Hearing God’s voice is considered a central and expected part of Christian life. It is rooted in both Scripture and contemporary spiritual experience. This is the first of three posts about hearing God's voice, the ways God speaks, and keys to hearing God's voice.
Why is hearing God's voice important?
Have you ever had a close relationship with someone you didn't talk to? That would be very, very rare. Such a person would probably be mute. Even then, they would probably find other ways to communicate-- signs, writing, pictures, technology, or tactile signs. But to have a close relationship without communication? It's silly to think we can have a close relationship with God and be out of communication with Him! Most of us pray and talk to God, but how many of us actually listen and hear Him talk to us?
Wait, but why is hearing Him talk to us important? Isn't our talking to Him sufficient?
No, it is not and that question misses the point of, both, having a relationship with God and the purpose of prayer.
First, a relationship is a two way street. Jesus said He does only what He sees the Father doing (John 5:19). His 'seeing' what the Father is doing is akin to 'hearing' God's voice. Jesus had a perfect relationship with God-- He is God in human form-- and He heard God perfectly. Jesus is the standard.
When we spend time with someone, we become more like them. When we watch someone, we can begin to emulate them and what they do. And when we listen to someone, we begin to know and understand them better, including what they want and expect from us.
Jesus said in John 10:27, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me". Hearing His voice helps us follow His lead.
And the purpose of prayer? Prayer is not about us changing God, it is about God changing us and this dark, broken, confusing world we live in. Thus, God speaks to us in order to change us and guide us through this dark, broken, confusing world and to grow us and, by extension, His Kingdom through us.
So you see, God is not mute, nor is He laying incapacitated on a hospital bed. He is speaking and He speaks in a number of different ways.
In the next post, we'll look at the ways God speaks. After that we will explore keys to hearing God's voice.
