How does one go about listening to God?

Question

What should one look for when listening to God? Or hear I mean ? Or what should you even listen to or for?

Answer 1

Go some where with no distractions, some where very quiet, clear your mind and just listen. Listen for anything that catches your attention.

Answer 2

It's kind of like recognizing your friends or relatives when they call on the phone. When you have talked to someone long enough you will recognize their voice.

Meanwhile, while learning to recognize it, remember that if it is God, Jehovah, the words you hear will line up with what is in the Bible. Meaning that He will never tell you to do anything bad...

In one place in the Bible (1Kings 19:11 - 13) it says, 'The Lord said, "Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by."
Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.'

Why didn' t he go out during the first ones? A lot of people would have associated those things with the power of God. It was because he recognized the presence and/ or the voice of the Lord Almighty. Jehovah was calling to Elijah. When you are His child, His presence is soft and sweet and like nothing else you will ever experience.

As for His voice, sometimes it is described as the gentle whisper, quiet, still small voice and at others it is described as being as the thunder. I just know that how ever He speaks, it is a wonderful thing when He is speaking to you. That He takes the time to speak to you (Me, Whoever.) Once you have experienced His presence, you will never be able to go back. (To be away from Him for long...)

Answer 3

listening to God is just giving Him time in your mind and life. Stop praying, get that song out of your head, and ask God to take your thoughts and replace them with His. do that for like 10 or so minutes a day. at first it's very hard to do so, but as you get going it gets SO much easier. God may not always speak to you in ways you think He will. So just listen. Sit in His presence, realize you are in His presence, and listen. God has showed me so much just by doing this. Listening is the key to a relationship, because it shows that it's not always a one way relationship. It'll bring you so much closer to God. Bless you, friend.

Answer 4

You ask, you talk, you walk. Sometimes, depending on the need, you will just have a sudden understanding (kind of like a sudden awareness).
Sometimes, the strangest thing will happen. You will hear your answer in next Sunday's sermon, turn around and hear it again on the radio. That night you may see and hear the same thing on TV but through an avenue you'd never imagine (like an old movie or something), pick up the paper the next morning and there it is again! I'd call that an answer, wouldn't you? ha

Sometimes, out of the blue, there will be this sudden expansion of your brain. Something that explains a question on your mind. Something you never would have thought about. You wonder....where did that come from?

There was a time when something had happened, something I didn't expect to ever experience again, once born again. Something not so fun. I realized this wasn't suppose to enter my life again and fell on my knees. Out of my frustration, I was hollering at the Lord "What's this? Why did this happen?" and things I did yesterday, flashed across my mind. I saw myself saying something nasty to my landlady, who just happened to be a Christian sister. I begged her forgiveness and this thing, never happened again.
So sometimes the answer is a replay of your own actions, causing you to see yourself through anothers eyes.

Answer 5

Just as if you were sitting in front of someone and having a conversation with them. Look at God from your spirit and let God speak to you and as you feel God talking to you just receive it. If you then have more questions, ask God then put your focus of receiving back on God.

Answer 6

God speaks to you through other people,music,and situations. You don't really need to pay close attention but when something sticks out at you like a few words of a song or conversation that is him speaking. You'll feel it inside your energy.

Answer 7

Your relationship with God is very personal and I think everyone religious or not has their own interpretation.
My personal belief(I by no means say my beliefs should be anyone else's) that god lives inside of everyone in your heart or conscience depending on your definition.
So really IMO you are the only one that can answer your question.

Answer 8

You need to be ready and by that I mean you need to take away as many distractions as possible. Be someplace quiet where perhaps you have felt close to God. For me it's frequently someplace in nature, but it can also be in my living room in complete silence. Don't try to listen. Just be open and calm.

Answer 9

God gives us the answer in Psalm 46:

"Be still and know that I am God."

The key here is "be still". It is in quiet solitude that you will hear Him speak to you. If you're having trouble, pray about it. Ask the Lord to open your heart, mind and spirit to Him. And then just be still. When you hear Him, you will know.

In John 10: "My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me. "

Answer 10

If you are speaking of the God of the Bible, I would recommend Henry Blackaby's book "Experiencing God." Great stuff.

Edit: I bought my copy off of Amazon.com; you can probably find it there.

Pear has a good answer.