Encountering God through Hearing His Voice and Journaling
Journaling is a biblical method that will help you know God’s voice in your heart. The goal is “to encounter God personally.” When you encounter Him on a daily basis it cannot help but become relevant for daily life and healthy for your soul (mind, will, emotions, and heart).
God always desires to speak to His children. However, we don’t know how to tell the difference from his voice, our own thoughts, or the devils shaming accusations and lies. If we can learn to know his voice speaking within us, we will become surer of our daily walk with Him. Journaling is a simple way to sort out which voice is God’s.
The greatest benefit of Journaling during your Quiet Time is that you will learn to freely receive the spontaneous flow of ideas, truth, direction, comfort, correction and encouragement that come from His heart to your heart and mind. In faith, you will begin to know and believe they are from Jesus. As a result; you will also sort through the natural tendency of short-circuiting his regular flow of thoughts toward you by “leaning on your own understanding” and doubt.
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not to your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him (get to know him intimately), and he shall direct your paths (everyday). (Proverbs 3:5-6)
Is the following true of your experience up to this point in your journey? Before keeping a journal, you may have asked God for an answer to a question or for guidance, and as soon as his flow of thoughts began, you would shrink back and immediately question whether these thoughts were in fact from God or from self. The truth is that the free flow of God’s thoughts can be quenched and short-circuited by doubt.
“You can never please God without faith, without depending on him. Anyone who wants to come to God must believe that there is a God and that he rewards those who sincerely look for him.” (Hebrews 11: 6 LB)
Hearing him with child-like trust and confidence and journaling what he says is the greatest reward this side of Heaven! Everyday becomes an exciting journey of intimate sharing between you and God. Fellowship with him becomes the sweetest part of your life. Life becomes clear and focused as you learn to get daily guidance, comfort and encouragement from him. And you will never again feel alone or that you don’t fit as he daily reveals your place and purpose in his Kingdom.
While journaling he will shed fresh light on His scripture and how to apply it to your daily life. The Bible will come alive to you! His word will never again be just words on paper. They will become active, living and written on your heart. What a blessing it is for God himself to teach you how to apply his word to all of life’s experiences and challenges.
The spiritual exercise of encountering God and journaling his wonderful thoughts are based on the following relational truths.
“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Then shall you call upon me, and you shall go and pray to me, and I will come to you. And you shall seek me, and find me, when you search for me with all your heart. And I will be found of you, says the Lord…” (Jeremiah 29: 11-14a NKJ)
God the Father and Jesus the Lord desire to have regular fellowship and communication with us—the communication of father with child, friend with friend, lover with beloved.
Through the gift of their Holy Spirit, God is present in every child of God, and ready to communicate with us... He takes up residence in our heart.
He will always speak to us on our level. As a father speaks with his children, according to where they are developmentally and emotionally, God speaks into our life.
Communing with God works best when we are willing to communicate with him his way. Consider Jesus’ direction and assurance to his followers: “Yes, ask anything, using my name, and I will do it! If you love me, obey me; and I will ask the Father and he will give you another Comforter, and he will never leave. He is the Holy Spirit, the Spirit who leads you into all truth.”(John 14: 14-17a, LB)
Consider the following issues on Hearing God:
Why Do We Need To Hear From God?
In order to understand the things of God
“No one can really know what anyone else is thinking, or what he is really like, except that person himself. And God has actually given us his Spirit (not the world’s spirit) to tell us about the wonderful free gifts of grace and blessing that God has given us.” (1 Corinthians 2: 11-12, LB)
To receive the daily peace of God
“I’m leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart! And the peace I give isn’t fragile like the peace the world gives.” (John 14:27LB)
“Come to me and I will give you rest (peace)—all of you who work so hard beneath a heavy yoke. Wear my yoke—for it fits perfectly—and let me teach you; for I am gentle and humble, and you shall find rest (peace) for your souls; for I give only light burdens.” (Matthew 11: 28-30)
For the wisdom of God that is essential for daily life. Where does this wisdom come from?(Godly Discernment)
“If you want to know what God wants you to do, ask him, and he will gladly tell you, for he is always ready to give a bountiful supply of wisdom to all who ask him; he will not resent it (you asking). But when you ask him, be sure that you really expect him to tell you, for a doubtful mind will be as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind; and every decision you then make will be uncertain, as you turn first this way, and then that. If you don’t ask with faith, don’t expect the Lord to give you any solid answer.” (James 1:5-8 LB)
Why Would God Want to Speak to Someone like Me?
Because He desires to have a relationship with His children
“Christ was alive when the world began, yet I myself have seen him with my own eyes and listened to him speak. I have touched him with my own hands. He is God’s message of life. This one who is life from God has been shown to us and we guarantee that we have seen him; I am speaking of Christ who is eternal Life. He was with the Father and then was shown to us.
Again I say, we are telling you about what we ourselves have actually seen and heard, so that you may share the fellowship and the joys we have with the Father and with Jesus Christ his son. And if you do as I say in this letter, then, you too, will be full of joy, and so will we.
This is the message God has given us to pass on to you: that God is Light and in him is no darkness at all. So if we say we are his friends, but go on living in spiritual darkness and sin, we are lying. But if we are living in the light of God’s presence, just as Christ does, then we have wonderful fellowship and joy with each other and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from every sin.
If we say we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves, and refusing to accept the truth. But if we confess our sins to him, he can be depended on to forgive us and to cleanse us from every wrong. (And it is perfectly proper for God to do this for us because Christ died to wash away our sins.) If we claim we have not sinned, we are lying and calling God a liar, for he says we have sinned.” (1 John 1: 1-7 LB)
Does God Expect Us to make Our Own Decisions with Our Own Strength?
No, he wants to be Lord of our choices
“Anyone refusing to walk through the gate into a sheepfold, who sneaks over the wall, must surely be a thief! For a shepherd (Jesus) comes through the gate. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep hear his voice and come to him; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. He walks ahead of them; and they follow him, for they recognize his voice. They won’t follow a stranger but will run from him, for they don’t (no longer) recognize his voice.”(John 10:1-5LB)
God wants to guide us through every decision in life
“So they called them back in, and told them never again to speak about Jesus. But Peter and John replied, ‘You decide whether God wants us to obey you instead of him! We cannot stop telling about the wonderful things we saw Jesus do and heard him say.” (Acts 4: 18-20 LB)
“He That Has Ears to Hear Let Him Hear What the Spirit Says” (Rev. 2:7)
Written at least 10 times in the New Testament
Refers to Spiritual ears, gained when you asked Jesus into you hearts at Salvation
Enables us to be in constant fellowship with God
Jesus Withdrew By Himself to Communicate With His Father
“Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.” (Mark 1:35)
“After leaving them, he went up to mountainside to pray.” (Mark 6:46)
“But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.”(Luke 5:16)
“One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night to God.” (Luke 6:12)
What is the Holy Spirit’s Part?
Convicts-Ask the Lord to search your heart. “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test my thoughts. Point out anything you find in me that makes you sad, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.” (Psalm 138: 23-24 LB)
Confess-Agree (with God) that what we’ve done is wrong and ask for His cleansing. “But if we confess our sins to him, he can be depended on to forgive us and to cleanse us from every wrong.” (1 John 1:9 LB)
Repentance-Agreeing to turn away from (change our mind and direction) with Godly sorrow for how our actions or reactions have hurt us, others and Him. Enabling us to live from the wellspring of our true identity in Christ!
Heavenly Connection-Apply what the Lord is saying to soak into our hearts and allow His grace to change us. “So get rid of all that is wrong in your life, both inside and outside, and humbly be glad for the wonderful message we have received, for it is able to save our souls as it takes hold of your hearts. And remember, it is a message to obey, not just listen to. So don’t fool yourselves. For if a person just listens and doesn’t obey, he is like a man looking at his face in a mirror; as soon as he walks away, he can’t see himself anymore or remember what he looks like. But if anyone keeps looking steadily into God’s law for free men, he will not only remember it but he will do what it says, and God will greatly bless him in everything he does. (James 1:21-25 LB)
3 Voices We Can Hear in Our Journaling
God: Hearing God’s voice results in; freedom, encouragement, direction, affirmation, correction with love, comfort and specific answers, not vague generalities.
Self: Hearing self results in; self-pity, self-condemnation, defensive language, denial, and projection.
Satan: Confusion, condemnation, negativity, and guilt…he does not speak in specifics, rather generalities to confuse.
How Can I test to See If I Am Hearing God’s Voice?
Is it Scriptural?
Does it glorify Jesus?
Is there a witness in my spirit?
Does it build up or tear down?
Does it result in more freedom or bondage?
Five Ways God Speaks to Us:
Word (Bible)
Body of Christ
Holy Spirit speaks to our heart and applies scripture
Circumstances and situations—everyday life
Nature
We must know Him in order to Know Him; we must hear Him in order to hear Him—we must practice listening in order to know and hear Him.
How to Have a Journal Time
Ask the Lord to speak to you and teach you how to hear his voice.
First, remove yourself from distractions, as Jesus did—go to a quiet place. Journaling is simply a conversation with the Lord. Begin by thanking God for his blessings in the past 24 hours. Confess your wrongs and receive the Lord’s forgiveness Ask him for direction in your life. Remember to be specific, asking direct questions pertaining to your needs or a particular situation.
Sit quietly for a few minutes and listen to your heart. This is where we hear the Lord—not in our logic or thinking. Simply write down his response. Follow with any other questions pertaining to the same question. Remember, this is a dialogue not a one-way conversation. Speak as if you were speaking to anyone else.
Remember, the Holy Spirit is the teacher and counselor. Ask the Spirit for direction and the ability to hear his voice. Then write what you hear Him saying in your heart. It will be free flowing thoughts that come into your heart. Date each entry and include where you were at the time.
Beginners can reread their journal and test the response by the standards written above in “How Do I Know I Am Hearing from the Lord”. If you have problems get with a big brother (or someone) experienced in prayer journaling to guide you through the process.
Sometimes prayer journaling feels more like a one way conversation than a dialogue with our Heavenly Father. We tell him how we are feeling, thank him for what He has done, or ask Him for our needs and go on our merry way, leaving our prayers at the ceiling.
We know that God is capable of answering all of our requests, but do we know how to wait and hear what his answers are? Do we ask Him for the deep things that can permanently improve our life? When we are physically sick, we don’t hesitate to ask Him to heal our body, but what about when we are sick on the inside? When our inner wounds have become infected and are producing additional problems and issues such as alcoholism, drug addiction, and relational breakdowns our hope is to take these to God in prayer journaling.
We think we know ourselves better than anyone, so of course, we know exactly what to ask God for. But, do we really know ourselves better than anyone else? Tell me this, do you know how many hairs are on your head? Do you know how many tears you have cried? Do you know the number of your days here on earth, the day you will die? Do you know what tomorrow will bring?
God does! He has the answers to every one of these questions for YOU, personally. And if God is the only one who does, wouldn’t it make sense to trust Him to know the deep things within your heart—why you are the way you are and the deep reasons of why you are so wounded and broken?
God has all the answers and it is His desire to reveal them to you in His time. The Bible says, “And you shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free.” We have all believed lies about our self. If we saw just how many at one time, we would be blown away.
Some examples common to all of us to one degree or another: “I’m worthless,” “I can’t do anything right,” “I’m all alone,” “It I let my guard down and let someone in, I’ll get hurt.” God wants to tell YOU the truth so that you may be free from the inner-wounds that result from believing lies.
In order to do this, we must begin to open out hearts and minds to a new way of communicating with Him. We need to ask Him to reveal to us why we feel or think the way we think, and then ask Him to tell us what the truth is from His perspective. We need to trust that if God could speak and write the Bible through men no different than we are, He can and will speak to us concerning the deep things within us. That is what prayer journaling accomplishes!
Purpose of Journaling
It will help you pay attention. Mind wandering is a big hindrance to prayer journaling. Writing down what you are saying to God, and his reply will result in better concentration.
The faintest ink is better than the strongest memory. You will be surprised at how many answers to prayer you get and you will not have to think about who or what you are praying for.
It will help you develop a more sensitive mind and heart to the voice of heavenly Father. A law of listening is this, those impressions you ignore; you become hardened to and cannot easily hear. Those impressions you respond to (writing it out is a first response) you become more sensitive to. We usually write down all important things. Nothing is more important than prayer journaling.
Learning to Hear God’s Voice
Characteristics of God’s Voice
Characteristics of God’s Voice
God’s voice never contradicts Scripture.
When God speaks to you it brings encouragement, even when correction is needed.
The Lord leads his children; He never drives or pushes them.
God speaks by His Holy Spirit through the Bible, sometimes directly, through other people, books, tapes, nature etc.
He most often communicates His love, guidance and protection to us.
Characteristics of Satan’s Voice
He often brings feelings of guilt, fear and anxiety.
He is also called an Angel of light, and will come to us with half-truths.
Satan pushes us.
Learning to Hear God’s Voice by Prayer and Meditating on Scriptures
Prayer Journaling:
Heavenly Father, please tell me two things that you like about me.
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Heavenly Father, please tell me something I have done that pleases you.
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Read the scripture and then allow the Holy Spirit who is its author and who lives in you to tell you what it means and what personal application you need to make. “Jesus said, what shall it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his own soul.”
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As we learn the art and discipline of Prayer journaling we must make deliberate choices and efforts to set our mind on God.
“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything; tell God your needs and don’t forget to thank him for his answers. If you do this you will experience God’s peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will keep your thoughts and your hearts quiet and at rest as you trust in Christ Jesus.
“And now, brothers, as I close this letter let me say this one more thing: Fix your thoughts on what is true and good and right. Think about things that are pure and lovely, and dwell on the fine, good things in others. Think about all you can praise God for and be glad about. Keep putting into practice all you learned from me and saw me doing, and the God of peace will be with you.” (Philippians 4:6-9 LB)
Journal your conversations with God: Begin by praying something like this. “Lord, I know that you know me better than I know myself. I trust that you know what’s best for me, and only you know the deeper wounds that you desire to heal and when I will be ready for this healing. Holy Spirit, write through me the questions that need to be asked and the answers I need to hear. Let me not be deceived and let all that I write be truth from you. In Jesus Name, Amen!
A Final Thought: Cultivate a humble, teachable spirit. Never allow the attitude, “God told me, and that’s all there is to it.” All revelation is to be tested. In learning any new skill, mistakes are inevitable. Accept them as part of the learning process and keep moving forward. Remember, God is for you more than any else in this spiritual endeavor. He will nurture your growth in hearing his voice and journaling!
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