A friend sent me a few questions about ‘Hearing from God’ and I thought I would have a go. This is the reply I sent him…
The thing about questions is they generally work best when answered. Sometimes, however, that answer (or perhaps lack of…) isn’t what we expect. Then what?
1. How do you hear from God?
The easy and obvious first comment is ‘through scripture’. Of course, when we read our Bible, we learn, we discover, and God ‘lifts stuff off the page’. But I think what we really want to know here is – how does God speak to us beyond that? In our ‘every day’? (Mental note, our perfect God will never contradict Himself; so if you think you’re hearing from God and it goes against scripture, think again!)
I’m sure God speaks to me a lot, but much of the time His communication goes unrecognised. Fortunately, graciously, God has used certain specific methods to let me know He is speaking. That way I am more likely to realise it’s Him, not just me. And the reality is, by ‘not just me’ I mean ‘as well as me’ – we can never really remove ourselves from the picture. That’s the beauty of it; we’re always a part of the conversation; God works in and through us (and thankfully, sometimes despite us!) This means, though, that the ability to hear is very closely linked with our ability to quieten down our own voices, our own agenda, and listen. I was going to say ‘stop, and listen’ – but I don’t think that’s always the case; He walks with us on the road, as well as in our ‘quiet places’… So then, as we walk the road, He’ll speak into thoughts, into our imagination. It’s learning to recognise when that thought, that idea in our brain, in our imagination, is from God.
It’s a funny phrase, ‘from God’. Just as I am writing this I am wondering whether that statement is the best one to use. What makes our thought ‘from God’? I think sometimes the thought can be wholly our own, but God then breathes life into it, He shines His light on it and says ‘yes, my thoughts exactly!’ I think I like that idea more – us becoming like Christ may mean that in time, our thoughts and ideas are ‘from God’ and yet, completely us. At the other end of the spectrum of course is the pictures, the ideas which pop into our head ‘from nowhere’ – and they’re seeds planted directly by God’s Spirit in us – giving us the words… Both are real, and God works in many ways. Isn’t that great, though, that He’s always working in us? (Phil 2:13).
So. As I was saying, the trick is the recognition. And that’s where the repetitive nature of some of the ways God speaks is really helpful. The more obvious ones for me are the physical ones, a thought/phrase/idea will pop into my head, or someone will say something and then immediately my heart will begin to race – that will get my attention. Another way I know God is ‘with me’ is when I get what I call ‘the shakes’ in my legs; when this happens I make a point to be ‘in tune’ – listening, and generally just soaking up the ‘vibe’!
Expectation is a big factor, too. This is built on faith, which often follows experience. When we’ve heard from God before, and we desire Him, we seek Him, there is an expectation that He will speak. So there are times where I won’t feel anything physical, but I will pray, and speak, and trust that God will use my words, my imagination. This will more-often-than-not be in a way that doesn’t feel any different from my usual thought or communication processes. It’s then up to God to ‘highlight’ or ‘awaken’ those words in the mind and heart of the person listening… I suspect this happens a lot more than we realise! Sometimes, after you’ve said something, prayed something, you have a real peace, and some kind of internal ‘yes’ which makes you feel ‘God has walked into the room’.
Another way God speaks to me is through physical things I see in front of me: I often pray for someone with my eyes open, and I will ‘notice’ something – it might be something as simple as a watch, or a shoe or anything – but then God will ‘expand the metaphor’. The idea, a property, a trait – of an object – and God will start to unfold something for the person I’m praying for. I remember, for example, seeing a diving watch and encouraging someone that God was going to increase in them the ability to handle pressure. At times it is only once I start praying around this thing, I step out a little and ‘go with it’ as it were, that the ‘real stuff’ God wants to say begins to come through. And then my faith grows, and the person being prayed for is greatly encouraged by my little steps of obedience (and taking a risk on ‘my own imagination’).
It may be interesting to note that this ‘expanding the metaphor’ is also a ‘craft or gift’ that God has developed in my every-day life – as someone who has written songs and poetry for years. I love it when God uses something specific and unique to ‘who we are’ for the good of someone else. You are unique and you do have something special to offer. He will use you. Cool, eh?!
Sometimes, too, He comes right out of left-field and hits me with something new. I love that when that happens.
In the end, I think it all boils down to a ‘proximity effect’; something I wrote years ago when trying to hear God’s voice, God’s heart for someone, which has now become a catch-phrase in my life, or at least, a goal to aim for…
I was only standing close enough, that when I listened, she could hear Your voice…
So close to God, then when I was listening, the words I speak will be His voice. How amazing would that be, every day?!
2. What have you been personally hearing from God recently (or even have you)?
I’ll admit to not having spent enough time in recent months just chilling with God. Just listening… but there has been a bit of a theme to the things God has been teaching me through the books I’ve been reading or the life I’ve been living.
One of the main things at the moment is more about the mystery of God, of His ways. We can’t fully know or understand Him, or why things happen in life the way they do. But being content with that too.
The most significant change in my ‘image of God’ right now is highlighted in the love I am feeling for my new son. Joshua is 3 months old this week – and there is a love, automatic, in-built into me that I cannot explain. I haven’t generated it or learned it. It just ‘is’. I mean, I can understand the love I have for my wife; we learned to love each other, we ‘fell for’ the things in each other which brought us joy and, well, brought us together. It’s more tangible. But this… this love for Joshua is from some-place else. And it’s just there!
I think it is the image of God in me being made alive. God is love; ‘Love’ is what, who why, and how God is. And I am understanding more His love for me. But I’m not understanding it, too. The mystery. It’s deeper and more instinctive, more unknown, and yet, real. Understand? No? Exactly!
3. How do you think men and women differ in their relationship with God with regards to how they hear him?
Hehe, speaking of mysteries! The differences between men and woman are cavernous enough, so I’m sure the way we hear from God varies too.
The only thing I might add here (as I think I’ve already written enough) is that men might be more likely to apply the hearing-of-God to what they are to do, and women might be more likely to apply their hearing-of-God to how they are to relate?
There’s an interesting section of a book doing the rounds at the moment called ‘The Shack’; it uses various ‘characters’ to stretch our idea of who and what God is – and how he might vary the way he communicates with us for our benefit. I think that’s what I learned more than anything – the love He has for us as His children.
And as we are His children, He does want to speak to us, to relate with us, to be with us. That’s the wonder, the mystery, and the challenge too; He’s left much of that in our hands – and how much or how little we experience that is largely left up to us. Now that’s what I call amazing grace!
