As part of my sincere effort to keep one day a week as a true Sabbath, I regularly practice resting, quieting my mind, and listening for the voice of the Lord. Recently, I felt impressed to spend much of my personal Sabbath reading the book, Frequency: Tune In. Hear God. by Robert Morris (as of 3/29/21, just $2.99 for the Kindle version on Amazon). Morris is the lead pastor of the rapidly growing, multi-site Gateway Church in the Dallas, TX metroplex. Morris claims the most-asked question he hears from parishioners is “How can I hear God’s voice?” This book seeks to provide a broad, practical, and fully developed answer to this important question.
How to hear God’s voice can’t be given in a quick formula. Rather, it arises intrinsically as part of a genuine and ongoing relationship with God. If you want to hear God’s voice, then you must get to know God as a person—and this takes time and intention, much the same as it takes to know any friend. (My emphasis.)
Early in the book, Morris emphasizes God still speaks and wants to talk to us. In fact, one of Morris’ statements is still lodged in my mind. I keep turning it over, and it continues to challenge me.
We’re to live on the words that come out of God’s mouth . . . that is how God primarily wants us to live—not by our consciences. . . God wants us to live by His voice.” (My emphasis.)
Key Principles and Application:
- When we are “born again” we have an innate ability to hear God’s voice. However, like an infant, our ability to listen and hear is also learned and can mature over time and through intentional focus. This is especially true when it comes to listening to God as part of our prayer time.
- God speaks to friends. “He doesn’t want us to come to Him simply when we’re needy, only approaching Him when we bring a list of requests. He wants a friendship wherein we’re close to Him and He’s close to us, a friendship that means we’re comfortable in each other’s presence, and our communication is built around true relationship.“
- A pattern for true communication. “Abraham stopped what he was doing and drew near to God. This pattern is true for us as well. If we want to hear from the Lord, then we, too, must stop what we are doing and draw close to God.”
- Following God’s still small voice requires faith. “When God speaks . . . He won’t speak to you in a big, booming voice. Instead, God will speak to you by the moving of the Holy Spirit in your life . . . He’ll speak to you by His still small voice. And what you do after He speaks to you will require faith.”
- When confused about direction, turn on the “light” by reading the Bible. When it comes to where to read, Morris suggests reading in a “logical place” that pertains to the issues you face. However, Morris also explains, “A lot of times when I need a word from God, I pray and ask Him specifically what He wants me to read. I bring Him into the conversation. At that point, either a passage of Scripture will come to mind, or a particular book of the Bible will come to mind, and I’ll turn there.”
- Focus on God through worship. “We can often hear God’s voice more clearly in worship. If you are seeking to hear from the Lord, then I encourage you to enter a time of worship. Quiet your heart, focus on the Lord, learn from Him, and let Him guide your paths.”
- Learn to listen to God’s general voice on a daily basis. “We must learn to value His voice, His general voice, on a regular basis if we want to hear His specific voice from time to time. If we’re not in the habit of meeting with Him and hearing from Him on a regular basis, then it will be much more difficult to hear a specific word from God.”
- Practical Steps for hearing God’s general voice:
- Set an appointment with God. “How much time in your daily schedule have you allotted to hearing God’s voice? . . . if you want to hear God, then set an appointment with God every day.”
- Be still and worship. “The pattern is this: first, stand still before God and worship Him; second, the Holy Spirit will show you what to do.”
- Pray and read the Scripture. “What do we pray for? We pray for whatever is on our hearts . . . Just talk to God, and then read the Bible.”
- Listen and write. “Listening to God is one of the hardest things for us to do. But if we learn to listen, then we will learn to hear God’s voice. I say listen and write because one of the best ways I’ve learned to hear the voice of God is to write down thoughts and prayers when I meet with Him. The act of writing helps keep my mind focused, and it also helps me discern which verses apply to my specific situation. Write down what you believe from Scripture are God’s answers to your prayers.”
- Seek confirmation. Morris says the second most frequently asked question is “How can I be sure I’m really hearing from God?” Three key questions need to be asked:
- Does it line up with the Bible? “Does the Bible agree with what you have heard God telling you to do? God’s voice will never disagree with God’s Word. If something that feels like guidance contradicts the revealed Word of God in Scripture, then it is not of the Lord.”
- Does godly counsel agree? “If you believe God has spoken to you, then submit it to prayerful counsel. What are other believers saying about the matter? Are they hearing the same thing from the Lord? . . . Maybe you have blinders on that you don’t know about.”
- Does peace reign in your heart? “It always takes faith to follow God . . . The way forward may not be completely revealed—in fact, it probably won’t be completely revealed. But you will have peace. This is one of the greatest confirmations of God’s voice.“
- Be a faithful steward of God’s voice. “We must pay attention. If we truly believe that God is speaking to us, then we must listen closely to the words He says, remember them, and then we must act upon them in humility, faith, and obedience . . . When God speaks to us, if we’re faithful with the word He gives us, then He will give us more words. But if we’re not faithful with the word He gives us, then why would He give us more?”
A Practical and Highly Recommended Read
I find Morris’ preaching, teaching, and writing insightful. This is my eighth Robert Morris book and number nine is on my Kindle reader now. This book has a lot of practical, thought-provoking content. By implementing some of Morris’ recommendations, I have already begun to experience God’s fresh touch on my morning Bible reading, worship, and prayer “appointments” with the Lord! In closing, Morris offers a touching prayer that truly resonates with my spirit. Here is a small portion:
I pray I would hear nothing except Your voice. I pray that You would confirm to me Your voice by Your Word. Take me to the scripture You want me to read. Bring to mind Your word that You want me to know. Direct my paths and make them straight. Impress upon my heart Your word for my life. Amen.