“ “1In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe.””
If God speaks, then he has a voice by which he communicates and thus, we are expected to hear his voice. Hearing the voice of God has always been an issue in the church among believers and has created a controversy around the clarity of his voice. Sometimes the question is, does God speaks and even if believers claim he speaks, are they hearing him or they are drawing their own conclusions from their perceived understanding of what they think is the voice of God?
As stated above in Hebrew 1:1, God spoke in the past through his prophets and he spoke many times and in different ways, such as; Isaiah and Ezekiel had visions (Isaiah 6:1-8, Ezekiel 1:1)Spoke to Joseph through dreams (Genesis 37:5-10), direct speech: Adam and Eve(Gensis 3) After they had sinned, God called them, symbolic actions: Asked Jeremiah to go buy a belt and put around his waist (Jeremiah 13:1-11), Moses in the burning bush (Exodus 3); Audible voice-Samuel-(1 Samuel 3:4-10), gentle whisper- Elijah (1Kings 19:12) and much more.
Prophets played a fundamental role in warning, guiding, and encouraging God’s people in the past. They were the essential link between God and his people in delivering his message to them.Jeremiah 1: “4 The word of the LORD came to me, saying: 5 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”
Joel 2:28 “And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions”
Hebrews 1:1:2 shifts the way God speak today- “but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe.” If God speak through his son, God’s voice is found Only Christ Jesus. This places the significance of the word of God. Jesus has been appointment the heir and its only through him that every has been made. The revelation of the word of God is very important in our ability to hear God. When God speaks, it carries power, authority, life, and authenticity. Jesus Christ is superior to the prophets. Th delivery of God’s word and voice through Jesus Christ embodies everything about God whereas in the past there was a limitation. Jesus Christ is the word of God that became flesh (John 1:1-14).
Today, God still communicates and his voice is loudest in the word to teach, direct, rebuke, correct, and train us in his path of righteousness. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 states “16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,17 so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”
God speak via his word and Knowing God is the first step to hearing his voice: Hearing the voice of God comes from the revelation of his word and only builds up as one becomes a sheepin his pasture (Pen), not wondering outside. John 10: 14- 16, 27 “14 I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me. 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. 27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.”
Revelation is the gift God has given man to understand what God says, but we have the responsibility to develop and intentional open an obedient heart that is ready to sit in the presence of God and intentionally study his word. In dwelling in the word, we train ourselves to cultivate a sensitive spirit that pick up the voice of God. In 1 Samuel 3, we see that Samuel began in the season where the word of God was scare (1Samuel 3:1) and Samuel knew nothing about God’s word; 1 Sameul 3:7 “ Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord: The word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him.” Hearing the voice is built over time like in the case of Sameul. God initiated the speaking because Samuel was available in the temple. With time, he was very familiar that when God spoke his heard with precision. 1 Samuel 3: 19-21 “19 The Lord was with Samuel as he grew up, and he let none of Samuel’s words fall to the ground. 20 And all Israel from Dan to Beersheba recognized that Samuel was attested as a prophet of the Lord. 21 The Lord continued to appear at Shiloh, and there he revealed himself to Samuel through his word.”
God speaks to man via the spirit of man Romans 8:16 “ The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.” John 16:13 “ But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.:
1 Corinthians 2:10-15 “ 10 these are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. 11For who knows a person’s thoughts except their own spirit within them? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. 12 What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us. 13 This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual realities with Spirit-taught words. 14 The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit. 15 The person with the Spirit makes judgments about all things, but such a person is not subject to merely human judgments.”
Jeremiah 20:9 “But if I say, “I will not mention his word or speak anymore in his name,” his word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot.”
God speaks through dreams: Job 33:14-16 “14 For God does speak—now one way, now another though no one perceives it. 15 In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falls on people as they slumber in their beds, 16 he may speak in their ears and terrify them with warnings.”
God speaks through some divine circumstances: Acts 16:6-10 “6 Paul and his companions traveled throughout the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province of Asia. 7 When they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to. 8 So they passed by Mysia and went down to Troas. 9 During the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” 10 After Paul had seen the vision, we got ready at once to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.”
Some guiding steps
• Knowing the voice of God begins with Being born again-Salvation.
• Knowing about God is not knowing his voice
• Church familiarity can mask our ability to learn his voice.
• The voice is in his word, and his word must be revealed, NEVER human reasoning.
• Seek to study the word: Romans 10:17- Faith comes by hearing
• It’s a process to grow into by consistently being in his presence and walking in obedience In Judges 6:36-40, Gideon needed repeated signs before recognizing God’s. In Jeremiah 1:6, Jeremiah with no experiences stated “I am only a boy” yet God’s word “burned like fire” in him (20:9). Disciples—though taught directly, they fully “understood the Scriptures” only after the resurrection, see Luke 24:45.
• Create time to worship, prayer and listen-1 Samuel 3:10
• Note that God’s Voice will never contradict his word.
Prayer Points
Ask the Holy Spirit for help and guidance: John 16:13 “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.”
Ask the Lord to reveal himself through his word: Hebrew 4:12 “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”
Ask God for the grace to include our spirit ear where he can speak to us: Isaiah 55:3 “Incline your ear and come to me; hear, that your soul may live; and I will make with you an everlasting covenant, my steadfast, sure love for David.”
Ask God for the grace to come before him daily in prayer, worship and surrender: Romans 12:1-2 “1 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
Pray that anything blocking our ears form hearing God be dismantled now that we heard the word of the Lord: Jeremaiah 6:10 “To whom shall I speak and give warning, that they may hear? Behold, their ears are uncircumcised, they cannot listen; behold, the word of the Lord is to them an object of scorn; they take no pleasure in it.”
Pray that God will open your ears to hear his voice: John 10:34 “3 The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen for his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice.”
Sometimes, we wonder what we hear, is it God, us or the devil? Stand on this word to first repent on any form of disobedience, thoughts you have allowed in you through the kind of music, friends, environment, TV etc then begin to command every thought in you that is not in alignment with Gods word to be demolished and break out of you in Jesus mighty name. 2 Corinthians 10:5-6 “5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. 6 And we will be ready to punish every act of disobedience, once your obedience is complete.”