4 More Ways to Hear God Speak through the Bible

A few months ago I wrote in my blog about 5 Ways to Hear God Speak through the Bible.

The good news is that you’re not limited to only 5 ways to hear God speak! Here are four more ways you can hear the voice of God in Scripture.

6) Use colored pencils to identify repeated words and ideas in the passage. If you’re like me you can even color code so that you can see patterns emerging at a glance. This will help you to know what the author and the Holy Spirit are emphasizing in the text. For example, I was recently studying 1 John and every time the word love was mentioned I drew a red heart around it. However, I also drew a blue circle when John uses the word “world.” There is a clear contrast throughout the book between the love we are to have for each other and what loving the world looks like. I might not have picked up on this contrast without seeing how often John uses these two words.

7) Look up the English definition of key words. If you are able, look up the definition of the words in the original language (Hebrew or Greek). There are a lot of free online tools if you want to learn how to look up a word in the original language (check out blueletterbible.org, biblehub.com, or biblegateway.com ). However, at the very least make sure you are looking up the English definitions of important words and words you might not understand. It’s too easy to gloss over unfamiliar words or think we know what they mean. If you take the time to establish the meaning of a word you may find that you understand the passage in a whole new way.

8) Pray through the passage – for example “Thank you Jesus that you are my shepherd and that I have everything I need in you. Thankful for providing time for me to rest and help me to follow you as you lead me beside peaceful waters… “ (Psalm 23:1-2). I suggest keeping these kinds of prayers in a journal and labeling them with a theme so that when you are needing a specific kind of prayer you can find one in your journal. For example, I might label Psalm 23 “Rest, Provision, Peace” so that the next time I’m feeling tired, worried, or chaotic I can find the perfect scripture and prayer to minister to me in my situation.

9) Listen. Sometimes we hear something without listening. We live between a fire station and police station. At first I noticed every siren that sped by our house. But now I’ve tuned it out so that I may not even notice one is going by. In fact, I can’t remember the last time I heard one, but I know I must have recently. We want to make sure we are not treating God’s Word like that. Don’t just rush through your reading everyday and then check a box that you’ve done you’re Christian thing. Take time to really listen to what the text is saying and take time after you read a passage to quiet your mind and listen for the still small voice of the Holy Spirit. Keeping a journal of your Bible study and listening prayer will help you know if you’re just going through the motions or really engaging the Spirit and the Word in a meaningful way.

I know that it takes discipline to intentionally engage the Bible in these ways, but I promise you it is worth it. If you feel like you don’t have the discipline you need, I have good news for you! God’s Word promises us that the Holy Spirit can give us the self-discipline we need (2 Timothy 1:7)! If you will take time daily to intentionally listen to what the Holy Spirit is saying through the Word of God your life will be changed forever because everyday you will encounter the love, wisdom, and power of God through His Word!