Hindrances to Hearing God's Voice

Hosea 6:3 - "Let us acknowledge the LORD; let us press on to acknowledge him. As surely as the sun rises, he will appear; he will come to us like the winter rains, like the spring rains that water the earth" (NIV).

Psalm 66:18 - "If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened" (NIV).

Proverbs 4:1-2 - "Listen, my sons, to a father's instruction; pay attention and gain understanding. I give you sound learning, so do not forsake my teaching" (NIV).

Hebrews 3:15 - "As has just been said: 'Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion'" (NIV).

Have you ever been talking on your mobile phone, and your cell coverage begins to drop out? You hear static noise with a voice going in and out. Sometimes hearing God's voice seems like that. You may have said, "I think that was God, but I can't be sure…." Or sometimes, you feel that there are periods of your life when you can't hear God at all. What are the hindrances to hearing God's voice? Why does it seem so difficult at times?

God definitely does not hide Himself (Deut. 30:14). He doesn't play games with us or give us the silent treatment. That would be out of character for God. Perhaps, He doesn't say what we want Him to say. But, He never leads us on or manipulates us with His voice. So, why can it be so difficult to hear Him? There can be a few issues on our side...

  1. Unbelief - James 1:6-7 says, "But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord" (NIV). When you desire to hear God's voice, and yet have unbelief that He will even speak (or that you will be able to hear Him), you will definitely have trouble tuning in to His voice. Repenting of unbelief and determining to listen to God with faith will clear the way for you to receive the word of God.
  2. Expectation - Remember how Elijah heard the voice of God not in the wind, earthquake, or fire, but in the gentle whisper (1 Kings 19)? We sometimes expect God to reveal Himself with a lightening bolt or red letters in the sky. If we don't experience something huge, we think God hasn't spoken to us. However, God created your heart language. He knows how to connect with you in a very normal, personal way. His voice is far more normal than you think. Expect Him to speak in a way much like you speak. Typically, the Holy Spirit will speak a thought into our minds when we ask Him a question. As we walk through our day, the Holy Spirit is constantly nudging or prompting us... speaking to us of His love for us, His love for others and wisdom for our current situation. When we expect to hear these quick, gentle impressions, we will become more sensitive and will desire to hear Him all the time.
  3. Sin - Pride (I.e. saying, "I don't really need God.") will hinder the hearing of God's voice every time. When we are in sin, whether pride, immorality, unbelief, etc., the only thing we will hear is the conviction of God. But, if we do not deal with our sin, our ears will become more and more deaf to God's voice. Disobedience always blocks us from hearing more from God other than conviction. In His mercy, He does not let us bypass our sin and begin to speak to us about other things. Deal with your sin, walk in obedience and begin to hear God's voice clearly.
  4. Apathy - We often struggle hearing God's voice, because we don't actually listen. We wait for a moment and then get frustrated when we don't hear anything. We quit easily. Persevere in asking the Holy Spirit questions and listening for His voice. The important thing is immediately to obey or respond to whatever He says. Apathy in response will also bring a callousness to hearing His voice the next time. Keep listening and notice the soft promptings.

For More Study
  • Numbers 22:21-41
  • 1 Samuel 28
  • Psalm 63
  • Proverbs 3-4
  • Proverbs 8

Thoughts and Questions for Application
  1. Do you feel hindered in hearing God's voice because of one of the areas above?
  2. Allowing God to purify your heart will always bring a greater sensitivity to His voice. Ask Him to search your heart for any hindrances to hearing His voice. As you are convicted of sin, ask God for forgiveness and choose to walk in holiness.
  3. Spend some time each day personally worshipping God. Be specific and intentional in your worship. This will keep the communication lines free and open in your relationship with Him.

​Memorization

Hebrews 3:15 - "As has just been said: 'Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion'" (NIV).