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My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. - John 10:27  

At the core of following Jesus is the ability to hear from Him, for guidance and encouragement, for insight and conviction, to know what to say and when and how to say it. We need to be able to hear from Him in making decisions; in stewarding the resources He has entrusted to us, and to simply live as His followers.  

God still speaks today if we are willing to listen. He speaks through the Holy Spirit, His Word, prayer, other believers, and circumstances – the hardest of the ways and easiest to get wrong – but in conjunction with all the other ways, there is clarity.  

Relationships are built on our ability to communicate, verbally, and nonverbally, by what we say and do. Communication is where we experience the trust, love, compassion, loyalty, and companionship of a life-giving relationship, and that includes our relationship with Jesus. It involves speaking and listening. Learning to listen for the voice of Jesus is critical to truly following Him and experiencing a relationship with Him.  

One of the best things we can do as followers of Jesus is to be in the Word of God on a regular basis. The Word is “living and active” and is “God breathed.” Jesus is the Word, and when we read the Word, it is the same as hearing from Him as the Spirit speaks to our hearts and as we pray through the Word.  

A great method of hearing from God through His Word is the H.E.A.R. Method – a simple way of engaging with the Bible with the intent of listening for and living out what He wants us to know and be. It is pretty easy to follow – simply read a passage of Scripture a day for 5-7 days a week and write down what you sense God is saying to you. Below is a more detailed explanation of the H.E.A.R. Method.  

This week, I was reading Mark 1 and got to the story of a man with leprosy who came to Jesus for healing. He begged Jesus for help and said, “If you are willing, you can heal me...” Jesus was moved by compassion and responded, “I am willing” and healed him, restoring him and giving him a new life all together. As I read this passage and reflected on it, I sensed God drawing my attention to the man’s humility and faith, but also the compassion of Jesus and His willingness to help. I was filled with encouragement to know that Jesus does the same today – filled with compassion for us and willing to help – and that includes having compassion on me and being willing to help me as I approach Him with humility and faith. It became real and personal in a new way and opened up my quiet time with Him to something beyond discipline and instead, becoming time with a friend, a real friend, to realize that in a sense, He was saying to me – “I am willing to help you too.” It was good to just realize that Jesus was “speaking” to me through His Word, taking time to be with me and speaking personally to me. In other words, being a friend. He still speaks today.  

At Bridges, our mission is helping people find and follow Jesus. This includes helping people learn to hear His voice. If we cannot hear His voice, we cannot follow Him. But if we can hear His voice, we can live the life of abundance He has for us.  

I encourage you to listen for His voice today. Perhaps, try the H.E.A.R. method and see what God does. Pursue a real, personal relationship with Him. Talk to Him. Take time to be still and listen for Him. Spend time with the friend He is and enjoy His friendship. Good friends spend time together and that is what He wants from us. Be a friend to Jesus today and listen.  

Let us know if we can help in any way as you seek to listen and follow Jesus.  

The H.E.A.R. Method 

Method: 

Read a passage/chapter of Scripture each day (5 –7 days per week) with prayer and reflection.  

Highlight:  

Question: What verse stood out to you? 

Action: Write the verse out.  

Explain:  

Question: What does the verse mean in context?  

Action: Summarize the verse in your own words.  

Apply:  

Question: How can you live out the verse? 

Action: Write out what you sense God is asking you to do.  

Respond: 

Question: What do you want to say to God about this verse? 

Action: Write out a prayer of response.  

 

H.E.A.R. EXAMPLE 

Daily Reading: Philippians 4 

Date: June 3 

  • Highlight: Phil. 4:13 – “I am able to do all things through Him who strengthens me.” 
  • Explain: Paul was telling the church at Philippi that he had discovered the secret of contentment. No matter the situation in Paul’s life, he realized Christ was all he needed, and Christ strengthened him to persevere through difficult times.  
  • Apply: In my life, I will experience many ups and downs. My contentment is not found in my circumstances. Rather it is based on a relationship with Jesus Christ. Only Jesus gives me the strength I need to be content in every circumstance.  
  • Respond: Lord Jesus, please help me strive to be content in you. Through Your strength, I can make it through every situation I face.