I saw it on a store sign as I was driving down the road. “God is listening. Are you speaking?” It is an interesting thought. We talk to so many people. We share our hearts with friends, colleagues, family members, and strangers. People will talk about the most intimate parts of their lives on the radio or television. The internet is filled with startlingly transparent snapshots of people’s hearts, minds, and actions. I am always amazed at the personal details that someone will reveal to casual acquaintances.
We all have a need to be heard. We ache to be known and to know that someone is listening and that someone cares. The sign on the store was a reminder that God is always ready to listen. Prayer is the avenue that takes us into His presence and allows us to pour out our hearts and find peace in being fully known.
But I will be honest. The sign struck me as a little odd. It reads backwards to me. “God is speaking. Are you listening?” seems like a more needed truth in our busy, self-focused society.
Soren Kierkegaard once said, “A man prayed, and at first he thought that prayer was talking. But he became more and more quiet until in the end he realized that prayer is listening.”
God is speaking today. He is calling your name, whispering to your heart, and wooing your soul. He speaks through the wind, the sunshine, the mountains, and the canopy of beauty He has placed all around us. He speaks through His Word, His church, and His people. He speaks through our circumstances, our challenges, and our sweet moments of joy. Each word is an invitation, a promise, and an offer to be different tomorrow than we are today. Come to Me. Be Mine. Walk with Me. Surrender your heart. Let me transform you. Jesus is the answer.
My Jesus Resolution today is to listen. I am going to be quiet and listen for God’s voice. I am going to let Him fill me with His words, infuse me with His peace, and cover me with His presence. I am thankful God listens to me. I am grateful that His heart bends close to mine and looks beyond my words to my deepest desires, hardest heartaches, and even my secret shame. The best answer to the noise that fills my soul, though, is not to talk louder. It is found in listening deeper.
Casandra Martin 
Oh, how true — it is as if we feel that what WE have to say is so much more important than what HE has to say, isn’t it?
May God continue to bless your gift which you so freely use in His service, Casandra.