Actively Hearing God!
Thank you for being here. This post has the potential to be one the most beneficial ones we have put on our site. God’s Word is alive and through it, He speaks to us. Ask the Holy Spirit to give you a wonderful revelation of how to ‘hear’ Him today. Eric
To have open ears to hear what God says to us is to know wisdom, to have direction, and to know His will This is the only way for us to have true success.
Let’s look at what Proverbs 1:33 (NKJV) reveals to us, “But whoever listens to me will dwell safely, And will be secure, without fear of evil." ‘Listen’ shama in the Hebrew means: to hear, listen and obey. In the Topical Lexicon, we find that, “the verb (shama) conveys the act of hearing with an emphasis on comprehension and response. It is not simply the physical act of hearing but involves an intelligent and attentive listening that often leads to obedience or action.” (Bible Hub Study Bible) Another way to understand the meaning of shama would be to refer to it as ‘hearing intelligently!’
Inserting the Hebrew meanings into Proverbs 1:33, it could be read this way: ‘But whoever hears, listens, and obeys God’s wisdom intelligently and attentively, will reside or abide securely in a place of safety where you will be at peace, free from evil, misery and distress.’ I believe that is a place where we would all love to live!
Proverbs 8:34 reads, “Blessed are those who listen to me, watching daily at my doors, waiting at my doorway.” “‘Blessed’ ashar, in the Hebrew Bible encapsulates the concept of true happiness and blessedness. It is not merely about transient or superficial happiness but denotes a deep and abiding joy and contentment that stems from a righteous life. We see once again, the word, shama, translated ‘listens’ with the same meaning: to hear, listen, obey and to hear intelligently. The phrase, ‘waiting at the posts of my doorway’ suggests a commitment to remain steadfast in the pursuit of understanding and trusting in God’s timing. Then, the phrase, ‘doors and doorways indicates one must choose whether they enter and seek the wisdom.” (Bible Hub Topical Lexicon).
I need you to recognize something here. Being a believer requires devotion, steadfastness, faithfulness, and resolution. It takes effort and commitment to be a follower of Jesus. When we choose to seek God and His wisdom and live in obedience to His Word, He blesses our life, He intervenes, He moves on our behalf - no matter the cost to us, we can never outgive God, for you see, His gift and blessings are eternal. Hallelujah!
If you hear and obey the Word of God, you are like a wise man who builds his house on a solid rock. (Matthew 7:24). To be wise is to have wisdom. Having wisdom involves knowing how to apply the knowledge you have. Building your house on the solid rock, you have a strong stable foundation. The New Testament explicitly identifies Christ as the Rock, building on the Old Testament foundation. In Matthew 16:18 when Jesus told Peter “upon this rock I will build my church, many scholars believe ‘this rock’ refers to the confession of faith that Christ is the Messiah, which Peter made.
We are taught that we need to ‘look intently’ or look carefully, inspect curiously, or give intentional careful examination to the Word. (James 1:25). Beyond superficial reading, we need to enter into a deep, thoughtful engagement with the Word of God.
Exodus 19:5 is an amazing verse! The ESV, “Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine.” This is a conditional promise the Lord gives us. ‘If’ we hear and obey His voice, we ‘shall be’ God’s own treasured or valued possession!
Listening to God to receive revelation is important. However, not everything God speaks to us is a ‘spiritual’ revelation. By listening to God, we can gain practical knowledge we need or mundane facts as well. The Lord speaks to lead us concerning where we should go, what we should do, what we should speak, or how to accomplish what needs to be accomplished.
Before I entered the ministry, I worked as an extrusion die repairman. A ‘die’ is a mold which liquid aluminum was pushed through to make aluminum extruded parts. The die had to be perfect to make a properly extruded part. I continually asked the Lord to give me supernatural wisdom and ability so that I would be successful in doing my job. Others in the plant, including my foreman, took notice and complimented my work. I was able to give testimony that the Lord was the source of my ability and my help.
God speaks in various ways. The most common way He speaks to us is through His Word or the Scriptures. 2 Timothy 3:14-17 reveals, “But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, 15 and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” Verse 16 gives us tremendous revelation in stating that “all Scripture is God-breathed.” God-breathed means: given by inspiration of God. [God’s own utterance]. Kingdom Dynamics in the NSFLB adds, “The Bible does not just contain the Word of God, it is the Word of God!”
When we abide, remain and stay in the Word of God, which He has given us, we know absolute truth and are liberated from the bondage and liability of sin. (John 8:31 and 31, Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance).
In Romans 15:4, God’s word reveals that everything that was written in the past was written for our instruction so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope (confident expectation) based on the character and promises of God!
Once again, reading the Word of God should never be done as a ‘duty’ or ‘superficially’ - for when we are reading God’s Word, the Spirit of the Lord is speaking to us!
Jesus frequently withdrew from the crowds to go to a solitary place that provided needed quiet and freedom from disturbances or distractions to pray to the Father. The word, proseuehomenos, translated ‘pray’ according to Helps Word-studies means: towards, exchange or interact with.
What do you suppose Jesus’s prayer life looked like? He told His disciples that He did nothing of His own initiative, but only what He heard from the Father. (John 5:30). We need to listen to what He wants to speak to us as much as bringing our needs, petitions and requests to Him. We have a tendency to speak but not listen. What benefit is there if we ask God for wisdom or help, and do not listen for His answer?
Isaiah 55:3a reads, “Incline your ear and come to Me; listen, so that your soul may live.” ‘Incline your ear’ suggests a posture of humility and readiness to receive instruction. The call to ‘come to Me’ emphasizes a personal relationship with God. ‘Listen so that your soul may live’ indicates that true life is found in heeding God’s word.” (Bible Hub, Study Bible).
“Listening prayer refers to a devotional practice in which a person intentionally quiets the heart and mind to discern God’s guidance, love and wisdom. Through this form of prayer, believers focus on being attentive to the Holy Spirit’s prompting rather than only speaking requests or praises. It involves setting aside distractions, meditating on Scriptures, and humbly waiting for God to communicate through His word and confirmations within one’s spirit.” (Bible Hub).
Sometimes God speaks to us directly through visions or dreams. He spoke to Samuel when he was a boy, even before Samuel knew the Lord. (1 Samuel 3:7-10).
We see that when we call on Him, He will answer. (Psalm 138:3, Psalm 120:1 and Psalm 3:4).
As believers, we are to ‘listen to His voice.’ (John 10:27).
When we are faithful to study and meditate on God’s Word and pray, God will often speak to us through the Holy Spirit, usually through a small still voice! (1 Kings 19:11 and 12).
You see, “recognizing and understanding God’s voice is foundational to our relationship with Him.” (biblestudyforyou.com).
Realize though, if God deems it necessary, He can speak to you in any way He needs to, i.e using a loud voice or another believer’s counsel.
When we read the Scripture, we should always pray for the Holy Spirit to reveal the truth of His Word to us. Knowing that ‘all Scripture was God-breathed,’ if we listen, we will learn to recognize His voice.
Take the Word of God personally! Pray, “Father, what do You want to reveal to me today through this verse or these verses?” Then, listen for His response. The Spirit might lead you to another Scripture to confirm His truth or simply speak a word to you in that still small voice!
God’s heart’s desire is that we be one with Him, just as Jesus was. We can only do that through communing with Him through His Word and prayer. The Word of God is His will. When we ‘hear’ Him, we can be led by the Holy Spirit and truly become one with Him and do His will.
May the Lord show Himself strong for those of you who are seeking to deepen your relationship with Him.
We would love to hear from you, if you would care to make a comment.
If you would like to read more on hearing God, you can read another post we published on June 26, 2024, titled, “Can You Hear Him? Listening for God’s Voice.”
Unless noted scriptures were taken from the New International Version.
NKJV New King James Version
NSFLB New Spirit Filled Life Bible
ESV English Standard Version