Anybody out there? 

Have you ever looked into the open sky above you and wonder, "Where is God in all of this?" We connect with reality every second of the day, so why not with God too? All the things we know to be real can be experienced in some way through our five senses. I can hug my husband tight, taste my yummy chai tea, feel the sting of a sunburn, and talk with a friend. It makes sense to me that a God who is more real than anything else should be able to be experienced too. In a world that is roaring with the sounds and the colors of life, why does the Author seem to be so silent?

For years there seemed to be a glass ceiling between me and God. Yes, I believed in Him and talked with Him, but I just could not hear Him. At age 18 my disconnection shattered when I learned that not only could I hear God, but he actually wanted to talk back! 

That time I heard God

Years ago I was writing up a storm of emotions, telling God every detail. "God, I'm starving for more of You. I am not satisfied with just learning about You, I want to actually know You." Have you ever emptied your heart out onto a journal? Well, that is what I did. After I finished, I wrote, "Love you God." And immediately, I physically felt God's voice inside of my chest beat twice, "Love you too!" Ba-bam! Nothing this extraordinary had ever happened to me before. It was not my imagination, God's voice really pounded inside of me. I did not hear Him with my ears, I heard Him with my heart. It is like God branded me with His love imprint. Now, learning to hear God is a part of my normal life. 

Does God still speak today? 

God is speaking all the time and He always has a good thing to say. Why do we think just because we don't audibly hear Him that He has stopped communicating? Our deaf senses do not void His voice. It is estimated that there are 6,909 spoken languages on the globe today. That means that God has a lot of ways to say, "hi!" Besides, we all have heard the statistic that most communication is nonverbal anyway. God is the ultimate Linguist and as the Creator of communication He is not silent. It just makes sense. 

Did you know that the ability to hear God is hardwired into you? You not only have the "go ahead" but it is your right as a child to hear from your Father. Jesus said, "My sheep hear my voice." (John 10:27) And if you don't even believe in God yet, you still can ask Him to speak with you.

You are God's boombox

God designed you and me to be His translators to the world around us. And in order to do that we need to recognize His tone. 

In a crowded room, I can hear my husband's voice because I am familiar with him. I have a relationship with him. Even when he speaks in his native language I can locate his voice in the noise of people. But if you asked me to separate your car mechanic's voice from the crowd, I could not help you because we have no connection. Knowing someone's voice requires you to make an investment. Intimacy builds a bridge between two souls. Intimacy means, "into-me-you-see." When you allow someone to see into the inner workings of what makes you "you" then you have a bonding point. There is no scientific formula which can replace the need for relationship when building a connection. God has opened Himself up for us to see into and have a relationship with Him. This bond is what makes us true representatives of His character.

Hearing God is not about "tuning in" or finding your "zen." Hearing God is about befriending the Author of your life. You will recognize when God is speaking because the voice matches the heart you built a relationship with. Connection with God is the whole point of your life. Our integrity in translating God is only as strong and true as our bond with Him. 

But why? 

Why does God speak? God has a goal in communicating with us, and it is to reveal His love. There was a time when I was scared to hear God's thoughts about me because I believed He did not have anything nice to say. Maybe that is the reason why hearing God is so important! There are countless souls who are dying without ever hearing what God really believes about them! Sure, they hear what the "translators" say, but are those interpreters even connected with God? People are snuffing out His voice because they think God is saying, "You are a disappointment" or "You are not worthy of My love." That is a voice, but it is not God's voice. These lies from the devil are crushing people's desire to stop and listen. Countless souls are terrified to hear God because they think He has rejected them. We have a responsibility to hear God's thoughts about the people around us and convey His message. We cannot afford to live without hearing Him because it is not only for our needs but because our world needs to hear from Him too! God's "why" in communicating with us is to convey His acceptance and grace. We need to have the same "why" and be in connection with God's heart before we broadcast what God is saying to the world.  

What does God sound like? 

It is important to test the voices that you are hearing against God's word. Not every thought that comes in your head is from God or even true. A good way to know if you are really hearing God is to see the fruit that surfaces. God's words transform everything into a pure reflection of His kingdom values. His voice sounds like Isaiah 61. When God speaks He breaks every chain of rejection. God's promises heal the gap left from unfulfilled promises. God searches for us and brings the wandering home. God's voice lifts the cloud of addiction, liberating us out of our cage into a new life. And God will be the family who loves the loneliness out of you. This is what God sounds like. 

What if I cannot hear God?

You may ask, "What if I don't hear anything? Does that mean God does not want to talk with me?" No. It just means you are in the process of growing in relationship. Dig deeper. God wants to talk with you more than you want to hear from Him. Your passion will never outmatch His passion for you! 

Here are some practical tools that will help you in your relationship with God as you learn to hear His voice! How to hear God!

Do you have a story to tell about when God spoke to you? I would love to hear about it in the comments below! 

Let's keep running after God together! 

Love, Laurel 

My favorites!