Practice Hearing God’s Voice

People often ask me how I know when it’s God’s voice that I’m hearing. It takes some discernment to figure out who is talking to us sometimes. Read [Discerning God’s Voice Vs. The Enemy] for more support on that one. But even trickier is when the question is was that God or was that just me?

The thing is… we actually do know when a thought is not our thought. Usually when God talks to us, it’s nothing we ever thought of or would think of. Often He speaks by reminding us of a Scripture, or by bringing us the perfect song at just the right time. Sometimes He asks us to do something we would never think to do (or even want to do sometimes!)

The best thing to do is just to practice.

 Say, “Lord, I want to learn to hear your Voice.” And if you hear something and decided it might be God’s voice, take a chance on it. If it’s a directive, follow through and see what happens. If it’s an encouragement, hold on to it, write it down, and let it sink into your heart. He’s always intentional so if you hear Him speak, really listen, believe Him, and obey.

Hinderances to Hearing God’s Voice

Now a few things can block your conversation with God. Especially unconfessed sin. So if you need to do any business with God, do that first. Another thing is disbelief. Try not to doubt your ability to hear the Voice of your Shepherd. And another is distraction and busyness. When we aren’t paying attention and listening, His still quiet Voice can easily be drowned out by all the hubbub in your life.

Attentiveness

I encourage you to be attentive for His Voice. Expect that He has something to say and wait patiently for Him to speak. He speaks in so many ways and unique to you and your heart and your personality. The best ever is when you have inside jokes with Him and when He does something that’s just between you two that no one else would know. He is an attentive, involved, loving Father. And He loves to talk with you and can be pretty chatty sometimes. Other times, He also just loves presence, so don’t worry if he’s quiet.

As with any relationship, the best way to learn how to engage in conversation is to just practice. Talking, listening, attentiveness. And like any relationship, we can get it wrong sometimes. If that’s where you’re at today, then read this next: [When You Hear God’s Voice But Don’t Want to Listen].