There are many people who say that they cannot hear from God. They pray and pray and…crickets. This supposed silence evokes feelings of doubt or impatience. I’d like to shed some light on this today and put your mind at ease.
If you are reading God’s Word, then you are hearing from God. The entire Bible is God speaking to us. From page one where He says “Let there be light” all the way to the end, God’s Word declares His love for us, His creation over and over.
“For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12 NKJV).
Not Yet Does Not Mean No
These days, we expect everything to happen in an instant. We order food and get it delivered in minutes. We put search criteria into Google and get our answer in seconds.
However, God is not a vending machine. While He absolutely is capable of responding in seconds, He is not obligated to. Many times, it’s best that He doesn’t. He could be protecting us.
Remember – He’s our heavenly Father and always wants the best for us. His “lack of response” may not mean the response is “no.” It could mean “not yet.”
“Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for Him” (Psalm 37:10).
“Be still and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10 NKJV).
God Talks, But Do We Hear Him?
Many times, God has responded to us but we are too busy or we “write off” what might be His response.
Lately, as I spend my quiet time with the Lord praying and jotting down Scriptures that come to my mind, in no time at all, I will hear a teaching that contains that same Scripture or the same thoughts I journaled about.
I know this is God confirming His Word. If I am ever not sure if it’s Him, I go back to His Word because He will never, ever, ever contradict it.
“And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs. Amen” (Mark 16:20 NKJV emphasis mine).
Here’s an example: God’s Word says you should not steal. Yet you’re in a store and hear a ‘voice’ telling you to take something without paying for it. Guess what? That’s not God.
Ok, that may be a silly example yet it drives home the point. You see, to be able to hear God’s voice, we need to know how He sounds and what He would say. You can’t do that without reading and knowing His Word.
It’s no different than our human relationships. We know our best friend’s voice and character. So when they are acting or speaking oddly, we question it, right?
If you’re struggling to hear from God, I’d like to encourage you to a) open up your Bible, b) spend some quiet time in prayer, and c) pay attention. God is not going to shout from the sky, but He does speak to us and you can hear Him.