God is a speaking God. From the very beginning, in the first chapter of the Bible, He spoke. Genesis 1:3 says, “Then God said, ‘Let there be light’; and there was light.”
From the days of old until now, God has continued to speak. He spoke to Adam in the Garden of Eden in Genesis, the first book of the Bible, and He spoke to the Apostle John in the book of Revelation, the last book of the Bible. Indeed, the entire Bible is filled with words that came from the mouth of God.
Today, God continues to speak to us through His Word, the Bible, through His prophets, and through the Holy Spirit. God is indeed a speaking God, and those who desire to walk with Him must cultivate the habit of hearing Him when He speaks. The problem many Christians face in these last days is that they cannot hear God when He speaks, or they tend to miss what He is saying to them at a given time. As Job 33:14 (NLT) rightly puts it, “For God speaks again and again, though people do not recognise it.”
In this series, I want to focus on the price of hearing God. God is a speaking God, so His children must be able to perceive His voice when He speaks.
Why do you need to hear God?
God has a purpose for everyone, and when you are born, you are given time on earth to fulfil that assignment. You cannot fulfil this assignment without the input of the God who created you. You will need His detailed direction and plans in order to successfully fulfil your assignment on earth.
In the case of Jeremiah, God revealed that his assignment had been established even before he was born, giving him clarity about what he was called to do. Jeremiah 1:4–5 says, “Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying: ‘Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations.’”
You must hear God in order to identify your assignment, so that you do not drift away from it.
Secondly, life is full of decisions. What school should you go to? Who should you marry? Should you quit your job or not? Which business should you start? When should you start it? Life is full of decisions, and making the right ones can advance your earthly assignment. But not knowing what steps to take can push you into seasons of confusion, discouragement, or even depression. So you need to hear God in order to make the right decisions.
In Matthew chapter 2, when Joseph was engaged to Mary and found out she was pregnant, he wanted to divorce her quietly. But God answered his thoughts through a dream and told him what to do. It is critical that we hear God so we do not make wrong decisions.
Thirdly, you need to hear God so you are not deceived by false prophets. In the end times, the Bible tells us that many false prophets and teachers will arise. Matthew 24:11 says, “Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many.” Just after man was created, within a few chapters in Genesis, man was deceived by the serpent. This shows that human beings are prone to deception. But hearing God for yourself will protect you from the rise of false prophets.
There are many more reasons to hear God. You need to hear from God because your life depends on the words that proceed from His mouth, and you need to hear Him so you can discern whether your ways please Him or not.
The first price to pay to hear God is the price of holiness.
The God you want to hear from is holy, so you must be holy. 1 Peter 1:16 says, “Be holy, for I am holy.” God visited Adam in the garden until man sinned in Genesis 3, and from that point, man had to begin to call on God. God is a holy God, and if you want Him to speak to you, you must pursue holiness.
Anytime the Bible speaks of men who heard clearly from God, you will find holiness present. For example, in 2 Kings 4:9, when the Shunammite woman hosted Elisha, she perceived that he was a holy man. It says, “Look now, I know that this is a holy man of God, who passes by us regularly.” In the New Testament, 2 Peter 1:21 says, “For prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.” You can see that holy men were specifically mentioned.
God is sovereign and can use anyone as a vessel. However, there is a difference between God using a person occasionally and a person consistently hearing and walking with God. While God may use anyone, He entrusts clarity, consistency, and depth of revelation to those who pursue holiness.
Do you want to hear God? Walk in holiness.
What is holiness? Holiness is a state of being set apart, morally upright, and wholly dedicated to a divine purpose. Daniel walked in holiness when he decided not to eat food offered to idols in Daniel chapter 1. Holiness is not only an act; it is also a state of mind. He first purposed in his heart, then he acted on it. Daniel 1:8 says he “purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself.” What do you feed your mind with? Do you want God to speak to your thoughts? Then, as the Bible says, let your thoughts be pure. Philippians 4:8 encourages us to think on whatever is true, noble, just, pure, lovely, and of good report.
In this day and age, holiness is not really honored, so it can be difficult to live that way. But if you want to hear from God, you must pay the price of holiness. Make the decision to walk in holiness, and God will help you.
The second price to pay to hear God is a consistent prayer life.
You cannot hear from a God you do not talk to. Communication is key. You must speak in order for Him to respond. Prayer cannot be neglected if you want to hear God. Not just occasional prayer, but a consistent and intentional prayer life.
Prayer is communication with God. There are many kinds of prayer, but if you desire to hear God, you must strive to live what is written in 1 Thessalonians 5:17: “Pray without ceasing.”
You must come to a place where you enjoy prayer, because once you enter into prayer, you open a divine channel of communication. Jeremiah 33:3 says, “Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.” When you call on God, He promises not only to answer but also to reveal things you do not know.
If you pay the price of prayer, you will hear the voice of the Lord. It is a promise in His Word.
Many people struggle to maintain a consistent prayer life because of how busy and distracting the world has become. But if you make time to pray, God will make sure you do not lack hearing from Him.
A few practical tips: Daniel 6:10 tells us that Daniel had a routine of praying three times a day. It was his custom. The first step is to develop a routine. You do not have to start with three times a day. You can start with once a day at a specific time, for example 8pm, and pray consistently for 20 minutes.
If you can keep this routine for 30 days, extend it to 60 days. Before long, you will realise that no day goes by without at least 20 minutes in your prayer bank. Guard this time jealously. Let your routine bend to prayer; do not let prayer bend to your routine. You never postpone eating, and you eat at least two or three times a day, so prioritise prayer in the same way.
I pray that God gives you the grace to pray without ceasing in Jesus’ mighty name.
