There has always been a lot of sensation attached to the topic of "How To Hear From God". Lot of money is being made by writing books on this topic. Often false teachers deceive people (for the sake of money, building fan following, etc) with misleading ideas on this "sensational" topic.
Having said there, there is also no denying that when you read Scriptures, the question of “How To Hear From God” does naturally arise. Especially, when you read verses such as John 10:27 (“My sheep listen to my voice”).
So, all these facts do make it important for Christians to have a good basic understanding of what should we expect from God, in terms of “hearing from Him”. In this document, I make an attempt in that direction.
The first question I am taking up is "How easy or hard is it to connect with God and hear from Him whatever He has to say to you?".
From the Scriptures / Bible, it should be very easy. Why? Because Jesus, by far, did the hardest part, in this regard, - suffered immensely and died on cross, so that we can have a direct and deeply intimate relationship with God! After that also now, God lives in Christians (1 Corinthians 3:16). Also, know that God is the one who is pursuing you for a direct and deeply intimate relationship (i.e., Revelation 3:20, etc). He is the one who wants to be at the center of your life. He is the one who wants to be the Lord of your life. Isaiah 58:11 says "The Lord will guide you continually”. And also, He is the one who is calling you to partner with Him (Matthew 9:37-38), deeply and intimately, as He is executing His plan of redemption for this world (Matthew 9:37-37, etc). So, given all these facts, God is the one who is wanting to make it known to you, whatever He wants you to know from Him, very easily and very readily.
Also, know that God won't tell you everything you want to know. For example, He did not tell any person, when Jesus is coming back for the second time. He has given us the Scriptures and mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16) to help make God honoring decisions everyday. Also a lot of life is about walking by faith, not sight, trusting Him in all His ways. So, yes I do not believe He is going to explicitly tell you about each and every step you need to take everyday, as some misinterpret from John 10:27 (“My sheep listen to my voice”).
Scriptures do suggest a good way to sense what is God's current message to people, via John 5:19-20:-
"Jesus gave them this answer: “Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does. ...". Likewise, we cannot do anything by ourselves, if Jesus couldn't! Likewise, Father loves the Church, and shows the Church what He is doing, so that the Church can partner with Father in his redeeming works on earth. So try to sense, what God is doing around you, in this world, and what God is showing to the Church. One guiding principle to help discern that, is the mission of the Church - The Great Commission - Matthew 28:16-20 ("go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you ... "). Whatever you believe is God directing you to do has to line up with this mission that God gave to the Church, in these last days!
Also, on our part, we can definitely place ourselves in better positions by pursuing Christ-likeness. When we are living like that we will find ourselves in God's will, more and more. Verses such as John 15:4-5 ("Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing."), John 14:23, etc indicate that. On the other had when we are walking in sin, we are trying to run away from God, hence missing out on what He has for us, and also attracting trouble.
Finally, we should be proactively seeking and doing God's will, always. We should not be lazy (Revelation 3:15-16) or even spend all our times trying to figure out what is God's will. Jesus said "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few" (Matthew 9:35-38). The needs of this world are great and overwhelming, and God is continuously at work (John 5:17) to redeem the world, and He is looking for co-laborers all the time. So do not waste time, but jump in and "do something" (with the right heart). Scriptures do convey that we should live with a sense of urgency (as we live out the Great Commission) in these end times.
Some illustrations from Scriptures:-
- Jesus
- He prayed all night before choosing the twelve apostles ("One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God. When morning came, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them, whom he also designated apostles:" - Luke 6:12-15)
- Joseph ...
- Did not know when he was coming out of prison ...
- Moses Quoting from the Exodus 3, commentary on "From the story of Moses, so far, what all do you learn towards “finding God’s plan for your life?" - "From Exodus 2:11-14 - God may have given Moses, the desire to lead Israelites out of bondage into freedom, quite early on (Remember Joseph had dreams pertaining to his future rulership - Genesis 37:5-9). But, Moses did not know for 80 years, precisely what God had made him for!! (Talking of finding God's plan for one's life ...)
- Abraham ...
- Jacob ...
- Apostle Paul
- Note how Apostle Paul was raised. Acts 22:3 "I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city (Jerusalem). I studied under Gamaliel and was thoroughly trained in the law of our ancestors". Gamaliel was a "Pharisee in the council ... a teacher of the law held in honor by all the people" (Acts 5:34). I can see God had him "thoroughly trained in the law of our ancestors", as God would use him latter to write the utterly profound (especially "expounding on the critical matters of Christian doctrine" - in the words of David Limbaugh) thirteen epistles of the New Testament. It is very clear from these epistles that the author had to be very well versed with the Old Testament laws / doctrine / covenant, which Paul was by training.
- God also used Paul's Roman citizenship - David Limbaugh:- “He was a Roman citizen, which entitled him to legal protections unavailable to non citizens and which, in some cases, facilitated his presentation of the message (Gospel).”
- David Limbaugh continues - “Paul was fluent in the Greek language and Greek culture and learned in Greek literature, which enabled him to relate to the Greeks (gentiles) on their level.”. Remember, Paul took the Gospel to many Greek speaking gentiles (Acts 9:15).
- So Apostle Paul is another great example where one can see how one's "early life preparations", by God, can point to one's future callings / roles.
- ...
Moses waited for 80 LONG years, till he embarked into what God made him for. But the 80 years were not futile either! God was using them to prepare Moses. For the first 40 years, God led him to live as a prince in Pharaoh's palace. While other people of God were still in hard slavery, God put Moses in a palace for 40 years. Why? Is it because God loved Moses more than other people of God in slavery? No! During these 40 years in royal care Moses may have been equipped very well to be a great leader, as expected from a prince. Then the following 40 years God may have moulded his inner character so that he could become a responsible and robust leader. That is time probably he became the meekest man on earth.
Charles Spurgeon said in the first 40 years, Moses learnt to be a ruler and in the following 40 years he learnt to be a Shepard of God's people! Chuck Smith said "Now no doubt Moses" experiences there in the wilderness were going to be necessary experiences. Number one, while he was there he was learning the lay of the land. As he was out there as a shepherd following the flocks through the Sinai desert and around Mount Horeb, he became very well acquainted with the area. He knew where all of the wells were. He began to know a little bit about the weather conditions. Really beginning to get a lot of good, practical savvy on survival in the wilderness. These things were all to be helpful for him in the big project that God had for him in leading the children of Israel from Egypt to the Promised Land. So he was out there now learning in the school of experience, wilderness or desert survival which would prove to be very handy later.""
MISC Practical Tips
- Study how in general, in the secular world, people make “wise" decisions. ("wise" because to live by God's is to live wisely, as attested by Deuteronomy 4:6:- "Keep them and do them, for that will be your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples, who, when they hear all these statutes, will say, ‘Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.". Then ask how those principles, from the secular world, are altered in the context of Christianity. Learn how to make wise decision in life - Grow in that - keep growing that for the rest of your life - It is part of the life long sanctification process.
- Learn from history / past and other people (yes, ask around) as well. Learn from how Christian leaders in history made the key decisions of their lives. Be wary of false accounts though.
- Connect the dots in your past. Is there anything you can learn from Moses’s life (see above under "Some illustrations from Scripture: Moses, Apostle Paul") for your own life?
- Heed to open doors - pray and seek if God is calling you to any of those.
- Some ways to test if you are going in the right direction:-
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(... Under Construction ...)
