Five ways to hear more from God

In previous posts, I talked about how to hear from God. Whether you’re new to hearing God’s voice, or you’ve been doing it for many years, you can always go deeper. Here are five ideas to get you further down the road in your conversations with God.

Try this to hear more

1. Ask Him questions.
   God wants us to go beyond just listening to the point where we’re comfortable conversing with Him. Read the stories of Abraham, Moses, the prophets, and the apostles, and you’ll see that they had vibrant, lively conversations with God. Don’t be afraid to ask Him about what you want to know or what you don’t understand. It’s His joy to answer.

Call to me, and I will answer you. I will tell you great and mysterious things that you do not know.
(Jer. 33:3*)

2. Write it down!
   I talk about this often because it’s so important.. Writing helps you remember what God said. It also allows you to track your spiritual progress. It will feel awkward and even cringeworthy when you start. But it will get easier. And if you will write, then leave the words to rest for a time, the “cringe factor” will fade. When you return later to read the entries, you’re likely to find that you really did hear from God. And you’ll want to keep listening.

3. Treat God’s words with care.
   God doesn’t talk just to talk. His words are meant to challenge you and change your life. The law of sowing and reaping doesn’t just apply to finances, it also applies to hearing. If you carefully consider and act on what you hear, you’ll hear even more.

Then he added, “Pay close attention to what you hear. The closer you listen, the more understanding you will be given—and you will receive even more.
(Mark 4:24**)

4. Overcome question paralysis. 
   If God asks you to share what you hear with someone else, your next thought will probably be, “What if it wasn’t God I heard?” This question can paralyze you. And if it does, the blessing stops with you. The way to overcome the paralysis is to ask, “What if it was God I heard?” Exchange your fear of man for trust in God. When someone is touched or changed by God’s words spoken through you, you’ll hunger to hear more.

The fear of man brings a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD shall be safe.
(Prov. 29:25)

5. Get a second opinion.
   If you’re learning to listen, you need encouragement and guidance. Share some of what you’ve heard with a seasoned Christian. If the words are from God, they’ll resonate with that person’s spirit. Self-doubt can plug up your ears; but the encouragement of a godly friend can increase your desire to hear from God.

A person who isn’t spiritual doesn’t accept the things of God’s Spirit, for they are nonsense to him. He can’t understand them because they are spiritually evaluated.
(1 Cor. 2:14*)

Keep moving down the the road toward continual conversation with God. Don’t give up. Don’t doubt your ability to hear. Great adventures await!

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*GOD’S WORD® is a copyrighted work of God’s Word to the Nations. Quotations are used by permission. Copyright 1995 by God’s Word to the Nations. All rights reserved.
**Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.