Hearing the Voice of God Part 1: The Christian Right

By Rodney Kirkpatrick

July 19, 2010

One of the most often expressed desires of Christians everywhere is to hear God speaking to them clearly.  This is understandable because words spoken from the Lord always have the potential to change our lives.

A primary point of Spiritual Warfare

The devil also understands how important it is for Christians to hear what God is saying and for this reason will always try to cut off the communication between the Lord and His people.  Genesis 3:1 (NASB) describes this exactly,

¹ Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, "Indeed, has God said, 'You shall not eat from any tree of the garden'?"

Without attacking our lines of communication the enemy cannot stop the purpose of God in a person's life(see 1 John 4:4).  Therefore, while the exact nature of the question will vary dramatically, every Christian can expect the age old line: "Has God said?"

Jesus has the answer once and for all in John 10:27 (NASB):

 
²⁷ "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me"

Notice the qualifications He mandates for those who hear His voice.  The one and only thing necessary to be absolutely positive that you hear Christ's voice is to be one of His "sheep."  There is no length of service stipulated or any rank given as a requirement.  Communication is the most basic building block of any relationship and it is immediately given to anyone who begins a relationship with the Lord.  Because of the power of this truth, the enemy will always try to make us believe there is more required to hear Him than simply being born again and taking time to spend with Him. 

The Leadership Prerogative

It is essential that Church leaders deliberately teach Christians that they have a right and privilege to hear God's voice for themselves. Consider at least three reasons why:

1) There is not enough time in the day for a leader to "hear God" for all the decisions each Christian must make each day. 

2) Every Believer has a part to play in ministering to others (see 1 Peter 4:10) and they can't do that without knowing the voice of God for themselves.

3) A strong leader can be an inadvertent snare to others hearing the Lord.  When Christians see someone who "hears" particularly well, there is a tendency for them to seek out that leader to listen to the Lord for them rather than seeking God for themselves.  It is also common that the authority present in a leader can cause those that they are working with to feel inferior and consequently begin to believe that they aren't able to hear Jesus speak to them personally.  Of course no leader should compromise what the Lord is telling them for fear that it may have this consequence.  Rather, refuse to give guidance in some cases and point people toward seeking God for the answers themselves. Also, add to your mission a regular presentation of the words of Jesus Himself: "My sheep hear My voice..."