“We are, all of us, creatures of habit, and when the seeming necessity for schooling ourselves in new ways ceases to exist, we fall naturally and easily into the manner and customs which long usage has implanted ineradicably within us.” – by Edgar Rice Burroughs 

We do what we think is right without due consideration for others. We normally do what we are comfortable with and what we are familiar with. When we encounter any issue or problem, we usually do not prefer to seek help from others but often will try to solve it ourselves. That is the natural part of us. If we finally cannot handle or manage the crisis, we may then go and approach those whom we are most comfortable with. We listen to ourselves first and then to others later.

God is seldom or hardly in the picture! How sad it is! Each of us has our own ups and downs, our own happy and sad moments and our own strengths and weaknesses. Our minds are often cluttered with too many things. Some of us may be good at multi-tasking. As for me, I can only do one thing at a time. I cannot stay focused over a long span of time. Listening attentively and patiently is tough. But listening to others and to ourselves is much easier than listening to the Lord! How does God capture our attention? C. S. Lewis says:

“Pain insists upon being attended to. God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our consciences, but shouts in our pains. It is his megaphone to rouse a deaf world.”

God uses pain to shout at you and me! This is how He gets our attention.

I wouldn’t want to wait until I am in pain before I Iisten to God. For me, listening to the Lord is a joy and a privilege. It is a good discipline to cultivate. In order to listen to God, we need to be silent before Him. We need to have silence and solitude. We need to deliberately carve out such time for Him. Seek God while He is near. Seek God and you shall find Him. Seek Him earnestly whether we are well or unwell. Love God and His presence through earnestly seeking Him. He is the good and great Shepherd of our souls.

How do you prepare yourself to be quiet and still before the true and living God? In Psalm 46:10 (ESV), the Word of God says: “Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” Focus your thoughts on God. Think of His grace: His amazing grace, His all-sufficient grace, His awesome grace. It is by the grace of God that you are able to have free access to Him anytime, anywhere, and at any moment.

If you are able, tell God that at a certain time you would like to spend time alone with Him. You may also ask two or three people to uphold you in prayer during that allocated time with God. At the designated time, find a quiet spot in the comfort of your home, free from distractions, and give God your undivided devotion, without gadgets if possible. Be still before the great and awesome God.

Practise being silent for five minutes, then gradually extend it to ten minutes. As you do so, focus your thoughts on the faithfulness of God or the grace of God.

Let God Himself speak to your heart and conscience. He may whisper a word or phrase to you, or perhaps point you to a Bible verse that you have not come across for a long time. He may not even show you anything during that quiet moment. Simply enjoy His blessed presence. The presence of God brings delight to our souls. The presence of God is often what we miss most. The assurance that “God is present” brings much comfort, delight, and encouragement to my heart and soul.

I often rejoice in the very presence of God and in the power of His faithfulness and love. Let us know that He is God. Let Him be exalted, honoured, and glorified in our lives and ministry.

Remember that listening to the Lord takes time, effort, and cultivation. Once you become familiar with the voice of God, whenever He nudges you, you will gladly and gratefully recognise it. When our minds are preoccupied with other things, we can hardly hear God when He wants to speak to us. Sometimes, we simply refuse to let Him speak to us. We go through our days without Him and without His precious Word.

“Be quiet. Be still. God is present. God is waiting and watching. God will speak graciously and lovingly to each one of us if we would gladly allow Him to.”

Let us learn from His beloved Son, Jesus, in Mark 1:35 (ESV): “And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed.” This is how our Lord Jesus spent time with His heavenly Father when He was here on earth. He set a vivid example for us to follow. Are you willing to follow His example?

Listening to the Lord will change your perspective on life in Christ. Let us give Him our full attention and undivided devotion, honouring Him by carving out precious time to be alone with Him and for Him alone. Let us warmly welcome His blessed presence to be with us during that “Listening to the Lord” time.