The art of communication is difficult. We all have had to combat misunderstandings and faced discouragement. We all have had cause to regret words spoken out of turn, and faced touchy reactions from those whom we thought would understand and allow our mistakes.
There are four stages by which communication between two people can break down - what the first person thinks he says, what he actually says, what the listener actually hears, and what he thinks he hears!
To add confusion to the whole issue, not only can communication break apart so easily between two people, but what happens when there are more than two voices clamouring for our attention? Everything that produces sound needs some sort of interpretation, be it the deep roar of an aeroplane flying overhead, the gentle hiss of an office photocopier, or the strident scream of an ambulance passing by.
These intrusions are temporary, however, and fade into insignificance when compared with the importance of discerning between the voices that have the most important and long lasting impact upon our lives. There are really only three that matter most - God, ourselves and Satan. Isaiah 30:21, Proverbs 3:5-7, Jeremiah 14:14, 2 Chronicles 18:21
This being is of high intelligence and has great oratory skill. He has underneath him an army of unknown number that obeys his every dictate. He is totally depraved and seeks always our destruction and misery. He is strident and relentless in his demands upon his subjects. He is empty of all positive character traits such as (to name only a few) mercy, love, faithfulness, honour, pity and justice. He is also a liar. This does not mean that he never tells the truth, but it does mean that we can never be sure which is truth and which isn't.
We have varying levels of intelligence and not particularly great oratory skills! We have within us two natures (provided we are genuinely born again into the family of God), one of which is depraved and strives to follow its old master - Satan, and the other which is refreshingly new, but too often, immature, and has its desires set on following its master - God.
This Being is total in intelligence, total in love, total in purity, total, in fact, of everything that is good and righteous and trustworthy. His is a gentle voice, often unheard except in the quietness of solitude. He neither demands nor raises his voice, but rather desires mutual respect and friendship. He too is relentless, but only in seeking our best.
This last voice is the one most needing our attention and listening ear.
Have you ever considered how frustrated God must become at times as he strives to get his message across to us? How does an infinite God; one who simply spoke millions of galaxies of stars into being; one who has no beginning and no end; one who is totally wise and totally full of knowledge; how does a God like this cram all that he wants and needs to say into a book (we call it the Bible) of perhaps 1300 pages? John 21:25
What is more, out of his love, he has our career, partner, and place to live, church, all planned and prepared for us to enjoy and be blessed by. And yet we miss his directions time and time again. We get angry with him, angry with ourselves and often simply give up.
Truly the art of communication is a difficult one.
So, how do we learn God's voice?
In a word - practice!
The Bible teaches that to start in the Kingdom of God we have to be born into his family. Now you know as well as I do that a new-born baby does not enter into instant understanding of parental goo and gaga! In fact he/she takes a while to even focus in the general direction of the doting voice. Over time, however, though often through trial and error, baby learns to identify the voice of a parent, and, eventually, the substance of what is being said by the parent. So it is with God. It takes practice (and usually a good deal of trial and error), to become skilled at identifying and understanding the voice of our heavenly Father. But it can be done. 1 Samuel 3:1-10
There are two prerequisites necessary to even getting started with God.
Assuming that we accept these two criteria, we then need to be expectant and alert towards his approach and the means by which he will communicate.
I believe there are three stages to being successful in hearing God - discovering, discerning and deciding.
Suppose a busy housewife has her pet cat in the kitchen. It may start meowing, but because of her concentrating on cooking the meal or perhaps washing some dishes, she fails to notice for quite some time. At some point, however, she becomes aware that this animal is trying to say something to her. That is what I call the point of discovery. The cat may have been meowing for some time, but the housewife has only just heard it. If she stops to reflect, she may realise that the meowing has been going on for some time, but because she had subconsciously relegated its importance downward in her mind, its earlier calls for attention were ignored.
God can speak to us in many ways. His Bible is, of course, the most obvious and essential place to start. Joshua 1:8, Psalms 119:89-112
He has already caused over 30,000 verses to be penned for our blessing and is waiting to teach us so much through its reading. So why do we ignore it? Why should God bother to talk to us at all if we neglect to read what is already written?
He can speak to us through timing. Ecclesiastes 3:1-8, Galatians 5:25
Remember the story of Esther? If Haman (the bad guy in this story) had arrived in the King’s court just one minute later, what a different outcome may have resulted!
God can speak to us through a dream or face to face, by prophet or a burning bush. He can speak from the sky or by plagues, through an angel or a donkey. He can write on a wall or in the sand. Exodus 3:1-4, Exodus 12:12-13, Numbers 12:6-8, Numbers 22:21-33, Daniel 5:22-28, Luke 1:26-38, John 8:6-8, Acts 9:3-6, Revelation 1:12-18
God wants to communicate with us and he has the ability to do it any way he desires. The key is to believe that he wants to and therefore to be alert and expectant.
Let us go back now to the meowing cat in the kitchen. Its mistress stoops down and it finally has the attention it needs. The problem the housewife now faces, however, is to discern what the cat wants. Is it asking for food? Does it simply want a few strokes of affection? Or does it need to get outside in a hurry!
When we become aware that God is reaching through to us, we should take the time to listen carefully and fully understand his message. Exodus 23:20-22, Ezekiel 3:10, Luke 9:44-45
We know how frustrating it can be trying to communicate with people who persist in interrupting and finishing our statements for us, or who turn away even as we speak. We must be careful not to do the same thing with God.
His message may span only a few seconds, or it may take months to complete. It may come from one source, such as the Bible, or it could be completed from a number of sources. It may be as short as, "I love you", or it may contain direction for a major part of our life. 1 Samuel 23:11-12, Ezekiel chapters 2 - 5
It can be fascinating when something the Lord is thought to be saying is suddenly reinforced by a flood of phone calls from friends who begin their conversation by saying, "God has laid you on my heart recently and......."! A vague interest in a certain issue or direction can suddenly be fanned into flame as every magazine or newspaper we pick suddenly appears to be headlining 'that very issue'. Our daily study notes from the next week on are all on 'that very issue'. Even the Pastor suddenly decides to preach about 'that very issue'!
When these sorts of things happen, we should relax as we seek to learn what our Lord is trying to bring to us. God wants us to hear clearly. He is faithful, and will make sure we do understand, provided we are willing to act on what we hear.
We need to remember that even his rebukes and disciplines come from his heart of love. He wants his best for us - an awesome thought to consider. Isaiah 48:17, Hebrews 12:10, Revelation 3:19-21
With our friend the cat, the decision made will most probably be to pat it, feed it, or open the door for it.
The appropriate response to God's voice will depend on the topic of the particular communication. If God is declaring his love for us or encouraging us in some way, then little probably needs to be done except to bask under his approval!
If we perceive a rebuke or correction, we will obviously be wise to heed it. Hebrews 3:7-19, Revelation 3:3
It is important to note that God will convict of sin in order to bring us to repentance and to set us free from guilt. Acts 3:19, 1 John 1:5-10
Satan, however, will bring conviction in order to condemn and keep us at all costs in a place of unrepentance, so ensuring our stay in guilt and bondage.
A communication from God may contain guidance or direction that will affect not only us as individuals, but the lives of others. Genesis 12:1-5, Acts 13:2-3
We may be led to change jobs, move house, emigrate to another country, or any of many directions significantly major. God is rarely in a hurry, so beware of any messages that demand urgent response. Satan wants us to 'act without thinking' and will often pressure us into making quick decisions. If God has an urgent message, such as at a time of imminent danger, he will make contact so clearly that we will be unable to miss the point! Genesis 19:15-22, Matthew 2:13-15
In any major perceived guidance from God, if unsure as to what to do next, may I suggest 3 aides?
The Bible. 2 Timothy 2:15, 2 Timothy 3:14-16
This has to be the one guaranteed way to clear up many uncertainties and protect from counterfeit guidance. There is no way, for example, that God will encourage us to steal, sleep around, criticise, or build an idol (despite what some have tried to tell me)!
Good friends. Proverbs 27:6-9, James 3:13
These are the sort of people who love us enough to tell us off, and correct us if we're wrong. They are also best to be friends who have a good relationship with God and a working knowledge of Scriptural principles.
The timing. Ecclesiastes 3:11, Galatians 5:25
The correct timing is absolutely essential. If, for example, God were to ask us to shift to another location, would it not be reasonable to expect that he have a suitable place ready for us? Now, he is not likely to have that next place sitting empty for who knows how long waiting for us to decide when to shift. Is it not more likely that he would cause our next home to become available for us at just the right time?
Let me bring a simpler illustration. The parking space prayer! We all try this one! If we are in the habit of speeding, we should not expect God to find us a parking space 'just as we arrive'. The Bible requires that we obey the laws of the land, Romans 13:1-7, 1 Peter 2:13-17 and God certainly works according to his own Biblical principles, therefore his provision of the right parking space depends on our co-operation in keeping within the speed limits. I can give personal testimony to many occasions witnessing a car pulling out from where I wanted to park - either just as I approached or just after I passed, depending on whether I stayed within the speed limit or whether I sped and even perhaps crashed an amber traffic light! Food for thought indeed! There are many examples in the Bible of timing being critical to God's plans; sometimes even minutes have counted. Esther 6:1-14
Here are some 18 reasons why we may not seem to hear God’s voice.
This paper seeks to accurately represent the teachings of Holy Scriptures. You are free to copy or alter all or any part of this paper PROVIDED that the Holy Scriptures are not misrepresented as a result.
There are four stages by which communication between two people can break down - what the first person thinks he says, what he actually says, what the listener actually hears, and what he thinks he hears!
To add confusion to the whole issue, not only can communication break apart so easily between two people, but what happens when there are more than two voices clamouring for our attention? Everything that produces sound needs some sort of interpretation, be it the deep roar of an aeroplane flying overhead, the gentle hiss of an office photocopier, or the strident scream of an ambulance passing by.
These intrusions are temporary, however, and fade into insignificance when compared with the importance of discerning between the voices that have the most important and long lasting impact upon our lives. There are really only three that matter most - God, ourselves and Satan. Isaiah 30:21, Proverbs 3:5-7, Jeremiah 14:14, 2 Chronicles 18:21
Voice 1 - Satan
This being is of high intelligence and has great oratory skill. He has underneath him an army of unknown number that obeys his every dictate. He is totally depraved and seeks always our destruction and misery. He is strident and relentless in his demands upon his subjects. He is empty of all positive character traits such as (to name only a few) mercy, love, faithfulness, honour, pity and justice. He is also a liar. This does not mean that he never tells the truth, but it does mean that we can never be sure which is truth and which isn't.
Voice 2 - Ourselves
We have varying levels of intelligence and not particularly great oratory skills! We have within us two natures (provided we are genuinely born again into the family of God), one of which is depraved and strives to follow its old master - Satan, and the other which is refreshingly new, but too often, immature, and has its desires set on following its master - God.
Voice 3 - God
This Being is total in intelligence, total in love, total in purity, total, in fact, of everything that is good and righteous and trustworthy. His is a gentle voice, often unheard except in the quietness of solitude. He neither demands nor raises his voice, but rather desires mutual respect and friendship. He too is relentless, but only in seeking our best.
This last voice is the one most needing our attention and listening ear.
Have you ever considered how frustrated God must become at times as he strives to get his message across to us? How does an infinite God; one who simply spoke millions of galaxies of stars into being; one who has no beginning and no end; one who is totally wise and totally full of knowledge; how does a God like this cram all that he wants and needs to say into a book (we call it the Bible) of perhaps 1300 pages? John 21:25
What is more, out of his love, he has our career, partner, and place to live, church, all planned and prepared for us to enjoy and be blessed by. And yet we miss his directions time and time again. We get angry with him, angry with ourselves and often simply give up.
Truly the art of communication is a difficult one.
So, how do we learn God's voice?
In a word - practice!
The Bible teaches that to start in the Kingdom of God we have to be born into his family. Now you know as well as I do that a new-born baby does not enter into instant understanding of parental goo and gaga! In fact he/she takes a while to even focus in the general direction of the doting voice. Over time, however, though often through trial and error, baby learns to identify the voice of a parent, and, eventually, the substance of what is being said by the parent. So it is with God. It takes practice (and usually a good deal of trial and error), to become skilled at identifying and understanding the voice of our heavenly Father. But it can be done. 1 Samuel 3:1-10
There are two prerequisites necessary to even getting started with God.
- We must believe that he both wants to and is able to speak loud enough for us to hear him. John 16:12-15, Revelation 1:10
- We must be willing to listen and be obedient to his message when we do hear him, otherwise why should he waste his time? Proverbs 29:1, Hebrews 3:15
Assuming that we accept these two criteria, we then need to be expectant and alert towards his approach and the means by which he will communicate.
I believe there are three stages to being successful in hearing God - discovering, discerning and deciding.
Stage 1 - Discovering
Suppose a busy housewife has her pet cat in the kitchen. It may start meowing, but because of her concentrating on cooking the meal or perhaps washing some dishes, she fails to notice for quite some time. At some point, however, she becomes aware that this animal is trying to say something to her. That is what I call the point of discovery. The cat may have been meowing for some time, but the housewife has only just heard it. If she stops to reflect, she may realise that the meowing has been going on for some time, but because she had subconsciously relegated its importance downward in her mind, its earlier calls for attention were ignored.
God can speak to us in many ways. His Bible is, of course, the most obvious and essential place to start. Joshua 1:8, Psalms 119:89-112
He has already caused over 30,000 verses to be penned for our blessing and is waiting to teach us so much through its reading. So why do we ignore it? Why should God bother to talk to us at all if we neglect to read what is already written?
He can speak to us through timing. Ecclesiastes 3:1-8, Galatians 5:25
Remember the story of Esther? If Haman (the bad guy in this story) had arrived in the King’s court just one minute later, what a different outcome may have resulted!
God can speak to us through a dream or face to face, by prophet or a burning bush. He can speak from the sky or by plagues, through an angel or a donkey. He can write on a wall or in the sand. Exodus 3:1-4, Exodus 12:12-13, Numbers 12:6-8, Numbers 22:21-33, Daniel 5:22-28, Luke 1:26-38, John 8:6-8, Acts 9:3-6, Revelation 1:12-18
God wants to communicate with us and he has the ability to do it any way he desires. The key is to believe that he wants to and therefore to be alert and expectant.
Stage 2 - Discerning
Let us go back now to the meowing cat in the kitchen. Its mistress stoops down and it finally has the attention it needs. The problem the housewife now faces, however, is to discern what the cat wants. Is it asking for food? Does it simply want a few strokes of affection? Or does it need to get outside in a hurry!
When we become aware that God is reaching through to us, we should take the time to listen carefully and fully understand his message. Exodus 23:20-22, Ezekiel 3:10, Luke 9:44-45
We know how frustrating it can be trying to communicate with people who persist in interrupting and finishing our statements for us, or who turn away even as we speak. We must be careful not to do the same thing with God.
His message may span only a few seconds, or it may take months to complete. It may come from one source, such as the Bible, or it could be completed from a number of sources. It may be as short as, "I love you", or it may contain direction for a major part of our life. 1 Samuel 23:11-12, Ezekiel chapters 2 - 5
It can be fascinating when something the Lord is thought to be saying is suddenly reinforced by a flood of phone calls from friends who begin their conversation by saying, "God has laid you on my heart recently and......."! A vague interest in a certain issue or direction can suddenly be fanned into flame as every magazine or newspaper we pick suddenly appears to be headlining 'that very issue'. Our daily study notes from the next week on are all on 'that very issue'. Even the Pastor suddenly decides to preach about 'that very issue'!
When these sorts of things happen, we should relax as we seek to learn what our Lord is trying to bring to us. God wants us to hear clearly. He is faithful, and will make sure we do understand, provided we are willing to act on what we hear.
We need to remember that even his rebukes and disciplines come from his heart of love. He wants his best for us - an awesome thought to consider. Isaiah 48:17, Hebrews 12:10, Revelation 3:19-21
Stage 3 - Deciding
With our friend the cat, the decision made will most probably be to pat it, feed it, or open the door for it.
The appropriate response to God's voice will depend on the topic of the particular communication. If God is declaring his love for us or encouraging us in some way, then little probably needs to be done except to bask under his approval!
If we perceive a rebuke or correction, we will obviously be wise to heed it. Hebrews 3:7-19, Revelation 3:3
It is important to note that God will convict of sin in order to bring us to repentance and to set us free from guilt. Acts 3:19, 1 John 1:5-10
Satan, however, will bring conviction in order to condemn and keep us at all costs in a place of unrepentance, so ensuring our stay in guilt and bondage.
A communication from God may contain guidance or direction that will affect not only us as individuals, but the lives of others. Genesis 12:1-5, Acts 13:2-3
We may be led to change jobs, move house, emigrate to another country, or any of many directions significantly major. God is rarely in a hurry, so beware of any messages that demand urgent response. Satan wants us to 'act without thinking' and will often pressure us into making quick decisions. If God has an urgent message, such as at a time of imminent danger, he will make contact so clearly that we will be unable to miss the point! Genesis 19:15-22, Matthew 2:13-15
In any major perceived guidance from God, if unsure as to what to do next, may I suggest 3 aides?
The Bible. 2 Timothy 2:15, 2 Timothy 3:14-16
This has to be the one guaranteed way to clear up many uncertainties and protect from counterfeit guidance. There is no way, for example, that God will encourage us to steal, sleep around, criticise, or build an idol (despite what some have tried to tell me)!
Good friends. Proverbs 27:6-9, James 3:13
These are the sort of people who love us enough to tell us off, and correct us if we're wrong. They are also best to be friends who have a good relationship with God and a working knowledge of Scriptural principles.
The timing. Ecclesiastes 3:11, Galatians 5:25
The correct timing is absolutely essential. If, for example, God were to ask us to shift to another location, would it not be reasonable to expect that he have a suitable place ready for us? Now, he is not likely to have that next place sitting empty for who knows how long waiting for us to decide when to shift. Is it not more likely that he would cause our next home to become available for us at just the right time?
Let me bring a simpler illustration. The parking space prayer! We all try this one! If we are in the habit of speeding, we should not expect God to find us a parking space 'just as we arrive'. The Bible requires that we obey the laws of the land, Romans 13:1-7, 1 Peter 2:13-17 and God certainly works according to his own Biblical principles, therefore his provision of the right parking space depends on our co-operation in keeping within the speed limits. I can give personal testimony to many occasions witnessing a car pulling out from where I wanted to park - either just as I approached or just after I passed, depending on whether I stayed within the speed limit or whether I sped and even perhaps crashed an amber traffic light! Food for thought indeed! There are many examples in the Bible of timing being critical to God's plans; sometimes even minutes have counted. Esther 6:1-14
Here are some 18 reasons why we may not seem to hear God’s voice.
- We are afraid of hearing God. (Adam and Eve) Genesis 3:8-10
- We don’t recognise God’s voice. (Samuel) 1 Samuel 3:4-9
- We have wrong expectations as to what God may say to us, just as we expect doctors, dentists, policemen to say certain things!. (Jeremiah) Jeremiah 29:11
- We are too busy to listen to God. (Martha) Luke 10:40
- We are too impatient to wait for God to speak. (Saul) 1 Samuel 14:18-19
- We don’t care what God may say. Ephesians 4:18-19
- We hear but don’t understand what God is saying,rather like trying to understand a foreign language. (Daniel) Daniel 12:8
- We are disobedient to what is already revealed. Proverbs 28:9 (CLB)
- We are rebellious. (Saul) 1 Samuel 15:10-23
- We are stubborn; we want our own way. Zechariah 7:11-13
- We don’t expect God to speak to us. James 1:5-8
- We have wrong motives for wanting God to speak. James 4:1-3
- We don’t want to hear God speak. (Pharaoh) Exodus 5:1-2 (NLT)
- We challenge what God says. (Isaiah) Isaiah 45:9-11
- We are not specific in conversation. John 14:13-14
- God sometimes hides information from us. (Elisha and Gehazi) 2 Kings 4:27
- God sometimes stays silent to test us. (Hezekiah) 2 Chronicles 32:31
- God may have nothing more to say on a subject. (Moses) Deuteronomy 3:26
This paper seeks to accurately represent the teachings of Holy Scriptures. You are free to copy or alter all or any part of this paper PROVIDED that the Holy Scriptures are not misrepresented as a result.
