
Intentionally Hearing God
Upon returning from vacation as a teenager my family learned that the church where my father was pastor had voted him out. Furthermore, this meant they had voted us (i.e., my father Jim, mother Faye, brothers Charlie and David, and sister Marcile) out of the parsonage with two weeks to find a place to live. Unfortunately, we had learned too late that this particular church had a habit of “running off” pastors since their proximity to a Bible College provided plenty of gullible replacements! A rather unpleasant experience!
Fortunately, a kind woman allowed us to move into a house above an abandoned country store she owned (yes, we lived in a “Store-House”!) (Philippians 4:19). There, my older brother Charlie and I picked the long yet narrow front room to be our shared bedroom. Unfortunately, this room was only a few yards (meters) from a bustling two-lane main highway in the country frequented by tractor-trailers traveling at high speed. You could hear and feel the large trucks passing by on the way to their destinations! Also, a busy train track was approximately 100 yards (~91.44 meters) behind this house. Consequently, sleeping was tough for the first few weeks! However, after three to four weeks, I no longer heard the trains or traffic on the highway. I learned a fundamental life principle in that “Store-House”:
If we do not intentionally focus and react to people or things, we eventually stop noticing them!

I believe the same has happened to many of us concerning hearing God. We were likely never trained to hear God or even taught it was possible. It’s funny how many people have said over the years that “something” told them not to do that or to do this… and when they did not listen, things turned out badly, or if they did listen, they avoided tragedy. Well, that “something” was likely God talking to you, and to that end, I offer the following brief outline of how to intentionally hear from God.
The fundamentals of intentionally hearing from God:
A. Choose to Hear God (Matthew 11:15. Proverbs 20:12. 1 Kings 19:11,12. John 10:3,16,27).
1. Practice His Presence:
(a) Decide that hearing God is as vital (1) to you as the air you breathe (1) (Matthew 6:21. Mark 4:24).
(b) React in obedience immediately upon hearing God’s voice (Luke 6:46-49. James 1:23-25. 1 Samuel 3:4-10).
If anyone has ears to hear, he had better listen!” (Mark 4:23. cf. Matthew 11:15. Mark. 4:9;7:16. Luke 8:8;14:35)
Realize that you will “train” your senses to NOT notice what you do NOT react to daily. Since we have ears to hear, we need to focus on hearing God, or else we will eventually cease to hear His voice.
If you are unsure that God is speaking to you, ask (1) Him to provide two or three scripture verses that will confirm His message (2 Corinthians 13:1). Do not worry, as it is His pleasure to confirm everything with His Word! (Hebrews 6:17) Remember, God never, never, never does or asks you to do anything contrary to His Word (i.e., the Bible). Furthermore, God does not and cannot lie… ever! (Titus 1:2. Hebrews 6:18)
Unfortunately, Satan also will use scripture in an attempt to deceive (Matthew 4:5-7). However, he will typically use scripture out of context that elicits a fear response (2 Timothy 1:7) and not like God, who uses several verses that harmonize and result in bringing peace to a situation (James 3:17,18).
(c) React immediately to cast down (1) all thoughts contrary to God (1) or His Word (2 Corinthians 10:3-6. Proverbs 18:21. Matthew 4:1-4. 1 Thessalonians 5:21. 1 John 4:1).
(d) Realize there are three primary communication sources (1) in the realm of the spirit:
1) God (Father, Son or Holy Spirit (1)) or His angels (1) (John 8:47. John 10:27. Acts 13:2. Luke 1:28-31)
2) Satan (1), his fallen angels or his demons (1) (Ephesians 6:12. 1 Kings 22:19-22)
3) The voice of your own spirit (1) (i.e., your conscience) (Romans 9:1).
Furthermore, realize you can only trust your conscience if you are born again (1) AND are continually renewing your mind (1) to the Word of God (John 3:3. Romans 12:2). If you are not born again or if you are not continuously renewing your mind to the Word of God then you will likely be misled or fooled by your conscience (Jeremiah 17:9. Proverbs 16:25. Jeremiah 10:23).
2. Become hungry to hear from God:
Become hungry to hear God (1) by refusing to allow the good substitutes to confirm God’s will for your life and thus become your primary or only means of hearing from God (Psalms 42:1-2).
For example:
(a) Christian books
(b) Christian blogs.
(c) Christian social media.
(d) Christian broadcasts.
(e) Christian services or workshops.
(f) Christian counselors, pastors, teachers, friends, etc.
When battling, the enemy thrives on our vulnerability and subtly shifts our focus from the truth of God’s Word. He uses what is good and turns it into something that can hurt our situation and relationship with the Lord. For example, social media can motivate and send inspirational messages. This can be very helpful, and I am not saying that it does not serve a purpose, but it should not replace God’s Word and His ability to help us. We rely on external motivation when we focus on other people and what they are saying to inspire us. The burden then falls on us to achieve the same as others, and in the end, we become very harsh taskmasters of ourselves. (6)
B. Purify your Heart
1. Our hearts must be cleansed (1) of evil by obedience to God so that our conscience will become a reliable source of hearing from God (James 4:8. 1 Peter 1:22. Proverbs 23:7. Matthew 5:8. Matthew 6:21. 2 Chronicles 16:9. Jeremiah 29:13. Psalms 51:10. Ezekiel 36:26).
2. We must have our hearts and ears circumcised even from good (1) to have His best (Acts 7:51. Acts 28:26-27. Luke 6:45. John 11:49-53. Romans 2:29).
C. Study Additional Resources
For the additional study of this topic, I unreservedly recommend the books Hearing God by Peter Lord (2) and Practicing His Presence by Brother Lawrence and Frank Laubach (3).
Remember, hearing God (1) is a journey and not merely a destination. There will be times when you hear Him clearly (Isaiah 48:17. Isaiah 30:21), and other times you will have to seek Him to hear from Him (Acts 17:27). This journey of communicating with God will not necessarily be easy, but it will be worth it! (4) Choose today to listen for God speaking! Amen
Discipleship for New Christians
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- Remember Jesus!
- United in Spirit
- Focus on Conformance, not Performance!
- Living in Harmony with the Holy Wind
- Religious Folklore – Christians can Misplace Their Salvation
- That’s How You Know!
- WDGG? How to make GOoD Decisions!
Shalom
(Security, Wholeness, Tranquility)
Peace
Then he said to them, “Therefore every expert in the law who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his treasure what is new and old.” (Matthew 13:52 NET)
If you desire the peace that only comes from knowing Jesus (Yeshua), click here.
(1) Select the link to open another article with additional information in a new tab.
(2) Hearing God, Peter Lord, ISBN-13: 978-0801056505
(3) Practicing His Presence, Brother Lawrence, Frank Laubach, ISBN-13: 978-0940232013
(4) See also: Seeds of the Kingdom Daily Devotional, Hearing the Voice of God, February 2, 2015, by Jill Southern-Jones
(5) The “Store-House” on US 84 in Pansey, Alabama (it has since been razed)
(6) Adapted from Seeds of the Kingdom Daily Devotional, Lord, I Can’t Handle This, August 26, 2024, by Annalene Holtzhausen

