{"id":844,"date":"2022-05-21T05:30:22","date_gmt":"2022-05-21T10:30:22","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/reconciledworld.org\/flourish\/?p=844"},"modified":"2022-12-19T13:25:31","modified_gmt":"2022-12-19T19:25:31","slug":"what-does-gods-voice-sound-like","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/reconciledworld.org\/flourish\/what-does-gods-voice-sound-like\/","title":{"rendered":"What Does God\u2019s Voice Sound Like?"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"fusion-fullwidth fullwidth-box fusion-builder-row-1 nonhundred-percent-fullwidth non-hundred-percent-height-scrolling\" style=\"--awb-border-radius-top-left:0px;--awb-border-radius-top-right:0px;--awb-border-radius-bottom-right:0px;--awb-border-radius-bottom-left:0px;--awb-flex-wrap:wrap;\" ><div class=\"fusion-builder-row fusion-row\"><div class=\"fusion-layout-column fusion_builder_column fusion-builder-column-0 fusion_builder_column_1_1 1_1 fusion-one-full fusion-column-first fusion-column-last\" style=\"--awb-bg-size:cover;\"><div class=\"fusion-column-wrapper fusion-flex-column-wrapper-legacy\"><div class=\"fusion-text fusion-text-1\"><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I don\u2019t believe I have ever met a Christ follower that <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">hasn\u2019t<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> desired to hear God\u2019s voice. Like a text message sent from heaven, it would be wonderful and easy if God spoke the same way, with clarity, every time we needed answers in our life.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When it comes to hearing God, the Bible says:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201c<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">My sheep hear my voice<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201d (John 10:27).<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201c<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Faith comes through hearing<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201d (Romans 10:17).<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cCall to me, and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known\u201d <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">(Jeremiah 33:3).<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We read clearly in the Bible that God speaks to His people, and expects them to hear Him. He is not a silent God or a God that expects people to seemingly guess at His will. Yet, the struggle to \u201chear God\u201d is something we encounter often in our Christian circles. Therefore, we ask: How do we hear God, and what does His voice sound like?<\/span><\/p>\n<h4>Does God speak in a certain way or sound?<\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Bible is full of examples of God speaking, and if the examples tell us anything, it is that God has no limit to the ways He talks to His people.\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He spoke to Samuel in a human voice; one that sounded normal, like the old man sleeping in the next room over. (1 Samuel 3)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He spoke to Elijah through a whisper; not through an earthquake or fire, but rather through a still small voice. (1 Kings 19)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\">He spoke to Joseph, Solomon, Peter, John, and others through dreams and visions. (Genesis 37, 1 Kings 3, Acts 2, Revelation 1)<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He spoke to Moses and Gideon through supernatural manifestations; a burning bush and a wet fleece. (Exodus 3 and Judges 6)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He spoke to Jonah through unique and trying circumstances\u2014the belly of a whale. (Jonah 1-4)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He even spoke to Balaam through the voice of a talking donkey! (Numbers 22)<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So, what does God\u2019s voice sound like? The Bible shows us that God can speak to His people through just about anything and in about every way possible.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h4>How do I hear God\u2019s voice?<\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Hearing God isn\u2019t always easy. But if we learn anything from the story of Samuel (it took 3 times before Eli and Samuel realized it was God), we understand that God doesn\u2019t give up. He keeps speaking. The Bible offers us several answers to this question: <\/span><b><i>How do I hear God\u2019s voice?<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Be Still: <\/b><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cBe still and know that I am God<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201d (Psalm 46:10). There is something amazing that can happen when we are still before God.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Be Softened:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u201c<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Whoever has ears, let them hear\u201d<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (Matthew 11:15). It\u2019s easy for our hearts to get hard. Pride, selfishness, busyness\u2026sin can creep in and harden us to God\u2019s voice. It was possible for many in the New Testament to have Jesus physically there and yet not \u201chear\u201d him. Soften your heart that you might have ears to hear.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Be Intentional<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Pursue after God and His word. Proverbs 2:1-5 says, \u201c<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Make your ear attentive to wisdom, incline your heart to understanding\u2026 if you seek it like silver\u2026 then you will understand the fear of the Lord and the knowledge of God.<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201d God wants a relationship with you. The more you seek Him, the more you will get to know Him, recognize Him, and know His voice.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Be in Community<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Often God speaks to us through others. Hebrews 3:13 talks about how we are to \u201c<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">encourage one another daily<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u201d God spoke to Moses and gave him direction through the guidance of Jethro (Exodus 18). Maybe God will speak to you through a Godly colleague or friend.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h4>Is it God\u2019s voice or my voice?<\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">God speaks in many ways, and He speaks often. But there are lots of voices trying to speak to us all the time. So how do you know if you\u2019re hearing God\u2019s voice? Four thoughts:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Seek advice from other wise Christians<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Allow other trusted believers to help you discern what you are hearing.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Search the Scriptures<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Does what you are hearing align with God\u2019s word? \u201c<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">All Scripture is God breathed and useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201d (2 Timothy 3:16).<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Use common sense<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Of course, not everything God calls us to will make sense to us. However, sometimes Christians do unwise things for selfish reasons and call it \u201cGod\u201d in order to look holy or faithful.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Pray and pray again<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Ask God to confirm, renew, excite, and give peace towards what He is speaking. <\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h4>Faith comes through hearing<\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As leaders, God wants you and those you lead to know Him. He wants you to hear what He\u2019s saying so that you can live according to the perfect plan He has for your life. Start from the presumption that He loves you and wants to communicate with you. Thank Him for choosing to make Himself known to you. Invite Him to remove distractions and teach you how to recognize His voice. And then wait patiently for Him to speak. <\/span><sup><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">[1] <\/span><\/sup><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">May you be filled with hope, confidence, and faith as you hear God\u2019s voice and live for His glory.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><div class=\"fusion-reading-box-container reading-box-container-1\" style=\"--awb-title-color:#333333;--awb-margin-top:0px;--awb-margin-bottom:45px;\"><div class=\"reading-box reading-box-center\" style=\"background-color:#f6f6f6;border-width:1px;border-color:#f6f6f6;border-top-width:3px;border-top-color:var(--primary_color);border-style:solid;\"><div class=\"reading-box-additional\">\n<h4 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Growth Point<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">:<\/span><\/h4>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">God desires for you to hear and understand His voice so that you might live according to the plan He has for you.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h4 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Scripture Point<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">:<\/span><\/h4>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Reflect on Jesus\u2019 words in John 16:12-15.<\/span><\/p>\n<h4 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Action Point:<\/span><\/h4>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ask God to continue speaking to you. Put in place the steps suggested above and trust that God\u2019s voice will become clear as you seek Him.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><div class=\"fusion-clearfix\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"fusion-text fusion-text-2\"><h6><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">[1] <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cru.org\/us\/en\/train-and-grow\/spiritual-growth\/how-do-i-hear-gods-voice.html\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">https:\/\/www.cru.org\/us\/en\/train-and-grow\/spiritual-growth\/how-do-i-hear-gods-voice.html<\/span><\/a><\/h6>\n<h6><a href=\"https:\/\/www.faithward.org\/listening-prayer-hear-god\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">https:\/\/www.faithward.org\/listening-prayer-hear-god\/<\/span><\/a><\/h6>\n<h6><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">https:\/\/prayercourse.org\/session\/listening\/<\/span><\/h6>\n<\/div><div class=\"fusion-clearfix\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":847,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,26],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-844","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-spiritual-growth","category-eng"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/reconciledworld.org\/flourish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/844","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/reconciledworld.org\/flourish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/reconciledworld.org\/flourish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/reconciledworld.org\/flourish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/reconciledworld.org\/flourish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=844"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/reconciledworld.org\/flourish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/844\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":848,"href":"https:\/\/reconciledworld.org\/flourish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/844\/revisions\/848"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/reconciledworld.org\/flourish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/847"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/reconciledworld.org\/flourish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=844"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/reconciledworld.org\/flourish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=844"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/reconciledworld.org\/flourish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=844"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}