Hearing from God is essential for every believer. In the age we live in, we must cultivate a deep desire to hear from Him continuously so that we can fulfil every God-given idea, purpose, or mandate He has placed in our hearts.
Consider the life of Moses. From his encounter with God at the burning bush in Exodus 3, he continued hearing from God all the way to the very end of his life. The same was true of Joshua, the Prophet Samuel, and Apostle Paul. Even Jesus, when He walked the earth, declared in John 5:19: “Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner.” Jesus accomplished so much in just three and a half years because He was constantly following His Father’s lead and subjecting every assignment to God’s direction. In the same way, if you are going to successfully start, build, maintain, and execute a God-given idea, you must see the pattern and hear from God at every stage of the journey.
In the previous parts of this series, I shared how you can hear God through your thoughts, dreams, the Bible, prophecy, and through prophets. You can also explore other articles on this blog that cover the topic of hearing from God.
The Key: Continuously Hearing from God
I believe that the ability to keep hearing from God is where many people fall short when it comes to carrying out a divine idea. Hearing the voice of the Lord is wonderful, but we must desire to hear Him continually, so that we can see His ideas through to the very end. Think about Abraham in Genesis 22, when God instructed him to offer his son Isaac as a burnt offering. Genesis 22:2 says, “Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.” Notice that God did not disclose all the details at once. He intentionally gave Abraham just enough to take the next step so that Abraham would remain dependent on Him for what came next. God could have named the exact mountain, but instead He said, “I will tell you later.” God often works this way. Once you receive an idea from Him, get ready for further instructions. The major key to continuous hearing is obedience. When you act on what God has already said, you position yourself to hear what He will say next.
Obedience: The Propellant to Continuous Hearing
Obedience is the propellant to continuous hearing. Because Abraham obeyed the first direction, God revealed the mountain. And when Abraham was finally about to offer his son, God spoke again: “And Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. But the Angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, ‘Abraham, Abraham!’ So he said, ‘Here I am.’ And He said, ‘Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me”. Because Abraham obeyed, God came to him with the next instruction and he did not miss it. Here is a sobering question worth sitting with: how many “Isaacs” have you sacrificed because you did not hear the next instruction voice of the Lord? How many God-given ideas have gone off course not because God stopped speaking, but because disobedience cut off the flow of further instruction? Obedience is critical to hearing from God continuously. Obedience keeps the line open for further instruction from God.
Joseph and the Four Dreams
Another powerful example is Joseph, the earthly father of Jesus. In just two chapters of Matthew, God spoke to him through four consecutive dreams, each one building on the last.
It began in Matthew 1, when Joseph was considering divorcing Mary quietly. An angel appeared to him in a dream and told him not to. Then in Matthew 2, after the wise men departed, the angel appeared again, warning him to flee to Egypt because Herod sought to kill Jesus. Joseph obeyed. Later, when Herod died, a third dream came, telling him to return to the land of Israel. And in a fourth dream, God warned him not to go to Judea, because Herod’s son Archelaus was now reigning there. So, within two chapters, four dreams directed Joseph’s steps and preserved the life of Jesus.
Some of you have already had dreams about a project or calling. Desire the interpretation. Pursue understanding. Continuous hearing from God can preserve your God-given idea. For Joseph it came through dreams, but for you it may come through divine impressions, visions, or other means. I will share more on dreams and interpretation in a future post.
Coming Up in Part 6
I will end here for now. In Part 6, I will share my personal experience of how continuous hearing played a vital role in one of the projects God gave me. Also, we have set up a new WhatsApp channel where you can receive notifications whenever a new article is posted. Click the WhatsApp icon in the footer to join.
