Improving My Prayers’ Signal to Noise Ratio

In radio communications, the signal to noise ratio (SNR) is a measure of how well the information can be understood. When I pray, perhaps I can improve my understanding of what God is saying to me. So I can think about specific actions in this paradigm. For example, God often speaks through Scripture, so if I study the Bible more intently, this might help me hear Him better. If I take seriously things He has said in the past, and do what He told me, this also could strengthen His voice to me. Personal worship opens my heart to Him. On the noise side, there are the distractions of daily life that I need to set aside. Unconfessed or unrepented sin makes His voice fainter. Struggling with temptation is more like spiritual warfare, since Satan will find very clever ways to compromise my heart and drown out God’s voice. The triad of the world, the flesh, and the devil often work in concert to try to drown out that heavenly voice.

If someone is in the room speaking to me, it is much easier to focus and also hear what they say. SNR is not a factor. And so if I am in the same room with Jesus, His voice is unmistakeable. How often do I leave that room because I don’t want to hear what He is saying? Not the physical room, but the spiritual room of communion with Him.

Fasting is a potential step to hearing God better. But if I were to fast, would I be trying to earn His favor, or focus myself on Him and His? Would I think I can overcome my lukewarmness with self-denial and self-discipline? Even though not trying to impress others, would I be trying to impress Him? To persuade Him to do something? Jesus said, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it.” (Matthew 16:24, Mark 8:34, Luke 9:23) This is His prescription for the abundant life!

 But there is another step that I fear I fall far short of. On occasion I have had profound experiences of His presence. These are divine intersections of my seeking Him fervently, and His eager response to my ardor. SNR is not a consideration in a lovers embrace. If I truly, sincerely want to know His voice by experience, I need to have that level of desire for Him. Desire that is heartfelt and not ritual or rule-based. It is a choice, but more than that, a choice to want Him and His kingdom presence above all else.

 As we receive God’s blessings, perhaps we become used to them and take them for granted.  For example, Solomon’s prayer of dedication for the temple was answered in power. (2 Chronicles 7:1) That was followed by a warning (2 Chronicles 7:12-22). In his old age, Solomon reflected on the consequences of having riches (Ecclesiastes  5:13-20). He does not explicitly say that when the blessing of God is wealth, it creates lukewarmness in one’s relationship to God, but probably is a reflection on the events recorded in 1 Kings 11. This type of test is probably quite common for believers who the Lord prospers and blesses with success over the long term. The temptation to formal religion and rote prayers, trusting in the rewards of faith as signs of God’s favor, can lead to lukewarmness. Whether that is perceived as a low SNR prayer life, or as distance from God, the real challenge is to rekindle the fervor of our first conversion. Both Rehoboam and Jeroboam were blessed but drifted away from God. (Jeroboam actually went immediately to syncretism in setting up golden calves). The challenge is that effective prayer is a two-way conversation with God. We can only pray with effect when we agree with God on what He wants, praying specifics of His will into a context or situation, which means we have to really hear Him.

 Returning to the practical challenge of hearing and recognizing the voice of Jesus, perhaps the most important factor is that of responding in obedience when we do hear Him.  (John 2:5) We worship Him, praise His name, recognize Scriptural truths. Do we worship His name (hashem) as a euphemism because we know that if He is really present, then we experience His holiness and cannot but fall in worship? (Leviticus 9:23-24) But most important, when He offers to share His holiness with us, will we receive it? (1 Peter 1:16) That will improve our SNR.