I KNOW that we can talk to God, but I was astonished when I discovered how much God desires to talk back to us. This clicked when I heard a teaching by Mark Virkler on this very subject in my 4 Keys to Hearing God’s Voice class.  Virkler asserts that hearing God’s voice was like “having a flow of spontaneous thoughts light upon your mind.” “Well, shoot,” I thought to myself “I have these type of spontaneous thought alot.”

This picture that came to me Saturday morning after my class:  When I was a little girl in the ’80s, I loved Rice Krispies cereal—and not because it had a great taste. Instead, I was on a mission to recreate the Snap, Crackle & Pop sound that I saw on the commercial. I would pour my cereal and milk into the bowl and hold my head to listen to the sound of the Krispies going off in a symphony. Sometimes I held my head so close to the cereal bowl that I would get milk on my ponytails. When the Krispies would get soggy, I would pour some more.

What did this picture mean? That hearing God’s voice was no different than experiencing the thrill of the Snap, Crackle & Pop in the Rice Krispies bowl. That pursuing God’s sound is not silly, and it is okay to become childlike in the process. Finally, when you think that you can’t hear God any more, do something different, change your position, wait a little longer for your next random thought.

How does this change my understanding of hearing God? Having random thoughts is okay. I could be thinking about fixing dinner and have the most independent idea about how much I love the rain without feeling weird or unfocused. By the way, the Lord blessed me to understand that we need rain:

Spontaneous Thought

The rain is good for watering our food; it replenishes rivers and streams.
We can use the rain to discern the times and the seasons. It is a symbol of the
Holy Spirit. The rain also reminds us of God’s sovereignty ; we
cannot create the rain. We can ask God to send it or to stop it- but it is
up to God. So, why despise or complain about the rain. Next time it
pours, thank God for it.

HERE ARE SOME TAKEAWAYS:
God WANTS to speak to us. You have to position yourself to hear God—even if it means getting closer to the bowl, so-to-speak. Don’t allow distractions to disrupt your posture or cause you to miss an opportunity to what is God speaking in a moment. Draw near to God and [God] will draw near to you (James 4:8).

Use Scripture to examine your thoughts. Do your thoughts line up with God’s will? God can confirm the soundness of your thoughts through people and Scripture. Read and then share what God is saying to you for accountability. The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.  (Deuteronomy 29:29).

There is a sacrifice–but it’s all good.  I promise that hearing God’s voice can cost you something: comfort, time, etc. Perhaps we don’t hear so intently, because listening to God usually requires a different level of obedience. After God speaks, God may prompt us toward a deeper revelation of truth. John 14:21 -23 promises that if we obey Jesus’ commandments, Jesus will manifest and Jesus and the Father will make their home with us. Knowing God = forever relationship goals. Be still and know that I am God (Psalm 46:10).

This understanding is brand new for me as I have started the 4 Keys class 3 weeks ago. I am looking forward to experiencing more of these spontaneous thoughts. Truly, eating Rice Krispies has new meaning for me!