07/13/2024 I have been wondering at a mystery that was taught to me, when I first was enlightened about hearing from God for myself. Initially, when I was first freshly saved, I knew that I had many sins in general that I was a sinful person, alienated from God until I asked for His help. I did have enough understanding to know I was cleansed from sin generally because Jesus died for me and appeased God’s wrath towards my sins. I heard from God “the eternal word” of the revelation of Jesus and from that point saw that He was calling me. But I’m not talking about that now so much as hearing from God after you have been saved for some time. As you are growing everyday and believing more and more in Jesus’ words in Scripture and His being, I think hearing from God and following His wisdom and instruction is what helps us continue on in Jesus. This makes me think of a few ideas about “hearing” from God.

By reading the Bible, I would think it’s safe to say the conclusion could be made that the Lord God does not like sin. There are times when Jesus scolded the Pharisees for their lawlessness (sinfulness), other times where He said with much grace to the sinful “Go and sin no more”, and even several and countless times in the Old Testament where Israel (God’s people as like a group of followers) did not keep the Lord’s instruction, and God spoke through a prophet or through audible means. (Read the book of Exodus and be amazed that sometimes God even spoke audibly so that the people had to ask Moses to ask Him to stop! They were much more tolerable of hearing through Moses, and understandably so. They definitely were not rewarded for rebellion, but I’m more hoping to highlight the idea that God communicated with them.

I have learned more and more since being saved that if I make the effort to stay clean before the Lord, and aim in that direction in whatever area I need assistance w/, I have been taken me more into hearing from God. That doesn’t mean you have to repent of things you’ve done all day long, unless you want to, then I’d say that’s fine. But if you want to have clarity about a Scripture or a problem, a dream or a burden, a brother or a sister’s need, a desire to be fulfilled, a habit that won’t break, a marriage that’s in shambles, a new financial need, a barren womb, an attack on yourself by yourself or others, or anything you can think of, you can rest assured that God has the answer and He will use all His powers on Heaven and Earth to help you in the name of His Son Jesus. Here are some verses that speak about “being clean” with God and hearing from God. (And thought I believe it’s true that Jesus has made us clean already by His word, I do believe if we are specific in repenting of sins known and done mistakenly, he will take an extra liking to that and bless us in heavenly ways. John 15:3)

2 Chronicles 7:14  “if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

1 John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to purify us from all unrighteousness

Psalm 51:10 “Create in me a clean heart, o God; and renew a steadfast spirit within me.”

Jeremiah 33:8 “I will cleanse them from all their iniquity by which they have sinned against Me, and I will pardon all their iniquities by which they have sinned against Me and by which they have transgressed against Me.”

Titus 2:14 “who (Jesus) gave himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good works.”

Hebrews 9:14 how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?

1 Corinthians 6:11 Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.

John 10:27 “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me”

Isaiah 30:21 “Your own ears will hear him. Right behind you a voice will say, “This is the way you should go,” whether to the right or to the left.”

NIV and KJV excerpts

There is so much more to say about how to discern the Lord’s/God’s voice from others, but we can’t get to a place of heeding His instruction if needing a “holy bath”.  We have to perceive the possibility of Him talking to us in the first place. Maybe it helps to try to think of yourself as a bible character, who one day, hears from God, and is changed forevermore.

A good ending verse I can think of for now for this, the idea of feeling closer to God, and more in tune to hearing from him is this verse in James: 

(James 4:8) “Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.”