For The One: Who Wants to Hear God's Voice (Part 2)

For the One: Who Wants to Hear God’s Voice (Part 2)

Welcome back! I’m so glad you are desiring to go on this journey of learning to hear God’s voice together. If you haven’t read part one of “For the One: Who Wants to Hear God’s Voice,” I’d encourage you to go back and do that now as it lays the foundation for this teaching and will help give more understanding to where we are picking up in this blog! This blog is going to be more practical steps and fact based, whereas the last blog was more focused on laying the foundation and proving the point that we can hear God’s voice! 

Rhema vs Logos 

The New Testament was originally written in Greek, and there are two different definitions for the word “word” in Greek. The first translation of “word” is “logos” (3056) which most commonly refers to the written word of God i.e. the Bible. Even more importantly than that, we read in John 1:1, “In the beginning was the Word (logos), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God,” the word logos is used here to define Jesus himself (John 1:14). Jesus is the living Word of God who is found in the written word of God. In “For the One: Who Wants to Hear God’s Voice Part One,” I stressed the importance of knowing the Bible, the written word, in order to hear God’s voice and this fact that Jesus is The Word is all the more proof of this. When you sit down to read the Bible, you are sitting down with Jesus, The Word Himself. And spending time with Him is the number one way to learn His voice! 

The second greek word for “word” is “rhēma” which means a spoken word, i.e. "by the living voice." Knowing that God uses this word in scripture proves His intention and ability to communicate with His people. Jesus said in Matthew 4:4, “'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word (rhēma) that proceeds out of the mouth of God.” Jesus is making no small claim here. He is directly saying that hearing God’s voice is as important for the health of your spiritual life as food is necessary to keep your body alive. He is saying we are to listen to and obey His words as often as we eat food! If we die without food, our faith will die without His word! Paul also follows up this claim in Romans 10:17 when he says “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word (rhēma) of Christ.” Our faith cannot be sustained without HIS WORD! 

As Christians, receiving both logos and rhēma are equally important in order to not only grow in our faith, but to sustain it. By being filled with the knowledge of the Bible and learning who The Word is in scripture, we will be able to clearly hear and understand the rhēma He speaks to us directly! 

Practical Steps 

John 10:27 “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.”

To learn God’s voice, it takes intention and time, as it would getting to know any friend. Here are a few practical steps I have learned on this topic to help you take the next step in learning His voice so that you can obey it and follow it! 

1. Spend time in His word daily. 

This is the most essential practice that has been stressed over these last two blogs but it is impossible to learn what words He speaks without knowing what words He has already spoken. 

I challenge you to wake up 10 minutes earlier every day this month to spend ten minutes reading the word. If you don’t know where to start, I personally would suggest to start in John and focus on how Jesus speaks throughout the book. 

2. Meditate on and Memorize scripture. 

When we memorize scripture, we are “hiding His word in our heart,” and “His word does not return void” (Psalm 119:11, Isaiah 55:11). This allows us to become more familiar with what He says, and over time, the more 

scripture we have memorized and learned, the easier it will be to check if the word we are hearing is from God himself or from another source. Each week, at the end of each of our blogs, we share a “memory verse of the week” and this is a great place to start! 

3. Sit in Silence. 

We can’t ever hear someone else speak if we are always the one 

speaking! That doesn’t work with another human, and it doesn’t work with God. We have to spend time waiting on the Lord to speak by being still enough and silent enough to hear Him. This is especially because God is “in the whisper” (1 Kings 19:11-13). 

This can be uncomfortable at first, especially in our world where there is always so much movement and so much noise. We are so distracted that it is hard to quiet our mind and still our hearts. Start with 2 minutes. Set a timer, close your eyes, and focus your attention on Him. Say this prayer “Speak Lord, your servant is listening” (1 Samuel 3:10). And then wait in expectation that He will! As you practice stillness and silence, your ability to go longer will increase, especially as you begin hearing His voice and it becomes back and forth dialogue! 

4. Write it down. 

The Lord speaks to everyone personally and intimately and uses our minds (because He’s given us the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16) to think His thoughts). As you sit in silence, there may be so many things that could happen: 

- He may speak one singular word to you.

- He may speak whole sentences to you. 

- He may show you a picture which could symbolize something. 

- He may show a “movie like” scene in your head that could be symbolic or something he wants

to teach you. 

- He may give you a feeling like warmth or joy that fills your heart. 

- He may bring a specific scripture to your head. 

- He may give you a sense of something you are supposed to do. 

Whatever it is that He shows you or says, be sure to write it down! It is so important to take His word seriously and treat it with honor. If you’re not sure if something is meant to be symbolic or literal, then ask Him to show you or explain it to you! Our communication with Him is meant to be open dialogue! 

5. Check it with the Word! 

It is always so important to check if what your sensing lines up with the scriptures because God will never contradict Himself! He is the same yesterday, today and forever (Hebrews 13:8), so He will always stay consistent with what He says and how He says it! It is also helpful to check with a mentor and ask them their opinion, especially if you aren’t fully familiar with the Bible! Getting a second opinion from someone who knows the scriptures well is a lot of wisdom. (P.S. this is something to always do- even when you become very familiar with hearing His voice! It is always important to check it with the word of God and with trusted leaders to make sure what you are hearing is truly from Him!) 

These steps are not the end all be all, but they are a good starting place for learning what He sounds like when He speaks! You don’t always have to be in a still quiet place once you’ve heard His voice either. Once you’ve become familiar with what He sounds like, and even more familiar with the written word, it will be easier to recognize His voice in your day to day life and know when it is Him speaking to you! 

I pray that everyone who reads this blog and begins the journey of learning God’s voice has increased clarity and understanding of the things He is speaking to you and that you have increased faith to not just hear his voice but to obey it in Jesus’s name! 

Memory verse this week: 

John 10:27

“My sheep listen to my voice;

I know them, and they follow me.”

Love,

Ashley

FTO Co-founder