Four Keys to Hearing Gods Voice

Key #1 - Gods voice in our hearts sounds like a flow of spontaneous

thoughts. Therefore, when I tune to God, I tune to spontaneity.
The Bible says that the Lord answered e and said...!"ab. #$#%. "abakkuk knew
the sound of Gods voice. &li'ah described it as a still, sall voice. I had always
listened for an inner audible voice, and surely God can and does speak that way
at ties. "owever, I have found that for ost of us, ost of the tie, Gods inner
voice coes to us as spontaneous thoughts, visions, feelings, or
impressions. (or e)aple, havent each of us had the e)perience of driving
down the road and having a thought come to us to pray for a certain person*
+e generally acknowledge this to be the voice of God callus to pray for that
individual. ,y -uestion to you is, .+hat did Gods voice sound like as you drove
in your car* +as it an inner, audible voice, or was it a spontaneous thought that
lit upon your ind*. ,ost of you would say that Gods voice cae to you as a
spontaneous thought.
/o I thought to yself, .,aybe when I listen for Gods voice, I should be listening
for a flow of spontaneous thoughts. ,aybe spirit-level counication is received
as spontaneous thoughts, ipressions, feelings, and visions.. Through
e)perientation and feedback fro thousands of others, I a now convinced
that this is so.
The Bible confirs this in any ways. The definition of paga, the "ebrew word
for intercession, is .a chance encounter or an accidental intersecting.. +hen God
lays people on our hearts for intercession, "e does it through paga, a chance
encounter thought, accidentally intersecting our thought processes. Therefore,
when I tune to God, I tune to chance encounter thoughts or spontaneous
thoughts. +hen I a poised -uietly before God in prayer, I have found that the
flow of spontaneous thoughts that coes is -uite definitely fro God.
Key #2 - I ust learn to still y own thoughts and eotions, so that I
can sense Gods flow of thoughts and eotions within e.
"abakkuk said, .I will stand on y guard post and station yself on the
rapart.... !"ab. #$0%. "abakkuk knew that in order to hear Gods -uiet, inner,
spontaneous thoughts, he had to first go to a -uiet place and still his own
thoughts and eotions. 1sal 23$04 encourages us to be still, and know that "e
is God. There is a deep inner knowing !spontaneous flow% in our spirit that each
of us can e)perience when we -uiet our flesh and our inds.
I have found several siple ways to -uiet yself so that I can ore readily pick
up Gods spontaneous flow. Loving God through a -uiet worship song is a ost
effective eans for e !note II 5ings 6$07%. It is as I becoe still !thoughts, will,
and eotions% and a poised before God that the divine flow is reali8ed.
Therefore, after I worship -uietly and then becoe still, I open yself for that
spontaneous flow. If thoughts coe to e of things I have forgotten to do, I write
the down and then disiss the. If thoughts of guilt or unworthiness coe to
y ind, I repent thoroughly, receive the washing of the blood of the Lab, and
put on "is robe of righteousness, seeing yself spotless before the presence of
God.
9s I fi) y ga8e upon :esus !"eb. 0#$#%, becoing -uiet in "is presence, and
sharing with "i what is on y heart, I find that two-way dialogue begins to flow.
/pontaneous thoughts flow fro the throne of God to e, and I find that I a
actually conversing with the 5ing of 5ings.
It is very iportant that you becoe still and properly focused if you are going to
receive the pure word of God. If you are not still, you will siply be receiving your
own thoughts. If you are not properly focused on :esus, you will receive an
ipure flow, because the intuitive flow coes out of that upon which you have
fi)ed your eyes. Therefore, if you fi) your eyes upon :esus, the intuitive flow
coes fro :esus. If you fi) your ga8e upon soe desire of your heart, the
intuitive flow coes out of that desire of your heart. To have a pure flow you ust
first of all becoe still, and secondly, you ust carefully fi) your eyes upon
:esus. 9gain I will say, this is -uite easily accoplished by -uietly worshiping the
5ing, and then receiving out of the stillness that follows.
Key # - 9s I pray, I fi) the eyes of y heart upon :esus, seeing in
the spirit the dreas and visions of 9lighty God.
+e have already alluded to this principle in the previous paragraphs; however,
we need to develop it a bit further. "abakkuk said, .I will keep watch to see,. and
God said, .<ecord the vision. !"ab. #$0,#%. It is very interesting that "abakkuk
was going to actually start looking for vision as he prayed. "e was going to open
the eyes of his heart, and look into the spirit world to see what God wanted to
show hi. This is an intriguing idea.
I had never thought of opening the eyes of y heart and looking for vision.
"owever, the ore I thought of it, the ore I reali8ed this was e)actly what God
intends e to do. "e gave e eyes in y heart. They are to be used to see in
the spirit world the vision and oveent of 9lighty God. I believe there is an
active spirit world functioning all around e. This world is full of angels, deons,
the "oly /pirit, the onipresent God, and "is onipresent /on, :esus. There is
no reason for e not to see it, other than y rational culture, which tells e not
to believe it is even there and provides no instructions on how to becoe open to
seeing this spirit world.
The ost obvious prere-uisite to seeing is that we need to look. =aniel was
seeing a vision in his ind and he said, .I was looking...I kept looking...I kept
looking. !=an. >$0,?,06%. @ow as I pray, I look for :esus present with e, and I
watch "i as "e speaks to e, doing and saying the things that are on "is
heart. ,any Ahristians will find that if they will only look, they will see. :esus is
&anuel, God with us. It is as siple as that. Bou will see a spontaneous inner
vision in a anner siilar to receiving spontaneous inner thoughts. Bou can see
Ahrist present with you in a cofortable setting, because Ahrist is present with
you in a cofortable setting. 9ctually, you will probably discover that inner vision
coes so easily you will have a tendency to re'ect it, thinking that it is 'ust you.
!=oubt is satans ost effective weapon against the Ahurch.% "owever, if you will
persist in recording these visions, your doubt will soon be overcoe by faith as
you recogni8e that the content of the could only be birthed in 9lighty God.
God continually revealed "iself to "is covenant people using drea and vision.
"e did so fro Genesis to <evelation and said that, since the "oly /pirit was
poured out in 9cts #, we should e)pect to receive a continuing flow of dreas
and visions !9cts #$0-2%. :esus, our perfect e)aple, deonstrated this ability of
living out of ongoing contact with 9lighty God. "e said that "e did nothing on
"is own initiative, but only that which he sa! the Father doing, and heard the
Father saying !:n. 7$0?,#4,64%. +hat an incredible way to liveC
Is it actually possible for us to live out of the divine initiative as :esus did* 9
a'or purpose of :esus death and resurrection was that the veil be torn fro top
to botto, giving us access into the iediate presence of God, and we are
coanded to draw near !"eb. l4$0?-##%. Therefore, even though what I a
describing sees a bit unusual to a rational twentieth century culture, it is
deonstrated and described as being a central biblical teaching and e)perience.
It is tie to restore to the Ahurch all that belongs to the Ahurch.
Because of their intensely rational nature and e)istence in an overly rational
culture, soe will need ore assistance and understanding of these truths
before they can ove into the. They will find this help in the book How to Hear
God's Voice by the sae author.
Key #" - :ournaling, the writing out of our prayers and Gods
answers, provides a great new freedo in hearing Gods voice.
God told "abakkuk to record the vision and inscribe it on tablets...!"ab. #$#%. It
had never crossed y ind to write out y prayers and Gods answers as
"abakkuk did at Gods coand. If you begin to search /cripture for this idea,
you will find hundreds of chapters deonstrating it !1sals, any of the
prophets, <evelation%. +hy then hadnt I ever thought of it*
I called the process .'ournaling,. and I began e)perienting with it. I discovered it
to be a fabulous facilitator to clearly discerning Gods inner, spontaneous flow,
because as I 'ournaled I was able to !rite in faith for long periods of time,
siply believing it was God. I did not have to test it as I was receiving it, !which
'as ones receiver%, because I knew that when the flow was over I could go
back and test and e)aine it carefully, aking sure that it lined up with /cripture.
Bou will be aa8ed when you attept 'ournaling. =oubt ay hinder you at first,
but throw it off, reinding yourself that it is a biblical concept, and that God is
present, speaking to "is children. =ont take yourself too seriously. +hen you do,
you becoe tense and get in the way of the "oly /pirits oveent. It is when
we cease our labors and enter "is rest that God is free to flow !"eb. 2$04%.
Therefore, put a sile on your face, sit back cofortably, get out your pen and
paper, and turn your attention toward God in praise and worship, seeking "is
face. 9s you write out your -uestion to God and becoe still, fi)ing your ga8e on
:esus, who is present with you, you will suddenly have a very good thought in
response to your -uestion. =ont doubt it, siply write it down. Later, as you read
your 'ournaling, you, too, will be aa8ed to discover that you are indeed
dialoguing with God.
#ome final notes$ @o one should attept this without having first read through
at least the @ew Testaent !preferably, the entire Bible%, nor should one attept
this unless he is subitted to solid, spiritual leadership. 9ll a'or directional
oves that coe through 'ournaling should be subitted before being acted
upon.
Overcoming Blocks and Hindrances to Hearing God's Voice
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(or ost of us in a #4th-century rational culture, the greatest iracle of all is to learn to hear
Gods voice, clearly, plainly, and on an ongoing daily basis. Ahristians often debate whether this is
even possible. "owever, those who have tasted counion with God know that not only is it
possible, it satisfies the deepest longing of both the huan heart and Gods heart. (or this reason
we were created, to fellowship and coune with our Areator. Therefore, it is with ars wide
open and faces aglow with the 'oy of "is /ons light that we ebrace the warth of "is
copanionship. Truly, the ,orning /tar has risen within our hearts and the prophetic word
becoes clear to us !II 1et. 0$0?%.
"owever, soe days we still e)perience strong, story gales that hinder our access to fellowship
with the (ather. In this article we want to talk about soe of these stors, and discuss ways they
can be taed by the power of "is /pirit and a knowledge of "is ways.
(irst of all, there is a basic approach laid out in the Bible for those who would draw near to God. It
is found in the tabernacle e)perience. The one who wants to e)perience God in the "oly of "olies
!ones spirit% ust learn to live this tabernacle e)perience, which begins with the gate of salvation.
+e enter this gate with thanksgiving, clothing ourselves with the white raient of righteousness
which Ahrist has provided for us !1s. 044$2; Is. 30$04%.
+e then coe iediately upon a bra8en altar, where we offer our lives as a living sacrifice, holy
and acceptable unto God !<o. 0#$0%. +e do this not only at the point of salvation, but also as a
daily e)perience, as we awaken each orning.
@e)t, we coe before the laver, where we are washed with the washing of the water of the +ord
!&ph. 7$#3%. 9s we look intently upon the +ord, we allow it to cleanse our lives, purifying our
actions. Therefore, the pattern of regular Bible editation becoes a part of our daily approach to
God.
Then we enter the holy place, the real of our souls, and God deals with our inds, wills and
eotions. (irst we go to the table of showbread, a place where the priests ate together around a
table. This represents the fellowship we en'oy in the faily of God as we partake together of
Gods provision. 9s the grain is ground fine to ake the bread, so our wills are ground fine as we
fellowship with other believers. 9s we allow this process to happen, choosing to allow our wills to
be ground fine within the bond of unity of the fellowship to believers, we are prepared to go ever
further into the depths !heart% of God.
@e)t, we stop at the golden lapstand, ade of beaten gold representing the cultivating of divine
nature, and lit by oil, representing the illuination of the "oly /pirit. 9s we e)aine the +ord
under the illuination of the "oly /pirit, we find revelation knowledge pouring into our souls,
transforing our lives and taking us even deeper into the presence of God !II Aor. 6$0D%.
+e then ove to the altar of incense, where we learn to offer continuous praise and worship unto
the ,ost "igh God, the ,aker of heaven and earth. 9s a fragrant aroa ascended perpetually
fro this altar, so our praise and worship ascends perpetually before the nostrils of the Lord !1s.
020$#%. +e have learned to be worshipers. Through revelation knowledge, we have seen that the
,ost "igh rules in the affairs of an, and we have learned to worship "i everywhere, in
everything !=an. 2$0>%. +e have learned to worship in spirit and in truth !:n. 2$#2%.

Direct Fellowship
@ow we are ready to ascend directly into "is anifest presence, fi)ing our ga8e upon "is glory
and speaking face-to-face and outh-to-outh with the ,ost "igh God. Eh, what a privilegeC Eh,
what gloryC To stand and fellowship directly with the Lord of heaven and earth "iselfC The veil
has been rent, the way has been opened, through the atoning blood of Ahrist :esus our Lord and
/avior !"eb. 04$0?,#4%.
It is in this anner that God has prepared a way for us to enter before "i and fellowship with
"is "oly /pirit. The way is clearly established in the Eld Aovenant and torn open for all to partake
in the @ew Aovenant. @ow, when stors and gales hinder our access before the 5ing of 5ings,
we can go back and re-walk the path which "e has prepared for us. +e can ask$
0. 9 I singing in thankfulness for the robe of righteousness which "e has allowed e to
put on* =o I see yself wearing it* =o I see yself cleansed and spotless before the
5ing*
#. "ave I laid down y will in all atters this day, and sought only the will and purposes of
the (ather in all areas*
6. 9 I being washed daily by the constant application of the +ord of God in y life*
2. Is y heart full of love for those in the body of Ahrist, with who I live* "ave I closed off
y heart to any Ahristian brother* "ave I allowed y will to be ground fine before y
brothers*
7. 9 I prayerfully pondering the +ord and waiting before the "oly /pirit, allowing
revelation knowledge to illuine y life*
3. 9 I a constant worshiper* "as all grubling been replaced with worshipping in y life*
=o I dwell only on that which is pure, good, honest*
>. =o I stand, fi)ing y ga8e on the anifest glory of 9lighty God, receiving "is
spontaneous ideas, visions, and feelings*
Fsually, I find that if I walk through the tabernacle e)perience, any block I ay have as I
approach God in prayer is erased. If not, God has provided a fine-tuning dial in "ebrews 04$##$
"Let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean
from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water."
In this verse are found four ore keys for reoving blocks to effectively hearing the ,asters
voice. The first key is that we ust have a sincere heart. There can be no hypocrisy, no double-
indedness, no halfheartedness. Enly total, pure, childlike dedication to the desires and
purposes of 9lighty God.
/econdly, we ust have a full assurance of faith. In other words, we cannot doubt that there is a
river flowing within us. +e ust believe that the spontaneous bubbling that wells up within us as
we seek God in prayer is actually God speaking to us and flowing within us !:n. >$6D,6?%. If we do
not have a fullness of faith, if we doubt that "e is .Ianuel,. God with us, then we will cut off the
flow of "is /pirit.
Therefore, we ust believe that "e is a <ewarder of those who earnestly seek "i, and receive
in faith that which is flowing within us, trusting that indeed it is the /pirit of 9lighty God !"eb.
00$3%. If it is not, then Ahristianity is a lie. "owever, I a persuaded that it is the truth.
Thirdly, we ust have our hearts sprinkled clean fro an evil conscience. If there is sin, it ust
be brought before the cleansing flow of Ahrists blood and reoved as far as the east is fro the
west !1s. 046$0#%. Then it ust be forgotten, as all of our attention is turned upon our ,aker. 9ll
nagging unrest ust be brought before the purifying blood of Ahrist for reoval. Then the heart is
free to soar into the heavens with God.
(inally, we ust be cleansed with the washing of water of the rhema word, or the voice of God
!&ph. 7$#3%. Those things which God is speaking to us ust be acted upon and obeyed, or our
ability to go on with God is destroyed.
+hen I coe before God in prayer, I begin by -uieting yself in "is presence. I use the eyes of
y heart to see "i present with e. I tune to the inner river !i.e. spontaneous flow%, and I begin
writing down and recording the flow that is welling up within e. !/ee this pattern in "ab. #$0,#.% If
I a stuck and soe block sees to be hindering y ability to hear Gods voice and see "is
vision, I review the above -uestions concerning living the tabernacle e)perience. Eften as I go
through this checklist, I identify the block and reove it. If the block still reains, I ask yself the
four -uestions found in "ebrews 04$## G Is y heart sincere, honest, and coitted* 9 I free
of reservations as I approach God* =o I have a full assurance of faith that "e is within e and
welling up through y spirit !which is 'oined to "is /pirit - I Aor. 3$0>%* In addition, I ust ask
whether I have been obedient to the previous words which God has spoken to e.
These two patterns, the tabernacle e)perience, and the fine-tuning dial of "ebrews 04$##, !when
coupled with the e)aple of "ab. #$0,#% offer ready access for ost of us alost all of the tie,
so we can readily hear GodHs voice within our spirits, and write down the spontaneous flow of
thoughts, visions and feelings which bubble up within us as we seek the face of God. Thus, we
find that any of the ost coon blocks and probles to hearing the voice of God are
reoved as we follow these biblical patterns.
Ence we begin recording the things we sense God speaking to us, we ay still find errors, or
.supposed errors,. in our 'ournals. This can coe fro any things. I will list very briefly only a
few of the ost coon situations.
Ene proble is that when we pray, we often fi) our eyes on the thing we are praying about, rather
than on :esus, the 9uthor and (inisher of our faith. Therefore, the answer coes back fro the
thing, rather than fro our Lord. The solution to this proble is to be very careful to fi) our eyes
on :esus !"eb. 0#$#%, rather than on any thing, or person, or issue. If we are bringing a person or
issue to God in prayer, then we should actually see ourselves presenting this before "i and
watch what "e does or says concerning it. Then the spontaneous flow will be ore pure.

Positioning
9 second issue is that soe of Gods coands are siply positioning oves and are never
eant to be fully carried out. Instead, God re-directs us in idstrea. 9n e)aple of this ay be
seen in Genesis ##, when God asked 9braha to sacrifice his son. "owever, as 9braha began
to act in obedience to this order, God changed it, telling hi not to sacrifice his son. @ow, was
9brahas first word fro the Lord wrong* @o, God was siply positioning 9braha in order to
fulfill one of Gods goals for his life. Ence the test was copleted, God discontinued the action
idstrea with new orders. I find this happens often in y 'ournal. ,any orders are siply
positioning oves, both for e and for others.
9 third, and final, proble which we will discuss is the proble of iproper interpretation. It is
very easy to interpret the words of your 'ournal to say what you think they ean, rather than
siply seeing the for what they are. Eften, as I have gone back to y 'ournal, thinking y
'ournaling had been wrong, I have been aa8ed to see that the actual words of the 'ournaling
were fulfilled. It was y inner interpretation of these words that was not correct. Let us be careful
to hear that which the Lord is speaking.