Note: I wrote these posts to help the people I serve at my local church. We’ve started a two month journey of fasting and praying 4 prayers. But feel free to read along even if you’re not part of our church. I pray you find my words helpful.
Prayers #1, #3, and #4 in our prayer journey assume God speaks to us today…assume he will talk to us about areas of obedience and about our future.
But what if I don’t hear God speak to me?
If you’re someone who feels you never hear God speak to you, I’ve thought of 8 possible reasons you’re hearing God. This list is not exhaustive but it’s a good starting point.
For the next 8 posts, we will consider a few possibilities.
The first possible reason you’re not hearing God:
1. You’re not a Christian.
Jesus said “My sheep listen to my voice” (John 10:27). Jesus implies that he uses his voice to speak to his sheep. If you never hear God talking to you, maybe you’re not one of his sheep.
Am I saying God only talks to Christians? Of course not. God speaks to people all over the earth every day in all sorts of ways. But Jesus makes clear “his sheep” (read: “his followers”) are those who listen to his voice. To be a follower of Jesus is to be someone who listens to him talking. So if you never hear Jesus talking to you, it seems fair to ask if you’re a Christian at all.
It’s possible you’ve deceived yourself into some sort of ‘salvation by works.’ You think you’re a Christian because you go to church, put money in the offering plate, because you’re a nice person, because you’ve never cheated on your spouse, etc. But if you haven’t put your trust in Jesus as the one and only person who can save you and forgive you of all your sins, you’re not one of his sheep. If you don’t daily follow Jesus wherever he leads, the way sheep follow their shepherd, maybe you’re not a Jesus-follower at all.
Stop now and ask Jesus to show you if you are really one of his followers. I believe that’s a question he is happy to answer. If you hear him say “Yes,” tell Jesus you’d like to hear his voice more clearly. If you hear him say “No,” tell Jesus you want to start following him now. Tell Jesus you want him to take control of every part of your life.
After you’ve talked to Jesus, send me a message to share your prayer. I’d love to talk about your new journey following Jesus.
what an awesome word. Please keep me on your facebook list. I would love to have all your posts. God bless you and your church.
Thank you Becky!