The Reality of our Birthright

Our birthright as children of God is to hear our Father’s voice.

Let me explain. According to Ephesians 1:13-15, when you put your faith in Jesus and believe the truth of the gospel, you are “sealed with the promised Holy Spirit who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it”. In accepting salvation through Jesus, we are adopted into God’s family and become his children. Romans 8:14-16 says, “For all who the Spirit of God leads are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, ‘Abba! Father!’ The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God”.

As children of God, we have the opportunity to learn God’s voice and to follow it. John 10:27 says, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me”.

God’s voice is not always a blaring megaphone from the sky… as convenient as that would be. 1 Kings 19:12 describes God’s voice as “the sound of a low whisper”. God’s voice can look like a knowing in your spirit. A thought process that is clearly spirit-driven, not self-driven. Visions, dreams, or spoken words through another believer. Throughout Scripture, there are numerous examples of God speaking to His people. In the Old Testament, we see God speak to Daniel through dreams and visions, to Moses through a burning bush, and to Abraham with a direct word about his covenant with him. In the New Testament, we see God speak to Mary and Joseph through his angels, through a cloud in Matthew 17, and to Jesus at the time of his baptism.

Now you might be thinking something along the lines of “Grace, that is great that you think He speaks and all, but I don’t hear anything. How do I gain access to God’s voice for myself?” First, you already have access. Hebrews 4:12 says, “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart”. God’s voice is alive and it holds discerning power over your mind and heart. John 16:13-14 “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you.” Because of the Holy Spirit inside of you, he will guide you to hear the declarations of the Lord. So repent of doubting that you can’t hear the voice of the Lord. Repentance is holy. And start having faith that God wants to speak to you. Revelation 3:19-20 says, “Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent. Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me”.

For me, to hear God’s voice, I simply had to start being with him. You cannot know God if you don’t hang out with him. I had to open my Bible, acknowledge his presence, and start listening more than speaking. Scripture says in Psalm 100 to “enter into his gates with thanksgiving and into his courts with praise.” I started blessing God’s name all the time. As soon as I woke up, while working, driving, and spending time with friends. The Holy Spirit is a person who is worthy of more than us playing the silent game with him. Then I started to engage with him in full belief that he would engage back. I asked God questions, expecting a response. I didn’t say, “God, if you speak, how should I handle this situation?” I prayed, “God, I believe you speak, teach me how to handle this situation”. Every time God met me. Sometimes by bringing scripture to mind or a simple phrase. Other times he spoke through tangible feelings like peace, electricity, or tears. Often, he offers me ideas or ways to communicate effectively. Don’t be scared to give God credit for ideas. He is worthy of that glory. I used to live in a lot of fear of miscommunicating God to other people. I never wanted to say “God said” because I thought I would be dishonoring God if it was my own thought that I had misinterpreted. Then it hit me that I can’t miscommunicate God because his reputation is bigger than my words. He is powerful enough to shut the ears of the person I am speaking to or tell them something completely different if he wants to. And by not communicating that something was from God, I am just withholding giving him glory and praise. The reality of listening to God’s voice is it might feel like work at first. I know it did for me. I had to learn how to listen, memorize scripture so that I could compare it to what I was hearing, and ultimately learn how to trust God. The more you act in obedience, the more confidence you will grow. In that confidence, you will become more sensitive to his voice and find yourself acting in faith more quickly. So start now. Psalm 34:4 says, “I sought the Lord, and he answered me”. I partner with you in belief that you can hear God’s voice. And if you have questions, I am just a phone call away. I would love to walk through this with you.

Grace