Can you hear him?
January 15, 2012
John 10:4-5
Introduction
- It was back in 1961
- I was 12 years old, and I was reading through the life of Abraham
- I read in Gen 12 “The Lord had said to Abram, Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to a land I will show you”
- This seemed so incredible to me, that God would speak to a human being!
- I had recently memorized a scripture Acts 10:34 – “God is no respecter of persons”
- So if God would speak to Abraham, wouldn’t he also speak to me?
- This started a journey for me to find how to hear God’s voice, for me personally
- I had no instructor in this and it was in 1996 that I first realized I had heard God’s voice
- Today we are going to speak about hearing God’s voice
Ways God speaks to us
- There are many ways in which God speaks to us
- Dreams
- Often, as we read through the Bible, we read that God or an angel spoke to people through a dream
- Matt 1:20, 2:12, 2:13, 2:19, 2:22 - The birth of Jesus was announced in dreams
- Acts 16:9 – Paul’s dream – Macedonian call
- Visions
- Acts 2:17-18 – dreams and visions – young people as well
- Dreams seem to happen more often than in visions, which are essentially the same, except they happen while we are awake
- The reason may be that we are not quiet enough to be open to hearing God’s voice during the day
- God’s word
- Often in reading the Word, a particular verse jumps out at us
- This is the Holy Spirit speaking to us, personally
- The verse may mean something to you which it does not mean to someone else
- It is God speaking to you personally
- An example is Isa 54:16-17 - To me this told me God was going to use me in setting people free from the enemy
- I showed it to my pastor and he told me to remember it, it was something God was saying to me, personally
- Still small voice
- Another way God speaks to us is through a still small voice
- 1 kings 19:12 – still small voice
- Have ear open to hear
- A still small voice is also translated as a whisper
- When life is busy and we have all the sounds of life coming at us, it is hard for us to hear a whisper
- This whisper often comes through our thoughts
- Rarely is it an audible voice
How to listen
- Habakkuk 2:1-3
- 1. Quieten down
- Go to a quiet place, no distractions
- 2. Tune in to God
- Ask the Lord to speak to you, and ask him to protect you from your own thoughts or the enemy’s influence
- 3. Expect an answer
- Expect that your prayer will be answered, and that you will receive a response from the Lord
- 4. What is your first thought
- The first thought is usually from the Lord, the second thought is often us second-guessing what God said
- The word still needs to be tested by scripture
- 5. Write it down
- Don’t allow God’s words to you, to fall to the ground
- Samuel was known for his consistency in responding to God’s words
- These words are precious, treat them as such
- 6. Be obedient
- Follow through on what God has said
Conclusion
- God is a God who communicates
- He wants to be close with his kids
- Our human dad may not have wanted to be close to us, perhaps they were remote
- But God desires to be close to us, love us, be our friend
- This takes time together, enjoying each others presence
- Listen to Him!
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