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For our churches and our very own lives to become what God wants them to be, we must listen to God. He doesn’t have laryngitis. He still speaks today, You and I need to hear from God on a variety of topics – what we’re going to talk to others on, how to effectively lead our families, how to help people, and so on. We need to have the wisdom of God.

In the Old Testament, Habakkuk saw his nation being overtaken by another. He wanted to know why God would allow this. So, he did these five things to tune in to what God was up to:

He withdrew. Habakkuk said, “I will stand at my guard post, I will station myself on the wall” (Habakkuk 2:1) Getting alone and avoiding distractions can be tough in today’s world. But one reason you don’t hear God speak to you more is because you are surrounded by noise. You’ve always got the TV on, your earbud in your ear, or your cell phone ringing. The world around you is so loud you never hear the still, small voice of God.

Luke 5: 16 says, “Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed”. Jesus often made it a habit to get alone by himself. If he needed to do it, we do too. But don’t stop there. You can’t just withdraw.

He waited. After withdrawing, you need to calm your thoughts and emotions and be still. Habakkuk said, “I will . . wait” (Habakkuk 2:1). Habakkuk stayed put so he could hear God. Many of us don’t hear God because we’re just too busy. Hurry is the death of prayer. If you’re going to hear God speak, you shouldn’t just get away. You must mentally and emotionally calm yourself down.

How do you do that? Relax your body and wait. Psalm 46:10 says, “Be still and know that I am God.” As you wait, get still and comfortable. Let go of muscle tension. Your body affects your attitude. If you do not feel well physically, it affects your emotions and your moods. As your body relaxes, so does your mind.

Once your body relaxes, you simply wait. That takes time. It is difficult for many of us to calm down. And you can’t force yourself to do it. It takes time for your body and your mind to get those RPMs down. God speaks to people who take the time to listen. If you are in a hurry, you will not hear God speak.

He watched. Next you let God give you a mental picture. Habakkuk said, “I will watch to see what he will say to me” (Habakkuk 2:1) Have you noticed that God often speaks visually to us? He often gives us a mental picture of what He wants to say to us. There are hundreds of examples of this in Scripture. God would impress a mental picture on people’s minds as they were praying. You can see this all throughout Scripture – from Abraham in the Old Testament to Paul in the New Testament.

Many of you are naturally visual thinkers. You often think in bright, beautiful pictures. It is very normal for you. Studies have shown that 50 to 75 percent of the population thinks in pictures. If this is you, when you read the Bible, you do not just read the story – you see the story!

When you quiet down and calm yourself, and get all the distractions out of the way, then you can simply say, “Jesus, is there anything you want to show me? Do you want to give me an idea, an impression?”

He wrote. Record the ideas God gives you. Habakkuk did this. He said, “The Lord answered me: ‘Write down the vision’” (Habakkuk 2:2)

Many people don’t like to pray because they end up saying the same thing over and over. They are stuck in a rut. What’s the solution? Write out your prayers as you think them. Journaling can help. Almost every great Christian in history has journaled. They wrote what they wanted to say to God and then wrote what God said to them.

This practice keeps you focused, helps you remember what you’ve said to God, and helps you remember what He has said to you. Then you don’t have to learn the same lesson over and over!

He worshipped. The Living Bible paraphrase says, “O Lord, now I have heard your report, and I worship you in awe” (Habakkuk 3:2) When you have received God’s loving response to your prayers, it’s going to make you want to love the Lord more and draw you closer to him. This turns prayer from a monologue into a dialogue. It becomes a conversation. We should thank God when we hear from Him!

If you will practice the Biblical steps regularly, they will open a whole new dimension of your Christian life. Of course, this is not the only way to pray. But this is a key way that God can get your attention so you can listen to Him.