Turn Up The Volume 
by Dr. Alfred D. Harvey, Jr. 
St. Louis Christian Center
St. Louis, Missouri

Turn Up The Volume:  How To Clearly Hear From God

This is a simple but very important message to the Body of Christ.  People want to hear from God or receive direction from God, and this basic information should help you to not only hear from God, but to clearly hear from Him. 

In John 10:27 Jesus says, My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.  Jesus says very plainly that His sheep (and we are the sheep) hear His voice. 

Romans 8:14 says, For as many as are led by the spirit of God, they are the sons of God.  However, you can’t be led by the Spirit of God unless you know that the Spirit of God is leading you. 

First of all, you must know in your heart that God answers prayer and that God intends to speak to His people.  He wants to speak to you.  Exodus 19:4-5 shows how God led His people out of Egyptian bondage, He brought them unto Himself because He really wanted to talk to them.    

Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles’ wings, and brought you unto myself. 

Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine. 

A simple definition for prayer is two-way communication with God the Father.  Another definition of prayer would be just simply talking to God. 

Job 14:15 says, Thou shalt call, and I will answer thee…. 

Ways That God Can Speak To Us

 God speaks to us in various ways, but no matter what avenue He chooses, you must first remember a very, very important principle:  God always confirms His Word.  If He doesn’t then He violated His own Word because 2 Corinthians 13:1 says, …In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established.  Another example in Matthew 18:16  talks about the brother you’ve lost or gotten upset with, and says,  But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.  If God speaks to you, He has to speak to you more than once because His Word says in the mouth of two or three witnesses let every word be established.  Now let’s look at the various ways God uses to speak to people.

• God speaks directly to your spirit. 

John 16:13 says, Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will show you things to come. 

• God speaks to people through the written Word. 

John 6:63 says, It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing:  the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit and they are life. 

• God speaks to people in a still, small voice. 

1 Kings 19:12 says, And after the earthquake a fire; but the Lord was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice.  

• God speaks to people in the audible voice of the Holy Spirit. 

Acts 8:29 says, Then the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near and join thyself to this chariot. 

• God speaks to people through other people. 

Ephesians 4:11 talks about Jesus appointing some to be apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers for the perfecting of the saints.  God set these ministry gifts in the church to teach the church and He speaks to you through these ministry gifts. 

• God speaks to people through an unction or through the anointing of the Holy Spirit which works in many different situations. 

1 John 2:20 says, But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things.

• God speaks to people through the operation of the gifts of the Spirit. 

1 Corinthians 12:4-10 says, Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.

And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord.

And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all. 

But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. 

For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit;

To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit;

To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues.  

·        God speaks to people through dreams. 

Daniel 7:1 says,  In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon Daniel had a dream and visions of his head upon his bed: then he wrote the dream, and told the sum of the matters. 

• God speaks to people through visions. 

Genesis 15:1 says, After these things the word of the Lord came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward. 

• God speaks to people through angels. 

Luke 1:10-11 says, And the whole multitude of people were praying without at the time of incense.

And there appeared unto him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense. 

What Must I Do To Hear?

  There are some things you must do before you are able to clearly hear from God.  You must:

1.      Absolutely be filled with the Spirit.

2.      Pray in the Spirit (in other tongues) regularly.

3.      Develop spiritual sensitivity.

4.      Make an effort to listen and expect God to speak.

5.      Remember that God speaks to us based on His Word and His purpose for our lives, and not according to our agendas.

6.      Be able to validate what God has said to you by studying His Word.

7.      Remember that He always speaks in the mouth of two or three witnesses.

 If you do these things, it’s very simple for God to speak to you.  Take a moment to judge your own Christian walk.  As you learn to pray in the Spirit and spend time before Him, you’ll begin to recognize His voice. 

 Turn Up The Volume and experience the joys of clearly hearing from God and learning what He has to say to YOU!

  (This article is an excerpt from a new book by the same title written by Dr. Harvey, scheduled for publication later this year.  All scriptures quoted in this article are taken from the King James Version of the Bible, unless otherwise noted.)