I have discovered in my own life that hearing the voice of God is a very different thing than ‘listening to’ the voice of God. To ‘hear’ is simply to acknowledge an awareness of sound, or, in this case, the spoken word. To ‘listen’ to what we’ve heard implies that we’ve taken the message to heart, that we’ve committed to obedience. How often do we intentionally walk into the very sin we wish to escape? Overeating, laziness, lust, gossip, boasting… so often the very thing we truly don’t want to do is the thing we are drawn towards again and again. The solution is simple, but it isn’t easy. We need to flee some kinds of temptation, pray for strength to withstand others, and in every case, commit to obeying God’s voice. Pray with me: “Lord, forgive me for not obeying you- for not truly listening to your voice. You know my weakness. You know my sin. Please forgive me… again. Please give me strength to overcome temptation, wisdom to know when to flee, and a heart that is committed to obedience. Help me, Lord, to experience the freedom that only comes from binding my heart to yours. Thank you Jesus. Amen.”
Hearing God’s Voice
Advertisement
