Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. – James 1:22 (NIV)
There are two key aspects to following the Word of God: hearing and acting on what we hear. One of the greatest struggles for believers is not just hearing the Word but actually putting it into practice. Many people rarely hear the Word of God directly. Instead, they tend to focus on reading, memorising, and quoting scripture from the Bible, often using it as a tool to measure or teach others. However, there is a significant difference between reading and hearing.
When we read aloud, we also hear the words with our ears, which helps some people to focus better. Others prefer to hear the Word during preaching, finding it easier to absorb in that format rather than reading directly from the Bible. Most believers treat Bible reading as part of their discipline and may have read the entire Bible multiple times. Church leaders often support this by organising structured reading plans, enabling believers to finish the Bible within a year or over a set period. While this practice makes it easier to complete the Bible, the real question remains: Are we acting on what we read? And if we are, have we succeeded in living out the Word?
Teaching Of Jesus
Jesus cautioned that He would reject some preachers, prophets, and miracle workers, even though they claimed to operate in His name. This suggests that preaching, prophesying, healing, or delivering others are not definitive indicators of doing God’s will. While these acts may feel meaningful, they don’t necessarily reflect true obedience to His Word. Serving God is not difficult because it is the Spirit within us who teaches, heals, and delivers through us. However, the decision to fully surrender our lives to God is a personal responsibility that only we can make.
Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. – Matthew 7:21 (NIV)
Then, is it not the will of our Father that we should preach, prophesy, deliver, and heal people in the name of the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit? To understand this, we need to look at the life of Jesus Himself. Throughout His ministry, Jesus preached, prophesied, healed, and delivered people. Yet, He still prayed to His Father, asking to be spared from fulfilling His Father’s will, showing how difficult true obedience can be. This highlights that doing God’s will is not about performing great acts in His name but about fully surrendering to Him so that His will is accomplished through us. That’s why Jesus said, “Not my will, but Yours be done.”
“Abba, Father,” he said, “everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.” – Mark 14:36 (NIV)
Jesus even forgave sins, including those of the paralysed man. However, fully committing Himself to His Father’s will was still a deep struggle, especially given the weight of carrying the world’s sins. If Jesus experienced such difficulty, it’s natural for us to struggle as well when it comes to completely surrendering our lives to God.
The Importance Of Hearing From Father
Whoever has ears, let them hear. – Matthew 11:15 (NIV)
We should not be content with hearing the voices of popular preachers or prayer warriors. Many people hesitate to speak about the Gospel or pray publicly because they feel they cannot match the eloquence or authority of others. However, the captivating voices of preachers and singers may impress us, but they won’t necessarily transform our lives.
When we read the Word, we should ask God to speak those verses directly to us. While a skilled speaker’s voice and delivery may hold our attention and leave an impression, true transformation only happens when we hear from God Himself. To experience real change, we must process what we read or hear and seek to hear it again from God. The question is: How does God speak to us? We all recognise the voice of the enemy when he tempts or misleads us—so why should it be difficult to hear the voice of God and obey Him?
In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus prayed for an extended period, during which He reminded His disciples twice to watch and pray. Yet, only a few lines of His actual prayer are recorded in the Gospels. Does this mean the Gospel writers failed to capture all that He prayed, especially during such a moment when His sweat became like drops of blood? Certainly not. In those final hours of prayer, Jesus was deeply engaged in listening to the Father, who was revealing the path ahead and the glorious outcome that awaited Him. From this, we are reminded that prayer is not only about speaking but also about waiting and listening for God’s voice. Have we ever waited long enough in prayer to truly hear Him? And if we have, have we acted on what He revealed to us?
To hear God’s voice clearly, we need to:
- Read His Word personally.
- Ask Him to reveal the true meaning and context of the passage.
- Allow the Holy Spirit to relate it to our lives.
This process requires more than patience—it demands a genuine desire to hear from God directly. When we seek His guidance with passion and a longing for truth, waiting becomes not a chore but a joyful expectation of hearing the truth from Him.
The Root of Spiritual Errors
A lack of desire to read the Word of God is the root of many errors that lead us astray. Fear of the patience and perseverance required to grow closer to God has discouraged many sincere seekers. Beyond these fundamental issues, other common mistakes become clear when we compare lifelong Christians with new believers.
Christians raised in the faith often struggle more to absorb the truth because they have been taught the Word through a worldly lens from an early age, starting from Sunday School. Their understanding is shaped by these preconceived ideas, which can make it difficult for them to grasp the truth as it is.
Who is it he is trying to teach? To whom is he explaining his message?
To children weaned from their milk, to those just taken from the breast? For it is: Do this, do that, a rule for this, a rule for that; a little here, a little there. – Isaiah 28:9-10 (NIV)
In contrast, new believers approach the Word with an open heart, untainted by previous teachings, allowing the Holy Spirit to reveal the truth directly to them. To fully receive the Word, we must be willing to let go of any misguided teachings and open our hearts to what the Spirit of God wants to reveal.
Do Not Force Fit the Word to Your Situations
Another common mistake is trying to adjust the Word of God to fit our circumstances instead of aligning ourselves with the Word. We are often given promises from the Bible and taught to claim them in prayer for our benefit or on behalf of others. While God is faithful to bless and provide for everyone regardless of their worthiness (Matthew 5:45), His faithfulness is not dependent on our prayers. He knows our needs even before we ask (Matthew 6:8).
When a prayer warrior claims a promise and the outcome aligns with their prayer, it may seem as though the prayer caused the result. However, God’s will is always accomplished through His plans and actions, not simply because we applied scripture to a situation (Job 42:2). It’s not a coincidence—it’s God’s sovereign will at work.
The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. – Romans 1:18-19 (NIV)
Living by the Spirit, Not the Letter
We often try to follow the Word of God by the letter, but God calls us to live by the Spirit. The letter of the law kills, but the Spirit gives life (2 Corinthians 3:6). The rich young man who approached Jesus had followed the law perfectly, yet he could not surrender his heart because he was bound to the letter rather than the Spirit.
Our struggle is similar—we read the Word and attempt to live it out using our own knowledge, strength, and understanding, which are influenced by worldly thinking. Without the love of God, our efforts to follow the Word remain empty and incomplete. True obedience requires love, which is the essence of every act done in God’s name. Without love, even the most righteous acts lose their spiritual value.
“Having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people.” – 2 Timothy 3:5 (NIV)
It’s like a student who memorises the answer to a math problem and then tries to work backwards to match the solution rather than understanding the process. Some students rely on practising model question papers, hoping the same pattern will appear in their exams. This mirrors how many believers approach God’s Word—they have the answers but lack the deeper understanding and connection that comes from a genuine relationship with our Father and the truth He reveals. True spiritual growth happens not when we try to manipulate the Word to fit our lives, but when we allow the Word to transform us through the Spirit.
Seeking the Holy Spirit with the Right Heart
And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.-Romans 5:5 (NIV)
Many desire the Holy Spirit’s power to perform miracles in their ministries. However, no matter how great a ministry may appear, if it lacks love, it amounts to nothing (1 Corinthians 13:1). When God’s servants lack the love of God, their focus shifts toward seeking recognition and fame rather than spreading God’s love. Instead of instilling faith and confidence in God’s love and faithfulness, they often emphasise the fear of the devil and its works. This makes it easy to identify those who serve God for their personal gain rather than for the benefit of others.
If we truly love God, we will spend time with Him, listen to Him, and apply His instructions in our own lives before teaching others. When God’s love completely fills our hearts, we will stop hearing the voice of the devil and begin to hear only the sweet, guiding voice of God. This voice speaks to our inner being, not to our outward ears. The voice that reaches our outward ears often comes from the enemy (John 10:1), but the one that speaks to our inner spirit is from our Shepherd, who leads us to green pastures and grants us eternal life (John 10:10).
When we find joy in God’s fellowship, He will uncover the areas in our lives that are not aligned with His Word, offering correction and guidance. At the same time, He will affirm the things in our lives that are already aligned with His will, even without us intentionally trying to make them fit. How many such truths have already been fulfilled in our lives without our own effort?
But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. – John 14:26 (NIV)
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