How to hear from God

by Derek Prince

God has dealt with the human race in different ways in different periods of human history. This is call Dispensation.

We can discern 3 major dispensations that occurred in the bible :
1. The Dispensation of the Patriachs in which in this period, in this dispensation God dealt primarily with the individuals and their families. Noach, Enoch, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and they related directly to God.

2. The Dispensation of the Law where God began to deal with Israel specifically as a collective nation and He put them under a special law which was special for Israel. This law did not apply entirely to other nations. During this dispensation, Israel had the law, the temple and the presthood.

3. The Dispensation of the Gospel in which we are still living today. This dispensation is a proclamation to the whole human race irrespective of their race or their nationality and it requires of each person an individual response.

God's requirement in these different dispensations were somewhat different. However, in the midst of all the differences, there remain one unvarying requirement. One thing that God always requires. This one unvarying requirement which never change from dispensation to dispensation was the requirement to learn to hear God's voice.


The first 5 books of Moses called "The Pentateuch" (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy) all of which show the unique importance of hearing God's voice. Let's look at some of them below :
Exodus 15:26
And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the Lord thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the Lord that healeth thee.

- What is the primarily requirement? If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the Lord thy God.

- We have to listen to the voice of God with both our ears (left and right). That is to listen listening. God said to Israel, "if you do that, you'll never be sick. I'll keep you healthy, I'll be your doctor, I'll accept responsiblity for your physical wellbeing, complete continually health.

Exodus 19:3-6
And Moses went up unto God, and the Lord called unto him out of the mountain, saying, Thus shalt thou say to the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel; Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles' wings, and brought you unto myself. Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine: And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel.


4 Phases of God's dealing with Israel :
- God says He brought Israel to Himself, that's the primary purpose of redemption always, to come to God personally.

- God says "I want you to obey my voice", that's what leads us into the provisions of God.

- If you keep my covenant, God's covenant is the way He settles and finalises His relationship with the people.

- You'll be a kingdom of priest, you'll be a unique people, bless above all other people, distinct from all other people. That's the order, brought to God, obeying His voice, keeping His covenant and so becoming a kingdom of priest.

Deuteronomy 28:1-2
And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the Lord thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth: And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God.

Deuteronomy 28:15
But it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to observe to do all his commandments and his statutes which I command thee this day; that all these curses shall come upon thee, and overtake thee

If you will not listen to me, then it will not be blessings, it will be curses, particularly in the matter of healing, if thou will diligently hearken to the voice of the Lord, I am the Lord that healeth thee. But also beyond healing to all other provisions and blessings of God, the key is if thou will diligently hearken to the voice of the lord thy God.


God reprimanding Israel for not understanding what He require of them and not obeying Him
Jeremiah 7:22-24
For I spake not unto your fathers, nor commanded them in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, concerning burnt offerings or sacrifices: But this thing commanded I them, saying, Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and ye shall be my people: and walk ye in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well unto you. But they hearkened not, nor inclined their ear, but walked in the counsels and in the imagination of their evil heart, and went backward, and not forward.

Obeying the voice of the lord remains unchanged even through the New Testament.


John 10:3-5
To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out. And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice. And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers.

John 10:16
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 (one flock), and one shepherd.

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

What's the way to Christian unity? I don't believe it's organisation, doctrine or theological discussion primarily. I believe it comes as we all learn to hear the voice of God.


There are 3 things that mark out the true followers of God, His disciples, His people :
1. They hear His voice

2. He recognises them, He acknowledges them

3. They follow Him


It's not a question of denomination labels, Jesus isn't talking about Catholics or Protestants, or Baptists or Methodists, or Presbetarian or Pentacostals, not a certain way of worship. He's not saying my people comes from any particularly denomination or group but He's saying a distinctive mark of my people is they hear my voice, and follow me.


3 distinctive features of hearing God's voice :
1. Hearing God's voice is personal
# No 2 voices are exactly alike

# Our hearts should be that of a safe, something that treasures the most valuables things we have, and I think that there should be only one voice, that opens up that safe. The voice of the Lord Himself, we come into terrible grief and problems if we open the safe door of our hearts to the wrong person, that's what causes the most tragedies and problems in the world today, is people open their hearts to the wrong person.

Psalm 23:1
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

Cultivate hearing the Lord's voice.

2. Hearing God's voice is intangible
# It can't be touch, we can't apprehend it with our sight nor feeling. We can only apprehend it with our sense of hearing. Hearing God's voice has none of the features of association with religious settings in church. It's not restricted to any particular place, it doesn't have any kind of uniform or clothing or furniture or building. It's just out there, it's very in a way, tricky, it's almost dangerous, you've got nothing to cling on to, all the associations have been taken away.

3. Hearing God's voice is present, in the sense of time, it's not past, it's not future

# Only now can we hear God's voice

# God's name is "I Am" (present)

Hearing God's voice produces faith. Many people don't achieve it, because faith comes by hearing God's voice.

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

Logos is one of the great concept of the greek language. It has all sorts of meaning, reasons. It's comprehensive. Logos in the bible is the mind and counsel of God, it's never changes, it's God's total purpose.

Psalm 119:89
For ever, O Lord, thy word is settled in heaven.

John 1:1-2
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God.

Jesus is also the personify Logos, He's the total counsel and purpose of God.

Rhema means specifically a spoken word. God's counsel is settled in heaven forever, it's total. But a rhema is only a word that is spoken.

Mathew 4:4
But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.

If I don't have it (faith), I can get it, it comes by hearing the rhema (quicken by the holy spirit) according to Romans 10:17

3 stages in the process of hearing :
1. God's word, God's rhema, God's speak

2. Your response, hearing, you're open to the word of God

3. Out of hearing, faith comes


Romans 8:13
For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.

We are borne of the Holy Spirit, that makes all of us newborn babies. That's doesn't make us mature. How can we be be matured, to grow up? To be continually led by Holy Spirit.

Always pray to be always "In the right place, at the right time"

Prophetic picture of the earthly life of our Lord Jesus of His ministry and in particular, of His ongoing daily relationship with God, the Father
Isaiah 50:4-7
The Lord God hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary: he wakeneth morning by morning, he wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned. The Lord God hath opened mine ear, and I was not rebellious, neither turned away back. I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: I hid not my face from shame and spitting. For the Lord God will help me; therefore shall I not be confounded: therefore have I set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed.

Here are some of the results from listening to the Father like that each day :
1. He had words of encouragement for others

2. He received personal direction for each day Himself

3. He received obedience. You know hearing God's voice produces obedience.

4. He received strength to go through all that he had to go through, He needed more than human strength, He needed supernatural strength. And He received that through hearing the Father's voice

5. He received determination. He said I've set my face like a flint, I'm not turning back. All that came to Jesus through hearing the Father's voice. And hearing God's voice will do the same for us.


Cultivate to hear God's voice, not with your 2 physical ears. It is the inner condition of our heart, a "Hearing Heart", a discerning heart.

Mark 4:9
And he said unto them, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.

Mark 4:23
If any man have ears to hear, let him hear.

1 Kings 3:5
In Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night: and God said, Ask what I shall give thee.

1 Kings 3:7-10
And now, O Lord my God, thou hast made thy servant king instead of David my father: and I am but a little child: I know not how to go out or come in. And thy servant is in the midst of thy people which thou hast chosen, a great people, that cannot be numbered nor counted for multitude. Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy so great a people? And the speech pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing.

God gave it (discerning heart aka hearing heart) to Solomon as a gift because he asked for it.

Proverbs 4:23
Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.

We have ears to hear, not physically but in our spirit, in the innermost depths of our being, we have a heart that responds to the voice of the Lord.

Matthew 13:13-15
Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive: For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.

Psalm 95:7-11
For He is our God, And we are the people of His pasture, And the sheep of His hand. Today, if you will hear His voice: “Do not harden your hearts, as in the rebellion, As in the day of trial in the wilderness. When your fathers tested Me; They tried Me, though they saw My work. For forty years I was grieved with that generation, And said, ‘It is a people who go astray in their hearts, And they do not know My ways.’ So I swore in My wrath, ‘They shall not enter My rest.’

The kind of heart that does not hear is "callous" and "hardened". The opposite is sensitive, cultivate an inward sensitivity toward the Lord and toward His voice. Hearing God's voice correctly is the key factor in achieving true spiritual success.

God doesn't shout.


4 specific requirements for achieving this kind of sensitivity of heart :
1. Attention, undivided

2. Humility, reverence, respectful, bow down your head and 2 ears

Proverbs 4:20
My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings.

Proverbs 5:1
My son, attend unto my wisdom, and bow thine ear to my understanding:

Proverbs 22:17
Bow down thine ear, and hear the words of the wise, and apply thine heart unto my knowledge.

3. Time

4. Quietness

Psalm 46:10
Be still and know that I am God

"Cease striving and know"

"Let go, relax and know that I am God"

God doesn't always speak the first instance that we would like to hear.

Psalm 62:1
My soul wait in silence for God only

Being in an attitude of attention, of reverence, You have to wait, you have to be silenced and your attention has to be focused on God only.

Psalm 95:6-8
Come, let us worship and bow down. Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker, for He is God and we are the people of His pastures and sheep of His hand. Today, if you would hear his voice, do not harden your heart.

When you want to hear from God, approach Him through worship. God sets the time and the place. We have to give absolute priority to God before all our own interests and activities. We may have our own program, interests, things we are excited about or things eager to get done. But if we want to hear God's voice, we have to be prepared to let those things go, to let go and relax as the Psalmist said. We have to let God sets the time and the place. And it may not be the time and place of our choosing.


3 examples of men who met with God and heard His voice :
A. Moses
Numbers 7:89
When Moses entered the tent of meeting to speak with the Lord, he heard the voice speaking to him from between the two cherubim above the atonement cover on the ark of the covenant law. In this way the Lord spoke to him.

- Cherubim speaks of worship and also of fellowship

- Bear in mind uncovered and unforgiven sins will always keep us from hearing the voice of the Lord

Matthew 6:6
But you, when you pray, go into your inner room

Every christian should always have our own inner room.

B. Elijah

1 Kings 19:11-13
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. Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

- There were strength and new direction for Elijah's ministry

- When he went to Horeb he was already a beaten man, he was ready to give up, to quit, to throw in the towel. But after he heard God's voice, he was a conqueror. And he had new direction.

- After that time, Elijah didn't know what to do next, but hearing God's voice gave him direction for his ministry. It will do the same for you and me : strength and new direction.

- God is concerned that we hear His voice, there will be a gentle whisper

C. Jeremiah

Jeremiah 18:1-6
This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: “Go down to the potter’s house, and there I will give you my message.” So I went down to the potter’s house, and I saw him working at the wheel. But the pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands; so the potter formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him. Then the word of the Lord came to me. He said, “Can I not do with you, Israel, as this potter does?” declares the Lord. “Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand, Israel.

- If you want to hear my voice, you have to be at the right place, the right time


How can we be sure that it really was God's voice we heard? 4 kinds of confirmation :
A. Agreement with scriptures
- Holy Spirit who brings God's voice to us

- Holy Spirit is the ultimate author of all scriptures, behind all writers of the bible
2 Timothy 3:16
All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,

- Holy Spirit never contradicts Himself

- We must be very careful to reject all satan's counterfeits
Isaiah 8:19-22
When someone tells you to consult mediums and spiritists, who whisper and mutter, should not a people inquire of their God? Why consult the dead on behalf of the living? Consult God’s instruction and the testimony of warning. If anyone does not speak according to this word, they have no light of dawn. Distressed and hungry, they will roam through the land; when they are famished, they will become enraged and, looking upward, will curse their king and their God. Then they will look toward the earth and see only distress and darkness and fearful gloom, and they will be thrust into utter darkness.

- Mediums
- Spiritists
- Fortune Teller
- Horoscope
- Teacup reading
- Yoga
- Tarot cards

Psalm 119:105
Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.

When we walk according to scriptures, we never walk in the dark. We may not see far ahead, but we always have enough light for our path and for the next step to take.

B. Confirmation of circumstances
Jeremiah 32:6-9
And Jeremiah said, The word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Behold, Hanameel the son of Shallum thine uncle shall come unto thee saying, Buy thee my field that is in Anathoth: for the right of redemption is thine to buy it. So Hanameel mine uncle's son came to me in the court of the prison according to the word of the Lord, and said unto me, Buy my field, I pray thee, that is in Anathoth, which is in the country of Benjamin: for the right of inheritance is thine, and the redemption is thine; buy it for thyself. Then I knew that this was the word of the Lord. And I bought the field of Hanameel my uncle's son, that was in Anathoth, and weighed him the money, even seventeen shekels of silver.

examples :
- Prompted to buy a house of an area

- Business executive in a certain city with good home, good position, yet God said to move to another city. Although you can't understand it but said, "Lord, I can't understand it, but if it is so, make it clear to me" Shortly after, Boss offered a transfer and a raise in salary

C. God's peace in our hearts
- God's voice will always produce God's peace
Colossians 3:15-16
And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.

- We have an inward umpire, an arbiter, one who decides question that we cannot decide. That umpire, arbiter is the "peace of God".

- When the peace of God says "yes", it's right. But when the peace of God is not there, we need to be cautious. We need to say "God, if this is from you, let there be peace in my heart". But if there's unrest, and struggling and particularly if you feel pressured to act hastily, then beyond your God

D. Through our fellow believers
Acts 13:1-3
Now in the church that was at Antioch there were certain prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, “Now separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” Then, having fasted and prayed, and laid hands on them, they sent them away.

Galatians 1:1
Paul, an apostle (not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised Him from the dead),

This incident
- strengthen Paul

- validated Paul in his journey, do not act unilaterally

- emphasize interdependence on Christ's body