Weed #1: Unwillingness to Hear God

Did you know that Jesus told stories called, “parables,” so that those who did not want to hear truth could avoid it? Matthew 13:12-13 (NLT) “To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given, and they will have an abundance of knowledge. But for those who are not listening, even what little understanding they have will be taken away from them. 13 That is why I use these parables, For they look, but they don’t really see. They hear, but they don’t really listen or understand.” God does not force his way into the lives of anyone who is stubborn or wants to go their, “own way.” He is that committed to maintaining our free will, so that genuine love is possible (you cannot have genuine love if it is forced, can you?)

Weed #2: Unwillingness To Surrender Until We Know the “Cost”

Some do not believe that Jesus has their best interests in mind – that he wants good things for us. Therefore, they desire to know what he wants – and what it may cost them - before they seek his voice. But Paul reminds us, Romans 8:28 (NIV) And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. We can trust this truth!

Weed #3: Unconfessed Sin

When a husband and wife have something between them, a tension and isolation can result in their relationship. The same is true in a relationship with God. The Psalmist described it well, Psalm 66:18 (NIV) If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened.

Weed #4: Lack of Knowledge

Sometimes we simply haven’t been taught how to hear God. Ignorance is not bliss! As it says in the Old Testament, Job 33:14 (NLT) “For God speaks again and again, though people do not recognize it.”

Weed #5: Unbelief

We are told that Jesus couldn’t do miracles in Nazareth because of unbelief (Matthew 13:58). If we do not believe that Jesus speaks or that we personally can hear him, the “harvest of hearing God’s voice” will be limited.

Weed #6: Fear of Chaos in the Church

Some churches discourage people from hearing God’s voice, worried about potential chaos or people claiming to have heard bizarre things from God. Sadly, people do misuse God’s voice! Yet some also mishandle the Bible – and we don’t stop using that, do we? Instead, we need to use the gifts that God has given us, BUT with love, wisdom, boundaries, etc. Or as Paul said when he faced some chaos in the Corinthian church, 1 Corinthians 14:40 (NKJV) “Let all things be done decently and in order.”

Weed #7: Not Desiring a Friendship with God

Some people only want to relate to God when they need him to get them out of trouble. This would be disrespectful to anyone and it is to God. We should not expect to hear God regularly and clearly if that is our attitude.

Weed #8: Too Busy to Spend Time Listening to God

Some peoples’ lives are filled with a lot of things that do not matter for eternity. To hear God’s voice, we need to create space to listen to him. If you look in Luke 10:38-42, you see that Martha is an example of someone who was too busy (even with good things!) to listen to Jesus, while Mary was ready to hear.