Hearing is a Major Element of Faith

   There is no argument that a major component to being a Christian is living by faith. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith (Romans 1:17). Since God wants us to live by faith, He wants us to hear His voice, because without hearing there is no active faith.

   Romans 10:17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

   Jesus, Who is our Example, always did what He saw the Father do, and said what He heard Him say. He revealed living by faith required communion with ABBA. If there’s no hearing, much less communion, there’s no faith. You cannot act on what you don’t hear.

   How can one say, “I’m stepping out on faith,” when one hasn’t first heard from God?

His Sheep Hear His Voice

   John 10:14-16 I am the good Shepherd, and know My sheep, and am known of Mine. As the Father knoweth Me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down My life for the sheep. And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear My voice; and there shall be one fold, and one Shepherd.

   So what is the basis of being His sheep? Faith. We received Jesus as Lord and Savior by faith; we didn’t have to work for it. We didn’t have labor all night in prayer, we simply received by faith. We heard His voice through Holy Spirit. Perhaps, we weren’t consciously aware of His voice at the time, but we did hear. Indeed, if Jesus said, “They shall hear My voice,” then there is a voice to be heard.

   Did you pray and fast before receiving Him? The point is we don’t have to strive to hear His voice. We simply have to believe, and be in communion with Him. It is not just a select few who can hear God’s voice. Everyone who belongs to Him has the capacity, because He gave it to us through Holy Spirit.

   A major limitation to hearing Him is not being willing to listen to what He has to say. Likewise, if you keep distracting yourself with other things, it will be difficult to be cognizant of His voice. Obviously, these two can be joined at the hip. Meaning, if you don’t have the desire to listen, you will distract yourself with other things. Kind of like people who are too busy to pray. Incidentally, the reason some people find themselves too busy in life is they do not spend time listening. Life is less hectic when you allow Him to order your steps.

   The bottom line is we are made for fellowship with Him. We don’t have to complicate things.

How We Hear

   Don’t fret if you feel like you’re not hearing Him. He speaks to us in numerous ways. Yes, His still quiet voice is one way. There may be those times when the Lord speaks through others, and there’s the unction or anointing.

   1 John 2:20, 27 But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things. But the anointing which ye have received of Him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in Him.

   The word unction in verse twenty is rendered as anointing in verse twenty-seven. Essentially, it means a smearing or an endowment (ability, a gift) of the Holy Spirit. It enables the believer to possess knowledge of the truth. Keep in mind that these verses are not saying that we do not need teachers; otherwise, Jesus would not have given them to us (as found in Ephesians 4:11, and 1 Corinthians 12:28).

    Many believers hear or are led by the unction. It is here where they will say, “I sense the Lord telling me …” “I feel led to …” or whether things either bear witness, or they don’t. The unction gives us that “Yes, that’s right” when we hear something taught for the first time, or that “No, that just doesn’t seem right.” The unction works as a safeguard and will protect us if we will pay attention to it. 

   For example, “Boy, something just doesn’t feel right.”  It gives us discernment, which is alluded to in 1 John 2:15–27 (take time to read for fuller context). Through it, we can distinguish the voice of the Holy Spirit in another person from that of man. The unction is more than a gut feeling; it gives you specific discernment.

    The Lord will also use the unction to speak to us through Scripture and in so doing, allows it to become the Word of God to us. In this He instructs, encourages, or even convicts us. There have been many instances where people have been led to go to certain passages in the Bible, which gave them directions or answers to situations they were facing. A helpful hint to all of us is the more time we spend in His Word, the easier the solutions come our way.

   God is ever present, and wants communion with you. You don’t have to work yourself up or strive to hear Him. Just believe and listen.

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