Hearing God’s voice, what we call “listening prayer“, is a part of any AIM mission trip. In fact, the whole trip (whether it is a team of adults or a youth group) is structured around giving participants practical experiences with prayer.
How to hear God’s voice through listening in prayer
Below is an excerpt from an article Seth Barnes wrote, called “The Basics of Listening Prayer“, that explains how you practice listening prayer:
Learning to hear the Lord’s voice isn’t complicated. But it does require some discipline to find a quiet place and to allow some time just listening. Perhaps the hardest part is clearing your mind. With all the noise of life regularly cascading through your mind, it can be hard to hear God’s voice. There’s no formula, but let me share a few principles that have worked for me:
1. Set aside at least half an hour to start. When you are ready, quiet yourself. If stray thoughts come through your mind, write them down on a separate piece of paper.
2. Read some scripture. Ask the Lord to speak to you through it in a way that you can understand. Ask God to protect you in Jesus’ name from deception.
3. Then write down your question for prayer. Pause. This is where you wait and listen. God may direct you to another passage of Scripture. He may share a tender word. Whatever you feel he may be saying to you, write it down.
4. Ask him to confirm anything he shared with you.Some Simple Strategies
1. Use a journal; it will help you focus. Plus it’s a great resource to look back and see the journey the Lord took you on. It also helps fine-tune your spiritual ears to better hear him. Writing down your impression of the Lord’s responses creates in you an expectancy that he will respond.
2. Use two different pens. I like to use the first color to record my thoughts and the second pen to record what I sense God is saying. The different colors clarify who’s talking.
3. If, when you sit down to pray, you often have a to-do list pop up in your head, then have another piece of paper handy to make a list with any other thoughts that pop up. It’s okay and it’s natural. Just let them come out so you can focus.
How to Test It
1. Was it a clear word or just an impression? God may give us different degrees of confidence in what he has said. We therefore need to humbly admit our fallibility. Get someone you trust to check your impression and to confirm it or not.
2. Does it exalt Christ? (John 16:14)
3. Is it scriptural? Scripture is our authority. God does not contradict himself. (Proverbs 30:5-6)
4. Do other Christians confirm it? (Proverbs 20:18, Proverbs 15:22)
5. Does God cause it to actually take place? (Isaiah 55:11, Deuteronomy 18:21-22)
How do you hear God’s voice? Have you ever practiced listening prayer?
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