It’s not only possible to hear from God, it’s absolutely essential! Mary took the time to sit and listen to Jesus. Her sister Martha didn’t, she was too busy serving. There’s a lesson here: you can get so busy serving the Lord that you lose your sensitivity to His voice and end up settling for second best. You learn to hear from God – by making time to hear from God! Fifteen times in the New Testament Jesus said: “He that has an ear let him hear.” This tells you 3 important things: (Sorry that is the pastor in me put everything in three points)

1) You were born into God’s family with spiritual ears.

2) You have to learn how to use them.

3) Hearing from God must become your highest priority.

A couple in our church just had a baby and this made me think, a baby is born with the ability to hear, but he doesn’t understand what he’s hearing. Understanding takes time; it requires intimacy with his parents. Getting the idea? Luke writes: “Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures” (Lk 24:45 NIV). Looking back over your life you realize that God has often talked with you, you just didn’t understand what He was saying at the time. But He’s patient with you while you learn.

Why is it that you can hear from God in times of crisis, yet not at other times? Because you have to! Until that changes, you’ll keep living from crisis to crisis and you’ll never learn to hear from Him regularly or correctly. Jesus said, “I can do nothing of myself; as I hear, I judge” (Jn 5:30). Jesus did only those things placed in His mind by God the Father. And He wants us to learn to live that way too!