Why is it important to hear God for ourselves?
Isn’t it enough to hear our pastor on Sunday tell us what God said to him?
Isn’t it enough to pray and pour out my heart to God?
Pastor Bill Hybels says, “The heart and soul of the Christian life is learning to hear God’s
voice and then developing the courage to do what He asks us to do.”
One of the reasons hearing God is the heart and
soul of the Christian life is it makes our relationship with God real and
personal. If all we ever did was talk to our spouse and never listened to them,
it would not be a very close relationship.
Secondly, the Bible says true followers of Jesus
know His voice. God made us to have a relationship with Him. He loves us and is
not hiding from us. He wants us to hear Him.
John
10:27 says, “My sheep listen to
my voice; I know them, and they follow me.”
Third,
sometimes we need specific answers for our life. The Bible promises He will
direct our path if we lean on Him.
Psalm 32:8 says, “I will instruct you and teach you in the
way which you should go; I will counsel you with My eye upon you.”
Isaiah 30:21 says, Whether you turn to the right or to the
left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, ‘This is the way; walk in
it.’
Sarah
Young, author of Jesus Calling says,
I began to wonder if I, too, could receive messages during
my times of communing with God. I had been writing in prayer journals for
years, but that was one-way communication: I did all the talking. I knew that
God communicated with me through the Bible, but I yearned for more.
Increasingly, I wanted to hear what God had to say to me personally on a given
day. I decided to listen to God with pen in hand, writing down whatever I
believe He was saying. I felt awkward the first time I tried this, but I
received a message. It was short, biblical, and appropriate. It addressed
topics that were current in my life: trust, fear, and closeness to God. I
responded by writing in my prayer journal.
The practice of listening to God has increased my intimacy with
Him more than any other spiritual discipline, so I wanted to share some of the
messages I received.
Young’s whole book is messages she received, through prayer,
from the Holy Spirit and the Bible.
Young says the
practice of listening to God has increased her intimacy with God. As
believers, children of God, we all long for that intimacy, don’t we? We want to
know the mind of God and what He has for us.
It is the will of God to reveal His will to us. We need a
clean heart and a surrendered will to hear Him.
If you are still having trouble hearing God, read the Jesus Calling book or app. It is written
using scripture and is directed towards us, as if Jesus is doing the talking.
One of the signs a person is a believer is they want to hear
God for themselves. God always speaks through the Bible, however, He is a creative God,
and can speak to us anytime.
If you missed some of the ‘How to hear from God’ posts click
the links below.
This is day 26 in the series about Hearing God. To read the
other posts in this series, click the links below.
Day 1:
Take Off Your Sandals
Day 2:
God in the Grocery Store
Day 3:
God in the Grocery Store - Part2
Day 4:
Peeking During Prayer
Day 5:
How Do We Know God's Voice?
Day 6:
A Young Mom, Toddler Toys and Hearing God
Day 7:
Hearing God When Making Decisions
Day 8:
Lining Up Those Ducks
Day 9:
Hearing God for Our Kids
Day 10:
God or Genie in a Bottle?
Day 11:
The Perfect Day to Hear God
Day 12:
Hearing God in a Crisis
Day 13:
7 Ways to Test an Impression
Day 14:
Remote Assignment
Day 15:
God's Silence
Day 16:
Hearing God While Dating
Day 17:
Hearing God Bible Verses
Day 18:
What Others Say About Hearing God
Day 19:
Hearing God Through Distractions
Day 20:
Hearing God as a Child
Day 21:
Hearing God in Confusion
Day 22:
Hearing God's Encouraging Voice
Day 23:
Hearing God on a Tractor
Day 24:
An Email Confirmation
Day 25:
Do You Really Want to Hear From God?
Day 26:
Why Hear God?
Day 27:
Are You Texting God?
Day 28:
Hearing God in Our Depression
Day 29:
Day 30:
Desperate to Hear God
Day 31:
Desperate to Hear God (Part 2)
