Are you hearing from God?

In 1 Samuel 3:1 we see a sad commentary on the state, not only for the Nation of Israel ,but also for the spiritual leaders. Chapter 3 starts like this; Meanwhile, the boy Samuel served the Lord by assisting Eli. Now in those days messages from the Lord were very rare, and visions were quite uncommon. (NLT)

So, the question is why were communications rare between the Children of Israel and God?

The answer started in Judges when the phrase is made several times that the people In those days Israel had no king; all the people did whatever seemed right in their own eyes. The answer continues later in 1 Samuel chapter 2 were we see the sons of Eli are called corrupt, they were not conducting the sacrifice in the manner set forth by God, and they also caused people to stumble by not wanting to make sacrifices to God.

So often I hear people say I don't hear from God, or they ask how does God speak to you? Much like the passage in Samuel there are some that think that God’s messages are rare and uncommon. So when this question is posed, I like to start with first asking are you praying? Much like a phone call you need to dial the phone to start the conversation. Prayer needs to be initiated to start the conversation with God and without it you limit the your ability to hear from God. We see Jesus frequently praying in the early morning and evening to hear from, and do the will of the Father.

The next thing we need to ask is are you reading God’s word? God’s word is living and the Holy Spirit will speak to you as you read it. Hebrews 4:12 says, For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. God speaks through His word, so trust it and allow it to speak to the innermost parts of your life.

Broaden your relationship with God through prayer and the Word. Its all about the relationship, because the more you do these two things the more you will hear God’s voice.