OBEY MY VOICE

But this is what I commanded them, saying, ‘Obey My voice, and I will be your God, and you will be My people; and you will walk in all the way which I command you, that it may be well with you,’ (Jeremiah 7:23 NASB).

 We look at how quickly we knock (ask God for direction in prayer), but how reluctant we are to wait for the answer before plowing ahead.

Many problems and messes in our lives come from not waiting on God’s answer before we move forward and forge ahead with our own desires without hearing clear direction from God.

Silence from God does not mean “go ahead, do what you want to do.” God not saying “no” cannot be interpreted as God saying “yes.” I’m not sure if that sentence is even grammatically correct, but it is scripturally accurate.

“God didn’t stop me from buying that house, so I did it.” “God didn’t stop me from marrying that man, so I did it.” “God didn’t stop me from sleeping with that boy, so I did it.” Oh my. “I knocked and you didn’t answer, so I came on in.”

If you aren’t hearing from God in a particular area of your life, here are a few questions to consider.

1. Are you obeying what He already has told you to do?
2. Are you living your life according to the principles He already has mapped out for you?
3. Are you asking for direction in one area of your life, and yet knowingly disobeying Him in another?

Perhaps God is waiting for you to do something He already has told you to do, before He tells you the next thing or gives you further direction.

So what do we do when we knock on God’s door and we don’t hear an answer right away? We looked at various options, but one thing is for certain, silence from God cannot be interpreted as a “yes.” “Well, God didn’t tell me ‘no,’ so I went on ahead.” That’s not going to work. It could be that God is waiting for us to obey what He already HAS told us, before He gives further direction.


First he turned to Matthew 6:8-15.

“For your Father knows what you need before you ask him. This, then, is how you should pray: `Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.”

Then he turned to Matthew 18:19.

“’Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them.’ Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, ‘Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?’ Jesus answered, "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.”

I am not saying that obedience in one area will make you’ll strike it rich, find the man of your dreams, or live happily ever after. However, I do believe that sometimes God’s silence is due to the fact that He is waiting for us to obey what we do know before He gives us more direction.

So go ahead and knock! Ask! Pray! But make sure that you are doing what you do know has told you to do first.