Have you ever wondered if God is listening to you? One of his many divine attributes is that he is omnipresent, which means he is everywhere at the same time. His presence constantly permeates the atmosphere, whether it be on Earth, in heaven or throughout the universe. This is how he knows everything that happens and every word that is said. He knows every tree that falls in the forest and every thought that has ever been imagined, as well as the motives and intentions of every heart.
I enjoy taking walks so that I can have the privacy to talk to him. It gives me comfort and peace to know he is there, even though I do not hear him reply in a literal voice. Like you, I’ve discovered that it’s easy to share with him but difficult to hear and comprehend what he is saying. Sometimes I will just stop talking and listen for him in the quiet.
As Psalm 46:10 talks about being still and knowing that he is God, we are encouraged to stop allowing stress to make us afraid and to learn how to rest in his presence. A key to developing a strong personal relationship with God is to have a holy reverence for who he is, and this begins with being broken before him.
Romans 10:17 says, “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ,” so we know that hearing always precedes obedience. Faith can arise when instructions are revealed. However, if we are without the desire to understand, we are without a vision to accomplish his will. We can obtain libraries of knowledge, but the gift from heaven that changes lives is the passion to hear God’s voice.
The next step is deciding just how much of our will we are going to surrender. During the Welsh Revival of the early 1900s, a song that was heard frequently by those who were seeking a closer walk with God included the lyrics “Bend me lower, lower, down at the feet of Jesus.” Yes, spiritual awakenings can become a widespread excitement, but the emphasis is on the individual entering into the holy of holies with God on their own. This spiritual metamorphosis happens through a personal conviction of the Holy Spirit who opens the eyes of the conscience and helps us understand what it means to be saved by grace and become a servant to Christ as Lord and King.