Christian Meditation and Hearing God's Voice

One of the number one questions Christians askdo this is through practicing some form of
today is, "How do we hear God's voice? How domeditation. Now don't stop reading or get scared
we know when God is speaking to us or when it'sbecause meditation is just a tool used to quiet our
just our own thinking?" Christians desperatelyminds and Christian meditation fills our quiet minds
want to hear from God and know Him in anwith God.
intimate and personal way. They want to knowWhenever God spoke to his people, it was
His voice from amongst their own mental clanginggenerally through a still small voice or a whisper. In
and clutter. Some believers get discouraged andfact, when God speaks, people say it's often like
believe that God has nothing to say to thema knowing in your heart and mind. It's not always
which makes them feel unloved or inferior.words. I believe it's through the unity of the spirit
The good news is that God does speak to Histhat we connect with God in a personal way.
children. He did throughout the Old Testament, theJesus said, I only do what I hear the Father telling
New Testament, and He does today. How do weme to do. That means there was a constant
know this for sure? Because the scriptures tell usfellowshipping going on between Jesus and the
that God is the same today, yesterday, andFather.
forever. However, as the years progress itGod wants us to have that constant
appears that God's voice has become morecommunication as well, but first we must learn to
subtle. Rarely do you hear people saying that Godbecome still and quiet our minds so we can hear
spoke to them in an audible voice, like he did withGod speaking to us. It's generally not going to
Noah and Moses. We don't seem to have ashappen during the hustle and bustle of daily living.
many anointed prophets that impart God's heartWe must make an effort to stop and spend
to use as with Samuel, Elisha, and Elijah.some time regularly just hanging out with the
For these days and times, God generally speaksLord.
to his children through the Holy Spirit deep insideThe more control you get over your own
the intricate parts of their heart. Jesus said, mythoughts, the more you will be able to
sheep hear my voice. If you have ever been to adifferentiate them from God's. Also, God's
sheep farm, you can see the sheep grazingthoughts will always line up with is Word so it is
quietly as they move from one spot to the next.equally important to spend time reading the
Yes, God does talk to us but the real problem isscriptures. Little by little begin to act upon the
that many of us are hard of hearing. We can'tunctions in your heart. If your heart tells you to
hear God because our own mental chatter,do something good or that will bless someone and
mindset, and incessant thinking crowds out whatthen a few seconds later you try and talk
God may be trying to say to us. If our minds areyourself out of it, that's you talking. Often, it is
filled up with mental mind stuff, is there any roomthe first thought that seems to come out of
for the quiet yearnings of God.nowhere that is God speaking to us. After that,
Therefore the first step to hearing God morewe begin to rationalize our way out of being
clearly is to quiet our minds and the only way toobedient or responding.