. In Jesus Name Amen.
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