Position yourself to listen to the Father's Heart 

To position yourself to listen to the Father’s heart is both the simplest and the most profound call upon a disciple of Jesus. It is not about clever techniques or religious performance, but about drawing near to the God who has already drawn near to us in Christ. The heart of the Father beats with love, compassion, holiness and grace, and His desire is that we, His children, might hear, respond, and walk in step with Him. Yet in the noise of our world and the busyness of our own thoughts, tuning in to His heart requires intention, humility and a willingness to be still. As the Psalmist writes, “Be still, and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10).

Many people imagine God’s heart to be distant, stern, or primarily concerned with rule-keeping. But when we look at Jesus, we see the exact imprint of the Father’s nature (Hebrews 1:3). He listened constantly to the Father, withdrawing to pray (Luke 5:16), leaning on His presence, and obeying even when it led Him into difficulty and ultimately the cross. If Jesus, who was sinless and filled with the Spirit, found it necessary to make space to hear the Father’s heart, how much more must we? The Father is not reluctant to speak; rather, He delights in revealing His will, His pleasure, and His wisdom to His children (James 1:5). The real question is whether we are postured to receive.

Listening begins with surrender. It is the laying down of our agendas, our hurried prayers, our insistence on being heard, and instead coming with open hands. To listen to the Father’s heart is to say, “Not my will but Yours be done” (Luke 22:42), and to mean it. It is easy to fill prayer with requests, to shape our words as if God were a distant benefactor we are trying to persuade. But He is a Father who already knows what we need before we ask Him (Matthew 6:8), and longs for us to draw close not merely for gifts but for relationship. When we slow ourselves, when we dare to sit in silence, when we open the Scriptures with a tender spirit, His heart is revealed not in thunder but often in a whisper, as Elijah discovered on the mountain (1 Kings 19:12).

The culture around us prizes activity and measurable results. Even in church life, we can slip into evaluating success by numbers, programmes or busyness. But the Father’s heart is first relational. When Jesus was baptised in the Jordan, before He had healed the sick or preached to crowds, the voice from heaven declared, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17). That affirmation came not because of achievements but because of identity. To hear the Father’s heart is to allow that same voice to speak over us: that we are beloved sons and daughters (1 John 3:1), secure in His affection before we ever do anything for Him. From that place of security, our service and obedience flow as a grateful response rather than striving.

Positioning ourselves to listen requires cultivating rhythms that make space for Him. This may be early mornings when the house is quiet, or walks in nature where creation itself points us back to the Creator (Romans 1:20). It may be through times of fasting, stripping away distractions so our spiritual hearing is sharpened (Matthew 6:16–18). It may be through gathering with the people of God in worship, where His presence rests in a unique way (Matthew 18:20). In all these practices, the aim is not the discipline itself but the God we meet through it. As we persist, the noise within begins to subside and the gentle leading of the Spirit becomes clearer (John 16:13).

The Father’s heart is not only for us individually but for the world He loves (John 3:16). As we listen, we begin to sense His compassion for the broken, His longing for the lost, His grief over injustice, His desire for His church to reflect His glory (Ephesians 3:10). Listening is never an end in itself; it leads to alignment. When we hear His heart, we find our own hearts reshaped, our priorities shifted, our obedience quickened. We are drawn into His purposes, often surprising, sometimes costly, but always saturated with grace.

To position yourself to listen to the Father’s heart, then, is to live as a child who trusts the goodness of the Father (Romans 8:15), who values His presence above all else, and who is willing to be interrupted by His voice. It is a journey of attentiveness, learning to hear Him not only in moments of solitude but in the ordinary patterns of daily life. And as we grow in this, we discover the joy of walking closely with the One whose heart has always been turned towards us (Jeremiah 31:3).