Our guest today on the Everyday Faith Podcast is Heidi Mortenson, a licensed marriage and family therapist, speaker, author, and host of the Strong Tower Mental Health Podcast. Heidi has a gift to bring clarity and liberty to those wanting freedom from fear, shame, and anxiety. Keep reading to discover how to overcome negative emotions and hear the voice of God in any situation.
Heidi’s Jesus Story
Heidi grew up in a Lutheran home. Faith, religion, and God was everywhere. However, when she was 16, she was invited by a friend to an Assemblies of God church. Assemblies of God is a pentecostal denomination that has lively worship services and believes in the spiritual gifts described in 1 Corinthians 12:4-11. During the service, Heidi was supernaturally pulled to the front of the room during an altar call. It was as if the Holy Spirit walked her to the front to surrender to God. Heidi was overwhelmed by God’s love for her and that night, she officially gave her life to Jesus.
After surrendering to Jesus, Heidi's like felt 'same old, same old'. Though Heidi loved Jesus, she wasn’t being discipled by anyone. Because of this, when college came around, she had the normal college experience of partying and ignoring the things of God.
However, 8 years ago, God got a hold of Heidi in a very big way. In the midst of her life feeling out of order, Heidi found herself in an emotionally dark place. From trying to keep a struggling business afloat, to lack of communication with her husband, to a general sense of feeling constricted, Heidi ultimately found herself desiring to be in heaven rather than living on earth.
During the height of this struggle, Heidi went to her room to pray. She breathed the words, “Jesus, help!” Something supernatural happened in that moment, and Heidi has never been the same. Heidi felt the hope of Jesus enter her room and her heart. Since then, she hasn’t been able to stop thinking about Jesus, and it’s been a whirlwind of God taking over her life in an awesome way.
Have you received Jesus into your heart yet? If not, today is your day! Learn how to surrender your life to Jesus and receive the hope that He offers in our blog: This is For You!
Learning to Hear the Voice of God
After this profound encounter with God, Heidi grew in her connection with Jesus and the Holy Spirit. During a session with a Christian coach, Heidi was challenged to ask Jesus what He says about her. She asked the Lord, “Jesus, what do you say about me?”
After asking this question, Heidi immediately saw a picture of herself with a bucket over her head, and a bright light shining through the bucket. Throughout the course of this encounter and prayer, Jesus took the bucket off of Heidi’s head and showed her that she is a light and that she is loved.
When Heidi looks back on this encounter, she can see the hand of God and the voice of God speaking to her through the scriptures. In the book of Matthew, we read:
“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead, they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. - Matthew 5:14-16
Because of this Bible verse, Heidi knew that she was hearing the voice of God. It became clear that Jesus was speaking to her and not a different spirit or demonic force. Jesus was showing Heidi her own struggle with hiding the light that God gave her and confirming this moment through a divine image of Matthew 5!
Sometimes Jesus speaks to us in pictures, other times He speaks to us through Bible verses. Jesus can also speak to us through worship music, encouraging words, and even through signs and wonders. Now that you’ve discovered how Heidi learned how to hear the voice of God in her life, we’ll teach you simple tips to discern God’s voice in your life.
How to Hear the Voice of God
Hearing the voice of God doesn’t have to be complicated. Because God loves us, He is always speaking; we just have to slow down enough to listen! You’ve probably heard the voice of God and accidentally called it your intuition or your conscience. When we hear the voice of God, it is generally an inner, quiet thought that is usually kinder and more peaceful than our own inner dialogue. It is extremely rare to hear the audible voice of God, and in the Bible, it only happened on a few notable occasions. The majority of the time, when Christians use the phrase, “Hear the voice of God,” they mean discerning, feeling, or having thoughts that they discern as the voice of God in their life.
Here are 5 simple tips to help you hear the voice of God in your life:
1. Pause & Put Your Phone Down: Step one to hearing the voice of God is very simple: you have to pause, let go of distractions, and cut out the noise of modern-day life. The average person picks up their phone around 96 - 200 times per day. For Gen Z and Millennials, that’s an average of picking up your phone every ten minutes!
For us to successfully hear the voice of God, we have to have our minds be free from distraction. One simple way to do this is to set a timer for fifteen minutes on something other than your phone. Some great options are the timer on your microwave or oven! When you do this, you can turn your phone off, focus on hearing the voice of God, and pursue connection rather than distraction.
Source: Reviews.org
2. Pray: Prayer is the next step in hearing the voice of God. During our interview with Heidi, she shared stories with us about the power of prayer in hearing the voice of God and experiencing freedom through the Holy Spirit. Here are some simple prayers to help you grow in hearing the voice of God:
“Holy Spirit, I confess my need for you. I thank you that you are the Spirit of Truth that leads into all truth (John 16:13). Give me clarity and grace to hear your voice today.”
“Holy Spirit, I honor you because you hear me when I pray (Psalm 145:18-19). Help me to hear only your voice and no other spirit. Help me to discern your voice and not follow the voice of another. (1 John 4:1-3).”
3. Open the Bible: If you’re ever in doubt about what God’s speaking to you, don’t worry: you can simply Google Bible verses on a certain topic to help you hear the voice of God. You can read Bible verses for when you’re anxious, Bible verses for when you’re hurting, Bible verses for when you’re afraid, and even Bible verses for help sleeping through the night. God loves to speak to us through His word and scriptures from the Bible give us promises of hope and joy, no matter what we're going through.
4. Don’t Be Afraid of Silence: As you’re practicing hearing the voice of God, you’ll sometimes find that you don’t hear anything in return. Don't panic: God isn’t giving you the silent treatment. Sometimes, God knows that you need to take a deep breath, read the Word, or rest in His presence. Just like a healthy friendship or a healthy marriage relationship, silence and being present with one another are sometimes just as powerful as speaking to one another.
Discover more about waiting with God in our blog: Why Isn’t God Answering My Prayer?
5. Test the Spirits: Because we are spiritual beings, sometimes when we pause to hear the voice of God, we can actually hear other spirits in the process. These other spirits can sound like accusation, fear, worry, doubt, shame, loneliness, guilt, or disgust. Remember: these feelings don’t come from God! If it doesn’t sound like Jesus and His words in the New Testament, you shouldn’t hold on to what you hear.
Want to grow in testing the spirits? Learn more about the spiritual gift of discernment in our blog: What is Discernment in the Bible?
6. Trust What You Hear (When It’s Good!): Sometimes when you’re hearing the voice of God, you’ll discover where God wants you to go next. Sometimes, God may challenge you about a certain sin habit or the way you treat a loved one. Other times, God will encourage you and shower you with His love. And often, as you’re learning to hear the voice of God, He may show you how to pray for and encourage someone else in your life, like a friend or a family member. As long as it’s good and doesn’t sound like accusation, fear, anxiety, or worry, you have permission to trust what you hear.
...And if you get it wrong, don’t worry! You’re in a relationship with God, not just a lifestyle of religion towards Him. Communication takes time in any relationship. You’ll get the hang of it as you continue in prayer and continue to practice hearing the voice of God.
Community Helps Us Discern the Voice of God
Hearing God’s voice can sometimes get confusing. If you’re needing to make a big decision or are considering moving jobs, your own thoughts and anxieties can get in the way of hearing the voice of God. That’s where community comes in! A Christian community, like your local Church or Bible study group, can help you discern the voice of God in your life. Simply bring what you’ve heard or what you feel as you’ve sought the Lord in prayer to Christians you trust. Then, let them pray with you and seek God on your behalf.
Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed. - Proverbs 15:22
Bible Verses on Hearing God’s Voice
One could argue that the story of the Bible is one big story of humanity learning to hear and follow God's voice. From Genesis to Revelation, there are countless Bible verses on hearing God's voice and Bible stories for how to follow God's leadership in your life. Below are our top three Bible verses on hearing the voice of God to help you as you discover how to hear the voice of God in your life:
My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. - John 10:27:28
This Bible verse on hearing the voice of God is a direct quote from Jesus in the Gospel of John. Jesus tells us that we, His people, are like sheep, and that we, His sheep, know His voice. Jesus often used shepherd analogies in His teachings, because He is the Good Shepherd! Sheep don’t follow the voice of another or the voice of a counterfeit; they follow the voice of their shepherd! Hearing the voice of God is as simple as trusting God like a shepherd and following Him and His kind leadership.
Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. - 1 John 4:4
This Bible verse about hearing the voice of God is one of Heidi’s favorites. As you’re learning to hear the voice of God, it’s helpful to remember that when you received Jesus into your heart, you also received the Holy Spirit. So, the Holy Spirit is now in you, and He is greater than the enemy, who is in the world. As you’re learning to hear the voice of God, it’s helpful to know that because you’ve accepted Jesus, you are now from God! This means you’ve been born again, and you’re His child, and you have access to communicate with God like He’s your father.
Related post: You Are Valuable to God: Bible Verses About Your Worth
For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts, as at Meribah, as on the day at Massah in the wilderness, - Psalm 95:7-8
This Bible verse about hearing the voice of God reminds us again that those who follow Jesus are like sheep who follow their Good Shepherd. When you hear the voice of God, don’t harden your heart. Sometimes God will ask you to pay for someone's groceries or forgive someone who has hurt you: don’t run from these invitations; these are key examples of God’s voice in your life!
Conclusion
Bible verses on hearing the voice of God and Heidi’s story of discovering God’s voice serve as beautiful reminders that God cares for us, no matter what we’re going through. No matter where you’ve been or how stuck you feel, God is always speaking, always full of love towards you, and is always inviting you to take your next step towards Jesus. Remember, hearing the voice of God isn’t reserved for pastors or the hyper-spiritual; anyone can learn to hear the voice of God. As you slow down to pray, read your Bible, and discern God’s voice in Christian community, you will be blown away by God’s love for you.
