“Top 5 reasons I don’t think I can hear from God…
8 ways to turn up the volume?”
We have spoken to a ton of teens & college students and many say they would really like to Hear God speak, but here are all the reasons I don’t think I can.
1. Too busy (too much noise…social media, too much homework, school, sports, activities, constant technology).
2. Too weird (I don’t want to be weird)
3. Too much to believe (I don’t know if I believe or have enough faith)
4. Too much sin (I don’t think God wants to talk to me because of the mistakes I’ve made). If any of you feel that, hear the answer to that…so wrong! I can’t tell you how many mistakes as a teen I made. Many of my darkest days was when God came in compassion & spoke to me in surprising & powerful ways.
5. I don’t know how to hear God (God speaks in so many ways). What is your heart language? Is it through worship, bible study, your intuition, your mind, art, music, nature, and so on? God knows the language of your heart, what moves & speaks to you, and He will attempt to get messages through to you in the ways that best speak to your heart. When those God whispers come in your heart language, that is a good sign that it might be God speaking in a unique language He knows you will understand. (For me, God really speaks through lyrics to songs all the time, encouraging text from friends that I know are little gifts from God to let me know I am not alone & that He is with me, and also scriptures in the Bible…especially the book of Psalms).
How do we learn to tune in to God’s voice & develop bigger ears to hear the Spirit of God?
Hearing God is a lifelong journey, and usually it does not happen overnight. At the same time, I am convinced that God longs to get your attention way more than you may realize, & He has specific, encouraging, loving things to speak to you. Here are some practical ways to experience God speaking that I am hoping will increase the volume for you to hear.
1. Do what Jesus did to hear the Father’s Voice (He often withdrew to quiet places…If this is a struggle…start small by turning off your phone or taking a break from social media & the internet for 5 minutes or maybe even a 1 minute & asking God to speak to you in that quiet moment.”
2. Whatever it takes, whatever it costs, find quiet places to hear God whisper.
3. Try (Be willing to try new things to hear God more)…be open & humble to experience God in a new way.
4. Ask God to turn up the volume! Sometimes just asking God to speak…You can pray a simple prayer…” “Jesus, I need you. I want to hear your voice in my life, and I need your power to shut up the negative voices that are inside my mind. Come Holy Spirit and take over my thoughts and my heart. Help me know that I’m your special kid and that you love me. In Jesus Name, Amen.”
5. Press the mute button on Satan (Learn to silence the other voices in your head. Learning to discern what’s the voice of God, what’s your own pain, what is the voice of the enemy trying to lie to you, put you down, & get you to do self-destructive things. Our new book, “shut up” coming out in September will help teach you how to move in spiritual power to shut up the lies.
6. Put together an emergency “whisper bag” (can do on your phone with apps, social media sites…for example a devotional app like Jesus Calling, an Instagram with scriptures quotes & encouraging words of hope, or having music on your phone that speaks to your heart & brings you Joy, Peace, or comfort.
7. Take up journaling (Even starting with one sentence a day)
8. Test the whispers (God will never tell you something that contradicts the Bible…confirm the whispers with scripture & confirm with people you trust).
“Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.” ~ Jeremiah 33:3
We love to hear from you so please reach out with any questions, stories, or ways we can be praying for you. Contact: info@sayshutup.com