Hey Basecamp!
We have been asking this question over the past few weeks. How do I hear from God? It is an important question we should answer with confidence. We hear from God in many ways. Reading the Bible, listening to anointed teaching and preaching, the inward witness of the Holy Spirit, and fellowship with our Father.
The world would like you to believe that it is hard to hear from God. You might have even said before, “I can’t hear from God, or Why is it so hard to hear from God?” It would be good for us to never say things like that again. Don’t be confused. Hearing from God is not difficult. In fact, it is very easy to hear from Him. He is not going to withhold from speaking to you.
The word says in James 4:8, “Draw near to me and I will draw near to you.” He is always willing and ready to speak to you, but notice who makes the first move. We do. Hearing from God can seem hard because we are not giving Him the opportunity to speak to us. Then the moment arises where we need wisdom or direction, and we are playing catch-up. We are trying to download all we need in a moment, rather than being sustained through a rich fellowship with God. We hear from the Lord by taking time to fellowship with Him. It’s in those moments of fellowship that we ask of the Lord and get the wisdom and direction we need for life (James 1:5).
David said in Psalm 63:1, “Early will I seek you…”. The best time to seek God for the answers we need is early. Or we could say it like this: Before I need the answer or the wisdom, I will fellowship with you. God desires to reveal His great plan for your life to you (Jeremiah 29:11-14). God desires to show you His mercy, love, kindness, and grace, and for you to know it deeply (Eph. 2:4-7, Eph. 3:19). All of this is known from time spent in fellowship with God. Give Him the opportunity to speak to you.
Cut Out the Noise
Why early? Why did Jesus spend time alone in prayer sometimes all night long? I think it’s simple. It’s quiet. It’s really hard to hear when voices are speaking to you all the time. People, TV, social media, podcasts, music — they are all voices, and they are vying for your attention. But none of these voices is more important than the Father’s. One of the easiest ways to hear from the Father is to CUT OUT THE NOISE, find a quiet place, and fellowship.
Challenge
Give God the opportunity to speak. Set aside a specific time each day dedicated to fellowship with God. Turn off every other voice and get quiet. Get out your Bible and read Jeremiah 29:11-14. Write down some things the Lord is speaking to you. You might even hear about His plans for your life—the good future and hope He has prepared for you.
Search the scripture
I encourage you to examine how Jesus did things and follow His example. Ask yourself this.
- How did Jesus know who to choose for His disciples? (Luke 6:12-16)
- How did Jesus know where to go and minister? (Mark 1:35-38)
- How did Jesus get the strength to do the will of God for his life? (Matthew 26:36-46)
- Why did Jesus pray alone at night or in the morning?