Can You Hear God?

“And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.” Jeremiah 29:23
“My sheep hear my voice, and 
I know them, and they follow me.” John 10:27

Those who live in the United States may be familiar with Verizon’s 2004 “Can You Hear Me Now?” commercial.  This promotion of Verizon’s wireless service consisted of escalating distances from populated locations to isolated designations, with the same service man viewed testing the ability of the service to ensure users no matter where they found themselves, their mobile devices will be functional.  Upon the service man’s arrival to the determined location, he recited the coined phrase, “Can You Hear Me Now?, receiving always the same response, “Yes, I can hear you”. Over the course of nine years, the ability to hear in the scarcely populated places as well as densely populated areas, remain the centerpiece of Verizon’s marketing strategy. 

In a similar respect, the challenge of hearing God arises for those who seek to be led by God, no matter the season in one’s life. How well we hear God varies by each individual’s dedication and focus to the task of listening to Him.  Although, the ultimate goal is to hear God during all the seasons in our lives, reality has proven most of us for short of the goal and demanding we become more earnest. For a vast majority, we only hear God when everything is going our way, while in the storms, we turn a deaf ear to His Spirit within. The accomplishment of hearing  God requires that we learn how to listen for His guidance with all our hearts.

God is always speaking! Primarily, God speaks to us through His Word. However, it’s important to know God employs other sources to speak into our lives. It could be a family member or friend providing much needed wisdom. Nature itself often nudges us to give praise unto God for He dwells in the praise of His people. Unknown to us, the harm we dodged speaks volumes of God’s love for us. God also whispers to us within our spirits. Be on the lookout of the small still voice, because for an unorthodox situation, God may not be speaking to us from life’s earthquakes and fires (I Kings 19:12). As we, tune in and remain in His presence, we will arrive at the place in which we hear God speaking all the time. 

As we endeavor to walk out God’s purpose for our lives, the capacity to hear to God with clarity is extremely significant. It’s through the guidance of the Holy Spirit we are able to live life fitting unto God our Father. Hearing God first begins with recognizing the need for His direction, which brings us into agreement with God’s Word found in Proverbs 3:5-6.

“Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don’t try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he’s the one who will keep you on track.“ The Message Bible

The more we trust God, the more we want to hear from Him regarding the matters in life. Furthermore, the less likely we will rely on our own knowledge and understanding without consultation from God. Hearing from God is a matter of the heart. Whenever we go after God with our hearts, we turn up the volume to hear Him.

“Our ability to listen to God will determine our victories and success. Right listening is the catalyst to right doing.”_ASA