5 Quiet Invitations from God You’re Too Busy to Hear

Sometimes we look for God in the big moments. We expect thunder and lightning or choirs of angels. After all, we serve a big, powerful, and miraculous God. Yet, God is always there, even in the ordinary. He reaches out to us in everyday life. Whether in stillness, unexpected pauses, gentle conviction, recurring Scripture, and the nudge to slow down, we can find God. Our busyness can drown out these invitations. So, how can we be tuned in to that still, small voice?

Stillness

Our culture glorifies busyness, productivity, and multitasking, and those things have their place. They can be a means of stewardship and service. However, they can also distract us from the stillness necessary to see God’s hand at work in our lives. By practicing intentional moments of stillness, we can teach our minds to slow down and be present, leaving space for God’s thoughts to fill the stillness. When you are waiting in line, on hold on the phone, for the microwave to finish, washing dishes, folding laundry, or even at the red light, resist the urge to accomplish something, listen to something, send a text, scroll a page, or do any other small, quick acts of busyness. Instead, be still. Observe your surroundings, breathe slowly, offer up a brief prayer, or simply be still. Learning to be still and wait can train your mind and body to pause, rest, and receive rather than to move constantly. This stillness can allow us to know God and exalt him, as Psalm 46:10 reminds us.

Unexpected Pauses

Sometimes God will take the initiative to grab our attention and make us pause, but we may not recognize it. Those times in life when things don’t go as planned can actually be opportunities to connect with the Lord. If your event is canceled, a child is sick, the car won’t start, or the trip is no longer happening, pause and ask God what He wants. Perhaps He is trying to reach out in the midst of your busy everyday life. When an unexpected pause occurs, don’t rush to fill it. Instead, thank God for His sovereign control and ask His wisdom for how to fill your time. Maybe He wants you to rest or change a priority. Maybe He has a new opportunity for you. Recognize the pause not as a disruption, but as a God moment in your life.

Gentle Conviction

All of us make mistakes and know the moment of realization. We may regret a decision or reaction, or we may suddenly become aware of an area of our life that needs to change. God has created us with a conscience as a means of speaking to us. When we are busy and distracted, it can be easier to ignore these nudges, but they are an important lifeline to God. This gentle conviction is God’s way of telling us He is there, loves us, and has a better way for us. He desires us to live blessed and fulfilled lives, but that can only happen when we walk with Him. When you recognize God’s conviction in your life, stop to pray about it. Write it down in a journal or on an index card and then commit to reading Scripture on the topic. Repent and ask God to help you change, rather than brushing it off and moving on to the next activity. Focusing on an area of sin that needs to change will slow you down as you work through the issue daily or even hourly!

Recurring Scripture

Have you ever had the experience of reading a passage in the Bible, then the preacher uses it as His text the following Sunday, and then a friend mentions it, and then you see it on the wall at a place of business or hear it mentioned on the radio? God is trying to get your attention. It may be a verse that keeps coming to mind, music that touches on a passage from the Bible, or simply the recurrence of a Scripture in various ways as you go about your ordinary days. Don’t ignore this. Write the verse down. Place it in your car, on your mirror, or above your sink. Memorize it, find examples of it set to music, and pray it. God is giving you this Scripture to reach your heart and encourage you.

The Nudge to Slow Down

Busyness is often a distraction, whether we do it intentionally or unintentionally. We often crowd out the most important things with lesser things that seem important. However, without stillness in our everyday lives, our souls suffer. Our labor becomes a heavy burden, but Jesus has named Himself as our rest. Matthew 11:28-30 reminds us that God’s duties for us are easy and light, and that in Him our souls can rest. When you feel a sense of burden, a heaviness, or overwhelm, then you know it is time to slow down because your soul will suffer. Take the hint from God when these feelings press in. Look at your schedule and begin cutting things out, or perhaps even scheduling in some intentional rest and soul-filling activities.

God wants to maintain a connection with His children, but He isn’t always going to do it in a big, flashy way. Your everyday moments are the avenue for His miracles. Open your eyes and your schedule to see God’s hand in your life. Listen for His still, small voice.