“I heard God tell me that just the other day.” A sentence during a seemingly normal conversation pulled me out of my reverie and I stared at the speaker. “Could she have heard from God about something as mundane about her grocery choices? That seems a bit ordinary for God to stoop to let us know about.” It made me ask the question, “How do ordinary people hear from God? How do they talk to Him?”

Hearing from God is often a Christian cliché. It is something tossed about in everyday conversation, without much to back it up within the way their daily lives were led. I looked instead at the ones that were living out Christianity in a way that was admirable, but mostly straight to talking to Him myself rather than looking to someone on earth.

I knew I could hear His voice. To myself, it was like talking to friends. But I struggled to explain it to others that did not know Him. I found referring to God as more of a friend than a father easier to handle since I had grown up with a father who was not very kind the majority of the time. I didn’t want the person I knew as God to be equated with someone that I didn’t want to be like, my earthly father.

I wanted a friend instead and as I read the word of God, I saw Him through eyes that might have been different than what was taught in church. He cared about ordinary people and their ordinary lives. When I spoke with Him, I did as I would a friend throughout the day, in my head and out loud. It didn’t seem odd to me when I heard Him answering me. It was not like some booming audible voice, but instead, like a friend would speak to me.

It is hard to describe, but it is like trying to describe how you know your mom is the one talking to you. You just know. It takes practice as you slow your life down to listen for His answers and sometimes, it takes time to hear.

Have you wanted to develop a real friendship with God where you hear His voice?

Here are a few tips.

• Practice talking to God as you would a friend
• Tell Him ordinary things about your life
• Give Him a chance to respond
• Journal your talks to look back upon and see how He answered

What are some ways that you have developed your relationship with God and heard from Him? I would love to hear!

Get to Know Martha!

Martha Artyomenko- Mother of four sons, business owner, homeschool mom and aspiring writer.

*Note from Jennifer: God doesn’t often speak audibly. He whispers truths to our hearts and minds. To learn more about discerning God’s voice, read:

How to Discern the Voice of God by Mary Margaret

5 Questions to Know if We’re Hearing From God by Lysa Terkeurst

Hearing God’s Voice by Henry Blackaby and Richard Blackaby

Before you go, fun news! My latest novel, Building a Family, released on the 19th. Woot-woot! You can snatch a copy HERE.