Faith and a mind soaked in God’s Word is really all you’ll ever need to experience a living relationship with God that results in Him communicating with you. By faith is meant a “confident expectation” that God both cares for you and desires to direct your thoughts towards a greater understanding of His will.
Part of the problem as to why most Christians say they don’t hear from God is because they’re listening for a voice. They hear about God speaking to Elijah in a “still small voice,” but that single example is not intended to be instructional for us. Rather, it is wisdom, knowledge, and understanding that we should be looking for.
The book of Proverbs (Proverbs 2:1-11) provides us the best description of how we are to seek God in order to receive communication from Him:
1 My son, if you receive my words, and treasure my commands within you,
2 So that you incline your ear to wisdom, and apply your heart to understanding;
3 Yes, if you cry out for discernment, and lift up your voice for understanding,
4 If you seek her as silver, and search for her as for hidden treasures;
5 Then you will understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God.
6 For the LORD gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding;
7 He stores up sound wisdom for the upright; He is a shield to those who walk uprightly;
8 He guards the paths of justice, and preserves the way of His saints.
9 Then you will understand righteousness and justice, equity and every good path.
10 When wisdom enters your heart, and knowledge is pleasant to your soul,
11 Discretion will preserve you; understanding will keep you.
We are to incline our ear to wisdom; apply our heart to understanding, cry out for discernment, and lift our voice for understanding. We are seek it as for a hidden treasure, and when we do, we’ll find a greater knowledge of God. God wants to give us wisdom. He desires pour out upon us His understanding.
The writer says, “When wisdom enters your heart, and knowledge is pleasant to your soul.” This is how the “voice of God” comes—it’s the entrance of wisdom, knowledge, and understanding into our hearts. We begin to understand the way God works and we experience a great knowing of what pleases God and the directions we are to take. It is far better to receive and operate in wisdom than to hear a voice.
