“Nothing is more important to our spiritual life than learning to hear God’s voice.”
Derek Prince
Little girls love to tell secrets to their best friends; when they do, they cup their hand over their girlfriend’s ear and whisper their secrets so that only their friend can hear what they say. Derek Prince writes in Hear God’s Voice that when God speaks, He doesn’t shout; He whispers. When the Lord appeared to Elijah in 1 Kings 19, He was not in the great and powerful wind that tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks, nor was He in an earthquake or in a fire. “And after the fire came a gentle whisper” (1 Kings 19:12b). When God speaks it is not in a booming loud voice, but rather a still, small voice. If God whispers when He speaks to us, then what do we need to do to hear Him; what posture is conducive to hearing His voice?
We can’t hear what a person is whispering if they are across the room. We have to move closer in proximity, draw near, and place our ears up against their mouth. Likewise, for us to hear God’s voice, we must draw closer to His presence by withdrawing to a quiet place where there is less noise and fewer distractions. We need to be still, quiet our souls and thoughts, and wait for Him to speak. God likes it when we slow down, give Him our undivided attention, and have open-ended time with Him.
This posture doesn’t happen normally, and or automatically. Hearing God’s voice is a process of training the inner ear of our heart to connect with God’s Spirit. To hear God’s voice, our spirit needs to tune into the same frequency as the Holy Spirit. My affection for God is made known when I intentionally create space to hear His voice because I want to be with Him, not because it’s something to check off my to-do list for the day.
God whispers because He wants you to draw closer to Him, to deepen your relationship with Him. Unless you hear what God has to say, you can’t follow Him. To hear God’s whispers, quiet your hearts before Him, cultivate an inward sensitivity, and believe He wants to speak to you. God speaks when He knows you are listening and desire to obey what He whispers in your heart and mind.
“It is impossible to follow the Lord unless we hear and recognize His voice.”
Derek Prince
Relevant Reflections:
What practical steps can you take to listen to God’s voice?
What has God recently whispered into your ear?
Image by Sofia Shultz from Pixabay