My number two survival strategy is listening. You can play all the music, read all the Word, and pray all the time; however, if you never stop to listen to the voice of God, you have already lost the battle. God speaks and He expects us to listen. Sometimes we are so caught up in the problem we forget to listen for the solution. We try to figure it out on our own, usually making the situation worst. I often wonder why people think God listens to our prayers, but we never consider that He also speaks to us. Conversation is a two-way exchange.
It’s considered rude to speak when someone else is talking. The Holy Spirit is a gentleman and will not over-talk you. He will wait for an opening; the problem is, most people do not stop talking (praying, singing, complaining, etc) long enough to allow Him to get two words in. James 1:19 tells us, “Let everyone be quick to hear [be a careful, thoughtful listener], slow to speak [a speaker of carefully chosen words and]”. We must be active listeners if we want to hear from God.
There are two types of listeners.
- Passive: This form of listening refers to hearing something without the intention of responding to it. It also involves not carrying forth any other activity while listening to the other person, i.e., not responding to what is being said. In passive listening, it is quite possible for our minds to drift from the topic of discussion from time to time, or what we are listening to might be relegated to a mere background noise, wherein we may think that we are listening to what is being said, but are, in reality, simply letting things get past our brain.
- Active: This form of listening refers to hearing something with the intention of not only listening to understand to what is being said, but to also provide feedback to the speaker. It is a two-way process where a person listens to understand and interacts wherever needed. In active listening, a person listens to what is being spoken about not merely as a subject, but to get an understanding of what the message means.
Active listerners are determined to listen, hear, and obey the Word. We must get an understanding of what God is trying to tell us. Consider Proverbs 4:5-9. I love the way the Amplified Bible breaks it down:
“Get [skillful and godly] wisdom! Acquire understanding [actively seek spiritual discernment, mature comprehension, and logical interpretation]! Do not forget nor turn away from the words of my mouth.
“Do not [a]turn away from her (Wisdom) and she will guard andprotect you; love her, and she will watch over you.
“The beginning of wisdom is: Get [skillful and godly] wisdom [it is preeminent]! And with all your acquiring, get understanding [actively seek spiritual discernment, mature comprehension, and logical interpretation].
“Prize wisdom [and exalt her], and she will exalt you; she will honor you if you embrace her.
“She will place on your head a garland of grace; she will present you with a crown of beauty and glory.”
Become an active listener. Sure, it’s okay to pray, sing, and shout; but take time to stop and listen to what God has to say about your situation. Learn to use this survival strategy as a weapon against the enemy. Have you heard of the SHEMA prayer in Deuteronomy 6:4. Hear (Listen) O Israel. The word SHEMA means to listen and to obey. This is what God always expect from His people. I have a blog post on this topic, be sure to check it out. God does not talk just to hear Himself talk. He has something to say, so be sure you are listening so you can clearly hear and obey as God shares what’s on His heart. God is a speaking God. He spoke all things into existence. I hope you have been blessed by these two posts on Survival Strategies. We all have those tough seasons to go through; it’s not if you go through one, it’s how you go through. Please share with your friends or family who are currently going through a rough season.
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