How to Know God's Will for Your LifeSample

A listening ear

I once heard a story of a farmer who was visiting his businessman friend in the city. They were walking through a crowded street, when the farmer stopped, took his friend’s arm and said, ‘Listen! Did you hear that?’

‘There is noise everywhere,’ said the businessman. ‘Cars, trucks, buses, sirens—did I hear what?’

‘It was the cry of a sulphur-crested cockatoo,’ replied the farmer.

‘Sorry, I didn’t hear it,’ his friend replied and they went on walking.

A few minutes later, the businessman stopped and said to the farmer, ‘Did you hear that? It was right here somewhere just near us.’

‘I didn’t hear anything unusual,’ the farmer replied. ‘What are you talking about?’

‘You didn’t hear it?’ replied the businessman. ‘Somebody dropped some money.’

Often, we hear what we are conditioned to hear.

To be aware of the voice of God, we need to be attuned to it. We need to learn to listen for it.

When God called young Samuel, he thought it was just the old priest Eli. But when Eli told him it was the Lord, the next time it happened, Samuel was ready for it and he answered, ‘Speak, for your servant is listening,’ (1 Samuel 3:10). The key word is ‘listening’. When Samuel listened, his was ready to respond.

Habakkuk also set himself to hear the word of the Lord In fact, he believed God’s voice would be so real he would actually see it (Habakkuk 2:1-2).

God told Peter, James and John to ‘listen’ to Jesus (Matthew 17:5).

‘My sheep hear my voice,’ said Jesus, ‘and they follow me’ (John 10:7).

It is important to develop sensitivity to the voice of the Lord. The primary ways to do this are to read the Bible and to pray. Devotional readings like this one are helpful, but only if they point us to the Word of God. They must never be a substitute for it. Reading the Bible daily, as the prophet Job says, is as important as having daily food (Job 33:12). Both Moses and Jesus said that living by ordinary bread is not enough (Matthew 4:4).

Steady prayer is also important. Most people realise the need to set aside time for daily prayer. This kind of programmed prayer is essential for a disciplined prayer life. A prayer diary is handy here. Then there is also progressive prayer, when we pray throughout the day, developing the practice of chatting with the Lord in all those in-between moments. Progressive prayer means reflecting and meditating when we are walking or driving or sitting on a bus or at a health clinic: it is during these times that we may hear God speaking as he penetrates our thoughts, especially if we make a practice of listening for him. Prayer with the spirit (1 Corinthians 14:14, 18) is helpful here as the spirit prays and opens the mind to listen.

Personally, I often hear from God when I first wake up in the morning. It seems as if my mind is uncluttered enough by then for God to get through. It is then that the spirit of wisdom and revelation of which Paul speaks (Ephesians 1:17) finds its best moments.

The prophets rebuked the Israelites because they heard without hearing and listened without listening (Isaiah 6:8). Sadly, this seems to be true of many of his people today. But not you, I hope.

What next?

·Make a list of the times when you might be best able to listen to God.

·Memorise 1 Sam 3:10b (‘Speak for your servant is listening.’)