How Can I Hear Him?
In the scriptures, God has repeatedly introduced His Son, Jesus Christ, with a specific invitation to "hear Him." How do we hear the voice of the Lord? How do we hear Him better, and more often? What does His voice sound like, and can we be sure we're actually hearing it? Here are four ways we can #HearHim.
Hear Him with your heart instead of your ears
God surely can speak to us in an audible voice, but He almost always chooses to place simple thoughts and feelings into our hearts and minds. You might feel like you should say something specific to someone who’s sad; you might get an idea of how to change your life; you might be inspired to reach out to someone specific. Paying attention to these simple thoughts and feelings is one of the best ways you can #HearHim.
Hear Him by unplugging and slowing down
In today’s attention economy, every spare minute we have is being fought over by apps, entertainment, social media, push notifications, and so on. These distractions can often drown out key spiritual feelings and messages that God is trying to send us. So, slow down. Unplug. Put your phone away. Think. Meditate. Breathe. And listen.
Hear Him in the scriptures
If you think about it, the scriptures contain the prerecorded voice of the Lord. As we immerse ourselves in the sacred stories of God’s dealings with humankind—and the principles those stories illustrate—we can better understand God’s will for us and the direction we should take in life, day after day.
Hear Him in small and simple ways
The prophet Elijah’s experience in the Old Testament teaches us a great lesson about how to hear God’s voice:
“And, behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the Lord; but the Lord was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the Lord was not in the earthquake: and after the earthquake a fire; but the Lord was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice.” —1 Kings 19: 11–12
Our human tendency is to look for the dramatic and obvious—after all, wouldn’t we all love a “sign” from heaven? But in His infinite wisdom, God encourages us to “be still, and know that I am God” (Psalms 46:10). These simple thoughts, feelings, ideas, and impressions are the gentle whisperings of a loving Heavenly Father.