Hearing His Voice
March 14, 2025
This was inspired by a message I heard at MAPS Global Church from pastor R.A. Martinez. A lot of this writing is from my notes of this sermon, with additions of my interpretations and what God spoke to me through writing my further thoughts and interpretations. I also began reading my late grandpa’s book, He Who Has An Ear, freshman year of college, and that was the beginning of my personal dive into what God’s voice sounds like and what his presence and essence is. I have had numerous conversations with people, especially recently, about hearing the voice of God and what that means, so when I heard this message, I immediately wanted to share these insights.
Hearing the voice of God is not meant to be a foreign concept in Christianity. It is not meant to be an obscure, mystified, distant thing. There isn’t a level you must reach in Christianity to unlock hearing God’s voice. No heirarchy of hearing. There doesn’t have to be some holy anointing or big moment to then boom hear what He has for you.
The only qualification needed to hear the voice of God is to enter into his kingdom. And from there, it is our inherant birthright as a son & daughter to hear the voice of our Father.
John 10:2-5,11 But he who enters by the door is the shepard of the sheep. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers… I am the good shepard. The good shepard lays his life for the sheep.
The primary way that Jesus shepards us is by his voice.
He knows us. By name. He calls us. By name. He speaks to us. Actively, guiding us.
It is up to us to get to know our shepard so that we may recognize his voice. So that we may follow him, he who makes our paths straight.
3 things that are important to understand foundationally in hearing the voice of God:
Prayer is not a monologue. It is a converstaion, a conversation that was not started by us but one that we were invited into. A living, breathing conversation that starts with me seeing and hearing before speaking. We are learning to talk back to the One who has already been talking to us. Who’s singing over me. He says, go on the journey with me in deep friendship.
It is a job description of the Holy Spirit to bring us into this conversation.
It is our birthright to hear His voice.
“But I am not hearing him.“
He is always speaking to us. It just may not be about what you are wanting to discuss.
“I feel like I am just in a wilderness season“
Hosea 2:14 “Therefore, behold, I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak tenderly to her.”
“I just don’t know his voice.“
Your thoughts are clogged with the voice of the world. Cleanse them with the voice of the word. Be consistent in the living, breathing word of God, the Bible. Word over world.
Our world loves to live with confirmation bias. “Seeking advice“ or an “answer“ until you find the advice or the answer that you were looking for to confirm your thoughts and biases. And with the amount of research and access to infomation we have today, it is very easy to find the answer we are wanting in our search.
Maybe your biases are… wrong? Maybe you need to be… challenged in order to grow? So the question arises, are you humble enough to be challenged in your thoughts and beliefs? How would you feel if something you believe to be true turns out to be much different?
Maybe Jesus is challenging things I believe to be true, like my worth, like my identity, like my family of origin, like…
Let us instead approach the conversation to, here’s everything I think and believe about _____. Lord, now you confirm or deny.
Bring to the table the things we believe and let us be open to the transformation and molding of our thoughts to align with His. Let us let go of any pride or self-righteousness or stubborness we may hold in our own translations of what _____ may mean. What does God say? What does he mean?
Desires speak. “I want ____. I wish ____.”
And desires are good. He wants us to come to him with all of our desires. He will give us the desires of our hearts when we delight ourselves in Him (Psalms 37:4). But our hearts are deceitful above all things (Jeremiah 17:9). That is, the hearts of our flesh rather than the Spirit. So, we must pray that the Spirit takes over our flesh to align our human desires to Godly desires (Galatians 5:16-26). I am getting on a side bar tangent here… maybe I will write something separate regarding desire.
But, back to how he wants us to come to him and speak to him with our desires, we must be careful of merging onto a one-way street. He also speaks to us. What does he want us to desire? Or maybe, what may we need over the fulfillment of a desire?
Sometimes, God is speaking to us regarding what we need, not about what we want.
“But I have come to him, open for direction on what He wants me to do next. But he is still just silent. Nothing! I just feel, I don’t know, a general absence.”
God cares more about WHO we are and how we can be used for His good and His glory over WHAT we do and what our assignments may be. Who we are is more important in determining our destinations.
He is speaking to WHO we are to be over WHAT we are to do.
The who over the what.
And many times, he wants us to be still in his presence. Psalm 46:10
Practice stillness. It is truly an art in this day and age of constantly chasing the next best thing, of catching up, of the go go go mentality.
Go, go, go. In some things, yes.
Sit, wait, be still. In his presence. Be unrushed.
Now, for the different ways he speaks, through:
1. The Bible
“God’s not speaking.” Well, God has spoken. 2 Timothy 3:16-17
More on the word of God and what it is - beyond just another book - in another writing to come.
2. Leaders and Trusted Friends
Not all input in life carries the same weight. Acts 20:30
Who am I going to for advice? Is it Godly advice or wordly advice? Is it what I want to hear or what I need to hear? Is it genuine? Is it backed up by the word?
3. The Still, Small Voice, The Whisper of God
“Well, if God is speaking, I surely can’t hear him whatsoever.”
He whispers, not because he does not want us to hear, but because he wants us to get closer. 1 Kings 19:11
“Well, I feel that God is distant.” If we feel far from God, he is not the one who created that distance. But, not to be discouraged here… there’s no catching up we must do to reach God. He’s waiting with open arms.
We must get close, make the move, enter into his presence , to hear the whisper.
Prayer, thanksgiving, silence, God speaking, repeat.
4. Prophetic Encounters
God speaks through people. Prophetic word, visions, dreams, etc.
Do not despise prophecy. 1 Thessalonians 5:20
[More on this in a later writing. I have so many thoughts, especially recently, about prophecy and general spiritual gifts.]
Prophetic word illuminates what the written word already says.
It is important to note: challenge prophetic words we receive because they come through broken people.
Questions to confirm a word:
Does it agree with the Bible?
Does it lead you to live life like the apostles?
Does it apply to you?
Does it line up with what God has said? Or is it from left field?
Is it from someone who has a servanthood heart?
Is it for now? Are there action steps to take?
Is it encouragement or warning?
5. Peace
We gain and attain perfect peace in a life with Christ when our minds stay on him and our trust remains in him. Isaiah 26:3
When we are headed in a direction that God wants us to go, we have peace in our steps.
When chaos is around us, he gifts us with a peace that is unexplainable when we ground ourselves in him.
We are called to not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving to let our requests be made known to God. And he will guard our hearts and our minds with the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding. Philippians 4:7
We are not to be chasers of opportunity, but obeyers of His voice. Isaiah 55:12
I’d like to end with a prayer, if you’d pray with me:
God, thank you for today. For your glory and your divinity. Thank you that you are always speaking, and that you have invited me into the conversation. I want a part in it. Lord, speak to me. Clearly. Give me the gift of discernment so that I may know the difference between your voice and others’. Drown out the distractions, and cleanse my thoughts that are clogged with the voice of the world. Cleanse them with the voice of your word. Your voice is the one I want to hear most. Open my heart and mind, letting go of the predetermined ways that you may speak and act in my life. Whether it’s through your word, your people, your voice, or your peace, I am here, and my ears are open. Enlighten me. And guide me. Guide me to desire what you desire. Spark my soul, and set it on fire for you. Thank you.
Amen.
