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From a message by Jon Alsdorf
Prayer and hearing from God can feel frustrating at times. We pray earnestly, yet wonder if our prayers are making it past the ceiling. We long to hear God's voice but struggle with doubt about whether He's really speaking to us. These feelings are real and have a significant impact on our spiritual lives. Why Do We Struggle to Hear God's Voice? Many Christians develop unrealistic expectations about prayer and God's responses. Sometimes we want to use prayer to change people, forgetting that God doesn't violate someone's freedom to choose. We pray for circumstances to change in specific ways, and when they don't, we become discouraged. This lack of biblical understanding about prayer has caused some people to walk away from Christianity entirely because God didn't meet their expectations. But what if the problem isn't with God's silence, but with our ability to hear? God Wants You to Hear His Voice Jesus frequently said, "He who has an ear to hear, let him hear." This phrase appears throughout His teaching, indicating that God is speaking to individuals - to you personally. The first truth we must grasp is simple: God wants you to hear His voice. His voice is available to hear, but there are principles we must understand to fully receive what He's saying. The Parable of the Sower in Matthew 13 provides four key insights into how we can better hear from God. The Parable of the Sower: A Guide to Hearing God Jesus tells of a farmer scattering seed that falls on four different types of soil:
Jesus explains that the seed represents God's Word, and the soil represents our hearts. Our hearts can be in any of these four conditions at different times, but we want to be characterized as good soil. Principle 1: Decide If You Really Want to Hear God Speak Do You Really Want to Hear from God? This might seem like an obvious question, but it deserves honest consideration. Sometimes we avoid speaking to God because we suspect what He might say. We know there are areas in our lives He wouldn't approve of, and we don't want to hear His correction. We might think that if we ask God about something and He answers, we become more accountable. The truth is, you're already as accountable to God as you can ever be, whether you listen to Him or not. Living in Honesty Every one of us likely has something we don't really want to hear from God about - something we're avoiding in prayer because we don't want to surrender control of that area. We fear that if we give it to God, He won't handle it the way we would. It's okay to admit this fear. In fact, living honestly about our struggles can bring amazing freedom. When we choose to be honest with God, He can finally lead us through our fears and help us trust Him more. Principle 2: Make Room for God in Your Heart The Problem of Shallow Faith The rocky soil represents hearts that receive God's Word with joy initially but have no depth. When persecution or difficulty comes, they quickly fall away because there's no room for deep roots. In our culture, there's significant conflict over taking God's Word seriously. Many people, even in pulpits, don't treat Scripture as truly being God's Word. When we don't believe God can deliver and maintain His Word for us, we're reluctant to make room for it in our lives. Rejecting False Promises Some popular teaching today promises that following Jesus means you can have everything you want - health, wealth, and constant happiness. This is a dangerous lie. If this were true, God would owe Jesus and the apostles a huge apology for their suffering. God's agenda isn't your happiness - it's your holiness. He wants you to be holy and find joy in that holiness. Jesus promised that in this world we will have trouble, but He has overcome the world. Laying Aside Every Weight Hebrews 12 encourages us to "lay aside every weight and sin which clings so closely" so we can run the race of faith with endurance. Living for Christ isn't a sprint - it's a marathon. You can't run a marathon carrying heavy backpacks full of sin, past hurts, and unnecessary burdens. Ask yourself: What am I carrying that I need to set down? What is taking up room in my life that God's voice needs to occupy? Principle 3: Focus Your Life on What God Gives You The Danger of Distraction The thorny ground represents hearts where "the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word and it proves unfruitful." We live in a culture obsessed with stuff, and we like our stuff too. The problem isn't having things - it's when the pursuit of things becomes our focus. We often want what others have rather than being content with what God has given us. This constant pursuit of more can choke out God's voice in our lives. Godliness with Contentment Paul wrote that "godliness with contentment is great gain." This might sound unrealistic in our consumer culture, but there's one way to find out if it's true: try it. Take God at His word and test Him in this area. When we focus our attention, life, and will on what comes from God rather than what comes from this world or our own desires, we create space to hear His voice more clearly. Principle 4: Surrender Your Will to God's Purpose The Good Soil Bears Fruit The good soil represents those who "hear the word and understand it" and bear fruit - some thirty, some sixty, some a hundredfold. But what does it mean to bear fruit? Bearing fruit means sharing what God has given you. When you learn something from God's Word or hear from Him in some way, tell somebody. Share it with your family, friends, small group, or neighbors. The Principle of Spiritual Investment Here's something amazing about God's economy: when you share spiritual truth with someone else, it doesn't diminish what you have - it multiplies it. The truth takes deeper root in your own life and grows bigger every time you give it away. God is a wise investor. If you're determined to share every spiritual insight He gives you with someone else, He will pour more of His words into your life. You want to hear from God? Become the kind of person who shares what He gives you. Be Doers, Not Just Hearers James warns us to "be doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves." The quickest way to create a busy signal with God is to consistently hear His Word but do nothing with it. But if you want to hear from God, share everything you've heard from Him. The more you do this, the more you'll hear from Him. Life Application This week, commit to becoming better soil for God's Word. Start by honestly examining your heart: What areas are you reluctant to surrender to God? What "weights" do you need to lay aside to make room for His voice? What distractions are choking out His Word in your life? Then, make a commitment to share. When God speaks to you through His Word, through prayer, or through circumstances, tell someone about it. Share it with a family member, friend, or fellow believer. Watch how this simple act of sharing deepens your own understanding and opens your heart to hear even more from God. Questions for Reflection:
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Apply it!Next Steps is a collection of articles drawn from the sermons of Pastor Jon Alsdorf, and guest speakers, written to help you connect God's Word to real life. Each post is designed to inspire, challenge, and encourage you to live out your faith in practical, everyday ways -- because following Jesus is more than words, it's actions. Archives
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