Every day we're required to make choices. Some are straightforward and fairly inconsequential, and others can be life-changing for us and other people. When it comes to making these bigger, more complicated decisions, we often seek advice from those we trust to tell us not just what we want to hear but what we need to hear. Because we should trust God more than anyone else, it's natural that we should look to Him for guidance and allow His words to steer our steps. But hearing Him isn't always easy.
The following Bible verses are great sources of wisdom for us as we get to know God's voice and understand how to respond to Him.
Why we might not hear Him
The better we know God, the better we'll get at knowing His voice. When it feels as though He's gone quiet, it's worth asking yourself if you've been unintentionally shutting yourself off from Him or whether you need to improve other aspects of your relationship with Him. Have you been trying to ignore His instructions because they're not the ones you had in mind? Do you need to develop your understanding of Him?
John 8:47 - Whoever belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God.
What we need to do
We can train our ear to hear Him by reading and studying His word, seeking counsel from other Christians and spending time away from all the distractions that can prevent us from singling out His voice. Even when we do all of these regularly, we can still benefit from directly asking God to help us hear Him.
Psalm 2:1-5 - My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you, turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding — indeed, if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God.
Mark 4:24 - "Consider carefully what you hear," he continued. "With the measure you use, it will be measured to you—and even more."
Psalm 24:4-5 - Show me your ways, Lord, teach me your paths. Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Saviour, and my hope is in you all day long.
Ezekiel 3:10 - And he said to me, "Son of man, listen carefully and take to heart all the words I speak to you."
How we hear Him
For those who have trouble hearing God's voice, a question that often arises is: "In what way does God speak to us?" The answer to this question found in the following verse may not be the one you were looking for as it doesn't give a definitive answer on how God will speak to you. But you should see it as encouraging that there are numerous ways that God can get in touch.
Job 33:14-15 - For God does speak—now one way, now another—though no one perceives it. In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falls on people as they slumber in their beds.
What happens when we hear Him
Many of us will be able to recount stories of how hearing God changed the course of our own lives or helped us to see more clearly during a particularly troubling time. The following verses offer some insight into what we can expect when we hear and, more importantly, listen to God.
John 10:27-28 - My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand.
Revelation 3:20 - Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.
Romans 10:17 - Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ.
