5 Ways to Become a Better Listener

February 22, 2018

Why is it so difficult to listen? Even while in the womb, we develop the senses, hearing being one of them. Yet, as an adult, we still don’t quite know how to listen when we hear.

As a teacher, one can only imagine how often I am telling one of my sixth graders to listen. Or even in conversation with an adult, the question “are you listening?” has come up a time or two. It is something how the person in question is always so quick to say, I hear you. Do you? There are plenty of times when I can hear someone speak and still have no idea what they said because I wasn’t actively listening.

How often does God speak to us and we don’t listen? God intends for us to hear His voice. God’s goal is to be certain that we comprehend the truth about Him, to conform us to His ways, and to equip us for communicating His truth to others.

So exactly how do we become better listeners? Today I am sharing five ways to become a better listener.

  1. Read His Word

When you read God’s Word daily you develop a discerning spirit. “When a Christian shares something the Lord has laid on his heart to tell us, our spirit verifies the truth of the message.” (Dr. Charles Stanley)

  1.    In Silence

To hear God, one needs silence. You must silence yourself. Turn off your thoughts and meditate on God. “To hear and recognize God’s voice requires us to put down what we are doing, cast our anxieties and troubles at God’s feet, and give our whole attention to him.” (Simon Teller)

  1.   Pray About It

Pray about it, trusting God to lead you. “Also remember to have an open mind when waiting for God to respond to your prayer. He might not answer right away, or His answer might be something you haven’t considered.” (Billy Graham)

  1. Have  a Relationship with God

In order to hear from God, you must first know him.  “The key is to forget about formulas and gimmicks for hearing from God, and to focus instead on developing the kind of relationship with God that will empower you to hear God speaking regularly.” (Whitney Hopler)

  1.  We Must Have Patience and Love

Back to the “I hear you” phrase from those we are questioning about their listening. In order to truly listen, you must display some form of patience. The ability to wait and comprehend what is being said to you. Not wait to say what it is you want to say, not even listening to what is being said to you in the first place. God wants us to talk to Him, that goes along with having that relationship with Him. But if you are truly having a conversation with Him and not a speech to Him, you must also wait for His response.

Let’s look at listening this way. When you don’t really listen, you are rejecting. When you fully listen, you are embracing. I don’t know about you, but I would much rather embrace God than reject Him. Poor listening diminishes the other person, while good listening invites them to exist and to matter. “Just as love to God begins with listening to his Word, so the beginning of love for the brethren is learning to listen to them.” (Bonhoeffer)

It doesn’t matter how loudly God speaks to us if listening is not a priority. We must ask the Lord to teach us to hear and then work at having a quiet attitude. What it takes; committed prayer, meditation, practiced listening, and a spirit of submission to obey God.

I Hope these tips to become a better listener helped you as much as they have helped me along this journey to have a better relationship with God! If you’ve enjoyed today’s post, please make sure you subscribe to receive notifications of future blog posts. And as always, thanks for stopping by!

 

xo Tish

P.S. One of the most sincere forms of respect is actually listening to what another has to say. – Bryant H. McGill

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