How To Pray And Hear From God

There are many different aspects of our lives in which we want to hear from God. In moments of distress, our hearts want to hear God’s soothing encouragement and comfort. As we make life decisions, we want to hear from God for guidance, clarity, and direction. When we make choices, we seek to know what is right in God’s eyes. No matter the circumstance, we inevitably find ourselves seeking to hear from God. The good thing is that as we seek Him, we shall find Him (Jeremiah 29:13 And ye shall seek me, and find me , when ye shall search for me with all your heart.).

Father, may I always seek You as I make decisions. May I always be led by Your guidance and wisdom, and may I always walk in Your ways. In Jesus name, I pray. Amen.

Two-Way Communication

Let’s dive into the essential basics of praying and hearing from God. God ordains prayer as our means to communicate with Him. Indeed, it is in prayer that we worship, adore, praise, and glorify God (Psalm 145:1–3). It is also in prayer that we commune with God, communicate with Him, be vulnerable to Him, give thanks to Him, and pour our hearts out to Him (1 Thessalonians 5:16–18; Philippians 4:6; Luke 18:1).

Knowing God’s will and listening to what He has to say is much more accessible and straightforward than we might think; it’s as simple as reading the Bible. The Bible is God’s Word—therefore, we will know God’s will as we read His Word. As we walk in our journey of life, we know which steps to take as we have God’s Word to light our way; that is why the Bible says that God’s Word is the lamp to our feet (Psalm 119:105). Psalm 19:7–8 tells us how God’s Word is perfect, trustworthy, and right, giving us wisdom and joy. 2 Timothy 3:16–17 (ESV) teaches us that all Scripture is breathed out by God.

 

How Do We Pray to and Hear From God?

Given what we mentioned above, whenever we have matters in life that require God’s guidance, wisdom, and clarity, we are to come before Him in prayer and humbly present to Him whatever concerns we have (Philippians 4:6–7). Then, we should turn to the Scriptures to hear and know God’s will.

For example, let’s say you are considering marrying your partner and need wisdom. By all means, pray and humbly ask God for wisdom and guidance, and He will give you understanding. Afterward, seek His Word to see what He says about choosing a spouse. In this example, the Bible says that we can choose any spouse as long as he or she is a believer and shares godly values with us (2 Corinthians 6:14).

The same applies to choosing a job or career path. Let’s say you need wisdom and guidance on whether to accept a job offer. As you seek God and ask for His grace and mercy (Hebrews 4:16) to guide and give you wisdom, you look to the Scriptures for what God says about choosing a career. The Bible does not explicitly say anything like, “Being a banker is a bad idea; being a counselor is much better,” or, “Working in the information technology field dishonors God.” Instead, the Bible is clear that, whatever job we choose, we should do it to honor and glorify God (Colossians 3:23; Proverbs 16:3). If a particular job requires us to sin, the Bible makes it clear God does not want that for us (1 Thessalonians 5:22). But God gives us free will to become a social worker, a CEO, a chef, a teacher, or whatever we choose—it is our decision, and we should also consider the talents and skills God has blessed us as we make this choice.

As we seek God in prayer and listen for His guidance, reading His Word is the primary way we can know His will. We don’t always need dramatic signs and revelations to understand God’s will about a particular matter in our lives—His Word is already readily available to us. The Bible urges us to renew our minds with the Scriptures so that we may prove what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God (Romans 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.). We then make clear decisions, fully knowing God’s will.

Father in heaven, as I make decisions in my life and seek to submit every area to You, may prayer never be lacking. I also pray that Your Word shall always be central in my life, that I will run to it, cling to it, and always set it before me so I may walk in faithfulness towards You. Renew my mind, Holy Spirit, that I may decide according to what is pleasing, acceptable, and right in Your sight. In Jesus’s name, I pray. Amen.

This does not mean God cannot speak through dreams, impressions, and other channels of guidance. In fact, the Bible says that we are to also seek the godly counsel of wise men, for God also speaks through them (Proverbs 11:14 Where no counsel is , the people fall: But in the multitude of counsellors there is safety.). However, we should not primarily seek signs and other means before making a decision, like waiting for God to appear in a dream before deciding whether to date a fellow believer, accept an excellent job offer, and so on. We should instead focus on diving into the written Word of God, which is breathed out by Him. God has already provided all the wisdom we need in the Bible—we just have to diligently read His Word and seek Him in prayer.