God Wants Us to Listen to Him

God is bigger than any problem we will ever face and He can guide us through all of our trials and sorrows, but first we must listen to Him. We can talk to God any time and about anything – in fact, that’s sometimes the easy part. The challenge is in knowing how to listen to God. Whether you are a teenager facing peer pressure or an adult facing chemical dependency, a life threatening disease, unemployment or loneliness, we can talk to God and reveal the burdens of our heart. And God will listen to those sorrows and give us comfort!

But beyond simply confessing our sorrows and praying for comfort, the Lord wants us to ask Him questions. When we ask for guidance or God’s direction, we are letting Him know that we seek the answers He is so anxious to give us. What should I do? How do I carry on? What is Your will for my life? These are all questions that God will answer if you are willing to truly open a listening heart! God has all of the answers we need if we will only listen to Him.

Sometimes the answers we seek reveal themselves immediately, while at other times they come at a time and in a manner that’s unexpected and disconcerting. We may struggle against what the answer is, but God’s love for us is patient – He will keep offering His answers and wait for us to listen. He won’t abandon us if we refuse to hear the first time or even the tenth time! You see, God loves us so much that He is willing to give us the answers over and over until we are ready to receive them.

But how do we learn to truly listen and accept God’s answers for our lives? First, we must realize that listening so that we truly hear God’s call is the most important thing in our lives. If we are too busy with the hustle and hurry of our everyday lives, we may not hear because God’s voice is drowned out by the world’s confusion. You must set aside time to listen and hear.


“Be Still and Know that I am God.”
- Psalm 46:10


We need to tune out the noise and distraction of this world and allow God’s voice to reach us within our hearts and souls. It isn’t always easy to do this – we have to take the time to focus on God within this busy, noisy world. But no matter what time of day or night we turn to Him with a listening heart, He will be waiting for you.

These simple steps will help you open up to what God wants to say:

1. Train yourself to hear the Lord by reading your Bible, which is the Word of God. His Word will open your heart and your ears to the sound of His voice and His desire for you.

2. Look for and listen to God’s words in the world around you. As you open your heart, you will be amazed by the many signs of God’s love for you that surround you even in the gravest of circumstances.

3. Give yourself over to God’s will. You may hear the word of God and be afraid of what He has planned for you and you may want to turn away – but ignoring God’s plan when you have heard it is worse than never having heard it at all. The most important part of hearing is truly listening to God! And listening requires a heart and soul that are ready to receive God wholeheartedly.


How do you know God is speaking to you? - The Tests


The following tests will help you determine if God is speaking to you. These methods should be accompanied by continual prayer and in some cases fasting.

The first test is the confirmation of God's written Word - the Bible. Everything that God says will agree with His written Word. He will never tell you to sin or go against a teaching in His Word. This simple test can clarify many "messages." We must, however, be careful not to read the written Word with any preconceived ideas of what it is saying.

The second test is the confirmation of godly counsel. God has placed people in our lives to help us to hear His voice. These people may include pastors, teachers, parents, and godly friends. In most cases, they will confirm the voice of God to you and help you to see His plan. This is not to say that you should rely on them solely. These people are human and can have their own feelings and fears distort their objectivity. However, they can be a very valuable source of confirmation when you are uncertain of God's voice.

The third test is the confirmation through circumstances. Christians can carefully studying their situation for indications of God's will. Some Christians have called this the Gideon method or "putting out the fleece." When God told Gideon that he was to lead Israel into battle against their enemies, Gideon put a fleece out on the ground in order to receive a sign that God was really speaking to him. If you feel led to use this test, come to God with a humble attitude and not a spirit of testing Him. Pray for God to reveal His will and carefully watch the circumstances that relate to that decision.

Finally, remember that prayer is a conversation. When you ask God to talk to you, be still and listen for His voice. If you expect Him to speak and you are listening for it, He will speak to you regularly.


Are you ready to listen to God? Then talk to Him and open your heart so that it is ready when God speaks to you!


“Listen to advice and accept instruction, that you may gain wisdom for the future.
- Proverbs 19:20