There is one very important thing we must learn and that is to hear God in the silence. This is because there are times when it seems God is very distant. It is in these silent moments that our faith is challenged the most. As we become helpless we’ll realize that if God doesn’t help us – we will die. In the solitude of silence it might also appear as if God has forsaken us.
Yet, It is not that God has forsaken us, we just need to learn how to hear Him. We must reach with the hands of your faith and hold to the voice of God, in order to hear what He is saying. This is important because God speaks the word of life that sustains us.
It Can Be Difficult Hearing God
It is sometimes quite difficult to hear God’s voice. This is especially true when we face life’s greatest trials. However, as we walk by faith, we will be better able to hear Him and to follow what He is saying.
We must die for Christ to live. The old man of sin must perish for the new man of Christ to come alive. We must also be burned of all impurities, as fire scorches gold. This often happens in the solitude of silence – when it seems we are all alone. Yet, are we truly ever alone? Scriptures assure us that God our Father will never leave us or forsake us. When our earthly fathers leave, we can be certain that our heavenly Father is faithful to the very end.
God’s Ears Can Hear Us
When our longing for God is so long we must remember that God’s ears are not hard to hear us. No matter what, we must hold to the hope we have in Jesus Christ. Sometimes it feels like we have no hope, yet our Hope is living and resurrected from the dead. His name is Emmanuel, our Redeemer and Help. The fight might strain your hands, but it wont strain God’s hands. You can put your hands in His hands, and rest in His faithfulness.
Job questioned about the presence of God in the midst of his struggle, yet he never stopped praising Him. As Job searched, he couldn’t find God yet he declared, “But He knows the way that I take; when He has tested me, I will come forth as gold.” Here we see that even though Job didn’t hear God, he knew God was present with him. Job also knew that God would establish him so long as he remained faithful. The reality is that as we walk with God He’ll often appear silent. This silence, along with our pain, can cause us to lose our hope and give in. Nonetheless, we must allow it to establish us on a more firm foundation. When God is silent we’ll learn to truly hear Him.
If We Listen Closely, We Can Hear God In The Silence
If you listen closely to the silence you might hear it’s music. Silence is a human term we use to understand not hearing from God. Yet it is mostly because of our own shortfall that this happens. God is ever active, and even speaking. In fact His Word is final, and so when He speaks once, it’s once and for all. If God says I will be with you, it means He will be with you. No amount of silence or loneliness cannot take away the truth of the Word of God. Our lack of recognizing God does not take away His presence. It is a lack of knowledge and revelation from our end and not God’s.
Often we do not hear God because we do not know how to listen to Him. We might think that listening to God comes from hearing through our physical ears. For me, there have been times when I listened very closely in the silence hoping to hear God say a word or two. In these times I listen through my physical ears. Yet it is by faith that we hear God. It is with our spirits that we hear Him and not with our physical ears.
In this blog, we’ll discuss 5 ways to hear God in the silence. For sure we can hear God if we listen closely. Let’s have a look.
Listen Closely: 5 Ways To Hear God In The Silence
1. First We Must Know God's Voice
Then Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening.”
To hear God in the silence we must know what He sounds like. Imagine listening for a sound you do not know – you might hear it and miss it. We learn about God’s voice in 1 Samuel 10. The Bible says that the Lord called to Samuel but Samuel did not yet know His voice. As God called Samuel, he went to Eli the Prophet thinking it was Eli that was calling him. When Eli realized that God was calling Samuel, he instructed Samuel on how to approach this encounter. The second time around, as Samuel heard God He now had the knowledge on how to respond. And Samuel said “speak for your servant is listening.”
There are two things to highlight from this story. One is that we must have knowledge of God’s voice in order to hear Him, and two, we might need a little guidance to do this. Samuel was listening, but he was not hearing. I say this in the sense that although Samuel was hearing a sound, his lack of knowledge prevented him from truly listening. We too can often find ourselves in situations where we are unable to recognize the voice of God. Yet if we listen closely we will hear him.
2. Eliminate Other Voices
We will never be able to hear God truly if there are too many voices speaking to us. As a result, we must first know the sound of God in order to blot out other voices. Most often, we will hear many voices speaking to us, but we must only follow the voice of God.
God’s voice speaks His words. Whatever voice is not speaking God’s word is not God’s voice. This means that regardless of how much the voice sounds like God, if it doesn’t speak God’s words, it is not God.
When we know God’s voice, it makes it easier for us to stay focused on it. In this way we’ll be able to eliminate other voices just by our focus on God. The Bible says;
Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.
This Scripture teaches us how to eliminate other voices by thinking on the things of God. The good news is that as you walk with God, He will help you to achieve this. May you walk with God.
3. Prayer and Praise Can Help Us Hear God In The Silence
“But as for me, my prayer is to you, O Lord. At an acceptable time, O God, in the abundance of your steadfast love answer me in your saving faithfulness.”
It is often in the midst of prayer and praise that we hear the gentle voice of God. Prayer and praise is our way of staying in holy communion with our Great High Priest. As we pray and praise, we extend our spiritual ears to hear Him. When we pray, we also wage war against the enemy and push him away. Our prayers are like coals of fire that we can release on the heads of our enemies to burn and crush them under our feet. Prayer helps us to zone in on God and channel our focus on His Presence. As we do this, we will be better able to hear Him.
While we pray, we must know and believe that God not only listens, but He will also answer us. The Psalmist said in Psalm 69:3 that at an acceptable time God will answer him in His steadfast love. How wonderful are the prayers and praises that keep us close to Jah.
Related: Do You Struggle With The Spirit Of Forgetfulness? Here’s How To Defeat It.
4. Through His written Word
The voice of God is predominantly written in His word. This means that as we read and digest the word of God, we can be assured that it is God’s voice. If we are seeking God on a particular subject, or matter, we can always search His Word to see what He has to say. I believe that we have all the answers to our questions at our disposal, in the Word of God. Our job is to hide this word in our hearts that we might be able to remember it and apply it to our lives as needed.
There are many instances where people will follow their own way while disregarding the Word of God. They might follow the way they feel, and think, and neglect the teachings of the Word. They might also be waiting on God to say something more convenient than His word. Yet the Word of God is final authority and God will never go against it. God and His Word will always cohere. As a result, when we read God’s word, we can hear His voice and follow Him.
5. By Staying In His Presence
One way to hear the voice of God is to stay in His presence. Imagine a person wanting to hear from God but staying away from Him. Will this person ever be able to hear God? The good news is that as we stay in His presence we will hear what He has to say and will be better able to follow Him. We can stay in His Presence through prayer and worship, reading His Word and living a life that exemplifies Him. As we walk in love we walk with God.
Another way to be in His Presence is to be in fellowship with other believers. The Bible says that wherever two or more are gathered touching anything concerning Him then He will be there. This means that as we fellowship with one another God will be present in our midst, speaking to us and giving us life.
Concluding Thoughts
As we walk with God we must learn how to hear His voice. There are things we can do to help us achieve this. Hearing God will mean that we stay close to Him. It also means that we must know what God sounds like. This way we will be able to discern His voice and follow His instructions.
As God called out to Samuel, Eli had to teach him about God’s voice. After this happened, Samuel was able to answer God when He spoke to him. It’s the same with us as we walk with God. When we know His voice, we will be better able to answer Him. One very important way to hear God is to read and digest His word in our hearts. This is because His Word is His voice. Above all, we must seek to know and follow God’s Word.
May God strengthen the muscles of your spiritual ears so that you may be able to hear Him. When this happens, you can be assured of His presence and His great love towards you. Be blessed.
