Episode 214

Hearing God’s Voice | How to Move from One-Sided Prayer to Intimacy with Jonna Schuster

August 18th, 2026

1 hr 1 min 26 secs

Transcript

Link with Timestamp

Download MP3 (56.2 MB)

Your Host
Tags
mentorship interior life catholic life prayer parish tools parish renewal new evangelization ministry jim jansen everyday evangelization evangelization discipleship diocesan directors clear path to discipleship church leadership church growth catholic anchor consulting

About this Episode

Imagine a standing coffee date with a friend who talks at you the entire time, looks at their watch, and then says, “Gotta go! This was great!” You’d walk away feeling pretty unsatisfied. The level of intimacy we can reach is limited when conversation remains one-sided. But, too often, we treat our prayer lives the exact same way. We focus on how well we said our prayers instead of stopping to listen to what God wants to say back.

This week, Jonna Schuster, author of Hearing God's Voice, joins me to talk about listening prayer. We dive into its theological foundations, the four primary "languages" God uses to communicate, and how learning to hear His voice shifts our daily mission from a heavy burden into a rest-filled collaboration.

Episode Timeline:
  • [00:00] – Introduction
  • [01:21] – Jonna's origin story
  • [08:34] – What inspired Hearing God's Voice
  • [14:00] – The scriptural foundation for listening prayer
  • [18:00] – The 4 languages of God: seeing, hearing, feeling, and thinking
  • [24:41] – Receiving God in the mode of the receiver
  • [27:58] – Physical vs. emotional feelings in prayer
  • [35:01] – Asking God for practical solutions and wisdom
  • [39:33] – Overcoming the biggest obstacles to hearing God
  • [46:56] – How listening prayer complements Catholic devotions
  • [50:50] – Moving from performance anxiety to rest and intimacy
  • [53:02] – What church renewal looks like when prayer becomes the norm
  • [59:01] – Where to begin and how to find Jonna's work
Resources Mentioned
⭐️ Enjoying the Show?

If The EquipCast is helping you navigate the realities of parish leadership, please take 60 seconds to leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Your review helps other tired ministry leaders find these tools and realize they don’t have to walk this path alone!

Connect & Take the Next Step:
  • Grab Your Free Tools: Get the playbook that actually changes lives at EverydayEvangelization.org.
  • Bring This to Your Parish: Discover strategic training and accompaniment at Anchor Consulting.
  • Read the Book: Order your copy of A Clear Path: How to Make Missionary Disciples in Your Parish.

The EquipCast is powered by Everyday Evangelization in conjunction with Anchor Consulting, delivering practical evangelization strategies and parish ministry tools to help you leave your ministry better than you found it.

Copyright © 2026 Anchor Consulting. All rights reserved.