I remember in 2017 I went to a Bethel worship night in New Orleans. I was 16, decently still new in being discipled, craving more of God. During that time, I was wrestling with hearing from the Lord. I remember having it in my head that I was going to hear from God that night. During worship, it was all that I was asking for. Thinking back, I remember asking more from him and barely worshipping his name or focusing on how good he is. Here was thing, I was expecting an audible loud voice to come in my head, and for it to be clearly God’s voice that wouldn’t sound like anything I have ever heard before. That did not happen. I got in the car and was livid. Everyone was so happy and so filled and I felt so empty. The next day I texted my friend Parker (ha.) and basically was like “why the heck can’t I hear God”.

Homeboy put me in my place so fast and humbled me so quickly (still does, double ha.)

I put God in a very tiny box demanding him to speak the way I wanted him to speak. I didn’t tune my heart and spirit to how he wanted to speak. Flash forward to present time and I now hear from God daily, all the time. It’s the best gift. I have yet to hear an audible loud booming voice even though I know that’s possible and can happen, my day just hasn’t come yet.

His voice is quiet and still, it whispers in my head and in my thoughts. I’ll ask him questions and he will reply very calmly or with scripture. He is very quick to respond and sometimes slower and has me wait in patience and in his presence.

I appreciate the long wrestle I was in. It grew me, humbled me, refined me, and taught me how to be still in the quiet place.

However, during training this week we learned some practical steps about hearing from God I wish I would have had a long time ago, so I wanted to share some of the teachings we learned and the steps we got in case anyone struggles with hearing from God.

Holy Spirit never contradicts the word of God. Never.

 Things that can hinder you from hearing God

-       Sin, unbelief, false understanding of Gods Character, that he doesn’t want to speak to you, listening to the wrong voice, distraction

Steps to Hearing God’s Voice

1. Believe that your loving Father wants a personal loving relationship with you
2. Believe that he can speak to you and that he wants to speak to you
3. Repent of any unbelief and offer that to him
4. Seek to see any unrepented sin in your life
5. Find a quiet place and be still
6. Write down what you hear
7. Make sure it aligns with scripture and God’s Character
8. Obey

These steps were so good to have but of course hearing from God is different for everyone and I mainly understood and heard God through scripture. The Bible is God's voice written! Now I ask him questions throughout my day, and he answers! He is in creation too, he is in people, he is just everywhere. I also know I have been able to hear from God even in sin patterns or misunderstandings of who God is. That’s how gracious and kind he is. These steps are more of doing a heart check if you aren’t hearing from God and good practices to have in the back of your head.

Maybe try to practice this today and see what he speaks over you!