How to Listen for God's Gentle Whispers in a Noisy World

In the busyness of our lives, God’s presence can feel distant as we move throughout this noisy world. His gentle voice and steadying presence may go unnoticed as we put less of our attention on Him because of our full calendars. Sometimes this distance is not only the noise of the world, but due to our own distancing from Him in small, seemingly unnoticeable ways. You can’t always see it in the moment, but those small 1 degree directional shifts or 1 inch change of focus away from Him can become far bigger distances as time passes. 

In the noisy world we live in, finding small calm moments to engage in the presence of our heavenly father become little pockets of peace. God is good at making himself known in the stillest and quietest moments. I have compiled a few ways I enjoy recentering my attention and getting my listening ears attuned to God’s gentle whispers. 

Nature

God speaks to us in the way the wind moves the trees. Sometimes we can hear the wind blowing through the leaves, other times we see the light peeking between the branches. What runs chills through my bones in the most gentle and calming way is when I can feel the tree swaying from the wind. A well-known architect, Frank Lloyd Wright once said, “Nature is the only body of God we see.” When we engulf ourselves in nature, God is always at the center of it all.  We may not be able to give our Heavenly Father a hug in the traditional sense, however, we are able to see, feel, and hear Him in creation when nature is surrounding us.

We all engage in and enjoy nature differently based on hobbies, location, and personality. Whether you are more able to experience grass under your feet in a park a short walk from your apartment, float in the ocean on a hot day, hike up a mountain in your spare time, ride your bike along tree lined streets, or tend to your garden in your backyard. Just enjoy getting a little dirty while listening to the birds chirp or the wind blow through the trees. Your heart and soul will thank you for it and God will meet you there. 

Art

When I have been able to experience historical and fine art from well-known artists of today and days past, I have noticed a pattern within all of them. Whether the artist is a realist, an impressionist, a surrealist, or even a cubist artist like Pablo Picasso, they all draw inspiration from somewhere. I absolutely love the thought that all the art in the world is trying to be as awe inspiring as our creator’s art. God is the ultimate artist and anything we can do is an interpretation or recreation of what He designed. This thought brings me much delight because it brings a picture in my mind of all the famous artists of the world being children trying to mimic their father’s work. 

So it doesn’t matter if you enjoy modern art, landscape photography, or architecture. Just go experience art with God in mind and see where it takes you. Better yet, create your own art and see what you can do with God’s artistic image you were designed to have. 

Written Words

Words can penetrate our souls in a way that is hard to describe. I have read books that fell flat and didn’t invoke a single emotion or feeling as I experienced the story unfold. On the flip side, I have read books that have brought me to tears due to their rich meaning and beautiful symbolism. So often, the books that I gravitate towards, whether intentional or unintentional, feel like an attempt at emulating God’s word. The storytelling feels organic and impactful instead of just providing the reader with a distraction from the real world. Well-written and inspirational written works can penetrate your soul. That is the power of words. 

If you want to go straight to the source material, might I recommend the Bible as a way to reconnect with your creator. God is the original storyteller and His word is a beautiful way to listen intently to Him in your everyday life. You can pick truly any book, chapter, or verse in the Bible to feel more connected to the Lord. I personally enjoy leaning into the psalms when I want to experience that gentle whisper from Him. The poetic nature and flow of the psalms continually keeps me seeking more of the artistic words embedded in them. More specifically, I crave the words from psalm 139 to be spoken aloud, heard in my heart, and felt in my soul. I invite you to read the psalms aloud or to listen to in your Bible app. 

Breathing

Now, this may be the simplest option of them all. Have you ever sat and intentionally listened to your breath without distraction? Have you sat in silence listening to your lungs fill and empty over and over again?

Some may say that I’m describing meditation, and they wouldn’t be off track. Most meditation involves emptying your mind to become more enlightened or to let whatever feels good fill that empty space. What I encourage you to experience is not to empty your mind, instead to fill your mind with the thought of God’s involvement in your breath. Let Him fill the space of your mind. It doesn't need to be a specific Bible verse, thought, or phrase. Try praying a simple prayer before you begin, get comfortable in a seated or laying down position, place your hand on your heart, and then just breathe. In. out. 

You may experience racing thoughts at first. Try refocusing on the feeling of the breath, maybe even how your breath sounds going in and out of your nose (or mouth). Genesis 2:7 says, "And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul." The breath you breathe was given to us by our creator. Let us acknowledge its power and embrace the beauty of something we may take for granted. 

I hope you can find simple, small ways to invite God into your daily life through stillness. He is with us in the busiest of moments, but we are more often attuned to Him when we are more aware in the present when we take the time to slow down and listen.

With Warmth,

Teresa

The Healing Homebody