Hearing God's Voice

[print-me]Picture this: You’re a teenager walking down the crowded hallways of your school by yourself.  You hear bits and pieces of conversations around you – “Ya! That was the best party I’ve been to!  We got so wasted!”… “That girl over there is so fat and ugly!”… “What did you get on your test?  I got an A+”.

As a teenager, you hear many different voices around you: the voice of peer pressure, the voice of wanting to be liked, the voice of wanting to please others, and the voice of wanting to be yourself.  All these voices can influence the way we think, feel, and act – either in a positive or negative way.  But we can chose to hear the voices that will influence us towards building a life that will be purposeful and fulfilling.

“I listen carefully to what God the Lord is saying, for he speaks peace to his faithful people.  But let them not return to their foolish ways.”

Psalm 85:8

To understand our purpose, to remain satisfied, and to make our mark in the world, we must listen to God’s voice.  What voices influence you the most?  Many times people can influence us the most because we think their approval is what will make us more confident and happy.  But listening to God’s voice will bring peace – it will bring all the things that we desire and are looking for.  But how do we hear God’s voice?  The answer is prayer and the bible!

“If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking.”

James 1:5

When we are praying we can listen for God’s voice.  You know when an answer pops into your head or things just start to make sense?  That’s how God’s voice works!  When we are praying we can ask God for help.  God wants to answer our prayers.  He wants to be closely involved in our lives.  Do you listen for God’s voice when you pray or do you just do all the talking?  The Bible also provides us a way to hear God’s voice.  God gives us insight into who He is, what our purpose is, and how to live a good life.

But once we hear God’s voice, we need to take action.

But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it.”

James 1:22-25

We have to put into action what God is telling us.  We can’t just hear God’s voice, we have to do something about it.  Some questions to think about:

What is God trying to tell me?

What actions can I take to follow God’s voice?