Five Levels of Listening to God.

Dogs have great listening skills, but just like humans, sometimes they act like they can not hear their master. When God speaks, we’re normally listening at one of four levels. We practice ignoring, which is to not listen to him at all by tuning out his voice. We may practice pretend

A dog, listening

listening, where we put up a façade, telling God he has our attention when he really does not. We may participate in selective Listening, where we hear certain parts of what God is telling us while missing the rest. We may practice attentive listening, paying attention to the words being said as well as the non-verbal body language of the speaker, then repeating what is heard. Few people practice empathetic listening, which is listening in its highest form.

The practice of empathic listening involves hearing the voice of God while seeking to understand his heart. There are few people who listen to understand, so imagine what Jesus felt when his bride, the church, didn’t respect him enough to listen to what he had to say. Today we still find ourselves having this same problem with him. Many listen to respond to what is being heard from the oracles of God. We don’t generally receive training in the area of listening to the gospel with empathy. This is evident in our culture because many different types of relationships are strained due to the lack of good communication. Listening is essential to understanding the voice of God and his word. Although it is a vital part of our lives and livelihood, our own priorities can influence whether not we choose to listen to him.

Fear and unbelief certainly impact our decision to listen to the Lord. Whether or not our basic needs have been met can influence our decision to listen to him. We may find ourselves reluctant to seek the voice of God because he may show us things about ourselves that are threatening to our ego and make us feel vulnerable. A good listener knows the will of God more than he can know his own. The moment that our reflexive response to his answer for our prayer disregards his sovereignty, we should reset and listen to hear his heart for us in the matter. “He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.” Revelations 2:29

Scripture: Lord, real understanding can make a huge difference, but it involves listening. Teach us how to listen to your voice and ignore the enemy. Don’t let us be moved by deceptive practices, false teachings, and people who have mastered the art of manipulating those who lack decent listening skills. Give us an ear to hear the words from your heart, in Jesus’ name. It is so.

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