Resource Detail

April 05, 2026 Moses Kang(NY UBF)

Preparing to hear God's voice

Key Verse: I king 19: 11, 12 “The Lord said, 'Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.” Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. There was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper.

Have you ever heard the voice of God? If not, do you want to hear God's voice? Or do you think that hearing God's voice has nothing to do with ordinary people like me, and you are just living your life that way? Is hearing the voice of God possible only for special people? What specifically does it mean to hear the voice of God?

We can identify three different ways of hearing God’s voice throughout the Bible.

First, hearing the voice of God means to hear from God a sound or voice.

The Old Testament is overflowing with people of faith who heard the voice of God. Abraham began his journey of faith after hearing God's voice: “Leave your country, your people, and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you.” Moses met with God face to face, spoke with Him like a friend, and heard God's voice. Many prophets, such as Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Elijah, actually heard the voice of God and wrote books. Samuel heard the voice of God from a young age. Most of them heard the voice of God as sound, just as we speak.

Secondly, people hear the voice of God in a vision.

Daniel heard the voice of God through a vision and recorded it. Apostle Peter also heard a voice in a vision, in a semi-conscious state, saying, “Arise and eat ” (Acts 10:13). Ananias heard the word of God in a vision and prayed for Apostle Paul. Even now, many people hear the voice of God through visions.

I also heard the words of Jesus in a vision in November 1986. At that time, I was working a full-time engineering job while pioneering a new fellowship, so I couldn't even sleep for 4 hours a day (from 5 am to 1 am). Then, I had an accident at the factory and got seriously injured. I had over 100 stitches on my face and underwent an 8-hour surgery a few days later. It was when I was hospitalized for 40 days to recover. Back then, my heart was in distress thinking, “Why did these things happen to me while I really tried to work for God?” The worst thing was that the accident had happened 9 days before my marriage date.

In a vision, Jesus appeared hanging on the cross, bleeding. And He spoke to my heart. “ Can you pay back my grace shown in the cross through your own hard work?” Through this voice, I came to realize that the foundation of my life of faith is based on my righteous deeds. After hearing this voice, God changed me to live a life based on the grace of Jesus.

I believe that many of us have experienced these voices in our lives.

I remember that M. Enoch Seo testified once that he heard God’s voice when he was in the military service, “ Enoch, come back, and serve me.”

The third is hearing the voice of God through the Bible verses.

When we study God's Word, we primarily understand and accept it with our minds, and this remains in our hearts as knowledge of God. As time passes, the word of God soon fades away from our hearts, and fundamental life changes do not easily occur.

How many of you remember the key verse of the Sunday message, not last week, but a week ago?

However, there are times when the word of God pierces our hearts like an arrow. These words never leave our hearts throughout our lives and fundamentally shape us. In the Gospel books, we can find that Jesus repeats after speaking: “ He who has ears, let him hear” (Mt 13:9, 43). Even if we hear the same words dozens of times, if we do not have ears to hear, they will not reach our hearts.

In 1995, three months after arriving in the US, I was involved in a major traffic accident and found myself in a difficult situation. At that time, the difficulty was not due to my physical injury, but financial hardship. I was trembling with worry and anxiety about my future life in America. In the middle of prayer, the Word of God came to me. “Do not worry.” How short it is. How many times must I have heard these words? However, at that time, I heard these words for the first time in my heart. After these words came into my heart, I was able to overcome all the worries of life. How? Jesus told me not to worry, so why should I? It was simple because Jesus said so.

Recently, the message that came to me was “It is written.” Everything we need in life is already recorded in the Bible. The solution to all problems is also in the written word. Jesus also overcame all difficult temptations, saying, “It is written.” Our problem lies in the fact that when problems arise, we do not seek answers in the written word, but instead, we try to rely on our own wisdom or other things.

These are the ways we can hear God’s voice in my experience. Of course, there might be different ways.

Then, does God speak only at special times and not in ordinary times? Does He speak only when we come to Him in great difficulty?

The Bible describes our relationship with God as a father-children relationship. When we pray, we also begin prayer by calling God Father. Let's think about a conversation between a father and son at home. When and about what does the father talk to his son? Ask someone (James, or). “Study hard. Did you do your homework? Stop playing the computer game. Show me your report card.” Usually, Do this or Don’t do this. This kind of conversation is a business talk. Children don't like to respond to these dry conversations. This sounds like nagging. Children begin to call parents a control freak, which in Korean is "kkon-dae."

Children want to hear something else from their parents? What does God say to us as a Father? We can find an example of this in the Bible. What did God say to His Son, Jesus, when He began His public ministry? Did God say, “Work hard, ” or “Do not make a mistake as Adam did.” Matthew 3:17 records: “ This is my Son whom I love. With him, I am well pleased.” I can interpret this verse in these days' words: “Son, I love you. I am proud of you.”

I believe that our children also want to hear these words from their parents. My son, my daughter, I love you. I am proud of you. I am always on your side. I believe in you. You will become a great person in the future because God has a special purpose for you.

God also speaks to us in this way. When Peter came to Jesus, wearing shabby and smelly fisherman’s clothes, Jesus said, “You are a rock; you will be a pillar of the church. ” To Abraham, who was getting old without a child, God said, 'You will become a great man, and many will be blessed because of you.” God repeatedly said to many prophets, “I am with you.”

I have two children, Moses and Gloria. There is something I kept to myself but couldn't say to my children when they were children. That was the word, “I love you."

My parents never said such things to me, and under the unique Confucian influence in Korea, I also found it very awkward to say "I love you," so I was unable to say so.

Once, after Moses had grown up, he told me this: “Dad, do you know why I made mom and dad's lives difficult when I was in high school?” "I think I did the opposite because it was so hard to get recognition from Dad." Moses craved my approval. He wanted to receive his father's approval, even if he was lacking. However, since I didn't say anything about what was done well, but pointed out what was done poorly to him, he was hurt.

Now, I am getting older, and my children have grown up. Now, I have become a grandfather of three grandchildren. I try to make sure to tell my grandchildren the things I couldn't tell my children when they were young. Especially, whenever I talk to my granddaughter, Autumn, I always say, “I love you, Autumn.” Then Autumn says to me, “ I love you, Habi.” “Habi” is a shortened Korean word for grandfather. Then I feel happy as if I am in heaven.

God is a loving Father. God is not someone who comes to speak to us only when He has business. He simply comes to us frequently and wants to speak. “ I love you.” “I know you.” “I am with you.” Do you hear God’s voices like this often, or even occasionally? Or have you never heard of it?

If we had never heard of it, the problem isn’t that God does not speak, but that we cannot hear. I have heard many people testify that even these days, they hear God's gentle voice as if we were talking. If our ears are blocked, we cannot hear God's voice even if God shouts at us.

Then, what should we do to hear God's voice personally? Should we read the Bible more? Or should we pray more? Of course, these are helpful.

However, hearing the voice of God does not depend on what more you have to do. Instead, it depends on what we do not do. We must not do something we habitually do that blocks us from hearing the voice of God. Then, what are the things that we should abandon that prevent us from hearing God's voice?

First, it is spiritual pride.

If someone is very rude outwardly. Then we think that they are proud people. If someone is very gentle outwardly, we think that person is very humble. But God sees differently. A gentle person becomes very proud before God when they stick to their own thought.

Spiritual pride is thinking that I know better than God. Then you will say, “No, I am not.” I never think like that. But we habitually say things like these, “ In my opinion…” or “In my view … ” If we think something is right and best in our own eyes, we do it without asking God.

Proverbs 3:7 says, “Don’t be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil.”

We habitually pray in this way: “Father, I want you to do it in this way and do it quickly. Why didn’t you listen to my prayer?” Unintentionally, we are giving instructions to God on what to do by saying, do this and don’t do this.” Sometimes, we even give a command to God: “ Lord, do this.”

Isaiah 55: 8, 9, God says: “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, Declares the Lord. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

God’s thoughts are higher than our thoughts. God's way is higher than our way. We want God to do as we think. This is spiritual pride. This pride blocks the voice of God. Since we do everything according to our own thoughts, God has nothing to say. God will say, "Ok, Mr. Know-it-all," ( in Korean “그래 너 잘났다.”) and God remains silent.

Then what should we do? We should try to obey God’s words, not giving Him instructions. And we need to pray like this: “ Lord, give me what you want, not what I want.” “Do not do what I know, but what you know; do not do my will, but your will.”

Secondly, it is grumbling toward God.

We often have thoughts like these: “ Why does God listen so readily to that person’s prayers but not mine? ” “Why am I the only one struggling? ” “ Why am I the only one suffering? ” Such dissatisfaction blocks the voice of God. Numbers 14:27 says, “How long will this wicked community grumble against me? I have heard the complaints of these grumbling Israelites.” God hears all our grumbling. And so, God remains silent in the face of our discontent.

Philippians 2:14 says, “Do everything without grumbling or arguing.” We must give thanks instead of complaining. Even if things do not happen as I planned, be grateful. And give thanks even when hardship comes. We must be grateful even if our children do not seem to perform well.

This is because we believe that God is still working to give us the best things in His own time. God’s work is not done by us, but by God. Our job is to give thanks to this God.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 says: “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

Do you remember last week's passage, Hosea 14:2?

Through Hosea, God taught us exactly what to say in prayer. “ “Forgive all our sins and receive us graciously, that we may offer the fruit of our lips. What would be the fruit of our lips? Thanksgiving and acknowledging God with our lips.

Thirdly, it is our impatience.

Isaiah 30:15 says, “In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength, but you would have none of it.”

God does not hurry. Abraham waited 25 years. Joseph waited 13 years. Moses waited for forty years. David also waited 15 years after being anointed until he became a king. On the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit came after waiting for 50 days. God acts according to His own timing.

The time God has appointed for me is different from the time of others. We must trust in God's plan for my life and wait for my time. Other people's time is different from my time. Therefore, you must wait quietly and calmly. In quietness and trust is our strength.

Habakkuk 2:3 says: “ For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it lingers, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay.”

God will surely work when the time comes. Therefore, pray like this: “ God, I will trust the plan you gave me. I will wait for God's timetable. God made me special. Please let me live according to my own schedule, not someone else's.

Fourth, it is noise inside us.

We live in a flood of media. We have been inseparable from our phones since we woke up every morning. KakaoTalk and WhatsApp messages are coming in constantly. At work, we have to work frantically all day long. In every spare moment we get, our fingers press the YouTube videos and shorts, and we are busy scrolling through the screen.

When can we have some quiet time?

Let’s read I Kings 19:11, 12 together. “The Lord said, 'Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.” Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. There was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper.

God's presence was in the gentle whisper. When our hearts and minds are filled with the noise of the world, can we hear God's gentle voice? It was expressed as “a gentle whisper.”

John 2: 12-22 records the scene of Jesus’ cleansing of the temple. When Jesus visited the temple, the temple was like a noisy marketplace. The sound of selling cows, sheep, and doves was heard here and there, with the sound of coins from the money-changing table. It was bustling with the noise of merchants and animals crying. The temple was filled with noise.

What did Jesus do in the temple at this time? He drove out all the merchants and animals. Jesus said, “My house will be called a house of prayer.” When our hearts are filled with the noise of the world, we cannot hear the voice of God until it is cleansed. God comes to us with a gentle whisper. We need to have a quiet time. Sometimes we need to sit and do nothing by putting our phones away. We need to make time, not to speak but to listen to the voice of God. Sometimes, doing nothing will be the most productive time for us when we listen to God’s voice.

Next week is a Spring conference. The Spring Conference will be a good opportunity for us to escape from the noise of the world and hear the voice of God. God speaks when we are ready to hear. God speaks gently when our hearts are ready. I pray that we all prepare our hearts to listen to God’s voice personally, then our spirits will be filled with joy.

In conclusion, God is our father who really wants to speak to us.

Let’s honor God’s way and thoughts, which are higher than ours, instead of insisting on our own thoughts and way.

Be thankful instead of grumbling.

Be patient, acknowledging God’s best time plan for each one of us.

And remove the noise of the world from our hearts and quietly wait for God's word.

May the Lord bless us to be able to meet God, who comes to us in a gentle voice.