Thursday, February 07, 2008

Hearing from God: Some initial thoughts and some questions too.

This is essentially a revisit of an old blog entry from 2005. I find it interesting where I am now compared to where I was then. So I have taken a bit of the original and now added a recent "hearing from God" story...

I do know God speaks to me, even better than just speaking, he answers my prayers and questions..specific, individual, and personal...that is very cool.

He had awoken me at 3am to pray for someone and their family for several months. I later find out that the person was awakened every day at the same time, sensing (hearing?) that I was praying at that very moment for them. WOW!

And yet, it was only through a never-fading sense and "joyful burden" to pray and sometimes very specific things to intercede for... I got to a point of having to ask God if it was just me, with my O.C. personality that was awakening me each night (3AM) with a desire to pray. This is when "out-of-the-blue" I get a call, "are you praying for me in the early morning? Because something wakes me up around 3AM, I come wide-awake with a peaceful feeling and something tells me you are praying for me right now." Now that is a cool confirmation...see, I have never heard the audible voice of God.

For that matter, I have never seen the Hand of God writing on a wall; speaking through an ass (that's a King James Donkey, you guys) or a small still voice--a whisper... Nothing that noteworthy, or in such Biblical proportions.

Now, the Bible has those examples and others, but what I want to discuss is if anyone else "hears God's voice"....If you "hear from God" how do you know?

What are some things to look for, as evidence it is God?

How do you hear Him?

What does He say?

Is there a difference between hearing God's voice and the Holy Spirit's urgings and promptings?

How do you separate your own inner voice and His?

I know we are to seek the Lord and we are to pray/ask for guidance....so what if we don't/can't hear a response? Do we just freeze up and not move forward? Do we forgo trying to hear and just blunder ahead....how can we "check-in" as we move?

Hmm, inquiring minds want to know...

4 comments:

Jeannie said...

I recently heard a couple of things that made a lot of sense to me.

1) It is usually fairly easy to pinpoint the enemy's voice. What most of us struggle with is knowing the difference between our voice and that of God. Considering that humans tend to be selfish by nature, selfish thoughts should always be examined carefully and confirmation sought. On the flip side, selfless thoughts are pretty much always from God.

2) We know what God says because we know God. The following example was given: If your mom NEVER lets you eat Popsicles in the living room and I come over and tell you that your mom said we could eat Popsicles in the living room, you will know that your mom did not really say that. The better we get to know the character of God, the better we are at distinguishing His voice.

Not sure if any of that helps you, but it helped me.

Anonymous said...

WOW, so that's why you said you were being waken up at 3am! that's crazy/awesome! i'm amazed at how you knew that God wanted you to pray for those people, and how you knew specifically who to pray for. that's a pretty dang accurate interpretation of his spirit's prompting!

i would love to be able to recognize such promptings as clearly as that. but i, too, would also love to actually HEAR his voice.
but i think we can at least see the effects of his voice as it resonates through the earth-- as it makes the leaves rustle and the water ripple.

anyway, i pray that you'll hear his voice..
and that it'll ROCK YOUR SOCKS OFF!

Callie said...

In college I had the most clear example of "hearing God's voice" I can remember. It seemed to me that I heard Him audibly. It may not have been with my ears that I heard Him in retrospect, though that's the best way I can describe it.

Both times I was simply walking across campus back to my dorm room. Neither time could I pin as a time I was specifically listening for God or seeking Him.

Both times started exactly the same, and were quite similar actually. Both started simply with a "Hi" that I heard however I heard it such that it caused me to look around to see who was speaking. Both times were wide open grassy areas with no other people around, yet the voice I had heard sounded like it was standing right next to me. "God?" I replied in joyful disbelief. I could feel Him smile.

The first time He invited me to come sit "next to" Him on a bench and talk. He asked how my classes were going. I asked why He created mosquitoes. He laughed. We talked about nothing and everything. I noticed some people starting to walk up the hill and looked "at Him" nervously, concerned that they would see me talking to "myself" and think I was a freak. I could tell this concern saddened Him, but He nodded and I promised to come back and talk to Him again more often.

this, sadly, didn't happen. I'm a dumb-...donkey. all the way home I kicked myself that I didn't take the opportunity to ask Him anything important. that I could have easily continued the conversation never entered my thoughts. I think I ended up simply going back and watching Thundercats with the guys.

The next time was 2 years later, walking across a different stretch of open grass. the same "Hi". the same shocked reaction. I slowed my walking but there was nowhere to sit. again we simply talked about life in general. I asked Him what kinds of stuff He liked and He started pointing out specific trees and curves of branches that He was particularly proud of. He drew my gaze over to some people playing tennis and mentioned that He really did love people. I thought that was nice and asked how long I could talk to Him this time. He mentioned that when I got home I should talk to my roommate about something. I nodded and thanked Him a lot and apologized for my lack of initiation of conversation.

could I describe what His voice sounded like? no. not even a little bit. but i remember that it was so clear that the idea that it might not be Him never entered my brain. see, I talk to myself and have imaginary conversations ALL the time. so I could tell this was different. though lately i wonder if God doesn't use my "imaginary" conversations to speak to me in different ways too.

I have since tried to initiate that same kind of casual conversation with God, but have never had "much luck" hearing Him in return in those times. I am learning to listen. But the way I'm learning to hear Him is so different than those first ways He spoke to me, I almost wonder if it wouldn't have been easier if I hadn't had those experiences to expect it to always be that easy!

so don't pine after "hearing" God's voice. You DO hear Him, just differently than you'd like. but He's addicting. "just once" is never enough. it's taken me forever to accept the fact that I have to learn to converse with Him when He's not accosting me in the middle of a field. I want it. I want it again. my soul longs and aches and yearns... I tell myself I wouldn't take Him for granted this time, but I'd probably still just shoot the breeze and enjoy His company rather than muck it up with all kinds of important questions. I can trust Him with the important stuff. I just want to know Him better.

as for what to do when we don't hear a response? danged if i know. There have been other times I've have definite conversations and/or fights with the Living God without classifying it as "hearing" His voice. but more often than not I think I simply don't know how to listen. I try not to be petty and "blame" God for spoiling me with His divine-ness to the point where I'm not satisfied with anything less. In fact, now that I'm learning how to listen to Him as I walk with Him daily and practice more, I feel FAR more of a deeply connective relationship with Him than when I was overwhelmingly blessed with His voice, visual presence, commands, visions... ah but those are other stories you can ask me about later :)

Anonymous said...

Psalm 32:8-9 states:
The Lord says, “I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you.

Do not be like a senseless horse or mule that needs a bit and bridle to keep it under control.”

So does that mean God prefers to advise us, but if necessary God will use more forceful tactics to keep us under control?