“This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.” (1 John 5:14)

In 2004 I co-authored A Little Book Of Listening Skills with my dear friend and colleague Dr. Mark Brady. It is surprising that so many of us do not know how to listen properly. Oh, we think we do! We all like to think we are superb listeners. However, the truth is, we aren’t very skilled at listening because we haven’t been taught how to do it properly. That is why we need two things: we need to improve our listening skills so people can feel vulnerable enough to tell us who they really are, and we need to talk to God, because unlike our mere mortal friends, He hears us!

What does it mean to talk to God? It means to really have a conversation with Him. Tell him everything in your heart. Be honest with God. Are you angry at Him? Tell Him! Are you frightened or scared? Tell Him!

Just like relationships with friends, we have to trust that we can be vulnerable enough to tell God who we really are. (He already knows anyway, so why hide your truth from Him?) We ask God for His help, His grace, His strength and His love. Jesus taught us how to ask for these things when He preached the Sermon On The Mount. (Luke 6:20-49)

Our friends probably do their best to listen to us, but let’s be honest, they don’t always really hear us. But God hears us. He understands us. He cares about us. He will quiet us with His love. He will rejoice over us with song and with joy! (Zephaniah 3:17) Can you imagine a love that big? Can you imagine a love that celebrates you?  It’s almost hard to fathom. Talk to God. Tell Him who you are. Let Him see you. Let Him hear you. He will listen.

F.R.O.G. Practice: Today, make some time to have a real conversation with God. Tell Him everything in your heart. Be honest. Ask for His will to be done in your life, today. Give thanks for His love.