Listening to God

Often when we drive, we don’t notice the sounds around us because our focus is fixed on the road. In the same way, when our hearts and minds are occupied with other things, we can easily miss God’s voice in the spiritual realm.

[Matthew 13:9 NIV] 19 “Whoever has ears, let them hear” Jesus repeats this call what he spoke on Matthew 11:15, reminding us that hearing God is not just about listening with our ears—it is about perceiving with our hearts. Many walk through life seeing yet not perceiving, hearing yet not understanding, because their hearts have become hardened by worldly distractions and desires.

Heaven and its Secrets

The disciples once asked Jesus:

[Matthew 13:10-11 NIV] 10 The disciples came to him and asked, "Why do you speak to the people in parables?"

Jesus replied:

[Matthew 13:11 NIV] 11 He replied, "Because the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them.

Parables are simple stories with hidden spiritual truths—treasures of the Kingdom of God. They cannot be understood by the casual observer; they require spiritual sensitivity. Jesus continues to say:

[Matthew 13:12 NIV] 12 Whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them.

Those who hunger to hear God are blessed with more understanding, while those satisfied with worldly distractions risk losing even the little insight they have.

How Does God Speak to us ?

1. Through His Word – God’s primary way of speaking to us is through His Word—the Bible. It isn’t just a book to be read casually; it is living and powerful. When God speaks through Scripture, we experience His comfort in our hearts, His peace within us, and His gentle conviction guiding us. His Word is our true source of wisdom, direction, and spiritual life.

[2 Timothy 3:16-17 NIV] 16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

[Psalm 119:105 NIV] 105 Nun Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.

2. Through the Holy Spirit – When Jesus ascended to heaven, He promised to send the Holy Spirit to be with us—our Advocate, Helper, and Guide. The Holy Spirit teaches us, reminds us of God’s truth, convicts us when we go astray, and leads us in the right path. This precious gift of God’s Spirit is given to all who are saved and walk with Him.

[John 16:13 NIV] 13 But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.

[Romans 8:14 NIV] 14 For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God.

[1 Corinthians 2:10-11 NIV] 10 these are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. 11 For who knows a person's thoughts except their own spirit within them? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.

3. Through Prayer – Prayer is not only a time to present our needs—it’s a heartfelt conversation with our Father. Through prayer, we express our love, praise, and worship to Him. And as we draw near, He comforts our hearts, gives clarity to our thoughts, and guides us with His peace and wisdom. When we truly seek Him, He faithfully responds.

[Jeremiah 33:3 NIV] 3 'Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.'

[Psalm 50:15 NIV] 15 and call on me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor me."

4. Through Godly People – There are moments when we may not clearly hear God’s voice directly. In such times, God often uses godly people to guide, correct, and encourage us. Think of young Samuel—he learned to recognize God’s voice through the counsel of Priest Eli. The same God who guided Samuel still works in our lives today, placing the right people around us to speak His wisdom into our circumstances.

[Proverbs 11:14 NIV] 14 For lack of guidance a nation falls, but victory is won through many advisers.

[1 Samuel 3:7-9 NIV] 7 Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD: The word of the LORD had not yet been revealed to him. 8 A third time the LORD called, "Samuel!" And Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, "Here I am; you called me." Then Eli realized that the LORD was calling the boy. 9 So Eli told Samuel, "Go and lie down, and if he calls you, say, 'Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening.' " So Samuel went and lay down in his place.

5. Through Circumstances – Many times, God speaks to us through our circumstances. When we seek His will, He guides us by opening certain doors and closing others. The ministry of Paul is a powerful example—God prevented him from going to Asia and instead led him to Macedonia. That divine redirection resulted in the spread of the Gospel across new regions. God still leads His children this way today, opening and closing doors to direct our path according to His purpose.

[Revelation 3:8 NIV] 8 I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name.

[Acts 16:7, 9 NIV] 7 When they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to. ... 9 During the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, "Come over to Macedonia and help us."

6. Through Visions, Dreams, and Prophecy – God, in His sovereignty, chooses how He speaks to each person. At times, He communicates through visions, dreams, or prophetic revelation—always according to His divine purpose. Daniel is a strong example of someone God equipped in this way. Such gifts are never meant for personal glory but to accomplish God’s work and reveal His plans. Scripture assures us that in the last days, God will pour out His Spirit, raising up people—even the young—to boldly speak His message (Joel 2:28–29)

[Acts 2:17 NIV] 17 " 'In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams.

[Numbers 12:6 NIV] 6 he said, "Listen to my words: "When there is a prophet among you, I, the LORD, reveal myself to them in visions, I speak to them in dreams.

Why Many Cannot Hear or See ?

Jesus explains:

[Matthew 13:13-15 NIV] 13 This is why I speak to them in parables: "Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand. 14 In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah: " 'You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving. 15 For this people's heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.

A calloused heart— “15 For this people's heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes “

• Spiritually hardened heart prevents us from seeing God’s truths. Just as physical callouses form over time due to friction or pressure, the heart hardens through repeated attachment to sin and worldly desires.

• Paul explains in Romans 1 the step-by-step spiritual process by which our hearts become hardened.

1. Not giving thanks to God – failing to glorify Him darkens the heart [Romans 1:21NIV] 21 For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.

2. Relying on self-wisdom – Mostly rely on the self-wisdom and ignoring divine wisdom leads to folly [Romans 1:22NIV] 22 Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools

3. Exchanging God for idols – Prioritizing the created (things of the world) over the Creator (God himself) [Romans 1:23NIV] 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles.

4. Justifying sinful desires – indulging in lusts and pleasures for self (Romans 1:25-27).

5. Being consumed by self – unchecked desires take over (1 John 2:16). This comes thru the self-desires / eyes and proud attitude of heart - [1 John 2:16 NIV] 16 For everything in the world--the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life--comes not from the Father but from the world.

6. Ignoring God’s Word – the mind becomes depraved and corrupt, they ignore God and disobey him [Romans 1:28NIV] 28 Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done.

7. Loss of sensitivity – sin dulls spiritual perception, like decay deadening a tooth (Romans 1:29-32) making spiritually hardened and insensitive unable to hear or see  [Ephesians 4:18-19 NIV] 18 They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. 19 Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, and they are full of greed.

The result: many see but cannot perceive, hear but cannot understand, and are spiritually separated from God.

The Blessing of Spiritual Hearing and Seeing

Jesus reminds us: it’s a great blessing to hear and see the word of God.

[Matthew 13:16 NIV] 16 But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear.

In the days of the Old Testament, prophets and kings longed for the blessing of hearing directly from God, often relying on other prophets to convey His guidance. Jesus refers to this in [Matthew 13:17 NIV] 17 For truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.

Even prophets and righteous people longed to experience, what we can see and hear today. This is God’s grace—not luck, not human effort. It is the gift of being able to perceive His truths and treasures. [Ephesians 2:8-9 NIV] 8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-- 9 not by works, so that no one can boast.

But this blessing requires humility and surrender. To maintain spiritual hearing and seeing, one must do Daily (Not a one-time activity when we need God)

• Daily crucify the self – The world and its pleasures often take centre stage, pulling us to indulge in self-centred desires. To follow Christ, we must crucify these self-needs. For example, if we spend too much time on social media, we can surrender it to God, saying, “Lord, I lay my weakness before You,” and place it on the cross, breaking the pull of lust and distraction from scrolling through posts or reels. [Luke 9:23 NIV] 23 Then he said to them all: "Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.

• Remain sensitive – To prevent spiritual dullness caused by sin and distractions, ask God to help you examine your life. Reflect on the hidden areas of your heart, your relationships with family, friends, neighbours, and others. God will reveal what needs to change, including friendships that may need to change. Follow the example of David in seeking God’s guidance and acting on it.[Psalm 139:23-24 NIV] 23 Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. 24 See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

• Seek Godliness and Holiness – Where godliness is present, the works of God are fulfilled, and His will is accomplished. Without godliness, spiritual growth is impossible (2 Peter 1:5-9 NIV). Holiness is the defining character of God—pure, blameless, and perfect. We cannot achieve true holiness on our own; it is only through God’s work that we are made holy. His desire is for us to become like Him, and He is ready to sanctify us. As its written in [1 Thessalonians 4:3 NIV] 3 It is God's will that you should be sanctified Holiness is possible only through His work and is accomplished through the salvation of Christ.

• Depend on God’s grace – only through His mercy can our hearts remain soft and receptive, his redemption power can save us as he has lavished his grace on us like no others in the world  [Ephesians 1:7-8 NIV] 7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace 8 that he lavished on us…

• Humble in front of God – When you come to God in prayer, humble yourself and ask Him to remove any trace of spiritual pride. Even the smallest amount of pride can hinder your ability to see and hear, it can impair us from receiving God’s spiritual blessings. Always follow Paul’s example in [Philippians 2:5-8 NIV] 5 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; 7 rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death--even death on a cross!

Summary: Walk in Grace, Hear God Today

Being able to hear and see spiritually is a divine privilege. It is not earned but given by His grace. Yet, it requires ongoing surrender, humility, and vigilance against worldly distractions.

As we walk with Christ:

• Let us keep our hearts soft and sensitive.

• Let us daily crucify self-interest.

• Let us cherish the grace that allows us to see and hear what God is saying today.

In doing so, we experience the fullness of His Kingdom and the treasures hidden in His Word—blessings even the prophets longed to witness.