Hearing the Voice of God: 1 Kings 19.11-18

Sometimes Christians get the idea that God behaves in certain ways. We can tend to limit his work and his voice. We believe that the ways in which God spoke to us in the past are the ways that he will speak to us in the future. We want to confine God to what we have already experienced of him. This should not be.In this passage we can learn some things about the voice of God.

1. The voice of God is not always dramatic. We cannot always expect God to speak to us in a whirlwind or with a lightning bolt, although he sometimes does.
2. The voice of God is not always obvious. He is not always as evident as we would like. We may have to pray and study to hear God's voice. It could be that we will have work hard to hear him speak to us.
3. The voice of God is always speaking. Although it may not be dramatic, or obvious to us, we can be sure that God has plenty to say to us. He wants to speak to us all the time.

But the question that troubles many Christians (and even Christian leaders) is how do you hear the voice of God?

1. The process to hearing God's voice begins as we are quiet and listen for what he has to say. We need to eliminate some of the noise and distraction in our lives so that we can focus on what the Lord has to say to us.
2. We also need to read God's word and prepare to hear his voice. The pages of the Bible are a treasure trove of God's voice. Studying the Bible will allow God to speak to you, and it will also help you to discern God's voice when he is speaking.
3. Open your communication channel by talking to God. Begin by speaking to God. Tell him your troubles, hurts, needs and desires in prayer. He will respond in more ways than you can imagine.
4. Respect and obey what God has to say. Pay attention when God speaks. Respond to him in appropriate and positive ways. When we are attentive to God's voice, it encourages him to speak more to us.