Why can't I hear God Speaking, Yet it Seems Every Other Christian Does?

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Somehow, I have personally found it easier when it comes to hearing God's voice. Today, it's  very common to hear people saying, "God told me this or that, ..." It can get a little bothering when it seems like you are the only person in your circle who doesn't ever really get to hear God's voice.

Before we go any farther with the question, let us look at the ways through which God speaks:

• His word
• Dreams
• Visions 
• Inner still small voice
• Convictions (knowings)
• Audible external voice
• Prophets or preachers or teachers or elders.

In regard to hearing God's voice, I think it is important to note that:

1. our God is not limited to any of the above ways of communication, as evidenced by Balaam in the book of Numbers 22:28, when God chose to use a donkey to speak to him.

2. the Bible is the most reliable way of hearing God's voice, and that any other voice ought to agree, support or re-echo what God says in his already written word.

3. God doesn't only talk to you through only one of the ways, He will use any of the ways that He sees fit especially with your personality, assignment or season of life.

4. you already know the voice of God and you should not let the devil confuse you.
              "...but you do not believe because you are not my sheep. My sheep listen to my voice; I know                  them, and they follow me." -John 10:26-27

For instance, a group of mothers put their babies to sleep, all at once and in one room. After a while, one of the babies started crying and immediately one of the mothers stood up and went to check on her baby. She was very certain it was her baby crying, but according to me, all babies cry almost the same way, so how could she tell?! Well, because she is the mother of the baby! Perhaps it's a biological instinct or just the fact that she has spent more time with the baby than anyone else that she is able to differentiate her baby's cry from other babies.

The same way, as long as you're God's sheep, you hear His voice and you know it's Him. You may not be able to explain why you know it's your father's voice but with so much certainty, you know it's Him when He speaks.

5. God is always talking. Please don't believe the lie that God does not talk to you or that you're so much of a sinner that He can only talk to you through other people.

God is always talking. Yes, definitely there are times when He is quiet, but even in His silence, He is still speaking.

He loves us so much that He wants to tell us great and unsearchable things, He loves it when we fellowship with Him, He loves us to have an intimate relationship with Him. He also says He does not do anything unless He reveals it to His servants (Amos 3:7).

Scripture also says,
"In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams."
-Acts 2:17

If God is always speaking, then why can't I hear His voice?

Consider our mind/heart like an empty room, inside of which we have the right to put whatever we choose.

Being Christians, we have the Holy Spirit in the room, and life has also placed some stuff in that room by default, for example: your children's voices, school fees reminders, work deadlines, probably you have also added worries, personal development goals, trends to keep up with, some Bible verses,  hatred, everything about other people's lives, secular music, among others.

God is always talking to you through the Holy spirit in this same room that has hundred other voices in it, being that He is a gentle Spirit, with a still small voice, chances are we might miss His voice amidst all other voices.

Sometimes you might not remember having had a dream while you slept at night because you have a tight deadline to beat and it's so much on your mind, or because you are very excited to share that gossip with friend, or maybe you are overly worried about the children's school fees and other bills, or you might be just too clogged up with unforgiveness or past failures and turmoils.

It might not matter what way God may choose to talk to us, if all the other voices are tuned up high, we so often won't hear the voice of God. There are times, for example, when you read the Bible and  you sincerely forget what you just read within an hour or even less.

Well, most of the voices are genuine unavoidable daily life cares, so we need to pray to the Holy Spirit to help us mute some cares and keep others on a low volume while we increase the volume of the Holy Spirit.

How to increase the volume of the Holy Spirit:

1. By putting things that make the Holy Spirit more comfortable in the room. Or better said, putting things that have the heart of God in them into the room of our minds, for example listening to Gospel music, reading the Bible, following authentic Christian social media platforms in order to stay abreast of what God is doing in the lives of other people elsewhere in the world, not forgetting consistent church attendance.

If most of the voices you have allowed into your mind/heart are speaking the heart of God, unconsciously you are telling your mind/heart that you value that type of voice more than all the others, in that when God speaks, your mind will prioritize His voice by making you more conscious of it.

2. Availability, Availability, Availability. It doesn't matter the calling upon your life, if you don't have time for God, you will most certainly miss His voice.

Remember, He doesn't use the skilled man, He uses the available man. He does not use the qualified man, He qualifies the available.

3. Listening. Your availability shouldn't be filled with you talking, going on and on, it should also have moments of silence too. I think asking God questions or having basic conversations with Him is also an interesting way to understand how God personally talks to you.

4. Keeping in tough with yourself. Amidst everything that goes on in this fast-paced world, checking your heart often, helps you stay true to yourself and also to clear your mind.

Searching to know how you truly feel about certain situations helps you learn how to mute all other voices so you can listen to the only voice you know has your best interest at heart.

5. Be at rest with whatever way God has chosen to talk to you an we are lucky He has already chosen the Bible for all of us. The most confident way I can say that God told me something is when He said it through Scripture. Just like right now, He has told me that I'm more than a conqueror through Christ Jesus. I am 100% sure He has said so, and I actually have evidence, check out Romans 8:37.

I have listened to God's voice through all the above mentioned ways and  all the different ways are unique and beautiful. However, I am falling in love with the word of God by the day, It comes so strongly in due season and just amazes me.

Be at rest, God works best when we are at rest, do not get yourself worked up about hearing God's voice. Actually stressing about it is increasing the contrary voices in your 'room' and opening up ground for confusion.

What if I miss the message?
Again, rest, for He will repeat it or conform it in His word.

Thank you so much for reading.

I really love sharing about the beauty of God, thank you for allowing me do that every week through these blog articles.