Hearing God

“What are the ways to hear God? “

“How do you know that what you hear is of God?”

These are some of the frequently asked questions I have encountered wherever I go in ministry.

What are the ways to hear God?

i)        You hear God with your natural ear

“So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” (Romans 10:17 NKJV)

You are saved through faith by the grace of God (see Ephesians 2:8) and your faith in God comes by hearing the word of God. Therefore, you hear God with your natural ear through the preaching and teaching of God’s ministers, i.e. apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers (see Ephesian 4:11). You also hear God with your natural ear through prophecies you receive from prophets or ministers of God who have the gift of prophecy (see 1 Timothy 4:14).

In certain crucial circumstances, God might choose to speak to you audibly (when you can hear Him loudly with your natural ears) especially concerning your spiritual ministry (see Matthew 3:17; Acts 9:1-7).

ii)      You hear God with your spiritual ear (in the spirit)

“However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come” (John 16:13 NKJV).

As Spirit-filled Christians, the Holy Spirit is in you. He teaches and reveals the things of God to your spirit. Hence, you hear Him in your spirit, with your ‘spiritual ear’. Some call it hearing ‘the still-small-voice of God’ or ‘inner voice’. Some say it’s ‘the intervention of divine thoughts in the mind’.

However, having known all these, how can you be sure that what you hear, whether it is hearing with the natural ear or hearing with the spiritual ear, is of God?

How do you know that what you hear is of God?

Greatest Obstacle – the Mind

The greatest obstacle to hearing God is actually the mind. Christians all over the world come from all kinds of backgrounds and upbringing. Thus, some may have consciously or unconsciously ‘’mixed’’ their faith with teachings that ‘’adulterate’’ the Word of God, e.g. teachings from their previous religions getting mixed up with Christianity, certain philosophies taught in a family and education system that contradict the Word of God, or even some traditions/customs. These resulted in a mixture of Christian-pagan worship (as can be seen in many parts of the world), or a mixture of law and grace (old and new covenant) teachings in the Body of Christ.
Note: ‘To adulterate’ means ‘to add a foreign substance into the original substance, hence causing the original to be of poorer quality’.

Consequently, many Christians remain ‘’spiritual babes’’ because they are not able (or willing) to ‘’let go’’ of the old ‘’structure’’/’’routine’’ that they are all too familiar with.

In order to comprehend the things of God, the mind needs to be renewed, with the unadulterated Word of God and the help of the Holy Spirit! (see Romans 12:2; Ephesians 4:23; Colossians 3:10)

There are 2 basic keys to help you filter the words you hear and determine if they are of God.

1st Basic Key : Jesus

“As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving. Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ.” (Colossians 2:6-8 NKJV)

Whether you hear God with your natural ear or in the spirit, remember the first and foremost important basic key is Jesus! Any word that denies or undermines the perfect work of Jesus Christ on the cross is not of God! Therefore, have the understanding that your salvation (and righteousness) is a free gift from God, and cannot be ‘’achieved’’ by the work of hands or through religious observation, or else, Christ died in vain (see Romans 3:21-26; Ephesians 2:8-9; Galatians 2:21).

What if the words you hear are beyond your biblical knowledge?

2nd Basic Key: Holy Spirit

“The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God” (Romans 8:16 NKJV)
“Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.” (2 Corinthians 3:17NKJV)
For God is not the author of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints.(1 Corinthians 14:33)

The Holy Spirit, who is the Spirit of truth, comes to testify of Christ (see John 15:26). He will bear witness with your spirit when you consult Him if the words you hear are of God. Therefore, you can train your spirit to sense the liberty and peace that come along with the Spirit of the Lord when you hear a preaching, teaching or prophecy.

Other than these 2 basic keys, you can also ask the Lord for 2 or 3 confirmation for the prophetic words you have received before you act on them (see 1 Corinthians 14:29).

Hearing in the spirit – a worship lifestyle

When it comes to hearing God in your spirit, besides having the 2 basic keys above, cultivate the habit of consulting the Lord in every area of your life. God is looking for worshipers who worship Him in spirit and in truth (see John 4:23). He is looking for people who don’t just worship Him with worship songs, but also those who live a worship lifestyle by asking for His advice and opinion in all their ways (see Proverbs 3:5-6). In other words, a true worshiper worships Him by consulting Him in every area of his/her life. The more you consult God and hear from Him in the spirit, the easier you’ll recognize ‘His voice’ the next time.
                                                                                                                     
Receive with your spirit

But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. (1 Corinthians 2:14 NKJV)

Once you have the assurance that the words you hear are of God, receive them with your spirit, even though your mind may not be able to comprehend the full meaning or have the spiritual understanding yet at that stroke of time. You see, spiritual substance (i.e. spiritual knowledge and understanding) can be built upon and grown, just as you can grow in Him from faith to faith (see Romans 1:17; 2 Corinthians 10:15). So, absorb in the spirit first, and it’ll eventually bring to spiritual knowledge and understanding.

Having learned how to test the words you hear, do not allow yourself to be judgmental. 1 Thessalonians 5:19-21(NKJV) says, “Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies. Test all things; hold fast what is good.”

Accept and receive the ministers of God who preach, teach and prophesy the unadulterated words of God to you

He who receives you receives Me (Jesus), and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me. He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward. And he who receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward (Matthew 10:40-41 NKJV)

As you receive their teachings and words, know that you receive not just their spiritual knowledge and impartation, but you will also receive God’s reward upon their lives and ministries. Amen.

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