Hearing Godনমুনা

“The Myth of Easy Conversation”

The Gospels culminate in the total victory of Jesus and the almost-total failure of His disciples. The beginning of the book of Acts continues that narrative: Jesus is constantly explaining Himself and the kingdom of God to the disciples, and the disciples are constantly missing everything He’s communicating. But that same book of Acts shows this group transformed into bold leaders and witnesses through the power Jesus promised. God’s fullest revelation of Himself is given to His friends. They are then asked to take it to others—everywhere. But it doesn’t get off to the smoothest start, does it?

Here’s the point: God isn’t the problem when it comes to hearing Him; we are. In our minds we often put the burden of hearing God on God Himself. We walk around with our proverbial fingers in our ears or our cognitive and spiritual iPods on blast, and then we pray prayers like God, speak to me! But what if He has spoken to us? What if He is speaking to us? What if we’re missing the point—and we have been for years?

We don’t need to find the perfect recipe to hear God, but we must be willing to grow and do our sincere best to listen for His voice and begin the conversation. We have important things to talk about, and so does He. So when we give up the paralyzing notion that our conversation is just us bringing a laundry list of prayer requests or just us waiting in silence for the clouds to part and His perfect will to descend inscribed on golden tablets, then we’re beginning to get the point. This is a two-way conversation, in service of a growing relationship. 

God, by the Holy Spirit, is speaking His formative words over you from so many angles, even though you may not be hearing them yet. You will, though. You’ll recognize His patterns. You’ll learn His language. You’ll figure this out, and you’ll grow.

Maybe what we need to do is lean in. Draw close. Ask the Holy Spirit to draw us to Himself, to show us who we are in Him. And then listen when we need to listen and speak when we need to speak.

Just like in a conversation.

Remember: Hearing God starts by understanding that He wants a conversation as part of a growing relationship.