Five Ways to Improve Your Hearing of God's Word

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Are you trying to improve your time alone with God? Trying more than ever to hear the words that God is saying to you?

Here are 5 tips that I received in a recent study I was doing with my church. I hope you find them as helpful as I did. I'll be working on improving in each of these areas in the months to come.

1. Be ready and eager to hear God.

"He who has ears to hear, let him hear!" Luke 8:8

"How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!" Psalm 119:103


2. Address attitudes that prevent you from hearing God.


"Consider carefully how you listen..." Luke 8:18

* A closed mind lets fear, pride, or bitterness prevent one from really hearing God
* A superficial mind is not really serious about wanting to hear God
* A preoccupied mind is too busy and concerned with other things to concentrate on what God has to say.


3. Confess the sin in your life.

"Get rid of all moral filth and humbly accept the Word." James 1:21


4. Take notes on what you hear.

"We must pay more careful attention to what we've heard, so that we do not drift away!" Hebrews 2:1

Studies show that writing down what you hear greatly improves knowledge retention.


5. Act on what you hear.

"Do not merely listen to the Word and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says." James 1:22

"Whoever does not simply listen and then forgets it, but puts it into practice that person will be blessed in what he does." James 1:25




11 Thoughts Shared:

Beth Cotell said...

These are great tips! Thank you for sharing them. I am also trying to do more than just read God's Word...

Heather said...

This is a great list. Thanks for sharing it.

Laurie Ann said...

Great tips. I appreciate your taking the time to share them with us. I love things like this - practical applications I can use to deepen my walk with God.

Salute said...

I love this verse:

How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!" Psalm 119:103

Thanks for these great tips

Tricia said...

Hey Melanie
Those are great tips, thanks for sharing them. It seems since I got back from my trip that life has been so hectic... this was a gently reminder to check on how well I am listening to my Lord... thanks!

Paula V said...

Thanks for the tips. I am reading the Bible in a year on a new plan. Boy, this plan has 4-6 chapters a day. ugg. However, along with this plan, I am journalling. Whatever scripture speaks to me, I write about it with S-O-A-P: Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer. It's quite helpful and gives me a point of reference.

Jen&Carter said...

Great Tips, thanks for sharing them. I need to deepen my walk with God and get closer to him.

Faith said...

This was a great post!
Thanks for all the tips!
I love listening to His voice when I am out in nature...all by my self...and i love to journal!

Aunt Angie said...

Melanie...this was so good! Just what this girl needed tonight. I have been pricked in my spirit about my own time with Him. My prayer time/reading/and the "service" time. This was needed---and necessary!
Thank you for your sweet comment on our anniversary!

Maisie said...

Very helpful. I was convicted when I read the part about the preoccupied mind.

Anonymous said...

Good stuff Melanie! So practical yet also so encouraging.
Thanks for posting this. :)
Sandy