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God Knows. But He Listens.
God knows every thought we have.
He knows every word before it is spoken.

God does not need our advice or information. He could act without our prayers.
But He listens.

God has surely listened and has heard my prayer. (Psalm 66:19)

This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. (1 John 5:14)

The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are attentive to their prayer. (1 Peter 3:12)

When the blind beggar Bartimaeus approached Jesus, people told him to be quiet.
But Jesus stopped.
Jesus already knew the man was blind.
He already knew what the man needed.
But He asked him, “What do you want me to do for you?” (Mark 10:51).

Jesus knew the answer. But He listened.

God is High Above. But He Listens.
God is far beyond human greatness or understanding. He could easily decide He is too great to come near, too important to care about our pain and struggles.

Lord, what are human beings that you care for them,
mere mortals that you think of them?
They are like a breath;
their days are like a fleeting shadow. (Psalm 144:3-4)

Surely the nations are like a drop in a bucket;
they are regarded as dust on the scales. (Isaiah 40:15,17)

God is high above, but He listens to His children.
Jesus showed this when He spoke to the Samaritan woman at the well. Many Jews believed Samaritans were lower than them. Rabbis often refused to speak with women in public. But Jesus sat down with her. He listened to her story (John 4:1-26).

We Are Neither.
We are not all-knowing like God.
We are not above other people.

But do we listen?
Let us follow the example of our God and listen carefully to the people around us – the church member who annoys us, the child telling a silly story, the garbage worker or cleaner others ignore, or anyone else God puts in our path.

Here are some tips on how to do it well:

  1. View Listening as Ministry and Service
    We often rush through listening to get to ‘more important’ ministry tasks. But listening is one of the best ways to serve others. It changes hearts and lives.
  2. Slow Down and Prioritize
    Busyness can easily keep us from the most important task: caring for the person Jesus puts in our path each day.
  3. Put aside assumptions
    We often enter conversations assuming we know best. Before the person is done explaining, we already think we have the solution. Instead, listen with humility.
  4. Give full attention
    Put away distractions. Look at the person. Turn your body toward them.
  5. Don’t interrupt and ask simple questions
    It’s tempting to respond with an opinion or tell our own story. Instead, ask:
    – Can you tell me more?
    – How did that make you feel?
    – What happened next?
  6. Repeat what you heard
    To avoid misunderstanding, make sure you heard correctly by repeating back – “This is what I hear you saying…” And then ask, “Am I missing anything?”

Let’s put this into practice. The next time you have a meeting, pay attention to what percentage of the time you speak versus listen. Notice how many questions you asked. Then aim to do better in the next meeting.

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