Why It’s So Important to Listen to God

Posted On August 14, 2022

“You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”

Jeremiah 29:13

Have you ever wondered about God’s plan for your life? Have you ever felt lost or confused about what He wants you to do? If so, you are not alone. Maybe you’ve felt this way for so long that you’ve just accepted it as “normal.” I mean, God doesn’t really speak to us . . . does He?

Three years ago, I decided to find out.

“Is it possible that what we perceive to be relational, emotional, and spiritual problems are actually hearing problems — ears that have been deafened to the voice of God? And it’s that inability to hear His voice that causes us to lose our voice and lose our way.
Let me make a bold statement . . . Learning how to hear the voice of God is the solution to a thousand problems! It’s also the key to discovering our destiny and fulfilling our potential.”

Mark Batterson, Whisper

Three years ago, I decided to be dedicated to seeking God and trying to learn to hear His voice: I became more disciplined in prayer, Bible study, and daily quiet time for devotional readings. I also started journaling to organize my thoughts and record any insights I received. And then something truly amazing happened: I started to hear Him speaking to me. Not audibly, not necessarily in flashy ways, but often in surprising ways!

I really started paying attention to everything I thought God was telling me — through Scripture and my other Christian readings, through other people, through the “still, small voice” of the Holy Spirit, through circumstances, and even through things like songs on the radio. And then I did my best to obey any instructions I thought He was giving me. As a result, many things in my life have improved, but the most striking changes have been in me. I have gained more peace, more joy, and a sense of purpose. I have also seen my faith grow in ways I never dreamed possible. He even gave me hints and promises about my future. In short, He blew my mind!

“My sheep recognize my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.”

John 10:27 TLB

Learning to hear God has been the most unbelievable journey of my life! But I have also learned that “unbelievable” is exactly what God’s words to me can become if I’m not careful. In fact, I’ve learned that just when I find myself on a spiritual high is also the time to prepare for an attack of worries, fears, doubts, or temptations. This has happened to me so many times that I do not believe it can just be coincidence. In fact, I’m not the only one this has happened to:

“I began to notice a recurring pattern. I began to notice that it was after those times when I was feeling most spiritual — after I had been praying, or had attended church services, or had received communion — that I felt the most tempted to go out and sin! At first I thought this was just a coincidence. But then I realized that it couldn’t be. It was happening too much. . . . Pretty soon I began to doubt the power of prayer. I began to question the value of worshipping God, even the benefit of receiving communion. . . . Maybe I just didn’t have what it took to be a good Christian. This kind of thinking began to seriously shake my faith. And that was the devil’s mistake. Because he went a bit too far too fast, and I soon realized what was happening.”

Anthony Destefano, The Invisible World

What I have come to understand is that this is exactly how the devil seems to operate. I’m not saying that we don’t have doubts of our own that can surface sometimes, but when you’re full of faith one day and then suddenly full of doubts the next, and you don’t understand why, it could be because you’re being attacked.

If we are Christians, Satan can’t claim us. But he can try to derail us. As long as we’re content not to actually do anything for God, he’ll leave us alone. But the minute we try to activate our faith and step out to do God’s work, that’s when he’ll strike. He’ll convince us that we didn’t hear God correctly, that nothing we do really matters, that prayer doesn’t make a difference, or that we’re not talented enough or holy enough to be used by God. He’ll tempt us to give up before we even begin, often reminding us of all our sins and faults, and convincing us we shouldn’t even try.

If you don’t believe me, I challenge you to see for yourself. Try really listening to God and activating your faith in new and exciting ways. And then see what happens. I am willing to bet you’ll experience a similar attack, one that may leave you feeling defeated, hopeless, and ready to give up.

I’m not telling you all of this to discourage you. Quite the opposite! I’m telling you all of this to prepare you so that you won’t give in like I have done many times. I believe the key to standing strong against attacks on our faith is to learn how to hear God. Think about it. If God came to you right now, if He stood right in front of you and spoke His instructions to you personally, would you be tempted to doubt anything He said? Probably not. If He walked into the room right now and told me to get up and follow Him outside so I could pass on a message to one of my neighbors, I would do it! Because He is God, and I heard Him speak to me. When I knocked on my neighbor’s door, I wouldn’t be tempted to doubt at all what God had called me to do.

The problem is God doesn’t usually choose to appear to us that way. He certainly can, and the Bible tells us He has spoken in very spectacular and unmistakable ways to others before, but usually He chooses to be a little more subtle. Why? I think only He can answer that. But what I do know is that He wants us to seek Him. He wants us to grow our faith. He wants us to listen for His whispers. Because that draws us closer to Him. That’s why it’s important that we never give up seeking Him or listening for His voice.

Ultimately, learning to hear God isn’t just about us. It’s about God. It’s about being in relationship with Him so He can transform us into the people He wants us to become. And it’s about doing His work in the world.

“Listening to God is essential to walking with God. You can’t have a relationship with someone that you don’t listen to. If you want God to lead you and transform your life, then you need to hear what He’s saying. . . . Are you willing to be quiet before Him and hear what He has to say? Create an action plan of how you will intentionally listen to God and commit yourself to obeying Him, no matter what He tells you to do. . . . Then spend time in prayer, asking God to draw you into intimate communion with Himself and to transform your life, so that you can affect the world for the sake of His kingdom.”

Charles F. Stanley, 30 Life Principles

This week’s Scripture passages focus on listening to God. I have also included links to my previous blog posts on this topic. I have often reviewed them myself when I need encouragement. I believe it’s vital to keep reminding ourselves that God does indeed speak to us, and we must keep learning how to hear Him. And then once we learn to hear Him, we must keep reminding ourselves of what He has said. Why is this so important? Because not doing so makes us vulnerable to attacks of doubts or temptations. Because God has work for us to do. But mostly, because God loves us and He longs to tell us so!

“‘The mountains and hills may crumble,
but my love for you will never end;
I will keep forever my promise of peace.’
So says the Lord who loves you.”

Isaiah 54:10 GNT

Click on the following links to read more about hearing God:
Learning to Hear God; Is God Speaking?; What God Has Told Me…

“Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.”

1 Samuel 3:9 NIV

References:

• Batterson, Mark. Whisper: How to Hear the Voice of God. Multnomah, 2017.
• DeStefano, Anthony. The Invisible World: Understanding Angels, Demons, and the Spiritual Realities That Surround Us. Kindle ed., Doubleday, 2011.
• Stanley, Charles F. 30 Life Principles Study Guide: A Study for Growing in Knowledge and Understanding of God. Thomas Nelson, 2008.

Images:

• Reaching for the Light featured image by Ricardo Esquivel: https://www.pexels.com/photo/selective-focus-photography-of-hand-1654698/
• Mountain Sunrise image by Mrexentric from Pixabay
• Birds and Sky image by Rahul Pandit: https://www.pexels.com/photo/scenic-view-of-sky-during-sunset-2086748/
• Gray Clouds image by Engin Akyurt from Pixabay
• Lake Pier image by Antonio López from Pixabay