I started hearing God speak to me as soon as I got saved—and I needed to. It would be an understatement to describe my situation as desperate.
See, I got saved in a county jail. I was falsely accused of a crime I did not commit and the state wanted to send me to prison for five years. (You can read my entire testimony here.) God had a different idea and sent a group of evangelists to the jail to offer testimonies of Jesus' saving grace.
I was sold on the gospel—and sold out to Jesus—but I was still facing five years in prison on a false charge. I didn't know what to do, so I just started reading the paperback Bible they gave me after the jailhouse crusade, praying and attending any sort of quasi-church service I could find behind those cold hard walls.
Then He spoke to me. God made it clear that I would be released from that jail on the 40th day. I told everyone who would listen that I would be released on the 40th day. I told my “bunkie.” I told the correctional officers. I told my mother.
I didn't know it, but I was warring with the prophetic word—and I won. I was released on the 40th day, completely vindicated. It was just as God said it would be. I write more about my testimony—and share daily prophetic words that Lord used to inspire, comfort and counsel me—in my new devotional Mornings With the Holy Spirit. But in this three-part series I want to share with you some fundamentals of hearing from God.
1. Believe That God Wants to Speak to You
If you don't believe God wants to speak to you, it's likely that you won't hear His still, small voice. The key here is that you expect Him to speak. David said, “O Lord, in the morning You will hear my voice; in the morning I will direct my prayer to You, and I will watch expectantly” (Ps. 5:3). The Holy Spirit lives inside you and may be speaking to you more than you realize. Jesus said, “But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, will teach you everything and remind you of all that I told you” (John 14:26).
2. Position Your Heart to Hear His Still, Small Voice
Jesus Himself said, “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me” (John 10:27). Our part is to position our hearts to hear His still, small voice, or to recognize the other ways in which He communicates with us. (God can speak to us in many ways, which we'll discuss in later articles in this series.) Practice the presence of God. Cultivate an awareness that the Holy Spirit dwells in you and He longs to fellowship with you daily. Pray that He would make you sensitive to His Spirit and His voice.
3. Learn the Fine Art of Listening
Many people talk to God but they don't stop to listen—or they don't develop listening skills. Listening truly is a skill that you can learn, whether in your natural relationships or your spiritual relationship with God. You need to “have an ear” to hear the Holy Spirit and that may mean training your spiritual ears to recognize the ways He is speaking.
Jesus said, “He who has ears [to hear], let him be listening and let him consider and perceive and comprehend by hearing” (Matt. 13:9, AMP). Solomon prayed that God would give him a hearing heart (1 Kings 3:9). Many translations say “understanding heart” in that verse but the Hebrew word translated “understanding” in that verse is shama, which translates to hear, understand, listen or obey. Pray that God will give you a hearing heart, then listen and obey.
4. Fellowship More With the Holy Spirit
This is fundamental. If you want to hear from God more clearly, spend more time with Him and His Word. Paul told his spiritual son Timothy, “All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Tim. 3:16-17, MEV).
Knowing the Word guards us from deception—and from falling into the trap of listening to other voices or even following vain imaginations. If you seek God, you will hear His voice. You don't have to be in a quiet room to hear from God. Your soul just needs to be quiet and focused on Him. Let your spirit dominate. Listen with spiritual ears. You can hear Him!
In my book, Mornings With the Holy Spirit, I share with you many of the words the Holy Spirit spoke to me in my times of devotion, worship, prayer or just everyday living. My hope is that this book will not only inspire you but also show you one way the Holy Spirit speaks. In the next article, we'll look at four ways God speaks to His children. You can also download a sample chapter of Mornings With the Holy Spirit by clicking here.
Jennifer LeClaire is senior editor of Charisma. She is also director of Awakening House of Prayer in Fort Lauderdale and author of several books, including Satan's Deadly Trio: Defeating the Deceptions of Jezebel, Religion and Witchcraft, and The Spiritual Warrior's Guide to Defeating Jezebel. You can visit her website here. You can also join Jennifer on Facebook or follow her on Twitter.
I am unable to hear from God at all – is it God cannot forgive my sins because i fell. Does that mean i am not saved at all.
God forgave every sin you have and ever will commit when Jesus died on the cross. The debt has been paid, the check cleared. We cannot earn the grace of God, because he gives it freely. I find that sometimes God is silent because he wants your to trust him. When God says I will never leave or forsake you, he means it. Just because God doesn’t answer all our prayers doesn’t mean he has left us. God doesn’t speak to everyone in an audible voice (although that would be so awesome!). He speaks to me in a little whisper of peace in my heart. Sometimes the noise of my life makes it seem like God is on mute. Get rid of the noise, focus on seeking him. He says that when you seek him with all of your heart, you WILL find him. <3
Hi JC
I don’t hear from God either. I am a christian. When you sin, you have an advocate in Jesus. If it was up to you to stay saved, you could get yourself saved in the first place. If you have accepted Christ as your Savior, you can’t lose your salvation. It is Christ that keeps you, and no one, including you, can snatch you out of His Hand. Accept His forgiveness, which he gave you completely when you were first saved, since ALL your sins were in the future when He died, and thank Him. Have peace. You can’t save yourself, you can’t keep yourself saved; you can’t lose your salvation. God is the Author and the Finisher of our faith. Otherwise, we could save ourselves.
Why cant i hear god
I used to hear from God. I pray and believe but cry sometimes because there is no break through.
Lately I know his word says he is with me and will never leave me but, no break through, I ask for healing in my body, claim by his stripes I’m healed. No healing. I know he wants me well. I just don’t understand.
I hear God & I know His voice. I am undergoing intense warfare since I moved to Dearborn to occupy. For the last few months I am having trouble. I am not hearing Him. This really bothers me. I do not know what is blocking me from hearing. It is like suffocating to me not to hear His voice. I’m pioneering a House of Prayer that would call people in to Dearborn, Mi to pray and battle what is here and raise up an altar of worship. When I said “Yes” I will pursue doing this, the voice cut off. I pray and ask God if he wants me to stop – nothing, so I continue on. Something is in my way. I do not know. I feel helpless and alone. I’ve no support in this effort. People say yes do it but no one lives here to stand with me.
I love this. So many times in my life I feel he just stands back as I choose. Like, He isn’t saying as much sometimes but I feel him allowing me to move through his quietness in this season. He speaks through everything, in so many languages that sometimes we may just not be listening right. Such s good read