2026-02-19 I want to speak to you this morning as if you were sitting right in front of me. There’s a simple truth I can’t stop repeating: God has given us an instruction manual and a voice. The kingdom was created voice-activated. The more you practice hearing and obeying God, the stronger your hearing and faith become. That’s not mystical fluff — it’s practical spiritual mechanics.
God gave us an instruction manual
The Bible is not a dusty book of nice stories. It’s an instruction manual — Basic Instruction Before Leaving Earth. When you read it, expect to receive instructions, not just information. Jesus didn’t give us a passive collection of ideas; he gave commands: go heal the sick, cast out demons, speak to mountains, pray that God’s will be done on earth as in heaven.
You are hearing from God all of the time and then convince yourself that you are not. Hearing God is often quieter than you imagine. Sometimes it is a whisper, or maybe a poke in your spirit or a thought that comes out of nowhere — you know, like a nudge to call Aunt Fanny (for example) even though you havent thought about her in years. Sometimes it’s a verse that jumps off the page and lands squarely in your life. But it you're not reading the word, none are jumping off the page. The key is to practice receiving these nudges and then acting on them. That action is the engine that builds faith.
Start with the small — finish the last thing
God rarely starts by giving you a thousand-mile plan. He gives the immediate next step. Think of your spiritual life like a GPS: you only get the next instruction when you’re on the route he’s set. If you stop driving, the GPS doesn’t give you new directions. If you don’t do the last thing he told you to do, expect silence on the new thing.
Practical rule: When you sense a prompting from God, do that thing before waiting for another word. The “call Aunt Fanny” moment is a metaphor for any small obedience you’ve been avoiding. Finish it, and then watch for the next instruction.
Obedience ratchets up your faith — the ladder effect
God works through small acts of obedience that scale into big releases. Look at Gideon, Noah, Ezekiel. They did things that made no sense to the natural mind. Yet each small obedient act expanded their identity and capability:
- Noah built an ark when it had never rained — obedience to a ridiculous command produced salvation for many.
- Gideon was asked to cut down false altars — a single courageous step changed his nation’s story.
- Ezekiel spoke to dry bones — a vision followed by obedience turned into an army.
Each obedience is a rung on the faith ladder. You obey, you see fruit, your belief increases, and then you obey again.
The more you do it, the stronger it gets. The stronger it gets, the more you do it. Lather Rinse Repeat. There’s no shortcut to that ratcheting process — only practice and perseverance.
Hearing God is practical — how to build it
Here are practical steps you can start doing today to strengthen your ability to hear and respond to God:
- Create distraction-free time. Close the phone, silence the pings. If you ask God to speak, give him your attention.
- Read Scripture out loud. The Word is alive. When you read it aloud, it often provokes a thought, a memory, or a conviction — that poke in the spirit.
- Write down nudges. Keep a small notebook of the small prompts you get: a phone call you should make, a reconciliation, an act of generosity. Completing these grows your spiritual muscle.
- Act quickly on the small things. Obedience amplifies hearing. If you’re waiting for a big sign, start with the tiny ones.
- Declare Scripture over your situation. You are made in God’s image. Speak to the mountain in your life. Command what has authority over you to loosen its grip — whether that’s fear, confusion, a health issue, or an ungodly word in your child’s life.
Authority is not arrogance — it’s responsibility
There’s confusion about authority. This isn’t about power trips or showmanship. Jesus authorized ordinary people to go and do extraordinary things. They did it before Pentecost, and it worked. You were created with authority to speak into circumstances — to call healing, to break lies over your children, to decree that storms not touch you.
Use that authority humbly and expectantly. Start with the things you can do: pray, break word curses, declare identity over your kids, speak truth into your family and community. The Lord backs obedience. He sets you up for victory, not for failure.
Common obstacles
Here are a few reasons many people think they don’t hear God:
- They are distracted by constant notifications and never give God undivided attention.
- They expect dramatic audible voices and dismiss the quiet nudges.
- They haven’t practiced obedience, so God doesn’t advance them to the next instruction.
- They want to be spoon-fed a private consultation rather than engaging in public, repeated training that produces spiritual maturity.
Remove distractions, read the Word, act on what you sense, and persist. God will begin to increase the volume and clarity of his guidance. He loves to confound the wise by using the willing.
A few stories to help you believe
Let me give you two quick, real-life applications of this principle. On motorcycle rides my wife and I have been caught under ominous storm clouds. I spoke to the clouds in Jesus’ name: "You may rain to the right and to the left, but you will not rain on us." Each time a dry road opened or a hotel awning shielded us while hail pounded everywhere else. The point isn’t about dramatic theatrics. It’s about exercising authority, seeing a result, and having faith increase.
Other times the nudge was simply to pick up the phone and mend a relationship. Small obedience removed a spiritual block and prepared the ground for a bigger assignment. Your life will follow the same pattern.
Practice tonight
Read a short passage out loud. Ask God, "What instruction are you giving me in this passage?" Sit quietly for the nudge. When it comes, write it down. Do it within 24 hours. Track the result. You are learning to hear. You are learning to obey. The more you do it, the stronger it gets.
Final invitation
This is your call to start practicing. Praise is an instruction too — the Word says God inhabits the praises of his people. That is not a poetic nice-idea; it is a functional invitation. Praise him, and his presence will fill your life. Speak; act; obey. When you do, God will give you next steps, and you will rise into the identity he designed for you.
Everything here is simple, practical, and available to you. Stop saying you do not hear. Start practicing the small, finish what you’ve been given, and watch the ladder of faith take you higher. The more you do it, the stronger it gets.
Blessings, Howard Olsen
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