Do you ever feel like you are missing something in your walk with God? You try to do everything right, like go to church, read your Bible, and pray, but you just don't seem to have as close of a connection with Him as you desire or see others experiencing.
Maybe you've had some of these questions/concerns in your heart:
"How can I be closer to God?"
"How can I live with more of God's power in my life?"
"I want to be a spiritually strong person, but I don't know how."
"I used to be close with God and hear from Him, but I seemed to have lost that. How do I get it back?"
"I feel like I'm close to God, but I want more and want to go deeper with Him."
I can relate to asking these questions and having these concerns at different points of my walk with God, and I know they are heavy. While I can't offer all the answers (only God can), I can share with you my experience and how God helped me learn to position myself to grow closer to Him and hear Him more in my life.
I knew that God speaks to people in many ways, the most important being through the Bible, but knowing how God could speak to me didn't always help me hear from Him more. It wasn't until I decided to become intentional about paying attention to what God was doing in my life and what He was speaking to my heart that I began to hear from Him exponentially more and grow deeper in my relationship with Him.
For His divine power has bestowed on us [absolutely] everything necessary for [a dynamic spiritual] life and godliness, through true and personal knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. 2 Peter 1:3 AMP
God longs to be close to you and to speak to you regularly, but you need to be willing to listen and open yourself up to Him. Here are some ways you can position yourself to grow closer to God and hear Him more in your life.
1. Take Time
Don't act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do. Ephesians 5:17 NLT
Cultivating your heart to be open to hearing more from God will require investments of time. The primary way God speaks to us is through the Bible, so to start with, you will need to dedicate time to be reading and studying God's Word regularly. Whether the best time for you is first thing in the morning, on your lunch break, or even before you go to bed, having a regular and consistent quiet time with God where you read your Bible and allow space for God to speak to you is critical. Just like sporadically exercising won't improve your fitness, irregular Bible reading won't result in quality spiritual growth.
Beyond consistent daily quiet time, being intentional about finding moments throughout your day to pray and meditate on God's Word will help open your heart and mind to hear what God wants to speak to you. I hear from God often during my quiet times, but there are also so many times I hear from God throughout my day while I'm driving, working out, meeting with people, or even doing simple tasks like washing the dishes or folding laundry.
2. Take Notice
So we must listen very carefully to the truth we have heard, or we may drift away from it. Hebrews 2:1
God wants to speak to you every day in various ways. Still, it can be easy to be oblivious to it if you aren't paying attention, which is why it's essential to be listening for His voice and notice when He is communicating something to you. Asking yourself and meditating on some questions throughout your day can help you do this. Here are a few suggestions for questions to ask:
- What Bible verses stuck out to you when you read them?
- What kinds of things did you experience throughout your day?
- Did someone say something that stuck out to you?
- What were some of your most impactful thoughts or emotions?
When you start to ask these questions, you will likely notice recurring words or themes emerge. Things that may have seemed random will begin to connect. These connections can be powerful in understanding what God is communicating, but they can be easy to miss if you aren't paying attention.
3. Take Inventory
And then God answered: "Write this. Write what you see. Write it out in big block letters so that it can be read on the run." Hab 2:2 (MSG)
As you begin to hear God speak to you more, it's imperative that you compile what you are hearing and sensing by regularly writing it down or typing it out. This will help keep you from forgetting what you have heard. This can be in a journal, on your phone, on a computer document, or whatever works best for you to engage with daily in your life.
My pastors recently created a journal designed to help people engage in this discipline. The journal is called an "HD" journal, which stands for Hearing from God and Doing what He says, and it includes daily pages for recording insights from Bible reading and prayer, as well as pages to write down what you noticed God saying or doing throughout the day. I've been an avid journaler throughout my life, but after switching to this journal and creating the habit of daily writing in it, I'm amazed at how much it has helped me grow spiritually and connect with God so much more than before!
God has been using this specific journal as a tool to help me become disciplined in the daily habit of taking notice and inventory of what He is doing and saying in my life. This discipline has been a key in my journey to hearing from God more in my life. The more I write it down, the more I see the connections, the more I notice what God is doing and saying, the more I recognize what He's telling me, and the more I want to keep hearing!
4. Take Action
But prove yourselves doers of the word [actively and continually obeying God's precepts], and not merely listeners [who hear the word but fail to internalize its meaning], deluding yourselves [by unsound reasoning contrary to the truth] James 1:22 AMP
God speaks to us for many different purposes, some of which can be encouragement, conviction, blessing, or a command to do something specific. When I first started leaning into this process of hearing and noticing more of what God was doing, I noticed how much He was encouraging me about how He was moving on my behalf and about the incredible plans He had for my future. As time went on, He also began to show me areas in my life that He wanted me to grow in and specific things He wanted me to do. While my flesh wanted to lean into the encouragement and "fun stuff," I knew I couldn't simply camp on that and ignore the more difficult things He was speaking. Writing in my journal has been a daily reminder to listen to not only listen to what God is saying but also be willing to obey and do what He asks me to do.
There have been times when it's been easy to obey, like when He tells me to text a friend, encourage them, and let them know I am praying for them. But there have also been times when it's been more challenging, like when He asks me to reach out to someone with whom I have a strained relationship, apologize to my kids for something I did or said, or to give up something in my life.
Obeying isn't always easy, but if you ignore the hard things God speaks to you and only listen to and engage in the easy, feel-good things, you begin to block yourself off from fully hearing from and following Him. The times I've pushed through my reluctance and did the hard thing God asked me to do (while asking Him for help) grew my faith and opened my heart to hear from Him even more.
5. Take it Back to God and Others
And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. Hebrews 10:24-25
As you notice things and hear what you believe is God speaking to you, it is beneficial to talk about it with trusted friends and mentors. These people can give insight and input you may not have seen or thought about and keep you accountable to do the things you feel like God is asking you to do. I meet with a friend weekly for this sole purpose, to talk about what God is speaking to us both and encourage each other and hold each other accountable for what we are hearing. This practice helps me connect with what God is saying to me on an even deeper level and keeps me accountable to actually do the things that He is asking me to do.
Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, take what you hear and sense back to God in prayer. Thank Him for speaking to you and ask Him for confirmation, clarification, help, guidance, or timing on what you are hearing/sensing from Him. He doesn't just speak to us and then leave us to figure it out on our own, but He wants to help us!
Making an effort to intentionally hear from God more in your life will yield exponential benefits and growth in your spiritual life. For me personally, it has severely lessened anxiety in my life, it has kept me from wallowing in bad moods for extended periods, it has helped me encourage others with what God has been speaking to me, and most importantly, it has brought me closer to God and helps me connect with Him more regularly. Leaning in to hear from Him more in your life will not be a decision you will regret.
Related article: 10 Ways to Hear God's Voice Regularly
Cortni Marrazzo lives in Spokane, WA with her husband Jason and their two elementary-age sons. She recently completed her bachelor’s degree in Interdisciplinary Studies in Religion and Communication from Liberty University. She is passionate about local church ministry and encouraging and inspiring people toward God’s Word through writing and speaking. You can find more of her writing and contact her at www.Cortni.Marrazzo.com or on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/cortnimarrazzo/) or Facebook(https://www.facebook.com/CortniMarrazzo)