Hearing God’s Call Clearly – And Answering It!

  Through the sounds and cries of the bustling world around us, it can be difficult to make out God’s voice when he is calling us. Often, we are being pulled in many directions when faced with the differing challenges of each day.

We may seek answers from friends and family members, or contemplate unsolicited advice. We may go to God in prayer, but do we wait for his answer? What if we are not going to him with a particular issue because we aren’t aware of one, but he is calling us to make a change nonetheless? These tips will help you to hear God clearly    - even when you didn’t initiate the conversation- and answer him!

Know the Kinds of Calls God Makes

As Christians, we have some shared callings, such as loving one another as God loves us. We also receive individual calls that are personalized. As you become filled with the Holy Spirit and grow in your relationship with Christ, hearing God’s call clearly through the static of the world will come more naturally. Still, there will be times when you are at a loss.

Know that God calls you in many ways and for many reasons. In fact, he has a plan and purpose to share in every area of your life. He will call you to witness, to aid others, to utilize your God given skills and talents, to connect with particular individuals and even to work in a particular field. Realizing this will open you up to hearing what God has to say and has in store for you because you know he isn’t silent on most matters.

Learn to Listen for His Call

You can’t answer a call you don’t know is being made. While your phone isn’t likely to ring prompting you to accept a collect call from the heavens, God calls us in a very similar way spiritually.

God will let you in on his plans for your life in his time, for only he knows when you are truly ready to partake in them. It is up to you to go to him in prayer and ask him to speak to you on matters. Wait patiently for his reply and know where to find it.

God often speaks to us through his Word. You may come across a scripture or verse that speaks to you so clearly you couldn’t possibly doubt it was God who led you to it. He may bring about events that encourage or force a change in your life. He also brings specific people into our lives to assist in making his answers clear to us.

Conform Your Thinking to His Thinking

Allow God to take over your mind and thoughts. Recognize him as your conscience and your ultimate guide. As humans, we will undoubtedly misunderstand some of the thoughts that cross our minds or ignore them altogether. Knowing God’s attributes will help in discerning which thoughts to pursue and which are not his callings for us, but our own wants.

Do Not Be Afraid to Answer His Call 

  While learning to hear God’s call clearly can be difficult, actually answering it once you are sure of what you’ve heard can be equally unnerving.

Be confident in his calls to you. If you are having trouble accepting a call from him, pray about it and ask him to confirm that it is what he wants you to do. Ask him to lead you as you walk by faith and not by sight, and to strengthen you as you follow his lead. Know that God will equip you to carry out any tasks he asks of you, big or small, and he will be there along the way.