I cannot count how many times over the years I have been asked, “How can I know when the Holy Spirit is talking to me?” It isn’t that they didn’t believe in the Holy Spirit; they simply didn’t understand how He speaks.
Jesus said in John 10:27, “My sheep hear my voice, I know them, and they follow me.” We couldn’t hear His voice unless He spoke.
So, yes, you can hear God’s voice
If you want to hear from God, there are some things that you need to do to be ready. You must be sensitive to the Holy Spirit. And we’re going to look at how to become more sensitive to Him…
1. Deal with your sin
Sin in your life acts like having water in your ears. You cannot hear correctly (and possibly not at all). Paul even pointed out that we must not let sin run amuck and followed that in Ephesians 4:30 by saying, “don’t grieve God’s Holy Spirit.”
Every day we must confess and turn away from our sin. Every hour we should do it. Every time we realize that we’ve sinned, we should do it. And as 1 John 1:9 tells us, if we will (honestly and humbly) confess our sin, God forgives.
If you want to hear from God, make sure that you are clean before Him.
2. Read the Bible
Most of the things we wonder about have already been addressed in the Bible. Sometimes they are found clearly spelled out, and sometimes the principle behind them is found in Scripture. God inspired all Scripture (2 Timothy 3:16), and He will never contradict it.
We must know the Bible. We must know what the Bible says. We must understand why God included what He did. And we can only know those things if we take the time to read it and study it.
We must take to heart Colossians 3:16: “Let the word of Christ dwell richly among you.”
Of course, we must not just scan over the words. We need to ask God to show us what He wants us to know and then read it.
3. Pray and listen
Let’s be honest. Most of our prayer time is us talking. We ask. We beg. We make requests. But how often do you actually listen?
Too often we expect God to give us an answer in some big, boisterous way. However, how often has that happened to you?
I love the clarity of a moment recorded in 1 Kings 19. Elijah was in the pits and wanted to hear God’s directions, but God showed him how He often speaks to us. God gave him a powerful wind, an earthquake, and fire, but Elijah didn’t hear God in them. Then God spoke in a soft whisper, and Elijah got the answer he needed.
The Holy Spirit often whispers when we listen. Ask God to show you and then listen – just listen. The Holy Spirit may give the answer upfront, or He may cause you to think of certain things that connect the dots.
Just listen.
4. Do what you know God wants you to do
The more you exercise a muscle, the stronger it gets. The more you exercise your spiritual muscles, the stronger they get.
We often know that God wants us to do something (like calling someone, standing up for someone, leaving a negative environment, or other things), but do you always do what He’s leading you to do? Each time we ignore the Spirit’s prompting, we are becoming less sensitive. Each time we act on the Spirit’s prompting, we become more sensitive.
Your obedience in small things enables you to hear the bigger answers.
5. Make margin in your life
When I was working on my doctorate, I had to read Richard Swenson’s book Margin: Restoring Emotional, Physical, and Time Reserves to Overloaded Lives. It helped me better understand how important it is to not be too busy.
Though we live in a culture that applauds busyness, it can become a terrible enemy in your life. We need times to withdraw, rest, and find solitude – just as Jesus did. We cannot hear the Spirit’s prompting if we are too busy to listen.
Make margin. You need it.
Becoming more sensitive to the Holy Spirit is not as hard as we tend to make it. If you choose to let God be God in your life, you will hear Him. Try it. You won’t be disappointed.
Charles Stanley wrote a great book to help us learn how to live a Spirit-filled life. Click the picture below to check it out…
