How to hear from God (part 3)

We’ve been discussing how to hear from God. We talked about what you must settle in order to hear from Him. We also talked about how you can know it’s God speaking. In this post, we’ll talk about what it is God might want to say to you

Before we begin, let me share two things I hope will help:

1. When you pray, tell God what’s on your mind – but when you listen, let God tell you what’s on His mind.
   Let God control of the flow of the conversation and you’ll find out things you never understood about your past. Let Him lead and you’ll get help for the present and a glimpse into the future.
2. Let God be the one who ends the conversation.
   After listening one morning, I decided it was time to get on with the day. As I closed my notebook, I heard God say, “Why are you leaving?” My friends, when God asks you a question, it’s not because He doesn’t know the answer! In that instant I understood. Your heavenly Father has things to say. Tarry with Him until He finishes speaking. You’ll never be sorry that you did.  

First things first

Now, what does God want to talk about? If you have yet to embark on an intimate relationship with Him, or if you’re stuck in sin, the first thing He’ll want to discuss is your sin in light of His redemptive love.

Through the prophet Isaiah God spoke to the children of Israel, “Come now and let us reason together . . . though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow” (Isa. 1:18 NKJV). It’s just like that with us. When we’re outside of His will, God says, “Come on now, let’s discuss this!”* or “I invite you to come and talk it over”**. He doesn’t try to pound the sin out of you. Instead, He wants to discuss it. He wants you to understand the depth of His grace. He implores you to access His kindness, because it’s His mercy that leads you to repentance (Rom. 2:4).

All the rest

Once your heart is right with God, He’ll talk to you about how much you mean to Him. He wants to share with you how special you are to Him. He adores you and wants to tell you so. And He’ll never stop speaking words of love and affection. Just this morning He said to me, “I look forward to the time when you wake up so we can talk.” Imagine that! Our God, who runs this vast universe, anticipates time spent with you and me.

Beyond the issues of redemption and your worth to God, there is much more He wants to say. He’ll help you with your job, relationships, finances, and anything else that matters to you. His goal for you is not just marginal living, but abundant life (John 10:10). If you’re not living an abundant life, He wants to talk to you about how you can get there.

And it might surprise you to discover that He talks often about things to come. Why? Because He wants you to be ready. He wants you to be prepared in every season of life to carry out the work He’s assigned to you (2 Tim. 4:2).

If you have yet to hear these things from God, give your time over to Him. Spend time in His presence listening. Let Him bring new life, comfort, affirmation, healing, and help. You may not see Him, but He is very near. And as you hear His voice, may it fill you with inexpressible and glorious joy.

Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, receiving the end of your faith—the salvation of your souls.
(I Pet. 1:8-9)

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*GOD’S WORD® is a copyrighted work of God’s Word to the Nations. © 1995 by God’s Word to the Nations. All rights reserved.
**Contemporary English Version, Second Edition (CEV®) © 2006 American Bible Society.  All rights reserved.