Hearing God
In my observation and experience, sadly people can struggle with the idea of hearing God personally and for themselves. As a result, many believe they need to be in church or talk to others they think are more mature in the faith to hear what God is saying to them. However, we should all be able to hear from God for ourselves; but what exactly can this experience be like, based on scripture? - H.C. Daniels
Remnant Revelation #4 (Devotional) - Written by: H.C. Daniels
Overview: How do we hear God? There are many different ways God can speak to us. As His “sheep” we should be diligent in getting to know His voice and seeking Him for personal instruction for our lives in order to prevent going our own way in lifeʼs major decisions. Sometimes God might allow us to be in a hidden season, removing other voices from our lives, in order to learn His voice and how He speaks to us.
Key verses: Jeremiah 33:3, Psalm 85:8, John 10:16, John 10:27, John 14:26
Revelation #1 - God speaks to us primarily through His living Word and His Spirit for personalized instruction.
When many people say to seek God or have you heard from the Lord, I used to think this was found in ways that had to do with asking other people and God would speak through them. However, what I have discovered over my life is that people are not the best source when it comes to hearing God for direct instruction regarding your life. Many Pastors, in my experience, state things like ask a trusted friend or we are conditioned to go to those we perceive to be more spiritually mature. However, years of taking the community's advice as a primary source of Godʼs instruction in my life has led to many wrong turns that could have been avoided. Even from those I respected like ministers in the Church. Was all their advice bad, no. Do I believe God would speak through them at times, absolutely. However when it came to very important decisions in my life, I was expecting them to guide me in what God wanted to reveal to me Himself. God has been so gracious in re-directing over the years. But the shock that came along with realizing I was not on the path of His preferred will, often left me baffled and confused with outcomes that resulted in unnecessary pain. Running to Jesusʼ feet and allowing me to hear His instruction directly through the Word, cleansed me, healed me, corrected me, and gave me a renewed mind. There is no substitute for developing an intimate relationship with God in which you know how He speaks to you directly.
Revelation #2 - God wants to speak with us intimately and personally. This is how we build a relationship with the Lord and we get to know Him!
Sadly, most Christians, not all, can be in the Church most, if not all of their lives, and never be properly taught or even encouraged to seek God and an answer from Him concerning their lives directly. As a result, we think Godʼs answer is revealed in going to people to seek their advice. What we are taught is “there is safety in a multitude of counsel”. I am sure you have heard that over and over again. However, we are to take the sum of the Word (Psalm 119:160) and in the Bible as a whole, how do we skip over the many other verses that speak of the importance and unmatched superiority of the Lordʼs counsel and the cost associated with not seeking it (Joshua 9:14, Psalm 16:7, Psalm 33:11, Isaiah 11:2, Isaiah 28:29, and the list goes on). We are also taught in the Church to rely on our own reasoning:
What we tend to hear are sermons like: Five ways to know if this person is from the Lord:
This person is in the Church
This person reads their Word
This person has accountability
This person will demonstrate certain fruit
This person will be approved by your community
While all good signs and not to be overlooked, it still does not factor in the heart of a person which only God knows and we need His counsel to adjust our thinking. Counterfeits can look very real and craftily appear to have all the traits listed above, for example. As Christ-followers we should always sit and inquire of the Lord, in addition to regularly sitting in His presence quietly as a means of fellowship with Him. When sitting with Him, I have also found He will often tell you without asking and provide divine intel regarding someone or something just by being regularly in His presence and seeking His heart.
With this in mind, I would offer the revised sermon above, should ideally encourage believers in a way that points them to asking Christ directly for answers, developing an intimate relationship with Him.
Revised sermon for example:
The one most important way to know if a person is sent by the Lord… Go ask the Lord (lol - we donʼt have to make it complex people)! And wait for His answer. Typical answers usually with instruction given:
Answer 1: Yes
Answer 2: No
Answer 3: Yes, but wait on Me and proceed as I unfold my plan over time
Please understand, people are fallible, including myself and including you. The only way to safeguard oneʼs decisions, considering this fact, is to be able to seek and hear God for yourself. With obedience comes provision and protection. But how can you obey when you have not sought instruction from the Source.
This very prominent theme in the Word that speaks to “inquiring of the Lord” is so important and can help avoid counterfeit situations and people or outcomes that require re-directing. God demonstrates in His Word the standing invitation He gives us to build intimacy with Him. Asking questions! In Genesis 3:9-13, when Adam and Eve sinned and God came to walk with them in the cool of day, He asked them questions. When Elijah was fleeing the wrath of Jezebel, and was fed by angels along the way, once he arrived in a cave, God asked Him “Why are you here Elijah?”. As if God doesnʼt know the answers already (please). He is showing you how to grow in the knowledge of who He is, imitating this style of closeness by learning His heart.
Revelation #3 - Godʼs presence and His direction is a very close and personal reality and should be regarded as such. Humbling yourself before God is realizing you are in need of His counsel and should actively seek it out.
God does speak but we donʼt have to make it this distant encounter only a few get to experience. Jesus says His sheep know His voice so if you belong to Him, you should be able to seek Him diligently and find Him. I think where most people get stuck and I myself have gotten stuck, in my humble opinion, is not knowing the ways God speaks. Then they begin to lean on a feeling, thinking that is God, or their own ability to reason ignorantly, making idols out of feelings or their intellect. We can not lean on our feelings, our intellect, or even other peopleʼs opinions when it comes to hearing God for ourselves. I have found that the proper place for third parties (such as Christian community operating in one Spirit) is as a confirmation to the things God has already spoken to me in my personal devotion time with Him (also called “The Secret Place”). With that being said, always develop your own intimate relationship with Jesus for yourself. Did you notice, in the Word, Jesus draws the analogy in the Bible of an intimate relationship with Him as sitting with Him and partaking of Him as in the Last Supper or the Breakfast by the Sea when He approached the disciples post-resurrection? There is always this relationship (covenant) building theme centered around eating and drinking in remembrance of Christ (Revelation 3:20). Man shall not live by bread alone, but on every Word that proceeds out of the mouth of God (Matthew 4:4). Jesus is the fruit of the tree of life (He hung on a tree and as we partake of Him and die to our flesh, which can be painful but worth it, we continually gain life). So as we seek Him for knowledge, understanding and instruction, the Holy Spirit along with the living Word feeds us Godʼs personalized message for our lives. Then as we submit to that instruction, we become Christ-followers. It is so refreshing to understand this life-changing principle as His Bride.
Bonus Revelation #1 - God speaks to us through other means as confirmation. They were used as primary means when Godʼs revealed counsel (the Word) was still being developed in written form and inspired by the Holy Spirit.
Some of the other ways God can speak to us personally is through the following:
Still, small voice
Dreams and Visions
3rd party messages or other people (prophetically)
Word of Knowledge, Wisdom, or Discernment
Praying in the Spirit with Interpretation
Bonus Revelation #2 - Beware some of the avenues that the enemy may use to try and get you not to hold fast to Godʼs Word.
Doubt - the enemy will try to break-down your faith and try to get you to doubt that God will do what He said He will do. In response, hold up your shield of faith! Let the Word (the only offensive armor) fight for you as Jesus did in the wilderness being tempted by the enemy.
Confusion - the enemy will try to twist the Word God gave you. Always go back to the original Word God gave you. I once heard a pastor say to notice the order when looking at the parables of the seed (Word) being dropped. The farmer (Father God) always gives the Word first then the tare is sown by the enemy. Also in another parable, the seed is sown then the Word is compromised by different types of conditions and soil. We have to diligently hold fast to the commandment God has given us to live on and bear fruit in patience.
Fear - the enemy will try to get you to think your circumstance is bigger than God. David in the face of Goliath was confident in God to be his salvation. Need I say more. Psalms is an excellent book to read when facing different seasons in life. It captures almost every human emotion and most of them were written by David while in a cave and in a hidden season for 15 years (between being anointed to be King and actually becoming King).
Other people (talking you out of doing Godʼs will). Often, in a genuine effort to seek wise counsel, we can forfeit what God wants to do in our lives by not sifting through what others tell us because we are not confident enough in hearing God for ourselves. Keep in mind, the revelation came to you, not to others. So at times people will not understand what God is telling you to do and sometimes God will instruct you to keep quiet for this reason. We see even in the Bible, when Jesus healed people, sometimes He told them to go from this place and not to tell anyone. Jesus was very attune to the times and seasons during His ministry on earth. We, as humans, can often find it counterintuitive because we want to give God the praise publicly and assume that is the right thing to do, however, we need to honor the fact that the season might not be here for us to share what God is telling us and we might need to protect it by keeping quiet.
Cares of the World - you abandon Godʼs plan for your life because of daily realities that seem impossible to overcome. This is one of the most deceptive ways the Word of God can be taken from you and breed unbelief. Sometimes what God is telling you doesn’t seem to fit with your present situation however, God specializes in the impossible. He will give you the strategy to overcome if you move (or be still) in faith, believing He will bring to pass what He has spoken regarding your life.
