Here’s One Big Reason Many Christians Never Hear God Clearly
TODAY'S TEACHING
Concerning this we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull and sluggish in [your spiritual] hearing and disinclined to listen.
—Hebrews 5:11
Ever try answering someone who asks, then steamrolls right past your words? You end up talking to the air.
We do that with God sometimes. Chattering, planning, filling the space, and then wondering why we can’t catch what He’s saying.
He’s not stingy with His voice and direction. He’s just not going to compete with our one-way prayers. If we won’t stop talking, lean in, and listen, He’ll talk to the one who will. And I believe that's a big reason many don't hear from Him clearly.
There’s a warning tucked in today's scripture, Hebrews 5:11: ears can go dull. Not broken—just bored, distracted, glazed over. Becoming disinclined to listen to God Almighty.
A listening posture isn’t a panic button. It’s how we walk with Him on ordinary Tuesdays, in traffic, between emails, taking the dog for a walk, while folding towels.
Think about when you’re waiting for an important text. Phone nearby. Ringer on. You glance down every few minutes. Have you ever been there?
Give God that kind of attention. Turn down the blender in your soul. Leave a little white space so you can notice even the slightest whisper from Him.
Jesus kept saying, “Whoever has ears, let them hear” (Matthew 13:9). Plenty had eyes and ears—and still missed what our Lord was saying.
He wasn’t talking about eardrums. He meant our spiritual ears. The ones we receive when we’re born into God’s family—the Spirit-given capacity (and tremendous blessing) to hear from God.
Jesus also said on another occasion in scripture, “I’ve got more to tell you, but you can’t carry it yet” (John 16:12, paraphrased). That one stings. He wanted to share more, but couldn't because they couldn't handle it.
You’re built to hear from God when He speaks. Believe that. Faith flips the switch on and receives this.
So today, pray and ask a simple question—“Lord, what are You saying?”—and then hush long enough to catch the first whisper. Make it a habit to always take time to wait, be silent, and just listen.
If this resonates with you, here's a short prayer you can say today:
"Dear God, I don’t want to be so busy talking that I drown out Your voice because I am not listening. Teach me to turn down the noise in my soul the way I’d mute a blaring radio so I can catch every word You want to tell me. Help me lean in like someone waiting for an urgent call, heart ready, ears open. I choose to quiet my heart so I remain sensitive to Your leading today. Amen."
God bless you!
Your brother in Christ,
Daniel
Daily Effective Prayer™
P.S. - Thank you for allowing me to connect with you through email. If you ever want to UNSUBSCRIBE you can do so at the bottom of any of my emails - no questions asked. God bless you.
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DEVOTIONAL QUESTIONS
1. Are Christians actually making room to hear God, or trying to just get microwave-fast answers?
Most days, we’re skimming life like headlines and hoping His voice breaks through the noise. Let’s get small and specific. We put the phone face down, set a five-minute timer, and bring one honest question to Him, like we’re waiting on a call that matters. We read a handful of verses, then give it thirty quiet seconds before we say a word. No performance. Just focused attention. When we clear even that little square of space, it’s surprising how just one line of His Word lands and stays.
2. Are we dull from life's constant noise, and what will we cut this week to sharpen our hearing?
Dullness creeps in like dust. Nothing dramatic, just daily buildup. Notifications blink like Christmas lights in July, and our spiritual edge goes with them. So we pick one cut, not ten. News after lunch, not before breakfast. A walk around the block with no earbuds. Phone charging in the kitchen, not on the nightstand. Pray for five minutes and listen for one. Give it three days, and we’ll notice the blade catching again as our spiritual lives get stronger.
3. Are Believers obeying the last leading from the Holy Spirit we already know about, or waiting for a spotlight before we move?
We keep asking for step ten while step one sits right in front of us. Call and apologize. Return the tool we borrowed. Cancel the thing that’s stealing sleep. Sow the seed for the church project. Share the extra meal. It doesn’t need fireworks. Obedience is more like a dimmer than a switch. Each yes we give God brightens the room a notch. We do the piece we’ve got, and the next piece shows up when we need it, not a minute early (just ask Abram, who had to take the first step before he received the next one—Genesis 12:1).
4. As a Christian, are we training our attention daily, or only listening when life’s on fire?
Sirens get us to pray, but practice keeps us ready. Think small habits, tied to things we already do. A Post-it on the coffee maker—“Speak, Lord, we’re listening.” A psalm while the kettle heats. One line of gratitude in a beat-up notebook before bed. A small prayer at the red light: “Your will, not ours.” These tiny steps look ordinary, even boring, but over time, they make our ears quick and our hearts sensitive to the Lord even more.
5. Are we testing what we think we hear in Scripture and community, or just going with the flow?
We’re a family, not freelancers. What we sense on Tuesday should still hold on Friday when it’s sitting next to an open Bible, the Holy Spirit, and a trusted friend. God’s voice won’t pick a fight with His Word, and wise people help us sift signal from our wish list. We ask, “Does this line up with what’s written? Do the people who love us and love Jesus hear and see the same thing?” When Scripture, the Holy Spirit’s nudge, and godly counsel harmonize, we can move with a quiet 'yes' and not even look back.
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SCRIPTURE OF THE WEEK
Do not envy a violent man or choose any of his ways, for the Lord detests a perverse man but takes the upright into his confidence.
—Proverbs 3:31-32
