Well we finished up with our "Hearing God" series and I thought I would post a few of the major points when it comes to hearing God. Sorry for the delay...
It started off with scripture from
Luke 8:8 ...When he had said this, he called out, “Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand.”
The ability to hear is a big gift God has given us, and we should use this gift to recognize His voice.
We continued with John 10:27 "My sheep recognize my voice and follow me.”
And then we found ourselves in the book of Samuel Chapter 3, where Samuel is spoken to by God, yet Samuel doesn't recognize His voice. Do we ever find ourselves in the same situation where we don't recognize Gods voice? If so, maybe we're not communicating with Him enough. Going back to the scripture in John 10 it says "My sheep"; in these two words God is claiming us as His children, therefore God speaks to us because we are in the family of God. As children, no matter how old you are, we hear but sometimes choose not to listen. I'll touch on that more later. Now, as young children or spiritually young Christian we will have to learn how to recognize our Father's voice, but listening to God's voice also comes with some great promises of guidance and protection.
Proverbs 3:6 "Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, and everywhere you go; He’s the one who will keep you on track”
Psalm 32:8 “I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you”
Here are some reasons why we may not be hearing God's voice:
1- Our prayer time is a one sided conversation. We never give Him the chance to talk.
Psalms 46:10
2- Our lives are way too LOUD ! We've let our lives become to hectic, we've picked up way to many responsibilities and we've shoved God into the corners of our lives.
3- We Doubt. When He speaks we wonder if it was really God, so we ignore it.
When it Comes to Hearing God we must have an open mind.
Luke 8:5 A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path; it was trampled on, and the birds of the air ate it up.” In this parable, the farmer represents God, the seed represents his Word, and the soil represents the four different kinds of responses you can have when God is trying to talk to you.
Luke 8:5 A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path; it was trampled on, and the birds of the air ate it up.” In this parable, the farmer represents God, the seed represents his Word, and the soil represents the four different kinds of responses you can have when God is trying to talk to you.
Responses: I used the game of dodgeball in explanation of how we respond to having a ball thrown at us. Yeah, you can get hit in the head and let it bounce off or you can be ready and accept the thrown ball. In the same way we can be ready, willing and eager to hear from God or we can just let it bounce off. This is very similar to the hard soil talked about in Luke 8 and even more like the closed mind. A closed mind will not hear God speak.
We also must take time to Listen.
Luke 8:6 “Other seed fell on shallow soil with underlying rock. This seed began to grow, but soon it withered and died for lack of moisture.”
If you don’t make time for God, you are not going to hear from God. You have to slow down and be quiet so you can hear Him. Are we taking time for the word of God to root into our lives or do we just run through the day and throw it in? If so do we expect to hear from God?
Take time to have a daily quiet time: a time of prayer, scripture reading and journaling. Through keeping a journal write down some things you like in the scripture but also use this to write down the things God opens up to you.
Also take time with other believers in worship and bible study. You will also find encouragement and accountability.
When it comes to hearing God we must also Eliminate Distractions
Luke 8:7 “Other seed fell in the weeds; the weeds grew with it and strangled it.”
You can’t hear God when your mind is crowded with weeds; a few examples are: our thoughts, worries, fears, plans, or even if we’re plugged into the TV or ipod.
All of these distractions are what Jesus was referring to in Luke 8 when He talked about the seed falling in the weeds. So many of us hear God speak but have His voice choked out by the things in our lives.
How much effort does it take to grow weeds? None
Why do you get weeds in a garden? Neglect
Are we neglecting our time with God? If so, the weeds have started to grow up in our lives and affect our relationship with Him?
To hear God you must Cooperate
Luke “The seeds that fell in good soil stand for those who hear the message and retain it in a good and obedient heart, and they persist until they bear fruit.”
Do we hear God’s will for our lives and do we “hear” Him or do we “listen” to Him with obedience and cooperation. I used the example of my 3 year old son. He hears me when I tell him to do something; whether or not he chooses to listen is something else. Sometimes I have to get his attention and ask if he’s “listening” to me. Wouldn’t it be nice if God would just step in front of us sometimes and ask if we’re listening to Him? I believe God wants us to cooperate before He has to get our attention in that way.
When you have an attitude of cooperation, you are going to hear from God. A willing mind is the good soil that we see in this verse.
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