Episode 25: How Do I Actually Hear From God?
If we’re honest, hearing from God is one of the facets of faith that feels hard, sometimes impossible. Ever wondered if you’re doing it right? Why do some people “hear” things all the time and others feel like…crickets?
In some ways we’ve made it harder than it is. If we’re in relationship with God and his son Jesus, we can rest assured He wants to speak to us. The trouble is…do we know how to listen? Our listening has a posture.
In 1 Samuel 3, the young man Samuel was being trained by the priest Eli for full-time ministry. He was in the house of God in the presence of the Ark of the Covenant when late at night, he heard the Lord call him. He ran to Eli thinking it was his voice. Eli told him to go back to bed, but after Samuel hears a second calling Eli wisely told him it was the Lord. He told him to simply reply, “Here I am,” and from this listening posture began a life-long pursuit of dynamic communication and conversation with God. When we think about how Samuel broke through to listening it’s important to note:
He was in the House of God (presence of God)-- not living outside His will and purpose.
He listened and perceived.
He answered and postured himself to respond (Here I am..)
He didn’t understand everything he heard, but it’s ok to not understand. Often, we hear things that don’t make sense, or we don’t yet know how God is working in his sovereign way.
He continued to listen.
Listening launched him towards maturity and ministry.
Remember that God knows what you can’t know. We listen to Him because He’s our Father, and prayer needs a response. We can get so busy praying that we forget the second part of prayer - listening for a response.
In the book God Guides by Mary Geegh we see the simple way she taught “Listening Prayer.” It’s a way to hear answers to the things we struggle with, long for, or don’t see solutions to. She teaches:
Be still! Psalm 46:10 says “Stop striving and know that I am God…” We must be still and quiet to truly hear.
Present the problem or situation to Jesus. Explain it to Him and then immediately be quiet.
Clear your mind of chatter, excuses, triggers, and any barrier to hearing his voice. Sometimes as we try to be silent, we’re reminded of how we feel about a problem or situation. This can trigger a chain reaction that leads us off track in listening.
Give it a minute—don’t rush.
Write down what you hear and obey immediately.
Gutsy Faith Challenge:
Express to the Lord your desire to hear from Him.
Sit quiet with no phone or distraction for 15-20 minutes. Follow Mary’s examples in the podcast and note how you hear from God. Scripture says “If you seek Me you WILL find me…”
Share your stories with us through Instagram DM…we want to cheer you wildly. If you don’t hear anything…be patient. Keep practicing and putting yourself in this posture.
Have thoughts or questions about today’s episode? Message us or leave a comment below.