I would like to suggest that there is a direct link between praising God and hearing His voice. James 4:8 says, “Come near to God and He will come near to you.” Are you tuned to the Master’s voice? Is His hand in your glove?

One day when Katie (the dog) was about six months old, she was out enjoying the scents and freedom of the great outdoors. When I came out to check on her, I noticed that my neighbor was just getting into her car to leave. I was concerned that Katie would run into her path and began to call her home. There was no response. She was too busy sniffing life. I continued to yell, “Katie come! Danger! Get out of there!”

How many times does God try to deliver that same warning message to us? Yet we never hear Him because we are too busy “sniffing life!” That day in the yard, I was forced to go and grab Katie in order to get her attention. More often than not, that is what God has to do with us. Or sadly, He sometimes allows us to get run over.

Today Katie is seven years old. Now when I call her, she comes almost immediately and sits at my feet. Why? What is the difference between that six-month old puppy and this seven-year-old dog? She is tuned to her master’s voice. How did that happen? We talked about it earlier. It’s that four-letter word that so scares us: t-i-m-e. We spent time together. My friend, you will never be tuned to the Master’s voice until you spend time with the Master.

D’Acchioli, Vince. Wired to Work! Huntington House Publishers: Lafayette, 2001, p. 45-46. http://ontargetinstitute.org/