I was at a Christian broadcaster’s conference some years ago when the speaker said, “Are you hearing from God yourself, or are you letting someone else tell you what God says?” That question had a piercing effect on many of us. We were playing teaching programs on our radio stations from top Christian communicators. Were we content to just let these teachers and preachers inform us of what the Lord was saying? Or did we bring ourselves into God’s presence to hear from Him directly?

That question harkens back to the times when Moses, as he led the children of Israel through the wilderness, would go up on the mountain and commune with the Lord personally. The Bible says they talked to each other as friend to friend. Amazing.

When Moses would come down, the people would let Moses pass on the message. They didn’t have the same relationship with Almighty God as their leader did.

And they said to Moses, “You speak to us, and we will listen. But don’t let God speak directly to us, or we will die!”

Exodus 20:19 NLT

Oswald Chambers talked about that in the devotional My Utmost for His Highest, Chambers says:

“We do not consciously disobey God, we simply do not heed Him. God has given us His commands; there they are, but we do not pay any attention to them, not because of wilful disobedience but because we do not love and respect Him. ‘If ye love Me, ye will keep My commandments’”

Then Chambers added:

“We show how little we love God by preferring to listen to His servants only. We like to listen to personal testimonies, but we do not desire that God Himself should speak to us.”

I love listening to my Pastor. I appreciate Christian broadcasters and authors. Do I balance that with personal time in God’s presence, seeking a direct word from the Lord for my life? We know from the often-quoted verse in Jeremiah 29 that the Lord has a plan for us. Doesn’t it follow that He would want to share that plan with us? It probably won’t be revealed by a radio message or in a book by a Christian author. Not directly. Not personally.

There is a tendency to make a “word from God” heard through a third party something of an option. We say, “Great word. Let me consider that.” If we hear directly from the Lord, our only good response is, “Yes, Lord.”

In an article on Crosswalk.com about hearing from God, the author gives several points to help us do that regularly.

Recognize that God has created you for a close friendship with Himself.

By design, the way you hear best from God is in the context of a friendship with Him… God’s will is to be personally present with you and speaking with you moment by moment as you go through life. Then you’ll grow to understand Him more and become more like His Son, Jesus.

Make your goal more than just hearing God.

While it’s important to hear from God, that shouldn’t be your ultimate goal. Instead, make your main goal to become a spiritually mature person in a close relationship with God. That’s the only way you’ll clearly and correctly hear what God has to say to you.

Recognize God’s voice above all others.

By experience, you can learn to recognize God’s voice when He speaks, and to confidently respond to what He says.

Set aside time regularly to listen for God’s messages.

Make a habit of intentionally and expectantly listening for whatever God may want to tell you. It’s more important to become a person who listens regularly to God than it is to constantly ask God to give you guidance.

Are you willing to go into God’s presence and hear from Him directly? If so, be prepared to say to Him, “Yes, Lord.”

God’s best,