Although the title seems misleading, I think you will agree.
Almost weekly, I am asked about the process of listening to God. For all of the spiritual writing out there, very little of it deals with the practical method of spiritual growth. I think much of the spread of the “new age” spiritualities has been because most of the message concerns methods (and often gimmicks) on how to have a spiritual experience. And truthfully, most of what I see in this form of spirituality will produce an authentic spiritual experience. Of course, I would maintain that this experience is a combination of the demonic and the psychological, and the long effect is going to result in eternal death.
Given that the stakes are high, I think it is essential that every Christian have a legitimate experience with God. A legitimate spiritual life is dependant on hearing the voice of God and learning to obey that Voice. As Jesus said in John 10:27-28 “ My sheep hear my voice and I know them, and they follow me; and I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.” Learning to hear and discern the voice of God has eternal consequences.
Yes, but how? It is both simple, and complex. One woman that I know once observed that she thought there was an art to prayer, and there is an art to listening to God. Like all arts, there are basic skills that are necessary. They take minutes to learn, but require practice to master.
Step 1. Read your Bible. The place to begin is the Bible. The Bible is the recorded interaction between God and human beings. In order to learn how to hear, you have to learn how God has spoken, and you have to learn what God has said in the past. As you spend time in the scripture, you begin to actually develop the receptors to hear the Lord speak. I am convinced that the scripture alone is not a replacement for hearing the voice of God, but I also am convinced that you cannot hear the voice of God unless you are in the Bible. You need to have an orderly pattern of reading, so that you do not get stuck in your favorite parts, and you need to be forced to read the parts you don’t like. Personally, I don’t like Jeremiah, Job, or James, so when I get to these parts I especially pay attention. It is important to remember that God will not contradict the Bible in speaking to you.
Step 2. Read Spiritual Classics. After the Bible, you need to read the writings of the spiritual masters, the men and women who have left us a legacy of listening to God and being obedient. In learning to listen to God, I would avoid the latest hot Christian book. Go to the books that time has proven—Oswald Chambers, George Muller, Andrew Murray to begin. A more advanced library might include The Sacrament of the Present Moment, Theresa of Avila, and Bernard of Clairvaux. Learning how those in the past have learned to listen to God in practical situations will open your eyes to how to do it in your daily life. Consider these writers “training wheels” to listening.
3. Stay in Community. Now to the practical method of actually listening. God speaks in a multitude of ways, but the tricky part is learning to develop discernment. The contemporary culture is against discernment—“It’s all good” is a dangerous attitude to have. It is not all good, and most people miss the best for the good. The goal is to become a pure stream, where you know that sound of the Master’s voice, and you know when that sound is distorted through your soul, your surroundings, or a variety of other filters. You cannot discern the voice of God without the Community, the Church. You need others more mature to help you discern. God often speaks in community, and being solitary will lead you off the path.
4. Get Quiet. This is probably one of the hardest parts. The Lord is often very quiet. It is important to spend time in the Lord’s Presence in silence. No TV, radio, internet, or music. You will quickly discover that your own soul is the noisiest part of your life. When this happens, put your hand on heart, take a deep breath, exhale, and remind yourself that Jesus lives in you, your heart is the Temple of the Holy Spirit, and you will be at rest. This will take practice.
5. Keep a Journal. Eventually, you will begin to hear things. They will come as thoughts, impressions, possibly a mental picture. You might have the scripture you read that morning come echoing back. You might get a new idea. At this early stage, it is especially important you write it all down. In the writing, you will discover clear patterns. Eventually you will probably hear the Lord tell you how much He loves you. You will probably hear a lot about your dreams, your destiny, and your purpose. Also, keep track of anything that might seem strange. You will get some of this too. It will take a while before you a certain which parts are God, and which are from last night’s cold pizza. But eventually, it will become clear.
6. Respond in Obedience. Eventually the Lord will begin to give you direction. It might be something small at first, and eventually, the Lord will begin to ask you to do more. You will learn that the flowing of the Lord’s revelation will depend on doing what the Lord tells you.
These are the basic beginning steps. Remember, the spiritual life for a Christian is a relationship with a Person. Like all relationships, there is an ebb and flow, and an element of mystery. There are also surprises. Listening to God is going to change you. You will begin to become like the Speaker.
In the next post, I will begin to explore the various ways God speaks.