Illustration: Distractions, Hearing God

In his sermon "How to Hear God Speak," Rick Warren talks about the problem of distractions that keep us from listening to the Lord: "Many of you did what I did last Mother's Day. You picked up the phone and dialed your mom to say, 'Happy Mother's Day,' and as you were doing it, you get the same little message, 'Sorry, but all the circuits are busy.' Everybody else in America was calling their mothers.

"Many times, God has wanted to talk to you, but He got a busy signal. Many times God has wanted to talk to you in your life, but the line was off the hook and you don't want to do call waiting with God. You've got to make time. When you're too busy -- and there are many things that are good but can distract you -- you're too busy to listen to God."