Hear God's Voice - Part 4 - Pursuing Intimacy With God

Hear God's Voice

How to Hear God’s Voice – Part 4

This is the final part of our 4 part series on Hear God’s Voice.

It is absolutely vital to learn how to hear God’s voice in order to know God in personal and real ways. And to learn God’s will and calling for your life. God must reveal to us His will and calling. And that takes time and effort.

You can review the first 3 parts of this series on Hear God’s Voice by following these links: Part 1 , Part 2, and Part 3

Hear God’s Voice – Part 4

Hindrances to Hear God’s Voice

To hear God’s voice is by far the most important part of your fellowship time with God. You cannot have an intimate and wonderful fellowship with God without learning to hear God’s voice and intimately communicate with Him. In this article we will review the various things that are hindrances to hear God’s voice. These hindrances to hear God’s voice are also hindrances to our intimacy with God.

There is a big difference between to hear God’s voice and to listen to Him. The Biblical word to listen means to reverently and attentively hear God’s voice, with the intent of doing & obeying what you hear God say.

Our heart needs to be right with God, with no hindrances to hear God’s voice. Seeking God and listening to His voice is part of having a humble and reverent heart attitude toward God.

The following are some hindrances to hear God’s voice that hinder us from having intimacy with God. There are many things that can cause us to not hear God’s voice.

Hindrances To Hear God’s Voice

1. You Don’t Know God Very Well

You need to be in God’s word and spend time with God regularly to know God.

God speaks to His people often in the Bible, to lead and guide and instruct them

Hebrews 1:1-2 – “In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe.”

Many people do not know God well enough to know that He speaks to His people

John 10:27 – “My sheep listen to my voice. I know them, and they follow me.”

2. Low Self Esteem

Many people don’t know or feel that they are God’s dearly loved child. Often they or feel think “Why would God want to talk to me ?”

Feelings are often misleading and do not reflect the truth. Truth is not a concept or knowledge or an idea. Truth is a Person. Jesus is Truth. (see John 14:6)

What Jesus says in His word is the truth. And Jesus says that you are a precious and treasured possession of His. And you are part of His special and holy people. You need to learn to accept and believe what God says about you in His word. And be free of the low self esteem that plagues too many people, even Christians.

Deuteronomy 7:6 “Now if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, you will be My treasured possession out of all the nations–for the whole earth is Mine.“

1 Peter 2:9 “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.“

Ephesians 2:10 “For we are God’s workmanship*, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance as our way of life.“

*an accurate interpretation of this means that you are a priceless work of art or masterpiece to God

3. Guilt (False Guilt)

Satan lies and gives a person a false sense of guilt. False guilt can hinder your fellowship & intimacy with God. And false guilt will hinder you from hearing God’s voice.

God has given you a way to reconnect with Him when you sin. And a way to maintain your close fellowship with God.

1 John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.“

4. You Are Too Busy In Your Life

The cares of the world can crowd God out of your life. This is a danger to all Christians. Even good things in life and in the world can become our first love, instead of God. God wants to be, and deserves to be our First Love. And our Treasure, more important and valuable & precious than anything or anyone else. And our Passion.

It takes quality time with God and effort to hear God’s voice. And to know God intimately in real and personal ways.

When in your heart God is your First Love, your Treasure, and your Passion, then it will not be difficult to make time for Him. And you will seek Him with all your heart. And you will find Him, and hear His voice.

Hindrances To Hear God’s Voice

5. Unbelief

You need to believe that God wants to speak to you through His Holy Spirit and His Word. And that He loves you as a precious treasure, and wants to have the closest possible fellowship with you.

And You need to believe that God wants to give your life purpose and meaning. And that He wants to use you in His eternal kingdom work and mission.

God’s Word clearly shows that without faith it is impossible to please Him. You cannot have a good relationship with anyone without trust and faith.

Hebrews 11:6 “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. “

6. Anger At God

If you are angry at God you won’t want to listen to Him. Or be with Him. Or follow and obey Him.

People get angry at God for many reasons. They don’t like the way their life is. Or they are angry at God for letting difficult circumstances or trials happen. Some blame God for bad things that happen to them.

It is impossible to have a soft, humble, and moldable heart towards God if you are angry at Him. And it is difficult to have a heart that wants to hear God’s voice and follow Him if you are angry at Him.

If/when God allows difficult times in your life, it is because He is going to use them to teach you. Or mold you to be more like Jesus. God will always bring ultimate good to you through the difficulties He allows.

Romans 8:28-29 “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who[ a] have been called according to his purpose. 29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son“

Or it may be that God is using difficult or frustrating times to bring about a change in your life. God often uses frustrations in our lives to do this.

You need to seek God even more during difficult times.

7. Sin

Sin hinders your fellowship and intimacy with God. It separates you from God.

“But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, And your sins have hidden His[a]face from you so that He does not hear.” – Isaiah 58:2

1 John 1:9 tells us that “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” Allow God to search your heart and regularly maintain your fellowship with Him.

Confession is more than just saying “I confess my sin and I am sorry I sinned”. Confession is agreeing with God about your sin and that you personally sinned again God. And that you intend to do something about the sin.

There needs to be a turning away from sin (repentance) and a turn back to God. Then your fellowship with God will be restored.

8. A Rebellious Spirit

The opposite of knowing God is rebellion and disobedience, not a lack of information or understanding.

Not attentively and reverently reading God’s word is sin. And not listening to Him and obeying is being rebellious towards God. As is living any way you want live. It is having a hard rebellious heart towards God.

9. You Reject The Person or Circumstances God Is Using To Speak To You

God mainly speak through His word. At times God will speak into your heart during your prayer and quiet time with Him. If you think God is speaking into your heart, it should always agree with or match what you are seeing and hearing in God’s word.

God will often use people or circumstances to confirm what He is saying through His word. You need to pay attention to the person speaking or the circumstances, if they match up with what God is speaking through His word.

Make sure that the person is a godly person, and someone that truly walks with God. You will hear all kinds of things from all kinds of people. Even people at church.

10. You Don’t Know How To Hear God’s Voice

You can learn to hear God’s voice. It takes time and effort, but you can learn how to discern God’s voice and know what He is speaking to you.

We hope that this series on How To Hear God’s Voice has been helpful. May God bless your fellowship with Him, your life, and your serving in His kingdom work & mission. All for His glory.

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