How to Hear from God

When I was growing up, my dad had a very distinct whistle. I could be so far away from him I couldn’t see him anymore, but if he whistled, I knew I needed to come back and find him. Even now if I hear someone whistle in that way, I instinctively look for my dad. I could be in a completely different state, but those instincts to look for him are still there.

I wasn’t born knowing that was my dad’s whistle. I had to be trained to listen for it. By spending time with my dad, and him repeating that whistle, I developed the habit of listening for it, and I knew his whistle distinctly.

It is that same way with God our Father. When we come to know Him, we have to learn how to hear His voice and how to know Him.

In my chronological reading group, we hit 1 Samuel today. 1 Samuel 3 talks about a boy (named Samuel, imagine that!) hearing the voice of God. Through Samuel, we can learn a couple things about hearing God’s voice.

SAMUEL WAS NEAR WHERE HE KNEW THE LORD WOULD BE.

In the time when this was written, God’s presence was known to be in the tabernacle, and that is where Samuel was sleeping. He was near where he knew the Lord would be. Now we know that God is not limited to church buildings, or any type of physical presence, but God is everywhere. So find a place where you feel closer to God and get in His Word that is His voice talking to you! Some people feel God more outside. I personally like air conditioning so I sit at my desk each day to meet with God. Where can you go to meet with Him?

SAMUEL WAS QUIET AND STILL.

We have a lot of things fighting for our attention like our phones, Netflix, Braves baseball. Sometimes we just need to turn all that off, and be still with God. It is hard to hear God talking to you when you are also have several other things on. At the most, when I spend time with God, I have some Christian music or just instrumental music playing in the background. This allows me to really hear God and understand what He is saying to me.

SAMUEL TOLD GOD HE WAS LISTENING.

Whenever I read the Bible, I start off by asking God to teach me something. I pray something along the lines of “God, I know that this is your word to me. Teach me something about you.” After all, the Bible is a book about God, and we want to know how to hear His voice better, so we need to know him better!

SAMUEL HAD SOMEONE ELSE WHO WAS OLDER AND WISER THAT HE COULD ASK ABOUT THE VOICE OF THE LORD.

Sometimes it is hard to understand when God is talking, so it always helps to run whatever it is you feel like you are hearing by someone older and wiser. Your pastor, Bible study leader, or accountability partner are all good resources. And no matter what, God will never tell you something that contradicts Scripture, so be sure to check what you think you are hearing from Him against scripture!

So this week, I challenge you to pick your place, sit down there, and pray to God. Ask Him to speak to you.