By Tim Walls

Have you ever been in a place where you desperately need an answer but can’t hear God? It’s frustrating and feels impossible. I have found myself in this place many times. I feel confused and wish God would just SPEAK!

I can easily hear God for other people but can’t hear Him regarding my own questions or situations! What do I do?

One reason we can’t hear God is that we allow the striving to hear Him to interfere with the simplicity of listening. For example, I was speaking with a friend who was confused and frazzled because he didn’t know what to do with a particular situation. He had prayed, worshiped and asked God for wisdom but didn’t have any answers. I invited him to stop what he was doing and turn his affection toward God. I asked him to take a minute to connect his heart to God and just worship Him. It is a lot easier to hear when you are in His presence and in a place of peace.

Next I asked my friend to ask God some simple questions.

1. “Father, do you love me?”

It is so simple, but it seems to be easier to hear or recognize His voice on those simpler questions than with the more difficult ones. These simple questions can help you tune into hearing His voice and tune out all the other voices. It also makes you feel really good, hearing what He thinks about you!

2. “Holy Spirit what do you think of me as a….” [father/mother/boss/employee… you fill in the blank]

Ask Him what He thinks about your business. These simple questions are helping you tune into
hearing, recognizing and knowing His voice.

3. Now ask Him the question you need an answer to.

It’s amazing how simple it is to hear Him after we are able to re-tune into recognizing his voice.

When I walked through this process with my friend he was able to hear God about what to do in his situation. Through the process, he realized he had been striving to figure out an answer rather than living from a place of rest and knowing that God was with Him.

This process is not a formula to do every time, but it does help.

One of the big challenges for me has been tuning into His voice in the midst of all the other thoughts, frustrations and daily business. These simple questions helped my friend recognize God’s voice and hear what He was saying. In this process it’s really important for me to remember that God doesn’t leave us and that it is He who promised that He is WITH us. He IS speaking and many times we just need to tune-in to recognize His voice.

There are times where God is silent. Sometimes this is because He has already spoken and I just need to keep going with what He told me last.

Other times God has spoken through people but I wasn’t aware it was from Him. This tends to happen a lot, especially with my wife! Is God speaking to you through others right now?

At times God is silent but it is not the norm, it’s the exception. One of biggest reasons that we can’t hear Him, is NOT because He isn’t speaking; It is because we are having a hard time tuning in and knowing His voice.

John 10 says, “My sheep know My voice.” He has invited us into a relationship of hearing and knowing His voice.

So, let me encourage you to stop, get into His presence, ask simple questions to recognize His voice and then listen to what He has to say about you and your situation. He loves to speak with you… it’s His promise!

Experiment and let us know what happens in the comment below.