so this guy told me he heard God tell him something...

You're a good listener, right?

You learn the name of who you're talking to. You're attentive, not looking at your phone or TV while during a conversation. You're eager to not talk and take things in versus just waiting for your chance to be heard. You use your body language, leaning in to pay full attention versus looking past someone. And you're not in a hurry to hear something... you've even learned how to approach a conversation with zero agenda or prejudice about what you'll let someone say to you.

It's because you care about the person and not just what they'll say. You look for places in the conversation to wrestle with what's been said and agree with a "mmm-hmm" as you process it. You remember what's important and figure out how to do something with it.

You're a good listener, right?

I'd like to think that I am... but I (at best) do this 75% of the time. That's after years of learning, applying, failing, succeeding and learning again.

With that context in mind, let me take you back a whole lot of years ago when I was new to my Christian faith.

So, this guy told me he heard God tell him something.

I remember thinking, "Wait, what?"

Because in the Bible, God spoke directly to lots of different people with famous names like Abraham and Moses. But... this guy?

"This guy in front of me who is eating chicken nuggets and dipping his fries in McDonald's sweet-and-sour sauce... hears from God?"

But my bigger question? "How?"

Ever wondered that? "How can I hear from God and know that it's Him and not me?"

Maybe there's a formula for it. I haven't found one yet. I did jump in, though, trying to apply what I listed earlier:

• I learned the Name: Sure, lots of people give the supernatural lots of names. If God exists, though, why would we name Him versus let Him tell us His Name? He's shown Himself to be "Father, Son and Spirit" - so I often begin praying with "Lord," or "Jesus," to personalize it.
• I became attentive: I found a quiet spot in my house with some white noise to not hear other people or things. Other times I've welcomed the sounds to turn them into praises, "God, thanks for my family whom I hear right now...".
• I was eager to not talk: This didn't come naturally, but by choice. I'll get to that in a moment. I used body language: I didn't lay down where I'd fall asleep, but made myself comfortable. There have been times over the years where I've done the opposite, like laying face down to communicate respect for God, or sitting with my arms open to represent my open life to whatever God might say.
• I paid full attention: The catch here is to acknowledge that our minds wander. A friend of mine told me he always had an extra notebook on hand when he was spending time with God to write down any random everyday "to do" list items (i.e. "Remember to buy milk!") that pop up when we simply slow down. Once you write it down, you can move on from it.
• I wasn't in a hurry: I had read enough of the Bible at that point to know that some of the people we think who knew God best didn't always understand what He meant or hear from Him in the timing they demanded. I wanted to be patient.
• I had zero agenda/prejudice: In a culture where we vote on everything, it's hard to let God have the final say on something that we don't agree with. In some of my biggest struggles, I've had to say, "You're God. I'm not. What do You want me to know today?"
• I cared about the Person: I wanted to talk with God not to hear sage wisdom but to get to know Him and His heart. Sometimes we forget this and turn God into a fortune cookie.
• I wrestled with what has been said: As I started to sense direction and a word or two of leadership, I wrestled with it... wondering, "Is this me, or is this God?"
• I remembered: I wrote down what I experienced.
• I did something about it: I compared my sense of things with what the Bible actually says. God doesn't contradict Himself, so what He's written and what He's guiding you on will always coincide.

To clarify, this is the formula I tried. I don't think it's a bad place to start, but I also don't think it needs to be so formal all the time (although, some times this can be helpful).

I mentioned a thought earlier on listening. Here's an interesting tidbit.

Dan Rather, CBS anchor, once asked Teresa of Calcutta what she said during her prayers. She answered, "I listen." So Dan turned the question and asked, "Well then, what does God say?" She smiled and answered, "He listens." For an instant, Dan didn't know what to say. "And if you don't understand that," she added, "I can't explain it to you."

What she was saying (and what I've learned) is it's often less about praying a formula or repetitive thing, but about considering WHO you're praying to.

My friend Rick Lawrence says, "When it comes to hearing God, I tell people to imagine themselves as a catch in a baseball game. They're wearing a catcher's mitt." And God is the Pitcher. Will we catch whatever He throws? And will we build trust with Him as we go back and forth?

It's been said that the last creature to discover water would be a fish... since it's surrounded by it all the time.

What if this is the same with God?

What if it's not a matter of if you're hearing His voice, but if you're paying attention to it?

"Look to the LORD and His strength; seek His face always." 1  Chronicles 16:11 

For more on the "How do I know it's God" piece, check out this link or this video from Dr Charles Stanley.

In the meantime,  I'd love to hear your journey with this kind of spiritual health. Email me back (and thanks to so many of you who have been doing this - I love connecting with you!)

P.S. Don't miss out on these updates - sign up for the 2020 Reset here: https://mailchi.mp/2f8cdd5ac723/2020reset