Hearing from God ∙

Hearing from God ∙

I didn’t tell anyone what my God had laid on my heart to do for Jerusalem. – Nehemiah 2:12

John 10:27-29

27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.
28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from me,
29 for my Father has given them to me, and he is more powerful than anyone else. No one can snatch them from the Father’s hand.

The Role of Communication in Relationships

Research in the 21st century has shown that good communication is vital for building and nurturing relationships. It fosters understanding, trust, and deeper connections. However, communication, while powerful, is not a cure-all. Dr. John Gottman, a clinical psychologist and founder of the Gottman Institute, has demonstrated in “The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work” that a couple’s communication patterns reveal valuable insights about whether their relationship will thrive or struggle. These patterns become critical predictors of relational success.

For the children of the King, communication is far more critical. Communication lays the foundation of our personal relationship with the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. At the epicenter of our walk with God is His invitation to know and experience the Father intimately and personally. Our relationship begins when we hear His voice and respond in faith.

Hearing the Shepherd’s Voice

Jesus describes this intimate relationship in John 10:27-28, saying, “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from me.” Like a shepherd calling his sheep, the Lord speaks to us with love and clarity. This is how our relationship with Him begins and deepens.

Many children of the King often find the idea of “hearing a word from God” somewhat precarious. Why is that? There are many competing voices, both within us and in the world around us, that vie for our attention. This makes it crucial to discern His voice with confidence. How can we be sure that the voice we hear truly comes from the Father?

1 John 4:1 offers a vital caution in this regard: “Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because there are many false prophets in the world.” Regrettably, the spiritual landscape today is filled with “enlightened masters,” self-proclaimed gurus, and the new super spirituality of the church of Oprah, promising enlightenment through the wisdom of the world rather than the wisdom that comes from above. How, then, can we be sure that the voice we hear belongs to the Father?

Discerning God’s Voice

When we seek to hear from the Father, discernment is key. Misplaced guidance or external influences can cloud our understanding unless we anchor ourselves in His truth. Charles Stanley provides a helpful framework for identifying the voice of God:

• It Aligns with His Word
God’s messages are always consistent with Scripture. He will never contradict what He has already revealed in His Word. The Bible serves as the ultimate measure for discerning truth. Without a personal, deep understanding of the Word of God, our ability to discern truth is greatly diminished.

• It Is Quiet and Compelling
The Father speaks to our hearts through the Holy Spirit. Rather than loud or chaotic, His voice is quiet, inaudible, yet deeply compelling. It stirs our hearts with peace and conviction.

• It Offers Clarity
God does not operate in confusion or ambiguity. When He speaks, His guidance is clear and direct. He invites us to set aside distractions, read His Word, and listen to the leading of the Holy Spirit.

Learning to Listen

Tuning our hearts to hear from the Father is a discipline we must cultivate intentionally. It begins by carving out dedicated time for prayer, reflecting on His Word, and opening ourselves to His Spirit. This not only strengthens our relationship with Him but also helps to filter out the competing noise of the world.

Importantly, hearing God’s voice also requires trust. It means waiting on His timing and aligning our hearts to His plans rather than plowing ahead on our own. Often, we may want immediate answers, but the Father guides us with purpose and care, revealing His will only as it becomes necessary.

Walking in Confidence

Hearing and following the voice of God transforms our lives. It gives us clarity in our decisions, reassurance in times of doubt, and peace in the midst of life’s uncertainties. Just as effective communication cultivates strong human connections, listening to God lays the foundation for a thriving spiritual relationship.

The Shepherd calls each of His children to walk closely with Him, promising eternal life and an unshakable bond that no force can break. What a tremendous privilege it is to converse with the Creator, who speaks to us not only through His Word but also through the still, quiet moments of our lives.

May we grow in our ability to hear His voice, reflect His truth in our lives, and live with confidence, knowing that we are deeply known and loved by the Father.

REFLECT & PRAY

Psalms 37:5 Commit everything you do to the LORD. Trust him, and he will help you.

Father, I long to hear Your voice and follow Your guidance. Keep my heart receptive and attuned to You. Help me remember to point others toward You and not draw attention to myself.

INSIGHT

Understanding Inspiration, Illumination, and Revelation

The work of God in Scripture and our lives often manifests through inspiration, illumination, and revelation. These concepts represent profound ways in which the Father communicates with His people, leading them, teaching them, and drawing them closer to Him. Each plays a unique role in helping us hear and understand His voice.

Inspiration

In modern English, we use the term “inspiration” in two entirely different ways. The word “inspiration” is often linked to being motivated, energized, or “fired up.” However, biblical inspiration carries an entirely different meaning.

Biblical inspiration is quite different. The Apostle Paul explains in 2 Timothy 3:16, “All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness.”

The Greek word translated as “inspired” comes from the Greek word theopneustos. Theopneustos is made up of theos – God + pneo – to breathe. It literally means “God-breathed.” The Scriptures are not merely the thoughts or words of human authors; they are the very breath of God.
While God used people as instruments to pen His Word, the ultimate message and authority come from Him. The focus is not on the individuals who wrote the Bible but on the divine origin of the words they delivered.

Illumination

Illumination describes the process where the Holy Spirit helps believers understand and apply the truths of Scripture. It is the personal experience of God speaking to us directly through His Word. Sometimes, as we read a particular passage, it resonates deeply within us, as though it was written specifically for our present moment.

The Lord Jesus Christ assured His disciples of this ministry of the Spirit in John 16:13, saying, “When the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all the truth. For He will not speak on His own, but He will speak whatever He hears. He will also declare to you what is to come.” The Holy Spirit serves as a guide and teacher to help us to understand the Scriptures. He illuminates the meaning of Scripture so that we may see its relevance to life’s challenges and the decisions we make.

Revelation

Where illumination allows us to understand what has already been revealed in Scripture, revelation entails the unveiling of divine truths not previously known or accessible. At its core, revelation is “God’s disclosure of Himself.” The Bible stands as the ultimate revelation of God to humanity, containing truth divinely communicated to ordinary people.

Peter affirms this origin of revelation in 2 Peter 1:20-21, writing, “Above all, you must realize that no prophecy in Scripture ever came from the prophet’s own understanding or human initiative. No, those prophets were moved by the Holy Spirit, and they spoke from God.” Each message in Scripture, regardless of the method by which it was delivered, represents God’s personal communication with humanity.

The nature of this personal interaction between the Father and people is explained and defined in a rather unlikely place: the book of Nehemiah. Nehemiah was a man with a mission, a calling from God to restore the defenses of Jerusalem and boost the morale of the returning exiles. Nehemiah writes, Nehemiah 2:12: “I didn’t tell anyone what my God had laid on my heart to do for Jerusalem.” Nehemiah attributed the plan and vision to God, recognizing that it was not born of his own initiative but was divinely placed in his heart.

How God Speaks to His People

Nehemiah’s experience highlights the way God communicates with His people. The Father places thoughts, ideas, plans, and even emotions into the hearts and minds of those who are open to His leading. The Hebrew word nathan, translated as “laid” or “put” in this context, emphasizes the “act of giving or setting something in motion.” “Nehemiah felt that God had put into his heart what he had planned . . . He felt that he was led by God to do what he was to do. God ‘had inspired’ (GNT) him, ‘was prompting’ (NEB) him, or ‘had put the thoughts into his heart about what he should do” (UBS).

To complete the task of rebuilding would take extraordinary leadership, confidence, and determination. “Nehemiah was to face many problems and much opposition, but his sense of divine direction would give him confidence. He was humbly aware that it was God who had entrusted the project to him and would give him the wisdom by which it would be accomplished (Breneman).”

What does this imply? “This suggests that God leads people step-by-step as they respond in obedience to earlier directions. He guides them as they understand the circumstances and face the dilemmas of each new challenge” (Smith).

A Heart Open to God

To hear from the Father, we must approach Him with a soft and open heart. Hebrews 4:7 reminds us, “Today when you hear his voice, don’t harden your hearts.” A hardened heart cannot discern the gentle whispers of the Spirit. Instead, we are called to trust fully in God’s wisdom and guidance.

Proverbs 3:5-6 offers this reassurance: “Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.”

When we seek God earnestly, He delights in revealing His will to us. Whether through inspiration, illumination, or revelation, the Father longs to guide His people step-by-step, providing the strength and clarity needed to face life’s challenges.

Walking in Divine Relationship

When we “hear from God,” we are easily enticed to draw attention to ourselves and not to the Father who was behind the message. Nehemiah, however, stipulates quite clearly that “the project was not his. It was from God and ‘for Jerusalem’ – not from Nehemiah nor for his prestige” (Kidner).

Whether it is through the inspired words of Scripture, the illuminating work of the Spirit, or a moment of divine revelation, the Father is always speaking to His children. May we cultivate the humility and sensitivity to recognize His voice and follow Him faithfully.

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© Dr. H 2025