Hearing from God is crucial for every believer. Interestingly, hearing from God is very easy for some believers but very hard for others. Those who easily hear from God struggle to understand why others don’t hear, while those who don’t hear from God wonder how others do.
When you ask those who hear from God why others don’t hear, they often mention reasons like “you need faith.” It is true that hearing from God requires faith, however those who don’t hear often get frustrated when they are simply told to have more faith.
I have been on both ends. I have experienced the frustration of not hearing from God and the ease of hearing from God. Today, I will try my best to help those who don’t hear from God understand why they don’t, and also help those who hear explain it better to those who don’t.
When I was struggling to hear from God, a question puzzled me deeply. Physically, if you have ears, you will hear. You may not understand what someone is saying, but you will automatically hear them. Why is it that, spiritually, even hearing alone can be difficult, let alone understanding?
In the physical, we hear first, then understand. I expected hearing spiritually to work the same way, but I later realized it is completely different.
To hear from the spiritual, you have to first look at things from God’s perspective. It is obvious that you cannot hear from God unless He speaks. This means that even before asking what hearing from God feels like, we must ask: When does God speak?
The only time you stand a chance to hear from God is when He is speaking. So then, when does God speak?
God speaks all the time, but that is an oversimplification. There is more to it than that.
To understand when God speaks, we must first look at how God speaks. There are many ways in which God speaks, but I will categorize them into three:
1. Direct and audible speech
This is the clearest and most direct method. A good example is when God responded audibly to the prayer Jesus made in John 12:28.
Father, glorify your name!” Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it, and will glorify it again.”
How beautiful it is to have God respond instantly and audibly to prayer. And if this method is so effective, why doesn’t God use it more often?
The biggest drawback is the weight of responsibility it carries. When God speaks directly and commands you to do something, you must do it. Failure to heed the command attracts severe punishment.
For example, in Isaiah 55:11, God makes it clear that His word will not return to Him empty. Because we are prone to disobedience, God avoids speaking to us directly to avoid putting us in situations where He must punish us in the case of disobedience.
In Numbers 20:8, God clearly instructed Moses on how to draw water from the rock. Moses executed the instruction with a slight alteration by striking the rock instead of speaking to it. That action cost him entry into the promised land as a consequence of disobeying an audible command from God.
God tends to use this method only when the instruction He is giving is very critical. Such instructions are rare, making this particular method rare as well.
Another reason why this method is rare has to do with its frightening nature. In scripture, God’s voice is often described as thunderous and like the roar of rushing waters.
‘And I heard a sound from heaven like the roar of rushing waters and like a loud peal of thunder. The sound I heard was like that of harpists playing their harps.’ (Revelation 14:2)
Remember the event when God spoke to the Israelites at Mt. Sinai? The bible says they trembled with fear and asked Moses to speak to God on their behalf, saying, “Speak to us yourself and we will listen. But do not have God speak to us or we will die.” (Exodus 20:19)
Even in a case where the voice is not terrifying, hearing a voice without seeing a face can be scary, as I learned from my friend, Monica.
Monica used to dislike her name to the core. One night, she suddenly heard a clear voice call her name twice, and then silence. At that moment, she knew it was the voice of God gently correcting her attitude towards her name. Although the voice was not thunderous, she was left shaken. From that day on, she never complained about her name again.
2. Through agents
God also speaks to people through agents, including angels, prophets, teachers, and even animals.
The beauty of this method is its relatability. The message is usually clear and understandable. However, with this method, people often struggle with doubt .
For example, people may question angelic encounters because satan can disguise himself as an angel of light. Likewise, the presence of false prophets and misleading teachers can also bring about doubt. In rare cases where God uses animals, people may dismiss it as demonic activity.
The Bible itself also falls into this category. We know it is God’s Word, yet sometimes we struggle to connect it to our current situations because it was spoken and written through human authors.
Another classic example is Jesus Himself. Many people struggled to accept that He was God in human form, and therefore His words were often rejected.
3. Inner witness through the Holy Spirit
This is the most subtle yet most personal approach.
The beauty of this method is that God can fine-tune a message to suit an individual. The challenge, however, is that it requires a high level of spiritual sensitivity.
Unfortunately, many believers do not cultivate spiritual sensitivity in order to capture the subtle communication from the spirit. We often brush off instructions from the Holy Spirit, ignore or forget dreams, and barely do we sit quietly to reflect on what has been deposited in our hearts.
Let me give an example.
I once wanted to start a relationship with a sister from the fellowship I used to attend. I was unsure whether God approved of it. So I prayed asking God not to hide anything from me about her, even if it was painful.
I approached the sister, and she agreed to the relationship. About two months later, a brother in the fellowship had a dream in which I was with the sister, and she walked away with another man. The dream was deeply devastating. It felt like a real heartbreak, even though it was just a dream.
In the days that followed, I became conflicted and unsure whether to continue with the relationship or end it because I wasn’t sure if the brother’s dream was from God. Even if I decided to end the relationship, I didn’t have a valid reason to give to the sister.
I struggled for months, unsure of what to do. Eventually, I decided to continue until something clearer happened.
However, I was still afraid of being left by the sister for another man. Later, I had a dream where a different brother took her away. It was a painful dream, but this time, I was very much convicted that this would eventually happen if I carried on with the relationship. Shortly after, that same brother actually called me asking about her. That moment confirmed my fears.
Even after all that, I still continued for a while before eventually ending the relationship. I was born-again, speaking in tongues, and had no problem hearing from God, but it took me many months to accept God’s warning.
This taught me something important: hearing from God is not always the hardest part. Accepting what He says can be harder, especially when it does not align with our expectations.
Conclusion
If you want to hear from God, especially as a believer who prays in tongues, focus on three things:
One, show God that you are willing to obey His instructions when He speaks to you. You begin by obeying the simple instructions outlined in the bible. If you cannot obey what is written, it is difficult to obey instructions spoken directly to you.
Two, be open and willing to accept tough messages and instructions from God. Sometimes the truth can be painful, and God’s guidance is not always comfortable. The good news is that it will work for your good as long as you obey.
Thirdly, cultivate spiritual sensitivity, for God often speaks in a still small voice. You can do this by praying in tongues and paying close attention to the subtle convictions from the Holy Spirit.
God bless you.