As a new Christian, learning to hear and know God’s voice will be a matter of trial and error at first. There will be times when you are totally convinced that you heard from Him, but time will prove that you did not.
Coming to recognize His voice as opposed to your own is one of the most important milestones that you can reach in your faith journey. If what you are hearing sounds like something that you would say, it is probably you.
But if it’s a thought that would not have occurred to you in a million years, it’s possibly the Holy Spirit speaking. If it is accusatory and negative, that most likely is the devil infiltrating your thoughts.
Understand That God Speaks
God desires to communicate with you.
“How do you know when God speaks?” my friend enquired. “You just know, and you never forget” I said. She said, “They all say that”, and she walked away. There are a myriad of ways God can speak. He is God. He’s not limited in his resources even if that means speaking through a donkey or through a burning bush.
I do believe that I’ve heard from God on numerous occasions. Strangely, on most of those instances I was not seeking or expecting to hear from him.
When I first came to Christ, I recall having a dream that I was walking through a long room of what looked like a hospital. There were people being attended to in the room which was lined with mirrors, but I was being lead pass them. The “doctor” who was leading me took me to a room. The mirror in that room was like an Xray which allowed me to see inside of my body.
I hid my face with my hands as the “doctor” tried to show me inside my body; but he gently pulled my hands down. I could see inside my body but it only showed my heart. Inside my heart was flooded with light except in the upper right corner. I leaned in to see why it was dark there and that’s when I saw Satan standing with his arms folded across his chest. I burst into tears and awoke out of my sleep. I’ve never forgotten that dream. Over the years I’ve had other dreams but I’ve found that the dreams have always been of a particular type – warnings.
God desires to communicate with us and He has various ways to do that. He may choose to use a particular mode with you.
Dreams and Visions
Remember that He chose to speak through dreams to Joseph and to King Nebuchadnezzar. Joseph is one of the most famous dreamers in the Bible. He also interpreted dreams.
It was through dreams that Solomon encountered God when he became king over Israel.
In Acts 10, God gave Peter a vision. Daniel had both dreams and visions.
Visions are “waking dreams”; see Numbers 24:4)
The Voice of God in your Spirit
You can hear the voice of God. Years ago, I got a new job which required that I drive for almost an hour and a half, across the city on one of the busiest highways in the province. At the time of accepting the position, I had no experience driving on the highway. The thought of doing so filled me with dread. But I had been unemployed for almost a year and I was desperate.
I remember sitting up in bed and talking with the Lord about my fear to go on the highway. Almost immediately I heard in my spirit, “Stay in the middle.” I grabbed my phone and called my friend to tell her what had just happened. She said, yes! That’s the best place to be. You’re not in the fast lane and you not going to drive off the highway for fear of changing lanes.” For as long as I had that job, I drove in the middle lane. If I ventured off and began to get nervous, I’d go right back to that middle lane.
Another time, I heard God speak as I stood in worship at church. In my spirit I heard a voice say, “I am your portion.” On yet another occasion, I had a conversation with the Lord from Wellington Street Subway station to Front Street in down town Toronto. I got to my destination having had no awareness of anything or anyone that I passed along the way. We spoke at length about a health issue which was weighing heavily on my Mind and about which I had to make a decision. I still remember him asking as I reached my destination, “Whose report will you believe?”
Learn to Recognize God’s Voice
We come to recognize God’s voice over time. At the beginning you may not be sure, but if you believe that He spoke, a good idea is to write what was said. Determine if it aligns with scripture and wait to see what happens concerning this word.
Many years ago, I was very angry with my brother. I felt that his friends were leading him away from the Lord. I was so angry that I could scarcely speak to him civilly. One day while at work I was sitting at my computer working. Suddenly, I heard a voice behind my right ear, “You must love your brother back into the kingdom.” I swung around in my chair but there was no one there. I knew God had spoken.
The voice of the Lord is often described as gentle and peaceful. It is. You’ll not hear him in the midst of noise and chaos. He’ll never shout. You can expect to hear him when your heart and Mind is still.
According to Apostle Arome Osay, “You can’t tell God when to speak to you. God is King. He decides when to speak. God does not speak much. He only answers. Only those who initiate the conversation get answers. Make sure that you are always asking questions. Ask him Why? Ask him What? The human heart is the theatre for God’s displays. God is a spirit. Expect him to be manifesting in your heart, not through thunder and lightening”
Impressions in your Mind
Sometimes you may get impressions in your Mind but know that God will never contradict His written word. Sometime ago I was praying for two people. One is desiring the fruit of the womb. As I prayed for her, I saw her in her home. She had two children. One was in her arms as she was busy at a kitchen counter. The other was at her feet pulling on her dress. Suddenly her husband walked into the room and picked up the second child.
I was also praying that a friend would come to Christ. While in prayer, I saw him kneeling at an altar in a very large church. In front of that image, he was standing with what looked like thick blood on his head. This blood was trickling down his face unto his beard, down his clothes and dripping onto the floor. God desires that all men be saved. This is the truth on which we can stand.
I’m still waiting to see the manifestation of these impressions. According to Apostle Arome Osayi, “The testimony of God that He showed you is established. Believe God until you see it. Sometimes when you pray, you’re discouraged because you don’t know how God answers prayer. The answer is encapsulated within a certain season and until that season opens, you’ll not see the manifestation of things you’ve prayed about.”
He Speaks Through His Word
God’s word is the first and final authority. As you read God’s word, He may choose to speak to you. A word or a verse may pop out at you. Recently I was telling the Lord about my prayer list. I was asking how much longer I’d have to bring the same issues to him. I turned to my Bible to read and there was the scripture, Isaiah 40:31, “but those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.”
For the next 2-3 days everything I read, spoke of waiting on the Lord. I got the message, so I began to pray for grace to do the waiting.
God can Speak Though Others
You may be facing a situation only to go to church and God seems to be speaking directly to you through the sermon. That has happened innumerable times. Someone may approach you with a direct message from the Lord for you. A few days ago, my mother called me with advice about a matter. I followed it immediately because I just knew that that word was from the Lord.
Tips for Effective Listening
If you desire to hear from God, you must cultivate that kind of intimacy in the relationship. You must speak with the Holy Spirit all the time. Keep your heart in communion with Him. The Bible says, “Pray without ceasing.” This does not mean that you are on your knees 24 -7. It does mean having an ongoing communication with God. You invite Him into everything. Ask His opinion. Thank Him. Know that He’s there with you and communicate with Him as you would a very good friend.
Pray for Revelation and discernment
Before reading Scripture, ask the Holy Spirit to reveal what He would have you know, or learn from the reading. Ask if there is anything that He wishes to say to you. Journal your thoughts and impressions so that you can go back and read them later,
What to do when God’s Voice Seems Unclear or he doesn’t speak?
Be patient and keep seeking. I’ve asked the Lord for a word or for directions on many occasions and have not heard a response. If there was an answer, I missed it.
Trust that He will make His will known – If I must proceed because I’m running out of time, I make the best decision that I can, based on the information that I have and commit the results to him. Sometimes it helps to ask someone else to help you pray about the situation. Then you can compare the impressions that you receive on the matter.
Hearing God’s voice takes practice. It requires you spending time in His presence and being open to hearing what He has to say. If God is in it, there will be peace, not pressure, not fear. Listen to and follow the peace in your heart. As you consistently seek Him, He will faithfully speak to you and guide you in your everyday life. Keep listening, and watch how He works in amazing ways!