5 Reasons You May Be Having Trouble Hearing God

When our oldest daughter was in Junior High, I took a giant leap of faith and homeschooled her. Homeschooling is not for the faint of heart, as 2020 has taught many parents. But through the pre-algebra, American History and Biology, it was an amazing time of bonding and growth in our relationship.

Because we could see all the benefits of one on one time with her and in part to give me a moment, the Hubs would almost exclusively tuck her in at night and take some time to chat with her, growing their one on one relationship as well. Sometimes he was up there for a few minutes, more often their chat would stretch into thirty or more minutes (partly caused by our daughter’s realization that the longer she talked, the later she could stay up)!

Trying to hear our Heavenly Father often comes with real effort and practice to press in to feel that whisper stirring in our hearts. At other times, life seems to be collapsing at our feet or an immediate decision is required, but it seems we’ve suddenly lost our connection to the still small voice that guides us so gently. Why? #ChristianBlog

It was a blessing to their relationship, and I was so blessed to have married a man who could hold his own in a conversation with our loquacious girl.

Many don’t grow up with the blessing of a father who can listen and speak. Most of us have grown up with fathers too busy or exhausted, too stereotypically strong and silent, too caught up in their own lives to be present for us. It leaves us broken in one of the most central areas of our lives. It leaves us wondering if God sees us, hears us and speaks to us.

Trying to hear from our Heavenly Father is not always a thing that comes easily or without real effort and practice to press in to feel that whisper stirring in our hearts. And it’s in those times when we are just starting to press in that we can most easily be put off by our apparent inability to hear.

There are other times when life seems to be collapsing at our feet or when an immediate decision is required, but it seems we’ve suddenly lost our connection to the still small voice that guides us so gently. Why? Why does that Voice disappear at times?

1.       Faith and Expectancy. That haunting fear that this Father is also too busy or too impersonal to speak tries to sneak its way back into our hearts and the accuser comes with his attempts to make you feel like the odd one out. The resultant lack of faith and expectancy cuts us off like a switch has turned off our ears. It’s not that God is not speaking; it’s that we have lost the necessary ingredient of hearing: Faith (Hebrews 11:6). It’s in these moments that we can simply restore our faith by speaking trusting words that affirm God’s love and counteract the left-out-loser accusation. I often will say things like, “Thank You, Lord, for Your Presence right here with me. I thank You that You speak to me, that You want to speak even more than I want to hear. Thank You, Holy Spirit, for opening my ears to hear my Father’s words.”

2.       Willingness. Can we be honest? Sometimes, deep down in our hearts, perhaps even undiscoverable without introspection and gut exposing honesty, we have a very specific thing we want to hear from the Lord in a given situation. If there are two options before me, there is often one that I particularly want to Lord to sanction, one I’m trying to sell Him, one that I’m sure will make me happier. We may hear nothing when our minds are magnetized to our favorite option. It takes a willingness to hear either option that gives us the clarity to hear at all. Coming before the Lord and laying down our own will does wonders for opening our ears.

3.       Obedience. When we hear, will we obey? Incremental obedience is often the course God has for us. Will He show us the whole map? Extremely unlikely. He’s much more likely to show us the end goal and just the one little step ahead of us to take. And when we’ve obeyed the little instruction in front of us, another is given. If we aren’t hearing, it is good to ask ourselves if we obeyed the last thing God told us to do. Maybe you aren’t waiting on God; maybe He’s been waiting on your obedience. There’s also a basic biblical principle at play here: When you are faithful with little, you will be entrusted with more (Matthew 25). Obedience opens you up to hearing more, obeying more, receiving more. The reverse is also true: Repeated disobedience callouses the heart and the ear. Continually brush aside the instruction and guidance of the Lord and you will hear less and less instruction and guidance.

When it comes to hearing from the Lord, some of us haven’t stored up enough of God’s Word in our hearts to discern if it is our Father speaking or not. It’s a safeguard we cannot bypass as we launch out into the deep that calls to deep. #LifeQuotes

4.       Word proficiency. God is faithful to not give us more than we can handle – not just in the area of trials and struggles, but in the area of blessing. When it comes to hearing from the Lord, some of us haven’t stored up enough of God’s Word in our hearts to discern if it is our Father speaking or not. Being a hearer and a doer of the written Word makes us able to handle more of the spoken word of God. It’s a safeguard we cannot bypass as we launch out into the deep that calls to deep.

5.       Timing. There are times I wrestle with God. I am sure I need the information I want right now. I need direction! What am I going to do? Which road do I take? Should I give up or keep going? Just tell me what to do!! I remember one time, crying out to God like this and He so clearly told me, “You don’t need to know as much as you think you do.” Wow. I simply needed to embrace trusting rest. If I can check my heart and find it available and obedient, I can trust that I will receive the direction I need when I need it.

Whatever you do, don’t give up pressing in because you find it difficult. Evaluate your heart for faith, willingness to hear and obey and the ability to check what you hear against Scripture, and then trust. Trust His heart toward you, trust His desire to communicate with you and trust His timing.

“And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.” Hebrews 11:6

Make sure you pick up the FREE RESOURCE, “5 Reasons God May Be Silent” to discover what may be blocking you from hearing from the Lord. Pick it up HERE!

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