We are in October. Do you know what is in October? Breast Cancer Awareness is the
month of October. October 15 is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Day. There
are all types/kinds of awareness days and months that we experience, partake in, or view.
Why do we have them?
To make us mindful or aware.
The voices of those affected speak out to bring awareness to the general public to
help/aide others who have the potential to experience the same issues.
Breast Cancer affects 1 in 8 (Month of October)
Pregnancy and infant loss affect 1 in 4 women (October 15) ***I am part of that 1 in 4***
Autism affects 1 in 44 children and 1 in 45 adults (Week in April)
Deaf and Hearing Loss affects 1.5 billion people or 20% of the global population (Month
of May)
Why am I bringing all this up?
It’s not to scare you. It’s to make you mindful, to make you aware, to educate you that
we all suffer from Spiritual Deafness. We all go through seasons and times where we
cannot hear the voice of God. My goal is to give you knowledge on how to seek the
voice of the Lord even when you physically cannot hear his voice.
How did I come up with spiritual deaf awareness? Well, 6 years ago, I entered the
public school system and met a young boy who was physically deaf. Needless to say, I had to come up with a plan quickly to figure out how I would work with the child, let alone, teach the child to read and write. There was a huge communication barrier. However, I knew that God had crossed
our paths for a reason because the Lord had told me to GO, to leave my comfort zone,
and I was just trying my best to be obedient to the voice of the Lord. I was maneuvering
through the unknowns but the voice of the Lord was my assurance. Through the 6 years
of working with this child, I have learned so much. I have learned
things about building relationships, the importance of language, the strength of
consistency and routine, deaf culture, creativity with schedules and disabilities, and how to build a
community (even it’s a small community).
I’ve had a lot of interesting moments with this student. These moments have helped me to personally learn how to tune into the voice of God even when I physically could not hear his voice. Spiritual Deafness is real! The first step to victory from spiritual deafness is making you aware.
Psalm 16:8
I am always aware of the Lord’s presence; he is near, and nothing can shake me…
My prayer for me and my family has been that we are as mindful of God as He is of us. My prayer is that I am always aware and my children are always aware!
Psalm 95:7-8
For he is our God; and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. To
day if ye will hear his voice, and harden not your heart…
John 10:27
My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:
How can we be disciples of Christ and make disciples of Christ if we do not or cannot hear His voice in our lives?
Revelation 3:20
Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I
will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.
He is always with us. We just do not always hear him speaking to us!
Now, that you’re aware. Let’s talk about the why.
Why can we not always hear the voice of the Lord?
There are many different reasons or possibilities of reasons "why" we do not or cannot hear the voice of God. Here are 5.
1. We ignore it. Our hearts are hardened. We refuse to listen and obey making us rebellious.
2. We don’t recognize it. We're not really sure what to look or listen for.
3. We’re not sensitive to it. We are not aware or mindful.
4. We’re too ADD/ADHD (too distracted). Our world is too loud!
5. We think it’s going to be some extraordinary thing.
a. Sometimes it’s a still small voice like 1 Kings 19:12.
b. Sometimes it’s ordinary like in 1 Samuel 3. Samuel thought it was Eli
calling him. **It took 4 calls before Samuel recognized or realized it was
the voice of God**
You see, it’s easier to be in tune with the Lord’s voice at youth retreat, small group, devotion, or church. The world is quieter in these settings. You’re less distracted and God’s voice is greater or louder when you’re in these environments. But what happens when you go to school on Monday or back to your job? Most likely, you revert back to being spiritually deaf. Not intentionally; but the
negativity, noise, issues, and circumstances that surround you drown out the positivity and proactive intentions. So, what do we do? What can we do? How do we conquer this? How do we fight this and be victorious over spiritual deafness?
Stay aware is #1. Never let your guard down. Everyday, put on the armor.
Ephesians 6:11-18
Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the
devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against
powers, against the rulers of the darkness (against noise, against negativity, against
fear, against distraction)
Learn to communicate is #2! Learn to pray. Learn the language of prayer. ***According to some research that I was doing on deafness; studies show that language
is vital! It’s an integral part on how our brain functions. It’s simply important that the
brain have language so that it can fully comprehend and turn inner thoughts into actions
or drivers. Recent research has shown that brain functions in memory, abstract
thinking, and self-awareness. John 14:26 talks about bringing to remembrance all you
have learned (MEMORY). Ephesians 3:20 talks about God doing exceedingly,
abundantly, above all we could ask or think (ABSTRACT THINKING). Think out of the
box. Don’t be afraid to ask God for crazy prayers. Always be aware! God has
promised to never leave nor forsake us in Hebrews 13 (AWARENESS). Don’t be
disabled in life due to lack of language! ***
When I first learned that I would work with this student, I was so overwhelmed.
It felt like an impossible task and I did not feel equipped to fulfill it. I lacked confidence, skill, knowledge, etc. However, I just had to start. You just have to start! We just have to start! Start praying. Start a conversation with the Lord.
I started with learning basic sign words like no, stop, yes, please, sorry. Now, I can
read and sign close to 100 words or more. Am I fluent? No, I still have to practice and
work at it. However, I can communicate with this student while others can’t. I’m now a part of his
community. It’s the same thing with prayer. You just have to start talking to God. You’ll be surprised what 5-10 minutes will do for your spirit. And you don’t know what that will turn into? You'll be able to do things that others cannot do. Also, speak clearly. Ask God to speak back to you. Don’t be afraid to be expressive. Think of prayer as you calling your BFF on the phone to tell her about your day or what just happened at the store.
#3 is facing the deaf person. You can’t speak to deaf person from behind. They can’t
read your lips or see you speaking from behind. They cannot read your expressions or gestures. You cannot expect them to respond to you if you're not facing them. It's not realistic. This also applies to the spiritual realm. We must face God so that we can communicate! Don’t be afraid to be face to
face with the Lord. Be real with him! He knows and loves you anyway. Turn your face toward him. Make eye contact like your looking at your friend. Look up because He is where our help comes from.
#4 is take turns speaking and listening. No one wants to be friends or around someone
who dominates the conversation 24/7. It’s the same way with God. You communicate.
He communicates. You speak and he listens. He speaks and you listen. It’s just a
conversation between friends. God wants to speak to us. We just have to be willing to
listen.
#5 is vital! Check for noise and lighting. You have to tune the world out to tune in to
God. Turn the radio off. Turn the TV off. Put the cell phone/tablet down. Distance
yourself from people and things that distract you or bring a lot of noise into your life. Remember, we are sometimes to ADD/ADHD to focus on the voice of the Lord. Our world becomes too loud.
Separate yourself from negativity. It doesn't matter if it's people, places, or things. Just separate yourself for a time.
But, what if I’m doing all these things and I’m still struggling to find or hear the voice of
God? You see, I pray. I try to listen for the voice of God. I fast. I read the word. I just can’t hear God speaking.
My advice is to use your other senses. God gave us 5 senses for a reason. When you are spiritually deaf, you can still taste and see that the Lord is good. Dig into the word. The word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. It's a resource! Hear the Word, read the Word, and meditate on the Word. You can still touch the throne of heaven through prayer. You can
still feel the presence of the Lord.
The thing is that we hear the voice of God more than we realize. As Sis. R. Melancon pointed out at a women’s conference recently; we hear the voice of God more than we realize. We just don’t always obey the voice of God.
I can relate this to my own children. A lot of times, I will ask them if they hear me or if they are really listening to me because there is a difference. They can hear my voice all day long but they obey when they are listening to what my voice says. I know that I want my children to listen to me, not just hear me. God is the same way.
***C. Lewis just posted: If you can’t hear God speaking to you, then maybe you’re
too preoccupied with your own voice. ***
*** Never ignore a nudge or whisper from God
from @Godfruits.com***
You see, a deaf person may not can physically hear my voice, but they can still read a room.
They have knowledge of what’s going on by using the other senses. A deaf person can see my facial expressions and my body gestures. They can feel my energy or the energy in the room.
It’s the same with us. We can use our other senses to tune into what God is speaking
into our lives.
Did you know that deaf people listen to music? It’s true. It’s a fact. They go to concerts
and enjoy music. How?
They can feel the sensation, vibration, beat of the music. They can feel the bass
thumping. They can feel the kick of the drum.
In talking with a friend that is hard of hearing *not completely deaf*, she expressed how much she loves certain songs due to the beat of the bass or kick of the drums. She
said that higher notes, octaves, keys, songs, do not have as much of an affect on her as
the lower/deeper ones. She said that a song cannot be shallow. It just doesn’t work. So, that got me to thinking; to hear the voice of God and tune our spiritually deaf ears, we have to go deeper. We can’t be shallow! There’s not a great affect. We can’t skim the surface with God. We can’t offer shallow worship, praise, prayers, etc. We must dig deeper within ourselves to use the resources and senses that God has blessed us with. This intrigued me. I also asked her how having a baby affected her and her hearing. How did that
work? How does she wake up without the noise of an alarm? She said she had to rely
on her husband or someone within the household. When we are struggling with spiritual deafness, we have to have community! We need each other for times when we experience spiritual deafness. Assembling together is important and powerful. Hebrews 10:25 tells us not to forsake this! Also, two are better than one in Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 for if either of them fall down, one can help the
other. We need each other. We need our Pastor. We need our parents and family. We need our youth
groups/small groups. We need our church. They are all resources to us for when we are struggling with spiritual deafness.
It’s ok to listen to Pastor and obey his or her teaching/preaching. It’s ok to listen to your family/parents. It’s ok to listen to spiritual mentors. Sometimes they are the voice of God in your life. They are there to help guide you and help you tune into the voice of God. Parents do not bring their children to church to be perfect people. They bring children to church to help them tune into the voice of God and become more sensitive to the voice of God. I want my kids to know that and
be aware that there is a place they can go when they are struggling and there will be
resources and people available to them to connect and help them tune into the voice of God and tune out the noise of the world. The rules, regulations, boundaries, etc. that are encouraged are not to be
mean or overbearing but are a form of protection from the world. They are not there to confine you but to protect you and help you be closer to the source of safety.
The desire is not for us all to live in static. But, to live in clarity hearing the voice of the Lord. Example: listening to
the radio going down the interstate
Think about how your radio station is clear when your near town but it starts getting more static the further away from the source you get.
I want to be so tuned into God that every dart or arrow of negativity, fear, confusion,
doubt, sin, etc. bounces off me. I do not want the world to affect me! I want to be confident and have a Godly boldness about me. When I walk into my job and school, I want to know CONFIDENTLY who my God is and who I am through him. I want the loudest voice in my life to be God’s voice. I desire to hear the voice of God consistently and constantly. I want to be sensitive to his voice
and spirit. I want my spirit to connect to his Spirit. I want to be aware of the tactics and strategies of the enemy at all times. I want to always have a prayer in my
heart and a praise on my lips. I desire to be a hearer and doer of the Word. I do not want to be spiritually deaf!
Jeremiah 7:23-24 says "But this thing commanded I them, saying, Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and ye shall be my people: and walk ye in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well unto you. But they hearkened not, nor inclined their ear, but walked in the counsels and in the imagination of their evil heart, and went backward, and not forward."
So, I close with this. If you feel that you are struggling with spiritual deafness, I
ask you to take a step of faith and do something out of your norm. Not for the attention
of others, but to get God’s attention to let him know that you are listening or trying to listen for his voice. Maybe it’s finding a quiet place in the room. Maybe you’re linking with a friend or spiritual mentor, but you’re actively making a move towards prayer and meditation for the next few
days. Make sure you take time to hear what the Lord is speaking to you personally.
Let's move forward from spiritual deafness. Let's be aware and use our senses to listen and obey the voice of God. In Jesus Name!
Prayer: Lord, thank you for your word. Thank you for this
time. I pray that you would touch each and every heart that is reading this blog. We need you,
Lord. We need to hear your voice. We ask that you would speak to us. Meet us here
right here and right now. Forgive us Lord for allowing the noise of the world to distract
us and pull us away from your voice. Help us to do better and be better for you and
your glory. Help us to be so in tune with the Spirit that we are always in the right place
at the right time. Let every step be ordered. Help us to be tools and vessels for you
and your kingdom bringing awareness to others.
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