5 Ways to Tune in and Hear Jesus

The world is full of distractions. Work, friends, family, entertainment, health, education, and so much more occupy our minds and our minutes. Like Martha, we can find ourselves focusing on many secondary things rather than following the Lord. Hearing Jesus’ voice can be challenging amidst the busyness of our lives.

Some activities we can’t remove and genuinely fill our days with necessary duties. Other activities fall into the category of time wasters and may need to be evaluated and removed. Whatever is keeping us from connecting with Jesus and hearing his voice needs to be addressed, but there are also some techniques for shifting our attention to following Him in the middle of our busy lives.

Here are five ways to tune in and hear Jesus in a world that longs to distract.

Schedule a Meeting With Jesus

Many of the things we give our time to are scheduled. We schedule doctor’s appointments, meetings, play dates, lunch dates, workout classes and recreational activities. Creating a scheduled time for scripture reading, prayer, journaling, or reflection can aid us in creating the habit of listening to the Lord throughout our days. Write down the times you plan to meet with God in your planner or set alarms on your phone. Look over your schedule to find windows of time where you will be able to stop and dedicate specific time to these practices. Remember that Ecclesiastes tells us that there are proper times for all the events in our lives. Scheduling can allow you to determine those proper times.

Habit Stack

Consider activities that you already do out of habit and attach the habit of prayer in order to create consistent times of focusing on God. Washing the dishes can be a good time to count your blessings. Driving to an activity can be a good time to pray for your family members. Folding laundry can be a time to pour your heart out to the Lord. Practicing speaking to Jesus amidst the mundane and repetitive moments of our days can help to begin a new habit of putting our attention on God throughout our busy days. Luke 5:16 gives us a glimpse of Jesus himself creating habits when it says He would ” . . . withdraw to desolate places to pray” (ESV).

Read Prayers

If your mind feels scattered from all of the many tasks it is focused on, consider using a book of prayers to intentionally connect with the Lord. Many books of Puritan prayers or scriptures written as prayers can be used for these purposes. A bonus is that they are portable and can be brought in your car or purse to be pulled out when you have a few minutes between activities.

Listen In

If sitting down to read scripture for long periods doesn’t seem feasible in your current season of life, don’t underestimate the power of audio Bibles. Use an app to listen to scripture, especially books such as Psalms, which are examples of prayers to the Lord. Fill your mind with these conversations with God. Driving in the car or exercising are also excellent times to play scripture that will connect you to God. This is one way to make sure that God’s word does not “depart” from us, as Joshua 1:8 encourages.

Cut it out

Write a list of the activities, responsibilities, and habits in your life. Use a highlighter to identify what can be modified and what cannot. If you notice a lot of activities that are not necessary but are taking away opportunities for you to be in tune with the Lord, consider modifying the time you spend on them or even cutting them out of your schedule altogether. Ephesians 5:15-16 gives wisdom regarding our analysis of our schedules: “Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil,” (ESV).

Takeaway

Ultimately, our spiritual selves live in a practical world where real duties and work are required. God has also given us the gift of fun, relationships, study, and more. However, those things were never meant to displace our spiritual connection with the Lord. Learning to focus our daily activities on Him, integrate connection to Him into our schedule, and build our necessary activities around our even more necessary communion with Him are key parts to successfully tuning into God’s voice while living in this fast-paced world.

Thankfully, we have this promise: “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:11 ESV).