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!
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.