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Have you ever paused to take in a view of a beautiful sunset, felt a refreshing breeze, or received a word of encouragement from someone at just the right moment?
These are a few of the ways God speaks to us.
Hearing God speak into our lives
I’ve had conversations with friends about hearing God speak into our lives. Usually someone wants to hear Him more but isn’t sure how to go about it.
God is speaking
Did you know God is always speaking to us? So it’s not whether or not God is speaking, but whether we hear Him when He does.
A simple way to listen and recognize God speaking
So today I wanted to share a simple way to listen for and recognize when God is speaking to us that will hopefully help you hear Him more in your own life as well.
Let me share with you one way I seek to hear God speak. Maybe you’ll find something that works for you too.
Listening to God
I spoke on a panel about listening to God and was asked what that looks like for me. I shared the example of a gift bag.
A gift bag
When we receive a gift bag, often two factors come into play:
Who it’s from
What’s in it
Maybe you, like me, at one time have been surprised to receive a gift bag and didn’t initially know who it was from. A quick glance at the tag tells us who it’s from. A look inside shows us what’s in it. Isn’t it true that sometimes there’s more than one gift inside?
Good gifts
How about when we recognize the name on the tag as someone who gives really good gifts? We’re excited to receive the gift before we even know what’s inside. And as we open it, we might even anticipate there to be more than one gift.
This is how I like to think of listening to God.
He gives good gifts and there’s always more if we keep looking.
God gives good gifts. There’s always more if we keep looking.
How to recognize God sent it
So back to the tag on the gift bag. It tells us who it’s from. So in order to know we’ve received a gift from God, we have to recognize that He’s the one who sent it.
How do we do that?
Practice and remembrance
Through practice and remembrance. We make a habit of listening for God and take note of the moments when He does say something to us. This provides us with a foundation of what that looks and sounds like. Then we’re more apt to look for or notice when it occurs.
Repetition brings familiarity
Repetition brings familiarity. The more we listen the more we’ll hear and discover various ways God speaks to us whether through circumstances, people, or our Bible, just to name a few.
Expectation invites opportunity
Expectation invites opportunity. If we approach our day expecting to hear from God, we have a greater chance of observing when He does.
A recent gift
Here’s one example:
Recently God showed me the gift of timing. One day my schedule unexpectedly changed which beautifully orchestrated running into a friend I hadn’t seen in a while. It also provided an opportunity to encourage someone. Rather than be disappointed with the change in my day, I saw the gift of this unforeseen schedule shift as a divine appointment.
Recognize the gift
Here’s a side benefit. Once I recognized this gift of timing, I was open to the possibility of other perfect timing moments in my day.
God did not disappoint.
Some were little, like reading a page in a book that connected to an experience in real life. Others were more significant, like an opportunity to speak encouragement into another person’s life. I also heard back from people I had reached out to – which was encouraging to me.
What gifts have you received?
How about you? Have you ever noticed the gift of God’s timing in your life? Did you recognize it to be a gift from God?
What other gifts have you received from Him?
Gospel of John
The Gospel writer John shares the words of Jesus in chapter 10.
“I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me.” John 10:14 NIV
“My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.” John 10:27 NIV
And John should know. He spent a lot of time with Jesus as one of His disciples.
Know God’s voice
In order to know God’s voice, we simply familiarize ourselves with it. One way is through the Bible which is God’s Word. What better way to know it’s His voice than to receive it straight from the source?
A quick view of the Bible
If you’re not sure how to go about approaching the Bible, I have a handy quick view of the Bible. It’s a tri-fold brochure that doubles as a bookmark, offering a quick overview of the whole Bible.
Expect God to speak
If we approach our day expecting God to speak to us, we are more likely to recognize when He does.
The more we listen for Him to speak, the more aware we are of His voice, and the more likely we are to hear Him. We discover He’s been speaking to us all along. Then we can open our hearts to hear what else He has to share with us.
How has God spoken to you?
I think we can help each other through example. What are some of the ways God has spoken to you?
When we express gratitude to Him for the gifts we’ve been given, we begin a conversation with God.
May you notice additional ways God is already speaking to you.
More thoughts on how God speaks:
How to hear from God – where to look
Are we listening for ways God is speaking?
Recent episode of the Encouraging Voice Podcast: