7 ways to listen to the voice of God
Prayer can be a dialogue with God if we are listening. Here are some tips.
Sometimes in prayer we really need to talk about what's in our minds and hearts. At other times, we really want to hear God speak.
For a student who is struggling to choose a school, lovers who contemplate marriage, a parent who is worried sick about a child, an entrepreneur who is considering a new risk, for almost everyone who is suffering, or who is struggling or fearing . . . listening to God becomes important. Urgent.
So it happens that an episode from the Bible can help you listen. It is a story of Samuel's life, recorded in 1 Samuel 3, and offers 7 useful tips for listening to God.
1. Become humble.
The story begins:
The boy Samuel ministered before the Lord under Eli (1 Samuel 3: 1, NIV).
Note that God did not speak to the adult priest, Eli, or to the priest's proud children or anyone else. Only for "the boy Samuel". Maybe because he was a boy. Maybe because it was the lowest on the totem pole, so to speak.
The Bible says:
God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble (James 4: 6, NIV).
It is a grace to listen to the voice of God. So if you wish to listen to the voice of God, humble yourself.
2. Shut up.
The story continues:
One night Eli, whose eyes were becoming so weak that he could barely see, was lying in his usual place. The lamp of God had not yet gone out and Samuel was lying in the temple of the Lord, where the ark of God was located. Then the Lord called Samuel (1 Samuel 3: 2-4, NIV).
God spoke when "Samuel was lying down." It is probably not accidental.
They say Londoners who live in the shadow of St. Paul's Cathedral never listen to the large church bells, because the sound of the ringtones blends with all the noise of that busy city. But on those rare occasions when the streets are deserted and the shops are closed, the bells can be heard.
Do you want to hear the voice of God? Be quiet.
3. Enter the presence of God.
Have you noticed where Samuel "lay down?"
Samuel was lying in the temple of the Lord, where the ark of God was located. Then the Lord called Samuel (1 Samuel 3: 3-4, NIV).
Samuel's mother had dedicated it to the service of God, so he was in the temple. But history says more. It was "where the ark of God was". That is, it was in the place of the presence of God.
For you, this can mean religious service. But this is far from the only place to enter the presence of God. Some people have a "prayer closet" where they spend time with God. For others it is a city park or a path in the woods. For some, it's not even a place, but a song, a silence, a mood.
4. Ask for advice.
Verses 4-8 of the story tell how God repeatedly spoke to Samuel, even calling him by name. But Samuel was slow to grasp in the beginning. It is likely to be the same with you. But note verse 9:
Then Eli realized that the Lord was calling the boy. Then Eli said to Samuel: "Go and lie down and, if he calls you, say: 'Speak, Lord, because your servant is listening.'" Then Samuel went to lie down in his place (1 Samuel 3: 9, NIV).
Although Eli was not the one who listened to God's voice, he nevertheless made wise advice to Samuel.
If you believe that God is speaking, but you are not sure, go to someone you respect, someone who knows God, someone who is spiritually mature.
5. Get into the habit of saying, "Speak, Lord."
The story continues:
Then Samuel went to lie down in his place.
The Lord came and stayed there, calling like other times: “Samuel! Samuel! "Then Samuel said," Speak, because your servant is listening "(1 Samuel 3: 9b-10, NIV).
It is one of my favorite and most frequent prayers. Oswald Chambers wrote:
Get into the habit of saying "Talk, Lord" and life will become a love story. Whenever circumstances press, say "Speak, Lord."
If you face a decision, big or small: "Speak, Lord".
When you lack wisdom: "Speak, Lord."
Whenever you open your mouth in prayer: "Speak, Lord."
As you greet a new day: "Speak, Lord."
6. Get into a listening attitude.
When God finally spoke, he said:
"See, I am about to do something in Israel that will make anyone who listens to their ears tingle" (1 Samuel 3:11, NIV).
Samuel heard it because he was listening. Don't talk, don't sing, don't read, don't watch TV. He was listening. And God spoke.
If you want to listen to the voice of God, take a listening attitude. God is a gentleman. He doesn't like to interrupt, so he seldom speaks unless we're listening.
7. Prepare to act on what God says.
When God spoke to Samuel, it was not great news. In fact, it was a message of judgment about Eli (Samuel's "boss") and Eli's family.
Ouch.
If you want to listen to the voice of God, you must prepare yourself for the possibility that He cannot say what you want to hear. And that you may have to act on what it tells you.
As someone said, "Hearing should always be for listening."
If you are going to listen to the voice of God and then decide whether you will listen to it or not, you will probably not listen to the voice of God.
But if you are ready to act on whatever it may say, you can really hear his voice. And then life becomes a love story.