I Want to Hear God Better!

Check out my YouTube Video for more on this topic!

Have you ever prayed and asked...are you hearing me, God?  Do you ever wonder if you are hearing GOD's voice...or is it just your own crazy voice in your head?  If you've ever felt this, you are not alone!  I definitely have been there!  But there are also definitely ways to hear God more, as well as ways to hinder God's voice in our lives!  He promises that if we draw near to Him, He will draw near to us!  I believe it! 

Here are 4 ways we can draw nearer to God and hear Him more clearly:

1 - Get to Know God!

You know how it is when you first meet someone, say a close friend or your boyfriend?  At first you kinda know them on a surface level.  You think you know things about him/her, but you really don't KNOW them. As you grow closer to them and spend more one-on-one, quality time together, you being to learn more about them.  What they like and dislike.  What their preferences are.  What turns them off.  What their character is like.  

God is the same way - many of us don't really know God much deeper than a surface level.  We have heard about Him, we have maybe been to church, but we've never really spent quality, one-on-one time with Him, so if we're honest, all our thoughts about Him are simply assumptions.  To know anyone you must invest yourself in spending time with them.  And for God, He gave us the Bible to read and get to know Him.  If you want to HEAR Him, you must Know Him more and more!  You do this by talking to Him (prayer) and reading the Bible!  I personally love my miniture/compact Bible because it fits so easily in my purse - here is a super cute, compact Bible!  But a normal-sized Bible like this is great too! I also love and most-often use this Bible app! I have it on my tablet!

My purse & my little Bible! :)

Psalm 1:2 - But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night.  He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither.  Whatever he does prospers.
Psalm 119:34-36 - Give me understanding, and I will keep your law and obey it with all my heart.  Direct me in the path of your commands, for there I find delight.  Turn my heart toward your Word...

2 - Start obeying God in the Small Things (not just the bigger, obvious things!).
Sometimes I get like this inkling or small thought in my heart to do something...and I kinda laugh it off.  But, I think, what God has been telling me is to follow through on that still, small voice! Obey Him in the small things too, not just the big, black and white issues!

For example, not too long ago I was on an airplane for a work trip.  It was a small plane and I'd began conversing with two of the flight attendents, which was super helpful because I was having some anxiety about flying!  Before we got off the plane, I felt God whisper to my heart, "Tell those two flight attendents that I love them and that I have a purpose for their lives."  I literally heard those specific words, not voiced outloud, but in my spirit.  At first I was thinking that would be really weird and I probably didn't really hear that from God.  But it was pressing on my heart and I made the decision to follow through with what I felt God was telling me to do. So, I searched through my purse for a piece of paper to write them a quick note.  Of course, because of my iphone and my tablet, I don't really keep paper in my purse anymore!  Ha!  I had one old postcard...and I used it!  I wrote those exact words that God told me to write and I handed it to the flight attendents as I deboarded the plane.  I have no idea what they thought of the note, but I do know that I obeyed God in giving it to them.  I also know that when I obey God in the small things, that I will hear him more clearly in the bigger decisions that I more desperately want to hear and am praying about!
Deuteronomy 28:1-2 - If you fully obey the LORD your God and carefully follow all his commands I give you today, the LORD your God will set you high above all the nations on the earth.  All these blessings will come upon you and accompany you if you obey the LORD your God.

3 - Surrender Each Day to Him!
I like to do this every morning, before my son wakes up.  I have a prayer time alone with God. Sometimes I have to surrender certain things and people on my heart several times throughout the day.  It just depends on the issue.

One thing that I know can help or hinder our prayers is what's going on inside our hearts.  I don't ever want to be that person (which I'm sure I have been before...none of us is perfect.) that there is some glaring and obvious ISSUE going on in my life, but I'm the ONLY one who can't see it.  I want to be real before God.  I want to be surrendered to Him.  Not only does this bring us peace in letting go of control, but it also helps us to HEAR GOD answer our prayers more clearly.

3 Questions I Ask Myself In Surrendering Myself to God:

1 - Is there anything in my life that I'm pretending to not know? Or that I'm refusing to obey?
Proverbs 28:9 - If anyone turns a deaf ear to the law, even his prayers are detestable. 
2 - Is there an attitude or motive in my heart that is holding me back?
Matthew 6:5 - And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they...love to be seen by men.

3 - Do I have an unforgiveness or a relationship breakdown that I have not properly resolved?

1 Peter 3:7 - Husbands, be considerate as you live with your wives...so that nothing will hinder your prayers.

4 - Trust God.  Trust Him with whatever answer He gives you. Trust that He will bring everything together for good.

This is the hardest one for me!  But this is where our faith become REAL.  This is where the rubber meets the road and we prove to ourselves that we truly do believe not only in God, but we believe God and His Word.  We choose to trust that He is for us and that His way is the best way.  We've read His Word, we've begun obeying, we've prayed and surrendered ourselves to Him...now we must trust.  We can choose to trust.  We can, as sisters in Christ, empower and encourage each other to believe and choose God's ways!

And to be honest, there are times I find myself praying and asking God to speak to me - BUT in my haert of hearts I really want to hear Him ONLY if I can have ______ outcome.  Only if You'll let me have, do, be, say yes/no to _______.   When I catch myself doing this, I remind myself of God's Word and that He says, "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him," (Romans 8:28a).  When I find myself giving God ultimatums on how i want to hear Him respond, not only am I limiting my true ability to hear Him, but I'm also not trusting that I believe that He will work everything out for my good.  Pretty much, I'm saying that if I can't figure out HOW the outcome to this prayer will make me happy, then I'm just not going to believe it.  I feel so convicted even writing this.  I feel so saddened at my stubborness and unbelief!

Ladies, will you join me in first, asking for forgiveness, and second is asking God to help our unbelief?  Let's spur each other on to trust Him and to trust Him in ALL things!  Let's, together, choose today to open our hearts to Him, spend time with Him, surrender to Him, obey Him and lastly trust Him!  

Love and Blessings to each of you as we pursue this journey of life together!

Xoxo, 

Allison

I wore Spring colors for the first time Spring!  Yay!
What's your favorite Spring-shade to wear? :)

- Instagram (allisondavisblog) 

- Twitter (allisondavis339)!  

- YouTube Channel

- Google Plus

Would you like to contact Allison and/or have her speak at one of your events?

Contact Allison at: allisondavisblog@gmail.com