Do you ever get yourself into socially awkward situations because you just weren’t listening? Or do you ever miss what God wants to tell you because you’re caught up in your own thoughts, worries, or even social media updates? Distraction can lower our ability to hear.
Like the day I embarrassed myself and my daughter at the pharmacy.
Back when we were living in the Middle East, we had an old-fashioned pharmacy down the street. Everything was behind the counter and you told the pharmacist what you needed. When we walked in the door, I couldn’t for the life of me remember what I’d gone in there for.
While Karin waited on the other customers, I stood in the middle of the shop with eyes narrowed, mentally going through all my lists. Suddenly I remembered and blurted out loudly: “Contact Lens Solution!”
It came out sounding really weird, and every eye in that shop turned to look straight at me. Talk about socially awkward.
When we came out of the store, my daughter said, “Mom, didn’t you even hear Karin say, ‘Hello, how are you?’ You just yelled out ‘Contact Lens Solution!’ Who does that?”
In that moment I felt like a total social misfit. Caught up in my own thoughts, I had been oblivious to that the fact that the pharmacist was talking to me.
Perhaps we do this same thing with God. He longs to speak to us, but we’re distracted by our worries and our to-do list. He yearns to draw us to Himself and reveal His love for us, but we keep going a hundred miles a minute, stopping just to blurt out a desperate prayer once in a while.
God longs to speak to us, and we need to hear His voice.
Maybe today you need a word of encouragement or reassurance from God. Perhaps you need Jesus to come alongside with a strengthening word of grace. Or you need God’s guidance for an important decision.
The good news is hearing God’s voice isn’t rocket science.
If we are followers of Christ, we have the ability to hear His voice. Jesus offers us reassurance: He says His sheep know His voice. We may live distracted, but we can learn to hear God’s voice one step, one prayer at a time.
These steps will help us learn to hear the voice of our Shepherd.
1. Read Scripture Each Day
God’s voice speaks through Scripture. For thousands of years, God has been speaking through the Bible, starting with Genesis and ending with Revelation. Taking a few minutes each day to read what God already wants to tell us gives us the opportunity to practice hearing His voice
2. Ask God to Speak
As you open the pages of your Bible, pray that God will speak to you. As you go about your day, pray that God will help you discern His voice.
3. Ask God Your Question
Have a question? Don’t know what to do? God is waiting for you to ask Him, “Lord, what is my next step? What is your path for me in this situation?”
He speaks to us the same words He spoke to Jeremiah: “Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known” (Jeremiah 33:3).
4. Be prepared to Wait for His Answer
God’s answer may come in the form of a thought that comes to our mind right after we asked Him a question. Or it may come through the words of a friend a week later. Let’s wait patiently and keep asking Him until we hear His answer.
As we wait, let’s ask ourselves, “Am I seeking to obey what God has already spoken to me through Scripture?”
5. Respond When God Speaks
Usually, we’re not %100 percent sure we heard God, but it’s important we step out in faith based on what we believe He’s saying. We can walk in faith, trusting that God is in control. He will change our path if we get it wrong.
If we stop to listen, God whispers louder than the world’s noise.
Some days it feels like a thousand voices are coming at us, through our circumstances, the people around us, and even our phones. But if we stop to listen, God’s voice whispers louder than the world’s noise. Step by step, we can learn to hear that still, small Voice.
I wrote More of God: A Distracted Woman’s Guide to More Meaningful Quiet Times to help overwhelmed and distracted women recover a fresh sense of God’s presence, learn to hear His voice, and grow their prayer lives. Click on the image below for more info:
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Betsy,
I literally laughed out loud, spitting out my coffee. I love the pharmacy story and that is SO me!! I can totally relate. I do spend a lot of my time preoccupied with my own random thoughts. Thank you for this great wisdom to pause and then (using one of my favorite verbs in the Bible) ASK! God longs for us to just ask Him and He will be faithful to answer, provide, comfort, etc. Being in His Word every day and really pausing to meditate on what I read vs. skimming is truly a key. Great to pop in at your place. Thanks for checking up on me…that truly touched me. I even posted this week!
Blessings,
Bev xo
Welcome back, Bev! I am so glad. I think I saw that you posted on your blog! Yay! So happy. Glad to know I’m not the only one who goes into a store with no idea why they went!
So true- often we want to hear God speak but we’re too busy and distracted to stop and listen. The steps you share here are helpful.
Thank you, Lesley! May you hear His voice loud this week, friend!
Well, Betsy, I’m glad you remembered! I probably would not have!
I’m thankful for the truth that God speaks to us, and want to sharpen my hearing for the sound of His voice by staying close to the Source.
Yes, Michele. Let’s stay close to the source together, my friend. We’re all learning to hear Him more clearly.
It is the waiting to hear God’s voice that is the most difficult. In those times, I start to doubt or question. But, it is so important to continue to trust…to have faith. God’s timing is always perfect – even the timing of His word to us!
It’s so true, Joan, sometimes we have to wait. And I tend not to like that! But God’s timing is ALWAYS perfect, just as you say.
Thank you for this, Betsy. I laughed at the “contact lens solution” story (and could identify with embarrassing your children – I used to do that regularly). I sometimes do forget to be still so that I can hear God whisper to me. I need to remember the suggestions you spelled out for how to hear the voice of God.
I have not shouted out when I remember something in public, but I do it at home all the time. 😉 I am loving your book so far and am honored to be on the launch team.
Thanks so much for your encouragement, Mary. I am so honored that you are on the team. <3
Waiting while doing our devotions is such an important step. Those mornings when I don’t rush through but allow myself to go back, to pray through the scripture and to linger — those are the mornings that God speaks clearly. Its always so worth it to wait! What a great reminder today for me.
You are so right, Lisa. When we take that extra time to linger is often when we hear God the most clearly. I also love praying through the Scriptures. I will say my tutoring job 2 mornings a week messes with my mojo a bit, but I do the best I can.
Thank you Betsy , this article is so hlepful to me at this right moment!
I am SO glad, Rosy! I love being in touch with you on Facebook, by the way!
I’m gonna go out on a limb and blame alot of our listening challenges on our incessant focus on social media’s quick, constant interactions.
Our brains are overstimulated and crammed full of way too many nonessentials.
Sadly, Jesus and those closest to us too often get pushed aside.
There. I feel better now, Betsy. I’ll put my soapbox away …
😉
I think you’ve hit the nail on the head, Linda. Social media makes distraction a real thing, even more real than ever. I try to regularly put my phone away! But it is hard.
If it makes you feel better, that story made me feel more normal. Totally something I’d do..and totally how my own daughter would respond! Thanks for reminding me to open up space for awareness of the Lord.
So your daughter would respond that way too, would she? 🙂 I think any teen would! Yes to opening our ears to hear His voice!
I’m pretty sure we’ve all done something very similar to your pharmacy story. I know I have. So let your daughter know, you are in good company! 😉 He does speak! Blessings, friend!
I’ll let her know you said that, Liz! Thank you so much!