Back in February 2016, I took an opportunity with some friends to set up a table at a local spiritual expo. Our plan was to listen to the voice of God for strangers who were interested in a free 'spiritual reading' as we had dubbed it. Prior to this I had done exactly zero spiritual readings nor had I ever been to a spiritual expo before. I kind of/sort of believed that I could hear God's voice just from reading books and watching videos of other people doing it. It was one of those 'stepping out of the boat' moments you could definitely say.
The reason I chose to take such a risk was because I had a great hunger for the supernatural. It was inspiring to read about how others had experienced hearing God's voice but I desired to experience it for myself. I needed to move from believing God was real to knowing God existed by experiencing him.
I can remember the night before the two day expo began. I was sitting on my futon staring at the wall feeling like I was standing on a precipice about to step off into an abyss. Do you remember in the Indiana Jones movie 'The Last Crusade' when Indy stands on the edge of a cliff and then he steps off? He takes a step of faith and an invisible walkway stops him from falling to his death. It felt exactly like that! I was very much afraid of failure but my desire to hear the voice of God outweighed my fear.
The risk of humiliation and failure was so worth it in the end because over those two days we received powerful messages of encouragement and comfort for the people who came to our table (more on this in 'Hearing God's Voice Part 2').
So what is the voice of God? "How do I know if it is God's voice and not my own mind or ego playing tricks on me?", you might be wondering. I'll tell you what I've learned so far on my journey.
The voice of God is kind, encouraging, gentle, comforting. His voice makes you feel at ease and loved. The voice of the ego is harsh, judgmental, discriminating, cruel. The ego will make you feel condemned and anxious.
The voice of God can be a soundless voice that speaks to your heart. It can be an idea, picture, or imagination that is tangibly not your own. It is that small voice we have on the inside that we sometimes call our conscience. Have you ever been going about your day, minding your own business, then all of a sudden you get an impression that you should check that the front door is closed so the dog doesn't get out? You say to yourself, "No, I don't need to worry about that it's fine." The thought eventually dissipates after you've pushed it away a few times. Sure enough when you do walk by the front door it's wide open and your dog is half way to Timbuctoo, all because you didn't listen to that small voice. That's God's voice.
I'll share with you what I have come to practice and give some guide lines for safely learning to hear God's voice for yourself and perhaps even your friends.
I believe that everyone has the ability to hear God's voice for themselves. I also believe that humanity is the embodiment of God and we are his masterpiece. We are called the temple of God in the ancient book of 1 Corinthians (verse 3:16). So the practice exercise I'll share is to find a quiet place to calm yourself through deep breathing. You can put on relaxing meditation music to help bring yourself into a calm atmosphere. It's a good idea to have a device or pen and paper with you to record what you are about to hear from God. Breathe in slowly through your nose. Then exhale fully through your mouth. The purpose of this breathing exercise is to slow down your thoughts and be in the present moment. Do this until you are able to focus on observing inward. Simply observe. There is no need to pass judgement on the thoughts or emotions you feel and see. If your mind switches to judging, just keep resetting your mind to observing. There is no rush. We are observing inward because we are not attempting to channel an outside entity or force. We are slowing down into the present moment and accepting the 'now'. That is where God's voice abides. In you, in the present moment. Not in the future, not in the past, in the now. Say this out loud to yourself, "God, I abide in you and you abide in me. Thank you.".
Now that you are in the present moment, what are you seeing in your mind's eye? What are you imagining in the thoughts of your heart? Write down what you receive, whether it's images, words, or even a feeling. Ask a question of God and write down what you receive.
That's it. No voodoo magic or blood sacrifice required on your part.
Here are some safety guidelines that I stick to for the sake of accountability to myself and my loved ones.
Start off your journey by listening to God's voice just for your self at first.
There's no need to make rash life altering decisions based solely on 'God told me I need to do it'. If you are asking God for something very important like, " Should I quit my job and move to a new place?" Bring people into the equation to help you make the wisest decision. At the end of the day, follow the decision that brings peace to your soul after you talk it through with loved ones.
When you eventually feel comfortable enough to listen for others, start with close friends or your spouse. Avoid confronting people with, "Thus sayeth The Lord!". It's best to not take yourself so seriously. The more relational approach would be, "Hey, I was practicing listening to God's voice and I think I might have a message for you. Would you like to hear it?" People are allowed to not want to hear what you have to say.
It's okay to be wrong and not hear correctly! This is a practice for a reason, we will make mistakes as we learn what is God's voice compared to our ego's or anything else. Let's say you hear incorrectly for a friend and it becomes obvious later on that it was incorrect. Just take the time to apologize to that person and move on.
Learning to hear God's voice is one of those beautiful risks in life that are worth taking. Again and again and again it's worth taking. The comforting thing is that God doesn't require us to have it all figured out before we begin opening our lives up to him. The love of God is unconditional, there are no requirements or prerequisites to qualify us to hear from him. It's up to us if we are willing to start the journey to be in close relationship with God's voice in this life. Let's say yes to the journey together. Cheers friends.