Hearing from God is God’s greatest desire for mankind. There are no parents who will not want to speak with their children about what they should and shouldn’t do.
In John 16:12-13, Jesus promised to speak to us through the Holy Spirit. This agenda covers all areas of our lives which includes: kingdom service, ministry, place of worship, choice of career, choice of higher institution; health, marriage, and finance. The list is endless. “The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord: and he delighteth in his ways.” —Psalm 37:23.
The sad thing is that most people living on Earth including those who call themselves Christians hardly follow God’s guidance. Why? Because they either don’t believe they could hear from Him or they are ignorant of the way God speaks. Selective hearing is what most people do while many are tuned to the voice of error (see John 10:4-5). In John 2:5, Jesus said, “Follow me.” Not you take the lead while I follow. It’s also sad that for most people when what they hear seems like it would cost them some personal sacrifice, they would feign ignorance. Follow the steps below to hear from God:
Steps to Hear from God
Know God and His character. God’s characters are: faithful, just, true, loving, kind, long-suffering, and honest. Use this to decipher or test which is true among God’s voice, your voice, and the devil’s voice. If what you are hearing does not pass this first test of being faithful, that means it’s not from God. “If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself.”—2 Timothy. 2:13.
Get alone with God. Find a cave like Elijah (see 1 King 19) and ask God to speak to you about your life. Our busied and noisy lives are the greatest enemies to hearing God’s voice. We could also be too busy doing good works whereas God wants us to have a personal relationship with Him. How are we supposed to know where we are supposed to function in kingdom service if we do not make time to hear from God? Many of us are too energetic doing unsuccessful things we are not anointed to do, we are drained and worn out as a result. It’s time to be still and relax. In 1 King 19, God demonstrated to us that His moves could be rowdy but His voice is a “still small voice”— rowdy people cannot pick it.
Spend time in God’s word and prayer. We are in a strong illusion to think that we can hear from God without spending time in His Word and prayer. Many born-again Christians are too lazy when it comes to studying scriptures and laboring in prayer. If you don’t have time for God you can’t pick His signal. The station that you tune your radio to determines what you hear. If you are not tuning to the radio of God by spending time in his word and prayer, you will be hearing the broadcast of the devil and his host of demons.
“And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left.”—Isaiah.30:21
Create an atmosphere to hear from God. The Bible says, if possible, live peacefully with all men (paraphrase)—Romans 12:18. It’s difficult to hear from God when you are in such an environment where everybody in the room is angry or upset, striving with themselves. Again, people who complain, grumble, murmur, and find fault from daylight to dark never hear from God. We need to maintain an attitude of gratitude in order to continue to hear from God.
Maintain an attitude of listening. There are people who love to speak when in a conversation with the other party but never listen to what the other party has to say. If you are the type that always talks to God without waiting for feedback, add listening to your effort. God is not an idol. God speaks in a moment of inner and outer silence. If I were a teacher trying to pass some knowledge across to my students but they wouldn’t listen, I would stop sharing my knowledge. The same goes for God. God does not speak to a deaf ear.
“Of whom we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered, seeing ye are dull of hearing.”—Hebrews 5:11
Practice prompt obedience. God leads step by step. If God tells you to do something and you refuse, He won’t show you the next thing to do until you obey the previous instruction. Abraham is an exemplar of prompt obedience. Anytime God told him to do something, he took action immediately even when the instruction did not seem logical. No wonder we still enjoy his blessings to date.
Many of us want to hear from God about specific things in our lives but do not obey the general instructions in the bible. Remember, until you are faithful in small things, much more and greater things will not be handed over to you. Simple instructions like submission for wives; and love for husbands — we are still struggling to follow. Sadly, some born-again believers still cut corners by accepting bribes and embezzling public funds while some are still struggling to submit to the authority. How are we supposed to hear from God about the specific things in our lives if do not comply with His general instructions?
Final Thoughts
God wants to speak to you on every matter of your life but maintaining a listening attitude is the key to continue to hear from Him all through the days of your life. The place of divine guidance to the fulfillment of destiny cannot be overemphasized because one wrong step can wreck a whole destiny. For instance, for a believer to marry an unbeliever is obvious that it is a wrong step that can lead to a lifetime regret. The scripture already says: “do not be unequally yoke with unbelievers” — 2 Cor 6:14. God will never contradict His word when He leads. When God leads, He provides; He protects and you are fear-free. Psalm 23.
In case you’ve got some value for your time, please follow, like, comment, and share the love with your networks. I would like to read your thoughts on Steps to Hear from God in the comments sections below.
