“Guard your heart above all else, for it determines
the course of your life.” ~ Proverbs 4:23

“Matters of the Heart” is a weekly blog that deals with the deepest issues of the human heart, the issues we all face but sometimes don’t want to talk about. The heart is the programming center of our lives. What is programmed into our heart will affect every area of our lives. Learn how to discover what is in your heart and how to program your heart for success.

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This year, Lord willing, I will celebrate my 73rd birthday. For nearly 48 of those years, I have been a follower of Jesus Christ. During this time, I have learned many things, but if I were to summarize the ingredients necessary for living a blessed life, I would boil down those ingredients to only two: 1) Hear God’s voice and 2) Obey God’s voice. 

HEARING God’s Voice

Scripture tells us that Jesus did only what He saw the Father doing (John 5: 19). In other words, Jesus took His instructions for everything He did from His Father. If we want to be like Jesus, we must do the same.

But you may be asking how? How can I “see” what the Father is doing so that I can do it, too?

The answer lies in hearing God’s voice. Learning to hear God’s voice is foundational in our Christian walk. It is the most important activity we need to cultivate in order that we can obey God.

So, how do we hear God’s voice? 

1. We hear God’s voice by reading His Word. This is the starting point for hearing God’s voice. God speaks to us primarily through His Word. The Bible is God’s love letter to us, written for our instruction. It teaches us how to live for God and for His purposes. It is our manual for life.

2. We hear God’s voice by spending time with Him in prayer. Prayer is a two-way conversation with God. When we pray, God speaks to us and we respond. 

For many years, I have kept a journal of my conversations with God. Often, I will ask Him a question and then write down the thoughts He brings to my mind in response to my question.

3. We hear God’s voice in our dreams. God speaks to us through our dreams. Pay attention to your dreams. Record them, and then ask Holy Spirit what they mean.

Remember this: God wants to communicate with you. He wants to speak to you. He wants you to hear His voice daily. So expect God to speak to you.

OBEYING God’s Voice

Once we hear God’s voice, we are responsible to obey it. It is our obedience that brings God’s blessings into our lives. Scripture says this in James 1: 22: “But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves.”  

If we hear God’s Word but do not obey it, we are deceiving ourselves. But when we hear God’s Word and obey it, we will experience the abundant life of blessings that Jesus died to give us.