When we pray to God we want Him to hear our prayers.  We want God to listen to our pleas as we reach out to Him.  We want to know that God heard every word we whispered…every tear and unspoken word.  We open our hearts to God.  We pour out our deepest thoughts to Him.  As we sit waiting on God to show us a sign, show us He is listening, give us confirmation that He is answering our prayers.  But how often do we sit and patiently wait on Him to speak to us?  How often do we sit in silence listening for his response…his direction.  One of my favorite movies is Eat, Pray, Love.  When Elizabeth Gilbert, played by Julia Roberts, hides in her bathroom crying and pleading to God to give her an answer, she sat there for a minute as a soft voice whispered to her, “Go back to bed Liz.”  She had exhausted herself trying to figure out what she wanted to do about her life, her marriage so she reached out to God and waited in silence.  She knew she wasn’t happy but wasn’t sure what she should do about it.  As I grow closer to God I have found myself sitting in my truck or my home office with the music playing softly in the background praying to God about what I should be doing next.  I don’t want to stay working where I am right now and daily I’m searching for something new.  Yet my heart desires to work from home and spend more time writing.  Now usually I’m singing away at the top of my lungs.  But lately I’ve just sat and listened quietly for God to speak to me.  I started hearing God respond to me.  He has been putting these thoughts in my head of what He wants me to do next.  Almost as if he is slowly releasing me into something big and new.  Something way out of what I would say is my league.  I have never once considered some of the things He has asked me to do.  I didn’t feel qualified to write a book about my journey with Him and I sure didn’t expect to be writing a blog.  And now I keep hearing Him speak to me about the same thing over and over.  God keeps speaking to me and I’m listening and following his direction.  He wants me to be bold.  He wants me to trust in Him and believe in myself.  He may at times ask us to do something that is way out of our comfort zone…something that may have never crossed our mind much less something we never heard of.  I know it’s God speaking to me.  He told me to write my book and when I couldn’t find the words, He led the way.  Make time to sit patiently listening for God in silence.  You have already spoken to Him and He listened to your every word.  Let God speak to you.  Clear your mind and listen as God speaks to your heart.  Just how you want God listening to your every word…God wants you to listen to Him.  Even when He is silent he is doing something.

XOXO…Ileen

Psst…God Loves You

“My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this:  Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.”  James 1:19