Rooted – how does God speak to us?

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Women often ask me how they can better hear God speak to them. And if they think they do, how do the know it’s God speaking?

God uses a variety of ways to speak to us, but the main way He speaks is through His Word, The Bible. The Bible is the best way for us to learn who God is and more fully understand His character. God desires to connect with us and reading His Word on a regular basis helps transform us more fully into His Image. 

Because God is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow, the words he speaks to us also never change. Every other form of communication with God must be compared to His Word to verify that it is really from God. That is why it is so important that we ground ourselves in God’s Word. Knowing God intimately through His Word allows us to test what we hear when we believe God is speaking to us.

There are other ways that God speaks to us as well; through His creation, through other people, as well as through our circumstances. But other than through Scripture, the way that God most often speaks is through prayer.

We sometimes assume the main purpose of prayer is for us to speak to God. But prayer is really a two-way form of communication where we both speak and listen.

For me, hearing God’s voice requires separating myself from distractions and focusing my attention completely on Him. This is very difficult to do in a world filled with distractions. It requires intentionality on my part. I must plan time away from every thing and every one to sit at Jesus’ feet and listen to His voice. Jesus modeled this intentionality for me in Mark 1:35:

Before daybreak the next morning, Jesus got up and went out to an isolated place to pray.

I love that after Jesus spent this time first thing in the morning in prayer, he immediately spoke with confidence to His disciples about His purpose and the next thing He needed to do. That time spent in prayer first thing in the morning reconnected Jesus to our Heavenly Father and allowed Him to hear and understand His purpose for the day.

For me, my quiet time each morning is essential to hearing God speak and direct my life. After spending time in God’s Word and sitting quietly in prayer with Him, I find I am able to focus on the best things during the day, returning to seek His counsel throughout the day as needed.

I have also started ending my day with additional quiet time, allowing God to speak truth to me as I sit in stillness and listen to His voice. I allow God to remind me of how His presence was with me during the day. I also ask for and receive His guidance in planning the following day to help me focus on what is best for me to do.

I think Sarah Young says it so well in her devotional, Jesus Calling.

Trust Me enough to spend ample time with Me, pushing back the demands of the day. Refuse to feel guilty about something that is so pleasing to Me, the King of the universe. Because I am omnipotent, I am able to bend time and events in your favor. You will find that you can accomplish more in less time, after you have given yourself to Me in rich communion. Also, as you align yourself with My perspective, you can sort out what is important and what is not.

Don’t fall into the trap of being constantly on the go. Many, many things people do in My name have no value in My kingdom. To avoid doing meaningless works, stay in continual communication with Me. I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with My eye upon you. (Luke 10:41-24, Psalm 32:8)

“Spend ample time with Me, pushing back the demands of the day.” That can be so difficult to do, yet so very rewarding! Jesus understood the importance of this idea of pushing back the demands of the day and spending time with the Father. In Luke 5, after healing the leper the crowds were demanding more and more miracles from Him. But Luke 5:16 tells us that in the midst of the demands of the crowds:

Jesus often withdrew to the lonely places and prayed.

Life is busy. We all have so many demands on our time that it seems almost wrong to take time to go off by ourselves. But it is during these times when I intentionally disconnect from others to re-connect with God that I receive the best direction for my life. Like Jesus, I have developed a habit of intentionally leaving behind the demands of my life to withdraw to the lonely places and pray.

I plan for and dedicate a morning or afternoon each month to withdraw to a lonely or isolated place and sit quietly in God’s presence. Most often I go to a local park or someplace outside where I can sit in nature and enjoy God’s creation while reading His Word and praying. The key for me is to be alone with God, away from distractions. I put my phone on silent and quiet my mind so I can hear God’s voice. I then journal what I hear God speaking to me so I can later act on what I hear. And I always compare what I hear to what God has already said in His Word, the Bible. The Bible is my test for everything I hear! I ask myself, does what I hear align with what God has already said in Scripture? Does what I hear align with God’s character that He reveals in scripture? These questions help me determine if the voice I hear is God’s voice.

Both my daily times as well as longer, extended monthly times alone with God have become so very precious to me! They restore my soul and refocus my life on the one who knows me best and loves me most. Where and when will you sit and meet with Jesus and listen for His voice?