How to Hear God Speak

In Habakkuk 3:2 I read, “O Lord, now I have heard all about you, Lord, I am filled with awe by your amazing works." (NLT)

How do I hear God speak when I pray? One of the best ways is by worshiping him as I pray. Another is by developing a friendship with him.

First, let’s look at worshiping God through prayer. I Start by thanking him for being part of my life and for being interested in the details of it.

Pray like Habakkuk: “O Lord, now I have heard all about you, Lord, I am filled with awe by your amazing works.” (Habakkuk 3:2 NLT). When God gives me a vision or a dream, or shows me what he wants me to do, thank him for answering my prayer. That’s part of worshiping God.

Second, develop a friendship with him and get to know him. Prayer isn’t a monologue; it’s a dialogue. It’s a conversation with God. God hears me when I pray; he answers me when I ask questions. He wants to talk with me every day. And when I faithfully talk with God throughout the day, it will revolutionize life.

There are three levels of knowing God: recognition, acquaintance, and friendship.

At the recognition level, I know God is there, but I don’t really know him personally. At the acquaintance level, I know God a little, but I don’t know him very well.

God wants me to live at the friendship level, where I am familiar with him and talk regularly. God wants to have a continuous conversation with me.

I can start developing a friendship with God by praying something like this: “Dear God, I’m amazed that you would want me for a friend. I really want to learn how to have conversations with you. Help me spend time with you every day. Thank you for caring about every detail of my life. Jesus, I want to know you more and more every day, and I want to depend on you for guidance in my job, my family, my future, and in every other area of my life. In your name I pray. Amen.”

As I spend time in prayer, worshiping God and developing a friendship with him, I’ll learn how to hear and recognize his voice.

In summary, I have heard and know what the Lord has done and Im amazed by his works. I hear God speak when I pray by worshiping him and by developing a friendship with him. First, I Start by thanking him for being part of my life and for being interested in the details of it. Pray like Habakkuk: “Lord, I have heard all about you, and I am filled with awe by your amazing works.” When God gives me a vision or a dream, or shows me what he wants me to do, thank him for answering my prayer. That’s part of worshiping God. Second, develop a friendship with him and get to know him. Prayer isn’t a one way conversation; It’s a two way conversation with God. God hears me when I pray; he answers me when I ask questions. He wants to talk with me every day. There are three levels of knowing God: recognition, acquaintance, and friendship. At the recognition level, I know God is there, but I don’t really know him personally. At the acquaintance level, I know God a little, but I don’t know him very well. God wants me to live at the friendship level, where I am familiar with him and talk regularly. God wants to have a continuous conversation with me. I can start developing a friendship with God by praying: “Dear God, I’m amazed that you would want me for a friend. I really want to learn how to have conversations with you. Help me spend time with you every day. Thank you for caring about every detail of my life. Jesus, I want to know you more and more, and I want to depend on you for guidance in my job, my family, my future, and in every other area of my life.” As I spend time in prayer, worshiping God and developing a friendship with him, I’ll learn how to hear and recognize his voice. 

Conquering Giants to Fulfill My Dream

In 1 Samuel 17:47 I read, “Everyone assembled here will know that the LORD rescues his people, but not with sword and spear. This is the LORD’s battle, and he will give you to us!" (NLT)

Before King David faced Goliath in 1 Samuel, he had to fight four other giants. They weren’t physical giants, but they were giants in his mind.

I am far more likely to face mental giants than a physical one. But mental giants can be just as big and intimidating. And they can keep me from becoming who God wants me to be and fulfilling the dream that God has put in my heart.

The first giant in facing my dream is delay. No dream is fulfilled instantly. God gives me the dream one day, but he doesn’t fulfill it the next day. It may be years before I see the fulfillment of my life dream. There is always a waiting period.

After the prophet Samuel anointed David as king, David’s father, Jesse, told David to get back to tending the sheep. Talk about a delayed dream! It was about 15 years before David actually became king.

But God used that time to build David’s character, teaching him to be obedient even when things didn’t seem to make sense. As David waited for God to fulfill his promise, he learned to trust in God’s sovereignty. The lesson is that God is faithful, and he will complete his work within me, in his time.

The second giant you may face is discouragement. Goliath created a climate of fear in Israel. Everyone was convinced they were going to lose the battle against him.

What people am I listening to that say it can’t be done? Who is putting down my dream, saying it won’t ever happen?

Sometimes I just need a fresh voice, like a shepherd boy with fresh eyes who says, “This guy’s nothing. We can take him down.”

The third giant standing in your way is disapproval. In David’s case, his own brother questioned his motives and disapproved of him going after Goliath.

When God gives me a dream that other people are afraid of and I go for it anyway, I will be misjudged, maligned, and misunderstood. I have to decide what matters more to me: the approval of other people or the approval of God.

The fourth giant I have to face is doubt.

Nobody was a greater expert on war than King Saul. He told David he was crazy for thinking a boy could fight a warrior like Goliath.

Maybe an expert is saying I can’t do it either. And that’s enough to make me start doubting myself.

Remember, experts are often wrong! I won’t be deterred by the naysayers when I focus on God’s promises and trust the Lord is faithful to fulfill my dream.

In summary, the LORD rescues his people, but not with sword and spear. This is the LORD’s battle, and he will give you to us!. Before King David faced Goliath in 1 Samuel, he had to fight four other giants. They weren’t physical giants, but giants in his mind. I’m more likely to face mental giants than physical ones. They can keep me from becoming who God wants me to be and fulfilling the dream that God has put in my heart. The first giant is delay. No dream is fulfilled instantly. It may be years before I see the fulfillment of a dream. There is always a waiting period. God uses this time to build character, and teach me to be obedient even when things don't seem to make sense. As I wait for God to fulfill his promise, I need to learn to trust in God’s sovereignty. God is faithful, and he will complete his work within me, in his time. The second giant is discouragement. Who am I listening to that say it can’t be done? Who is putting down my dream. I just need a fresh voice. The third giant is disapproval. In David’s case, his own brother questioned his motives and disapproved of him going after Goliath. When God gives me a dream that other people are afraid of and I go for it anyway, I will be misjudged, maligned, and misunderstood. I have to decide what matters more: the approval of others or the approval of God. The fourth giant is in doubt. Maybe an expert is saying I can’t do it. And that’s enough to make me start doubting myself. Experts are often wrong! I won’t be deterred when I focus on God’s promises and trust the Lord is faithful to fulfill the dream He has given me.

To fight like David I need David's kind of fearlessness. David had grown strong in his confidence by trusting God when he had encountered wild animals while guarding his father's sheep. When I face towering problems, recall how God has helped me in the past. Take heart because God gives me strength. Use the skills God had already given me and move forward. 

Wise People Ask Questions and Then Listen

In Proverbs 20:5 I read, “People’s thoughts can be like a deep well, but someone with understanding can find the wisdom there.” (NCV)

If I want to be wise, learn how to ask wise questions.

Proverbs 20:5 says, “People’s thoughts can be like a deep well, but someone with understanding can find the wisdom there” (NCV). In other words, everybody has something to teach you. Just like it’s worth the effort to draw water from a deep well, it’s worth the time and attention to draw wisdom from another person.

How do I draw the wisdom out of every person? I learn to ask smart questions.

Ask questions, as they have had things to teach me. If I know the right questions to ask, I can learn from anybody!

One thing I’ve realized is that I never learn anything while I’m talking. If my mouth is moving, I’m not learning. I don’t learn when you’re talking; I learn when I’m listening. So I’ve got to learn to listen.

The late American TV host Larry King once said this: In an interview show, if the host is talking 50 percent of the time, something is terribly wrong. The host should listen the most and talk the least. A good TV host sets up the question and then just listens.

I’ve done a lot of interviews over the years, and I’ve noticed fewer and fewer hosts following Larry King’s advice. More often, interview shows are about the interviewer, whose goal is to draw attention to themselves, and not about the guests.

In life, be more like the host who has learned to listen. Become a person who believes that they can learn from anyone.

I just have to be willing to ask good questions, and then listen. That’s the mark of a wise person.

In summary, other’s thoughts can be like a deep well. Someone with understanding can find wisdom in them. So, If I want to be wise, learn how to ask wise questions. Everybody has something to teach me. Just like it’s worth the effort to draw water from a deep well, it’s worth the time and attention to draw wisdom from another person. I do this by asking smart questions. One thing is certain, I’ll never learn anything while I’m talking. I only learn when I’m listening. In TV interview shows, the host should listen the most and talk the least. More often, interview shows are about the interviewer, whose goal is to draw attention to themselves. So be more like the host who has learned to listen. Become a person who believes that they can learn from anyone. Be willing to ask good questions, and then listen. That’s the mark of a wise person.

Purpose and advice lie deep with someone's heart. If I am smart, I'll draw them out to discover them. For my prayers to be effective, I need to learn to listen. Prayer is actually a conversation. While I may not hear God's physical voice, he speaks to me through the Holy Spirit, His Word, and others. If I get too busy or talk too much, I won't really hear and understand what God and or others are telling me. To be a better listener, I need to withhold judgment and criticism. Don't evaluate until I've heard and comprehended it. This is much like one of Steven Covey's 7 habits, "Seek first to understand, then be understood". Keep calm. Overlook immaturity. Be an active listener. Ask creative questions to draw out responses. Lastly, learn to paraphrase and summarize.