I have learned that I hear only what I want to hear - I dismiss everything else.
Understanding this truth is vital to learning how to hear God, says Peter Lord, author of Hearing God.
Lord says that, typically, we choose to shut out things we don't want to hear and pay attention to the things that interest us.
For example, he notes that a mother of an infant is programmed to hear every sigh or squirm of her child when sleeping at night. She will wake up if something sounds wrong. And people living near airports will eventually filter out the sound of planes flying overhead.
Knowing this, we can train ourselves to filter out the things that turn us away from God and focus on the things that draw us closer.
But, Lord says, we must also respond and act on what we hear from God. If we do, our minds and hearts will begin to hear more from God.
Of course, this presumes that we think hearing from God is important. Jesus certainly thought so as he said in Mark 4:9: "Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand."
As Lord and others say, we can hear from God in a variety of ways - meditating on God's word, impressions the Holy Spirit drops in our minds, visions, dreams, and comments from others.
But hearing from God requires some effort on our part. We need to go into training.
"If you begin prayer with the attitude that [hearing God] is an absolute necessity, vital to sustaining fellowship with Jesus, then you can be sure to make progress," writes Lord.
He suggests the acronym FIT - frequency, intensity, time - as a guide. That means focusing often on what God has to say, taking time to be with God, and acting on what you hear.
Along with the normal things that distract us, Lord writes, we Christians often substitute videos, speakers, and books about God rather than on his words in the Bible and prayer.
Instead, we should spend time with God with a commitment to respond to what he tells us.
"The person who listens to God and responds positively will hear more from the Lord," he says.
At the same time, we must train ourselves to say "no" to the distractions and temptations that seek to dominate our minds when we seek God.
He suggests our response to God should include something practical right away. If someone who needs help springs to our minds, we should "call, pray, write a letter, visit or do whatever action is appropriate".
As time goes on, we will find our ability to hear God increase. As we act on what we hear, our lives will change.
Understanding this truth is vital to learning how to hear God, says Peter Lord, author of Hearing God.
Lord says that, typically, we choose to shut out things we don't want to hear and pay attention to the things that interest us.
For example, he notes that a mother of an infant is programmed to hear every sigh or squirm of her child when sleeping at night. She will wake up if something sounds wrong. And people living near airports will eventually filter out the sound of planes flying overhead.
Knowing this, we can train ourselves to filter out the things that turn us away from God and focus on the things that draw us closer.
But, Lord says, we must also respond and act on what we hear from God. If we do, our minds and hearts will begin to hear more from God.
Of course, this presumes that we think hearing from God is important. Jesus certainly thought so as he said in Mark 4:9: "Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand."
As Lord and others say, we can hear from God in a variety of ways - meditating on God's word, impressions the Holy Spirit drops in our minds, visions, dreams, and comments from others.
But hearing from God requires some effort on our part. We need to go into training.
"If you begin prayer with the attitude that [hearing God] is an absolute necessity, vital to sustaining fellowship with Jesus, then you can be sure to make progress," writes Lord.
He suggests the acronym FIT - frequency, intensity, time - as a guide. That means focusing often on what God has to say, taking time to be with God, and acting on what you hear.
Along with the normal things that distract us, Lord writes, we Christians often substitute videos, speakers, and books about God rather than on his words in the Bible and prayer.
Instead, we should spend time with God with a commitment to respond to what he tells us.
"The person who listens to God and responds positively will hear more from the Lord," he says.
At the same time, we must train ourselves to say "no" to the distractions and temptations that seek to dominate our minds when we seek God.
He suggests our response to God should include something practical right away. If someone who needs help springs to our minds, we should "call, pray, write a letter, visit or do whatever action is appropriate".
As time goes on, we will find our ability to hear God increase. As we act on what we hear, our lives will change.
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