Alert for God’s Voice

by Annie Yorty

With so many things clamoring for our attention every day, we often struggle to hear from God. We wonder why He’s silent. But God doesn’t give the silent treatment to His children. In the Bible, we can find strategies to stay alert for God’s voice.

On the Alert

When I was a teen cadet in Civil Air Patrol, I spent some time at encampments. If you’re not sure what that means, picture as best you can a week of military boot camp—marching, physical fitness, shooting guns, flying planes. The commander assigned overnight guard duty on a rotating basis. In the wee hours, we would sit around with the cockroaches on the bathroom floor and shine our boots or study our airplane mechanic manuals. We whispered among ourselves, but we always stayed alert for a call or any noise that stood out from the quiet.

As a mom of an almost grown teen, I laid in bed late at night with my ears perked for the sound of the door latch. Mother hens stay alert until all the chicks are safe in the coop.

Alert for God’s Voice

In the Bible, a man named Habakkuk stayed alert for God’s voice. We know almost nothing about this Old Testament prophet, but his name means “embracer.” In his book, he asked God some questions. Then he stood on alert to wait for His reply.

I will stand at my guard post and station myself on the watchtower; and I will keep watch to see what He will say to me, and how I may reply when I am reprimanded. (Habakkuk 2:1 NASB)

Habakkuk expected God to speak, and he didn’t want to miss a single word. Notice Habakkuk stood watching and listening for the Lord with expectation and with an attitude of submission to God’s authority.

Falling Asleep

When I was in Civil Air Patrol playing soldier all day in the hot sun, staying awake half the night wasn’t easy. Without a plan, I would have fallen asleep on guard duty and received a reprimand. Thankfully, the threat of cockroaches as big as my hand pumped up my adrenaline and made it easier to stay alert.

As a Christian, I want to stay alert for God’s voice. His Word is light and life to me. Yet at times, I have missed His message. I’ve been forgetful, distracted, pacified, lulled, complacent, and rebellious.

God doesn’t give the silent treatment to His children. We need to learn to stay alert for His voice. #annieyorty #perceivegod Share on X

Maybe you, too, have experienced some of these problems.

7 Ways to Stay Alert for God’s Voice

Habakkuk positioned himself on the watchtower to wait for God to speak. In the same way, we can position ourselves to be alert for God’s voice using these seven suggestions.

1. Prayerfully read the Bible.

The Bible is the voice of God, but we sometimes walk away from reading unchanged. When we ask God to teach us from His Word before we begin to read, His Spirit gives us wisdom to understand and apply to our lives.

Call to me, and I will answer you, and will show you great and difficult things, which you don’t know. (Jeremiah 33:3 WEB)

2. Create a balance in your life.

We must learn to strike a balance between work and rest so we have the margin of time and energy to stay alert for God’s voice.

It is vain for you to rise up early, to stay up late, eating the bread of toil, for he gives sleep to his loved ones. (Psalm 127:2 WEB)

3. Deny yourself some things of the world so you feel the need for God.

God created the world for our pleasure, but not for our satisfaction. Sometimes material possessions lull us into a spiritual drowsiness. If you suspect worldly comforts have dulled your senses, put them away so you once again sense your desperation for God.

Don’t love the world or the things that are in the world. If anyone loves the world, the Father’s love isn’t in him. (1 John 2:15 WEB)

4. Take a break from the noise of the world.

Sometimes I wonder if there’s a conspiracy afoot to fill every minute of the night and day with stridence. We carry noisemakers in our pockets and station devices that squawk continually all around our home. Constant clamor drowns out God’s voice. When we intentionally turn off the noise for part of the day, we can retrain ourselves to be alert to God’s voice and sustain attention on Him.

It is good that a man should hope and quietly wait for the salvation of Yahweh. (Lamentations 3:26 WEB)

5. Stay connected to God.

When we stray from God, His voice grows distant. We can stay at His side within earshot by talking to Him in prayer and meditating upon His Word.

I will meditate on your precepts, and consider your ways. (Psalm 119:15 WEB)

6. Serve others in the name of Jesus.

When we serve others, we imitate the nature of Christ. We focus less on ourselves and more on others. As we follow in His footsteps, we become more alert to God’s voice.

He who says he remains in him ought himself also to walk just like he walked. (1 John 2:6 WEB)

7. Confess your sin.

Sin hardens our hearts—and our hearing. Unconfessed sin sends us into hiding, the exact opposite of Habakkuk’s example of waiting on the watchtower to hear from God.

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us the sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9 WEB)

Habakkuk’s Reward

The Bible doesn’t say how long Habakkuk stayed on the watchtower, alert for God’s voice. But the next verse says God rewarded his vigilance with an answer.

Then the Lord answered me and said, “Write down the vision and inscribe it clearly on tablets, so that one who reads it may run.” (Habakkuk 2:2 NASB)

Our Father God created us for fellowship with Him. He enjoys speaking with us, providing His wisdom, guidance, and encouragement. We will never be disappointed when we stay alert for His voice. He always speaks directly to our needs at just the right moment.

Will you position yourself, alert on the watchtower, to hear Him today?

Join the conversation:

What suggestion would you add to this list to stay alert for God’s voice?

I welcome your comments!

Copyright ©2023 Annie Yorty