How to Hear God’s Voice by Lisa Burkhardt Worley

Part 1: Trust the Voice

My mind is still swirling from a prophetic conference I attended last weekend. I was drawn to it because I am interested in the prophetic, not because I think I am prophetic. Before you start worrying that I’ve taken a turn into the bizarre, prophecy used to scare me too, but it’s just words given by God through another person, to encourage someone, to confirm a direction, or to move someone into a place where God wants to take them.

Occasionally, I get “words of knowledge” for people, but I don’t see beautiful images like some do. Something like: “I saw you on the top of a mountain, with a bouquet of flowers in your hands, then the wind blew the petals off the flowers and the rain began to fall.”  Not me. At least not yet. I also didn’t think I could prophesy on demand. It often came when I least expected it, and it was up to me whether or not I was obedient to share what I heard.

During a break at the weekend conference, I actually told a woman who teaches prophetic classes at our church, “I don’t think I’m prophetic.” God was smiling. Shortly after that I saw someone else I knew. Her first words to me were: “Do you have a word for me?” Well uh. Let me think…. (Here we go—prophecy on demand).

The word that came to me was “prosperous.” I thought, That is ridiculous. Why would “prosperous” be a word for her? So I didn’t say it. As it turned out, she shared that God had moved her ministry to another city where the Lord had blessed them with many attendees at their church, unlike their previous location. They were now “prosperous.” I needed to trust what I heard. God wanted me to tell her that He was taking her and her ministry into a season of prosperity and that she is right where she needs to be during this time of her life.

The following day at church, I sat behind a gentleman when I heard the “voice.” It was one of those “out there” thoughts that I knew I didn’t make up. I felt like the Holy Spirit said, “Tell him that what he is searching for, he will find it here.” Do I have to? Well Lord, if you want me to share this with him, you are going to have to give me an opportunity. After our time of worship, the pastor said, “Now turn around and greet the people around you.” The man in front of me immediately turned around and looked me square in the eyes. I couldn’t run. I said, “I have a word for you. Whatever you are searching for, you will find it here.” I then asked with doubt, “Does that mean anything to you?” He nodded vigorously—while smiling.

Toward the end of his sermon, our pastor, Robert Morris, talked about Luke 15 which includes things that are “lost.” Lost sheep, a lost coin, and the lost son and what was found. I thought about the word I was given for the man about finding what he was looking for and realized this was not a coincidence.  I have to trust what I am hearing and that I was not to question it, even when it doesn’t make sense to me.

1 Corinthians 14:1 says, “Follow the way of love and eagerly desire gifts of the Spirit, especially prophecy.” In other words, we should desire to hear from God because he still speaks to us, and through us. 

Pay attention to that still small voice and believe what He’s saying is true. It may not only be what you need to hear, but it could be a word that someone else needs to move forward in his or her calling.