How to Hear the Voice of God

On tending to the garden of your heart

God loves you. He wants to talk with you.

But many would say they cannot hear the voice of God.

How can this be?

The answer lies in Jesus’ parable about the sower—a unique parable for several reasons. Yet, the well-known parable is often misinterpreted or received too narrowly and a spiritual lesson is missed.

If you can receive the parable well, the question becomes less whether God speaks and more whether you can hear Him. It opens the soul to cultivating a holy mind and heart that are receptive to the divine.

You do not labor to have God speak to you.

He is speaking. You labor to hear Him.

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The Parable of the Sower

The parable of the sower is an incredibly unique parable. Not only does it provide an analogue to an important spiritual principle, but it is also a parable that Jesus interprets himself.

The Gospel reads:

That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea. ² And great crowds gathered about him, so that he got into a boat and sat there; and the whole crowd stood on the beach. ³ And he told them many things in parables, saying: “A sower went out to sow. ⁴ And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them. ⁵ Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they had not much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil, ⁶ but when the sun rose they were scorched; and since they had no root they withered away. ⁷ Other seeds fell upon thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. ⁸ Other seeds fell on good soil and brought forth grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. ⁹ He who has ears, let him hear.” (Matt 13:1-9)

Jesus, after explaining why He teaches in parables, interprets the parable for his disciples:

¹⁸ “Hear then the parable of the sower. ¹⁹ When any one hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what is sown in his heart; this is what was sown along the path. ²⁰ As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; ²¹ yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away. ²² As for what was sown among thorns, this is he who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the delight in riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. ²³ As for what was sown on good soil, this is he who hears the word and understands it; he indeed bears fruit, and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.” (Matt 13:18-23).

To wit, Jesus tells you that the sower is the one who shares the seeds, the Word of God, and the various soils are the various types of hearts with corresponding receptivity to the Gospel.

For some, the word of God is not understood, and evil quickly steals it away. For others, the word is received but it soon dies either from shallow roots or being choked out by the cares of this world. Then there are the seeds that fall on fertile hearts, and the Gospel is allowed to flourish and bear fruit.

Yet, despite Jesus’ interpretation, the parable is often misunderstood.

A Fuller Understanding of the Parable

The parable of the sower is often interpreted as a soul’s initial reception of the Gospel. Many Christians often believe they must be the rich soil, because the Word of God found fecundity in their hearts, and they believe in Jesus—the seed took root.

However, this narrows the spiritual lessons of the parable.

The parable of the sower is also about your daily receptivity to the Word of God. Every day the sower casts his seeds upon the soil of your heart, and every day is a choice to receive them or not. You must tend the garden of your heart daily. You must unearth the stones and pull the weeds every day to allow the Word of God to find its fruitfulness in your heart—a heart truly open to the divine.

If you are asking: How can I hear the voice of God in my life?

Then ask: Do I cultivate my heart daily to receive His word?

Do I do things that will till the soil of my heart to be receptive to Jesus Christ? Do I pray, fast, and give alms? Do I fill my mind with good and holy things?

Or do I toss stones into my own heart by the sins I commit? Do I allow weeds to overtake my soul by prioritizing earthly goods?

Many cry out that God is not speaking, but in reality He is always speaking. His seed is given freely and often—a subtle, small voice that requires a tilled soul.

It is not whether the seed is sown but whether we have the soil to receive it.

Cultivating a Fertile Soul

God is speaking to you. He speaks in images and inclinations. He speaks in events and signs. And yes, He sometimes speaks in the small, still voice.

How can you hear the voice of God?

You tend the garden of your soul. You cultivate a good and holy mind that is open to the divine and filled with good things that enrich it.

He loves you. He is speaking to you.

Prepare your soul to hear him.

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Dcn. Harrison Garlick is a deacon, husband, father, Chancellor, and attorney. He lives in rural Oklahoma with his wife and five children. He is also the host of Ascend: The Great Books Podcast. Follow him on X at Dcn. Garlick or Ascend.