Ernest Smith

Over the years, I have heard many people who have struggled with discerning God’s voice.  It has not just been others who have expressed a wonderment of how God speaks, but I have struggled with this same concept many times.  How do I know when this feeling in my stomach is God speaking or just too much queso?  How do I know whether someone is giving me biblical wisdom or just their thoughts that stem from their experiences?

The last two weeks, we have looked at different ways to hear the voice of God.  I have tried to make it clear that God speaks in a variety of ways and that we all hear more clearly in different ways.  I could continue this blog with 100 more ways that God can and does speak to people; however, I sensed that I needed to turn the corner a little bit and talk about some of the reasons WHY we don’t hear God.

When many people determine that they are in a season that they can’t hear God, most place the blame on God.  “God isn’t speaking to me.” “God is choosing to be silent in my life right now.”  “I’m not sure why, but God is just not talking.”  Many place the blame of our inability to hear God’s voice on God. Now, I am not saying that God isn’t remaining quiet in your life right now; however, most of the times in my life when it is difficult to hear God, God is not the reason

If you want to hear God more clearly in your life, then one discipline that you must practice is silence.  In a culture that inundates us with noise, silence is a commodity that we don’t cherish.  Think about it.  How often do you have silence in your life?

When you are alone in your car, do you turn the radio on or just drive in silence?

When you are sitting at your house, do you turn the TV on or just sit in silence?

Silence is awkward for many of us.  Even the thought of driving in your car in complete silence makes some of you break out sweating.  It seems weird.  Isn’t anyone who does that socially inept?  If we could be listening to something, talking to someone (or something for some of you), or reading something, then that is better than silence….right?  So we are taught.

But, what if God wants to speak to us?  What if God is attempting to speak, but we have drowned out His voice by the radio, TV, newspaper, ipad, ipod, iphone or any other idevice?  Maybe the problem is not God, but that we have lost the art of listening.

Psalm 46:10 states, “Be Still and Know that I am God.”  The Hebrew (the original language) word for “Be still” is “raphah”.  This word literally means to relax, become idle or to cease striving.  Therefore, when we cease striving, relax or become idle then we can know that He is God.  Why?  Because, it is in our stillness many times that God’s voice is clearly heard.

Try it.  It will be awkward, but that is okay.  Try just being silent.  Try sitting there and allowing God to speak to you.  If you do want to take the challenge, then I would encourage you to pray a simple prayer.  It is a prayer that will lead you to a place of being submissive to what God wants to say, a place of being able to receive all that God has for you.

If you want to be still, if you want to cease striving, and know that He is God, then try it.  Pray this prayer…

“God, I want to hear your voice more clearly.  I want to hear you speak during this time of quietness.  I ask that you prohibit any of my thoughts or any noise around me from distracting me.  I want to hear you right now.”

Now, just sit and listen.