The post How you can hear the voice of God is motivated by the fact that failing to hear God’s voice is failing to get the word/revelation of your season/time. But when you hear God’s voice, you can get the word/instruction for your current season/time. And this will translate to your success in your current season.
Moreover, every season of your life has its own God-ordained plan. And remember, God has plans to prosper you (Please read Jeremiah 29:11 Devotional to get a solid foundation for this post).
Everything has its season and every matter has its time
Ecclesiastes 3:1 states that “everything has its season, and every matter has its time”. That is every season has its own thing and every time has its matter.
Alignment with God’s plans
Therefore, hearing God is the key to being in alignment with His plans for you in every season and time of your life. And when you are in alignment with God’s plans, you will definitely prosper. Otherwise, you may experience destruction (Hosea 4:6).
Consequently, Jeremiah 28 and 29 focus on God’s plans for His people Israel. These chapters, therefore, lay the foundation for the revelation of these plans to Israel – two prophets spoke, but only one of them told the truth about God’s plans.
Additionally and critically, John 10:27 in the New International Version Bible reads: “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me“. And in these words spoken by Jesus to His disciples, two key things about hearing the voice of God arise.
Can you discern God’s voice?
But before that, a pertinent question arises: Can you be able to discern God’s voice from the many voices that speak about God’s plans? Because discerning God’s voice will keep you from being deceived. God doesn’t want you to live in deception because He always reveals His plans to us – God is a conversationalist (Genesis 18:17-19).
Moreover, when you hear God’s voice clearly, you will be able to live fully in God’s seasons and times for you. You will therefore prosper in your seasons and times.
God’s people can hear His voice
Now, John 10:27 tells you and me that “God’s people can hear His voice”. That is, God’s people can discern (recognize) His voice.
Additionally, John 10:27 reveals that God knows His sheep – that is, God knows His people. And is this is because God is in a relationship with His people (Ephesians 1).
Therefore, God’s people are able to hear His voice because of their relationship with Him. Your relationship with God is what will enable you to hear God’s voice – hearing the voice of God is dependent on intimacy with Him. And you can spend time with God through reading the Bible (devotions and Bible studies) and worship and prayer.
Moreover, Jeremiah’s record in chapters 28 and 29 implies that the Judahites couldn’t recognize God’s voice because they had turned their backs on Him (James 4:8a).
God’s people follow Him
Additionally, John 10:27 reveals that “God’s sheep (people) follow Him”. Therefore, God’s people are loyal or allegiant to Him.
Furthermore, obedience is what enables you to hear the voice of God. But disobedience will block your hearing. Because when the Judahites went their individual ways, and each man followed his/her heart, they ended up shunning God’s regulations for them (that is God’s Word). They therefore couldn’t discern His voice.
Additionally, John 13 to 17, and especially 14 to 15, highlight the importance and critical demand of keeping God’s commands. And this is why James commands you and me to be doers of the Word (1:19-25).
Therefore, reading and studying God’s Word is key to hearing the voice of God because the Word will help you understand how the Holy Spirit speaks – the Word and the Holy Spirit are interdependent. And the Word is your starting point in hearing the voice of God (2 Timothy 3:16-17). It will lead you to wisdom, which is, the correct application of God’s Word.
Intimacy and Obedience
Thereafter, your relationship (intimacy) with God and obedience to God’s Word will lead you to experience promptings, dreams and visions, whispers/impulses/nuances, visitations (angelic), prophecies, and divine connections (with especially mature believers). This is how you can hear the voice of God delivering specific instructions in your deeds or specific answers to your questions – the kings of Israel used to inquire of God. And Paul greatly experienced and testified of this in Acts 16:6-10.
Therefore, you will hear the voice of God when you create the enabling environment. And this environment is created through intimacy and obedience.
God’s peace
Finally, when God has spoken, you will experience peace (Philippians 4:6-7). And therefore, when you don’t have peace with your plans, you will most likely be out of God’s will.
Further, when you hear many voices and confusion sets in, then most often than not, God’s voice will be absent.
