HEARINGGOD'SVOICENIKI HARDY

A S H O R T  

P R A C T I C A L G U I D E

W R I T T E N B Y

Hearing God's Voice

A Short Practical Guide

by

www.nikihardy.com

Let's not beat around the bush, whether it's burning or not - Christianity is a relationship. It's not a set of rules or a code to

live by and, like all healthy, growing relationships, our

relationship with God is deepest, most enjoyable and bears the

ripest fruit when it's two-way.

Our God is a relational God who's in the business of

healing, transforming, guiding, forgiving and giving. In John 10,

Jesus likens this relationship to that between a shepherd and

his sheep, where the sheep hear and know the shepherd's

voice. Sheep are pretty stupid animals but one thing's for sure,

they know their shepherd's voice and they trust Him.

So often we pour out our woes and our needs to God and

then walk away and get on with our day, not waiting to hear

what He has to say. That's not much of a relationship, is it?

Often we believe God speaks but we're not sure how to hear.

When we learn to hear His voice our relationship with Him

and therefore our faith, is transformed. It becomes dynamic,

exciting, alive. Just imagine being able to hear the voice of the

one who put the stars in the heavens and those little

luminescent creatures at the bottom of the ocean.

I've called this a practical guide, but just as a baby learns to

walk, step by tentative step, with lots of tumbles and staggering,

we learn to hear God in the same way, step by step. Just as the

baby needs to take the first step and give it a go, we need to

give it a go too. So let's think of this more as guided learning.

Let's Cut To It.

God WANTS to talk to us We CAN hear and know His voice.

The first thing you need to know about hearing God, is that He is

happy to speak through anything. In the bible we read about Him

speaking through donkey's, nature, people, visions, and dreams,

to name but a few, but the most common ways we hear Him are

through,

The Basic Theory

Prayer (i.e. directly when we pray)

The Body of Christ (i.e. other Christians)

The Bible (i.e.from the Word of God)

I would never dare to limit God to just these ways, but they

are a good starting point for us all, and the way we listen and

hear is the same however God chooses to speak..

But what does it look like in practice?

I like to think of it as a four-step process. A process that

eventually becomes second nature, to the extent that we don't

think about the individual steps anymore - it's just one seamless

activity.

This process requires we engage both sides of our brains -

our left brain and our right brain. Since God speaks through

His Holy Spirit we must engage our more spiritual, creative, and

intangible right brain. However, since hearing His voice is also an

intentional act that requires us to take a step of faith, we must

also use our more logical and tangible left brain.

Our LEFT BRAIN is logical and rational.

Our RIGHT BRAIN is intangible and creative.

ASK

ACKNOWLEDGE

LISTEN

TEST

LEFT

LEFT

RIGHT

RIGHT

The Basic Process

(LEFT, RIGHT, RIGHT, LEFT)

ASK

"Whoever has ears, let them hear."

Matt 11:15, Matt 13:9, Rev 13:9

Hearing God's voice starts with us simply wanting to hear

and asking with a genuine desire and expectation. It's that

simple. It's through the Holy Spirit that we can hear God and He

just loves to give us His spirit.

"How much more will the Father give the

Holy Spirit to those that ask him!"

Luke 11:13

So there's no need for fancy prayers with oober spiritual

words. Just a simple prayer like "Lord please speak to me" is

perfect.

The reason we need to engage our rational left brain is

that this is a rational, intentional question we want to ask God. So

often we're afraid to ask. What if He doesn't answer? What if I

hear wrong? Surely I'm not good enough, faithful enough, haven't

read my bible enough, (insert whatever rubbish you believe!).

LEFT

We need to remember

that like a father can't wait

for their child to come to

them for advice and comfort,

God longs for us to come to

him and, as His children who

He loves unconditionally, we

have nothing to fear.

LORD, Please speak to me

LISTEN

We live in a very rational, tangible world, where logic and reason

often take precedence over creativity and spirituality. The left

brain seems to get more air time than the right brain, and we

sometimes focus on left brain activities in church more than right

brain ones.

There is nothing wrong with using our left brain to build our

faith, except that God speaks principally by His Spirit, which

needs our spiritual right brain to hear.

When the Apostle Paul talks about his inner man and the

eyes of our hearts (Eph 1:18) he is trying to convey this idea of

the right brain engaging our spiritual sides. We don't talk about

this side of our character much, and activities that it involves, like

daydreaming and engaging our imaginations, are not approved

of in some circles. But, this is the side through which we hear

God speak.

In John 5:39-40, Jesus clearly warns us to not just use our

left brains in our relationship with Him.

"You diligently study the scriptures because you

think that by them you possess eternal life.

These are the scriptures that testify about me,

yet you refuse to come to me."

John 5:39-40

LISTEN

They key to listening with our right brain is to engage in activities

that helps us switch off our left brains and switch on our right brains, and enter into it.

RIGHT

Activities like

(but not limited to)

Journalling

MeditationWorship

Listening Prayer

Reflective Bible Reading

When we engage in these activities we try and keep our left

brains quiet and turned off. As we journal we can write what we

feel God might be saying, and when we pray we can wait in

silence to see what He might want to tell us. When we read the

bible we can read with the eyes of our heart, listening to what

God is saying to us today through the scripture passage.

LEFT

ACKNOWLEDGE

So we keep our right brain turned ON.

RIGHT

Unfortunately, God doesn't normally write in the sky or speak in

an audible voice. This means that it's often not 100% clear and

obvious what God is saying.

God never speaks so clearly that there is no room for doubt.

This means that we need to take a STEP OF FAITH

When we're praying, journalling, worshiping, meditating on

scripture, or doing anything that helps us listen to God, something

might "pop" into your mind. Perhaps a picture, a thought, a song

lyric, or a scripture, (or anything else God choses to use to speak

to you), might land in your thoughts like a butterfly on a flower,

gently, momentarily and unplanned.

In a step of faith, we ACKNOWLEDGE that thought without

analyzing or questioning it. A good idea is to write it down as soon

as it comes to mind without evaluating it (that comes later don't

worry).

Just think about it, God might be speaking to you. That's

worth writing down, isn't it?

TEST

Now we turn our left brain back on. LEFT

"At first I thought, it's probably me, but it could be God. Now I

think, it's probably God, but it could be me"

John Wimber.

God never speaks so clearly that there is no room for doubt. This means that we need to use our rational left brains to

test and weigh up the things that we think God might have said

to us.

How do we TEST if it's God?

Does it sound like something God would say?

Is it Biblical?

Do other Christians think He's saying the same

thing?

Is this what I was hoping He's say?

Is this what I was expecting?

With God, as in much of life, we want certainty and

absolutes. We ask ourselves "How can I be sure it's God?" The

truth is, we can't. But we can earnestly weigh up what we think

He is saying and act on it, in faith, love and humilty.

A Few More Thoughts

If this is a new idea, a new process and a whole new skill set for

you, let me encourage you to keep at it. Keep practicing and

keep stepping out in faith.

Hearing God's voice isn't always easy but it is possible

and it does get easier. We have a God that loves us all,

irrespective of who we are or what we've done, and who loves to

talk to us and be with us. Like the faith it requires, hearing His

voice is a muscle that will get stronger the more we exercise it.

I like to remind myself that we are training for a marathon,

not a sprint and it's best to build up slowly, little by little, day by

day, is the way to stay encouraged. I try not to compare myself

to, and be discouraged by those who find this ridiculously easy,

but rather look to them for hints, tips, and inspiration.

Learning to discern God's voice is like tuning in to a car

radio dial or learning the sound of someone else's voice. There is

a certain amount of background noise (our own voice in our head

for example) and static and as we try different ways to listen and

turn the dial, we find the sweet spot where we know it is God we

are hearing.

When my husband Al and I were first dating and we got

separated at a large party, I could not have told you where he

was in the crowded room. Now, as his voice, the little cough he

has to clear his throat, and his laugh, have all become so familiar

to me I can find him quickly however crowded the room is. So it

is with hearing God's voice. The more we hang out with him,

listen for His voice and learn what is and isn't Him, we grow more

familiar with what it sounds like.

"God ... guides our minds as we think things out in His presence." J. I. Packer

A Few More Thoughts

Over the years it has been my experience that in His

grace God tends to speak to us in "our language". That is,

in ways that we are already comfortable with. If you are a

musician, He may well speak through music and lyrics, if you're

a painter He may choose art or pictures that come to mind. If

you're a mathematician, He may speak through patterns, order

and sequence.

Despite my scientific training, God seems to speak to me

most often in the form of pictures that come into my mind when

I pray or when I'm outside. These pictures resonate with me in

a way that other things in my mind don't, so I ask God if they

are from Him.

John Wimber, founder of the Vineyard Church used to say

as he grew in hearing God's voice "I used to think, it's probably

me, but it could be God. Now I think, it's probably God, but it

could be me."

What if it is God? How exciting, whether the word is for

you or someone else. God is in the business of comforting,

healing, guiding, transforming, forgiving, and giving us life in all

it's fullness. Surely we want to be a part of that and experience

it? Hearing His voice for ourselves and others means we get to

partner with Him in the work He is doing in us and through us

to accomplish this.

So, give it a go, my friend. What have you got to lose?

Then let me know how it goes.

And Some More Thoughts

From people a lot wiser than me.

"If the Holy Spirit should come and begin to preach to your heart, giving you rich and enlightened thoughts, ...be quiet and listen to Him who can talk better than you; and

note what He proclaims and write it down; so will you experience miracles as David says:

"Open the eyes that I may behold wondrous things out of

the law" (Psalm 119:18)."

Martin luther

We often miss hearing God' voice because we aren't paying attention."

Rick Warren

"The voice of God will never contradict the word of God"

Unknown

"Be still (let go, relax, cease striving) and know that I am God"

Psalm 46:10

Helpful Books

How to Hear God's Voice

by Mark and Patti Virkler,

(This book has inspired

parts of this guide)

Surprised by the Voice of God

By Dr Jack Deere

Hearing God: Developing a

Conversational Relationship with

God

By Dallas Willard

Connect with her at

www.nikihardy.com

Instagram: niki.hardy

Facebook: NikiHardyauthor

This is an ebook by NIKI HARDY.

It consists of original, unpublished material solely owned by the author.

© NIKI HARDY 2018. All rights reserved.

By Niki Hardy

Niki is a Brit in the USA, cancer thriver (rectal cancer - yes,

rectal!) and pastor’s wife. She’s all about meeting you when

life’s not fair so you can not just survive, but thrive.

She offers encouragement, practical resources and a large

dollop of reality on her website and her first book will hit the

shelves in August 2019. When she’s not speaking, writing,

running trails with her Doodles, or failing to keep up with her

teenagers, you can find her with a nice cup of tea trying to

figure out which remote control actually turns the TV on.