“He reveals Himself to us so that we may know Him, love Him, and serve Him.”
John Wimber
The first time I heard God’s voice in 1988 was while driving on Grand Avenue in Phoenix, Arizona. He called me “Mary.” At the time I could have passed as Martha’s twin in Luke 10, always busy doing things. My daily quiet times with the Lord was more to check off my to do list, rather than like Mary, who sat at the feet of Jesus.
Since 1998 I’ve been making time to sit still with the Lord and journal what He says to me. God will give me one word or a phrase and as I write it down, He keeps speaking more words. It’s as if I’m taking short hand from my Boss.
The more I spend time with God, the better I know Him. The more I know Him, the clearer His voice is to me and the more frequently He speaks to me. I have heard God speak while making my husband’s lunch, putting on make-up, cleaning the house and even during a Zumba class. The more our ear is trained to hear God’s voice, the more often we’ll hear it, even when we least expect it.
In John chapter ten there are several verses which speak about the sheep knowing the Shepherd’s voice and as a result they follow Him. Likewise, God wants us to know His voice so that we obey Him. God speaks when He knows we’re willing to listen and obey.
All relationships are built and deepened by communication and our relationship with God is no different. We need to talk with God and share our desires with Him as well as listen to Him share His heart with us. God is all about relationship! Priscilla Shirer says, “God’s goal is not to get us to hear Him as much as it is to know Him. The better you know God, the more clearly you can hear God.” God’s purpose in speaking to us is so that our intimacy with Him deepens. More than any other spiritual discipline, hearing God’s voice and obeying it has developed my closeness with Him.
God shares His secrets with those that are closest to Him. We typically don’t confide our innermost desires with strangers, but those we are closest to. Similarly, Psalm 25:14 says, “The Lord confides in those who fear Him, He makes His covenant known to them.”
God speaks to us not only to build intimacy, but to give us direction in what to obey, to warn us and to speak destiny into our lives; “to call things out that are not, as if they are.” Listening to God’s voice and obeying it builds trust in our relationship with God.
“Our times of communion with Him are more important to Him than anything we could do for Him.”
Wade E. Taylor
Relevant Reflections:
1. What is one way you can get to know God better this week?
2. Describe a time you heard His voice.
3. How can you become more intentional about hearing God’s voice?