Why won’t God answer me? When I feel disconnected from the voice of God, I can slide into a belief that God isn’t speaking. Yes, God will sometimes have us in a period of waiting, but in most cases, I’m not hearing God because I don’t want to. We may feel like we want to hear from God, but we also know it will radically change our lives.
Are we listening for what we want to hear or are we listening to learn where God is moving? In my post, The Two Question Prayer, I encouraged us to ask, “God, What are you doing and how do you want me to be a part of it today?”
When we’re seeking to be part of what God’s already doing, He will answer. In Jeremiah, God says:
Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.
Jeremiah 33:3 (NIV)
He wants to make His ways known to us. But what can we do when we don’t hear His response to our cries? In part one of 10 Ways to Hear from God, we looked at five methods of hearing God’s voice.
So what are some more ways we can “call out to God” and hear those unsearchable things we don’t know? Let’s continue our list.
10 WAYS TO HEAR FROM GOD (PART 2)
6. In a personal encounter with God.
(Numbers 12:8; Job 42:5; Matthew 2:12; Acts 9:1-22, 22:17-18)
Many people don’t believe God still speaks directly to people, but we see life transforming encounters with God all the time. I see it in Celebrate Recovery, in prayer sessions, and in a community of believers who expect to hear God speak.
God communicates differently with each person. Sometimes they’re true Damascus Road or Burning Bush experiences. Other times they’re more subtle, but there’s no doubt a life-changing encounter has happened when God speaks to someone.
Ask God to reveal Himself, to have a personal encounter with Him. But be prepared for Him to change you when He does.
7. In worship.
(Psalm 22:3; Acts 2:46-47; Romans 12:1-2; Colossians 3:16; James 4:8)
Worship is the key to erasing our distractions. Scripture’s filled with hearts being changed through worship. My favorite example is Psalm 22. David has a terrible attitude. He’s feeling sorry for himself and can’t hear God’s voice. But when he turns his attention to worship, God transforms his heart.
If you only worship when you feel close to God, you might miss the most powerful aspect of worship—a revelation from God that draws us closer to Him when He feels far away.
8. Through the realization of new wisdom and understanding.
(Proverbs 2:6, 3:5-6; Matthew 10:19, 16:17)
Have you ever been talking with someone who’s struggling and didn’t know what to say, but suddenly something incredible, true, and wise came out of your mouth? That’s not you. That’s the Holy Spirit’s revelation of truth in you.
Do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.
(Matthew 10:19-20 NLT)
Don’t just toss those moments aside. Reflect on how God communicated with you to serve someone else.
Sometimes we hear God, but don’t give Him credit for what we heard.
But beware. There’s a warning with this one. Be sure the wisdom or understanding you receive is from God. False revelation can come from the enemy or from your own head. So it’s important to be growing in a healthy community, which leads us to number nine.
9. Through a healthy community of believers.
(Proverbs 19:20; Ephesians 4:15-16; 1 John 4:1-6)
The first epistle of John says we must test these revelations to be sure they are from God. John writes: “We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error.”
We walk this journey together. We should build one another up in hearing from God. With rare exceptions (and only temporarily), it does not happen in continuous isolation. God designed us to live in community so we can challenge one another in our thinking and encourage one another in our relationship with Christ.
When we grow in the trust of those relationships, God will speak to us through other people. He’ll also use other people to affirm the things we’ve heard from God in other ways. Allow God to direct you through those He’s put in your path. Just make sure they’re the right people.
10. The unique way God speaks to you.
Finally, how does God specifically communicate with you? Don’t jump to an answer. God knows you better than you know yourself and He has a unique way of speaking to you.
Ask Him how He uniquely reveals things to you and listen for the answer. When it comes, write it down in a journal or in the front of your Bible. God wants His relationship with you to be personal. Return to what he told you when you feel distant or doubt how much He wants to speak to you.
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What’s next? Review the list above and in the previous post. Meditate on the Scriptures listed for each one. Pursue these paths to God’s voice and you’ll hear Him more clearly.
- Which of these have you practiced? Encourage other readers by sharing your experience in the comments below.
- Which of these items do you sense God nudging you to practice in a more sincere way? Let us encourage you when you comment below.
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“If you only worship when you feel close to God, you might miss the most powerful aspect of worship…”That’s like an arrow to the heart, Pastor Joshua. Thanks for reminding me that when I feel far away from my Lord is when I most need to worship–not just cry out to Him in need, but WORSHIP. This is a powerful message, my friend. Thank you.
I’m moved by and grateful for your kind words, Katherine. Thank you. That one hits me too. God is worth of praise, regardless of our earthly circumstances. And when we worship Him, we are drawn close to Him.
Joshua, these posts have encouraged my heart! I clearly remember a time as a young Christian when the Lord filled my mouth with wise words that were not my own. I’d been seated next to a man of a different faith who was bent on converting me and I was not seasoned in much scripture. But, the Holy Spirit gave me the ability to nimbly reply to every argument raised against the Christ of the Bible. God certainly revealed Himself to me that day!
Blessings,
Tammy
What a wonderful story, Tammy. Thank you for sharing how God has spoken through you. I’m so glad to hear these posts have been encouraging to you.
I recently bought “Experiencing God” again, and this builds on what is in that workbook. I love that God is always at work around us, and we are to look for where He is active and join Him there. I do enjoy hearing God is worship at my church. I need to lean in to hear Him better.
Thank you, Joanna. It’s so amazing how God knocks by sending the same message through different avenues at the same time. I also just started the Experiencing God workbook, but this post was already written. Amazing how well it (and the sermon) went together. I think God is try to tell us something. 🙂
Thanks for sharing these ten points, Joshua! I’m especially a fan of the one in the first post about connecting with God through nature. Living with my biologist-husband has fostered a love for that for sure! Great list!
You’re welcome, Julie. I love connecting with God through nature. I appreciate your comment.
Joshua, wonderful post. I’ve experienced Him in the ways you explained. How wonderful that the God who holds the stars in place bows down to hear my prayer and answer!
That was beautifully said, Debbie. Thank you, and amen.
Great blog post. I believe God still speaks through His Holy Spirit. He also speaks to me through His Word. I agree with you in all cases. We don’t ask because we often don’t want Him to speak.
That is a hard reality, Stephanie. Thank you for your support. I think we need to ask ourselves if we really want to hear from God.
“But be prepared for Him to change you when He does.” So true! These last two posts would be great as a bookmark or an informatic…something to quickly reference how I’m doing in the “hearing from God” department. Thank you for sharing! These were incredibly helpful.
That’s a fantastic suggestion. Thank you. I will look into creating something like that as a free download.
This installment was so worth the wait. I didn’t think you could improve upon your first five, but oh my goodness was this so worth it! Thank you sir. We are not meant to fully understand God’s ways while we are still short of our glorification, but I believe these posts have helped me (for sure) and many others move just a little closer in our walk. God’s blessings for your willingness to share His lessons in your life Pastor Joshua.
You are too kind, J.D. Thank you for your encouragement. You’re so right. We can never fully understand God’s ways in this age, but how wonderful He allows us to keep moving toward Him as we await His return.
I’m so glad God speaks to us in different ways because we are different people. He gets through to us in whatever way we need. I often hear His voice through posts like this, sermons or books I read. Thanks for sharing!
Praise God for that, Barbara. It’s amazing how He speaks to us individually in such diverse and personal ways. I’m glad you were encouraged by this post.