Why You Can’t Hear God Clearly
If you've ever felt like your prayers aren't reaching God, like you're walking through life with a heavy fog around your heart, or like there's a constant background noise dulling your spiritual ears, you’re not alone. Many of us wonder why it feels so difficult to hear from God. One of the most overlooked reasons? The spiritual weight we carry around every day.
What Is Spiritual Weight?
The term “weight” in Hebrews 12:1 comes from the Greek word onkos, meaning “a mass, a burden, or encumbrance.” It’s actually an athletic metaphor. In ancient times, runners removed every unnecessary piece of clothing so they could run freely. Spiritually, the same applies: weight refers to anything—good or bad—that keeps us from moving freely in our relationship with God.
Weight, then, can be defined as:
A physical or metaphorical obstacle that prevents movement or access.
This includes emotional baggage, spiritual distractions, or even social pressures. They may not always be sinful, but they still weigh you down. The more familiar they become, the harder they are to notice—and the longer they remain.
Examples of the Weight We Carry
Let’s break down some examples of spiritual weight. You might see yourself in one—or many—of these:
Busyness & Overcommitment: Saying yes to too much leaves no margin for hearing God's whisper.
Perfectionism: The pressure to get it right every time creates anxiety and paralysis.
Approval-Seeking: Living for the opinions of others distracts us from God's direction.
Guilt & Shame: Even after forgiveness, we may carry burdens Christ already bore.
Religion Over Relationship: When faith becomes a checklist instead of a connection, we lose the heart of it all.
The Subtle Danger of Familiar Baggage
What’s tricky about these weights is how familiar they become. They don’t feel good, but they feel normal. Like a heavy backpack we forget we’re wearing, these burdens become part of our identity. We stop questioning them, and as a result, we never cast them off.
But God calls us to more than just carrying on—we’re called to cast off.
The Sin That Entangles
Alongside spiritual weight, Hebrews 12 also warns us about sin that so easily entangles us. If weight is anything that slows us down, sin is what traps us. It’s often subtle—temptations to put self above God, to choose comfort over calling, or to measure life’s value by worldly metrics.
This isn’t just about “bad behavior.” It’s about anything that turns our heart away from faithfulness. Sin isn’t just rebellion; it’s replacement. It replaces trust in God with something else—self-reliance, greed, apathy, or control.
So, What Do We Do?
God doesn't just point out the weight and sin in our lives—He invites us to be free from it. Hebrews doesn’t say to gently place it aside. It says to strip it off, to throw it off. This is active, intentional, even violent language. Think of tossing something dangerous out of your home. That’s the attitude we need.
Here’s how we can start:
1. Identify the Weight.
What are you carrying that’s slowing you down spiritually? Is it guilt? Expectations? Fear?
2. Confess and Release.
If it’s sin, name it. Confess it to God. If it’s not sinful but still burdensome, release it by surrendering it in prayer.
3. Realign with God’s Voice.
If you’ve struggled to hear God, ask what noise you’ve allowed in your life. Make space for silence, Scripture, and honest prayer.
4. Take Radical Action.
Throw it off. This might mean stepping away from a toxic environment, shutting down a side hustle that’s stealing your Sabbath, or finally forgiving someone who’s long moved on.
5. Repeat Daily.
This isn’t a one-time detox. It’s a daily decision to run light and run free.
Why This Matters So Much
You were never meant to walk with shame slumped over your shoulders. You weren’t designed to drag regret into every church service or wear perfectionism like armor. Jesus didn’t die so we could keep limping through life. He died so we could run—with endurance, joy, and freedom.
When we hold on to spiritual weight, we cheapen what Jesus paid for. But when we let go, we begin to hear from God more clearly. His voice gets louder, not because He’s suddenly speaking, but because we've finally cleared the clutter.
Whether you’re struggling with doubt, apathy, pride, or pain, remember this: You have the freedom, by the power of Jesus, to let it go. You can throw off what’s holding you back and run the race marked out for you with endurance and joy.
Let’s not just survive our faith journey. Let’s run it well. Let’s hear from God clearly. Let’s be free.
