There was a transitional season in my life as a young adult when I suffered acute depression.  It was driven by emotional problems that began to surface as my life circumstances changed.  The whys and wherefores of that struggle are not the point here, but over a difficult period of time, Holy Spirit led me to recognize one core problem in the mix that is common to man, and the resolution of that problem was found only at the cross where I must die.

The voice of God I heard during this season was only what I read in His Word, and little of that was penetrating my heart under circumstances.  My closest friend shared a verse I desperately wanted to experience, “You will make known to me the way of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; In Your right hand there are pleasures forever” (Psalm 16:11, New American Standard).  How can I know this great joy when all that I have defined to be necessary for my happiness seems irretrievably out of reach?  See the problem?

One evening on my knees in the narrow hallway of my dinky attic apartment, I felt miserably walled-in, figuratively and literally.  It had been weeks of sleepless nights, self-loathing days, and I was at the end of my rope.  It could only have been God’s grace that led me to see my only way forward was to relinquish a life goal of being happy on my terms, and to exchange it for a higher goal.  I declared aloud and through many tears in that hallway that, henceforth, my only goal is to be obedient to my God, to utterly surrender myself to Him.  My happiness is in His hands.  Bless me or slay me, I will live to do what He tells me to do.  Then I humbly asked Him as His servant, “What do you want me to do?” 

Immediately, the silence was broken.  As clear and certain as any word I had ever received from God, He unmistakably replied with five words, “Give thanks in all things.”  So, I began to do just that.  This was not a begrudging thankfulness, but an offering of genuine gratitude for everything and in every way the Holy Spirit helped bring to mind.  I even found ways to be thankful for the circumstances I hated in my life.  All things.  It began to creatively flow out of me.  I got off the floor and laid down in bed, still giving thanks as an incomprehensible peace settled over me and I drifted to sleep.  That was the first time in three months I slept all night.  My problems were still there in the morning, but something in me had fundamentally changed.  Every time a healing word from God flows into us by His grace, something within us dies, and new Life emerges.

I tell this story to introduce another lesson in learning to hear God’s voice.  Father is always near and at work (John 5:17-19), but we must value and cultivate a posture of the heart that allows us to hear Him.

“Who may ascend the mountain of the Lord?  Who may stand in his holy place?  The one who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not trust in an idol or swear by a false god.  They will receive blessing from the Lord and vindication from God their Savior.” (Psalm 24:3-5, NIV)

“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.” (Matthew 5:8, NIV)

I know my Father in heaven was compassionate during my months of groaning and tears.  He brought necessary provision through a close friend and the guiding hand of the Holy Spirit as I suffered.  But it was not until my ego was humbled, idols removed, and my heart received that word of submission that He responded to my cry with His recognizable voice and the power from heaven to reconstruct me.  

Oh, if I had always retained that same submissive attitude throughout life!  But this was an early lesson never forgotten about a posture of heart that results in the unimpeded flow of heaven’s resources.  The one who hungers for a greater intimacy with God and empowerment for ministry, to truly know Him and to hear from Him, will take seriously the admonition of Scripture to guard the heart with vigilance (Proverbs 4:23).  This is not defined by outward words and actions seen by others, but by the disciplined attitudes of the true self within the soul whom the Lord alone knows and sees.  We delude ourselves that we know and hear from God if we do not walk in the Light with our hearts laid bare before Him and others (Psalm 139:23-24), so that the blood of Christ regularly cleanses us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:7).  And we hear Him more clearly when we pray with a motive less about what we want and more about who He wants us to become.

“The Lord confides in those who fear him; he makes his covenant known to them.” (Psalm 25:14, NIV)

The Hebrew word in this text translated into English as the word “confides” carries also the meaning of “secret counsel.”  Is there any more enticing concept than God inviting those who fear him into an intimate conversation where He opens His mind to instruct them in the deep, inner meaning of His words and His salvation?  Paul prayed regularly for the Ephesian believers to know this spirit of wisdom and revelation (Ephesians 1:17-19).  Approaching God with anything less than an utterly submissive, reverential fear is great vanity and foolishness.  We are not placing a call to QVC, operators standing by.  On the other hand, the one who fears the Lord and whose heart is pure before Him may draw near - to behold, to confide in Him, and to hear His voice.

With an attitude of heart positioned to earnestly seek intimacy with God and all work of Holy Spirit, we then enter our secret place of prayer with Him.  The following practical model can be helpful when first developing a practice of God’s presence to listen for His voice. 

Quiet yourself before the Lord

“Be still and know that I am God.” (Psalm 46:10, NIV)

“Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him.” (Psalm 37:7, NIV)

To truly quiet oneself requires patience and a more disciplined effort than we might first think.  When was the last time you were able to sit quietly before the Lord for an extended period of time without distraction?  Are you prone to vocalize every pause, think voraciously, or go right to chatter or prayers of petition?  Or do you know the experience of entering solitude and abiding in peace and adoration with Love Himself?

Begin your time of prayer by removing all sources of distraction and interruption (e.g., phones, physical discomfort, street noise, and music unless it be gently instrumental).  Quiet the mind, be inwardly focused, think of nothing in the beginning except to welcome the Lord’s presence and shalom (peace and wholeness).  If your mind wanders, and it will, gently bring it back to your intended focus.  Your desire is to be fully present in the moment and to connect with the Holy Spirit within you (1 Corinthians 6:19).  I sometimes include a preliminary “alignment” prayer whereby I gently command my own spirit to be in perfect alignment with the Holy Spirit at my deepest core; then my soul (mind, will and emotions) to be in alignment with my spirit; and finally, even my body to be in alignment with my soul (3 John 1:2).  

Note:  If you notice emotional discomfort or other difficulty in experiencing peace as you attempt to quiet yourself this way, consider enlisting a trusted prayer partner or counselor to help you listen to the Lord for core issues and to process what you discover.  (Much more on this and other comments below in future postings.)

Once you are quieted and ready, by faith envision the Lord in your mind’s eye, and confidently approach Him without fear in the Most Holy Place.  Recognize that Jesus is the One Who has granted you this privilege, clothed in His righteousness by His blood, to approach the throne of God’s gracious favor.  It is there you receive His mercy and amazing grace with appropriate help at just the right time (Hebrews 4:16, Isaiah 61:10, Philippians 3:9). 

Begin every session of prayer with expressions of adoration, thanksgiving, and praise.  As you linger in worship, you are filled more and more with His glory, and Holy Spirit lifts your heart with Himself to unexpected, transcendent heights.  You will find all your subsequent prayers transformed beyond your original plan by the One you encounter here. 

You might recognize at some point along the way that the Lord’s first order of business is to make you aware of unconfessed sin, double-mindedness, unforgiveness, or other obstacles to being fully embraced by the Father’s love or to hear His voice clearly.  If so, your prayers for insight and a response should start there, before you proceed further.  Remember, blessed are the pure in heart!

Pray and listen

You might want to continue with a general prayer to express your desire to experience the flow of the Holy Spirit within you, and to hear God’s voice.  Consider the following as an example, but of course, pray in your own words as Holy Spirit enables you:

In all these prayers, patiently listen.  Wait on the Lord as you listen over time as well as in the moment.  It can be exceedingly helpful to record in a journal anything you sense or hear from the Lord.  Do this without thinking about it or making an assessment; just write it down and return to prayer.  You can come back to these notes later for review, consultation with another, or further prayer for understanding and application.

Proceed to specific prayers of petition, intercession, or supplication for whatever matter is on your heart to

pour out to God.  Full transparency, hold nothing back.  But remember to engage with the same patient, listening heart for any word that flows from the Spirit to address your prayer concern.  God always uses the troubles of life to cause us to cry out to Him, to reason through something together over time, and always to show a Father’s hand by delivering us in the end and taking us to new levels of faith and intimacy.  He invites you to “come now, let us reason together, saith the Lord.” (Isaiah 1:18, NIV)

The next postings in this series will include more instructive stories, other ways to recognize God’s voice, and important guardrails to examine and test what you believe you have heard from God.  Meanwhile, continue to approach the Lord with confidence and open your heart with expectation to hear Him.