If you're a normal high school junior or senior trying to decipher where God wants you to spend the next four years of your life, this question is not only annoying, it's agonizing. "God, why don't You just show me where to go?" you implore, as graduation looms closer by the second. "Time is running out, all these people keep giving me advice, and I don't know what Your will is!"

Take a deep breath and trust that He will speak to you. Difficult, yes, but looking to God and hearing His voice can also be simpler than you think. You probably won't receive a supernatural sign from heaven, but you can act on the resources He's given you to make a spiritually informed college choice. Stop waiting for the trumpet call, and begin to seek God's voice in the places He's already speaking.

Cerebral Activity

Listen for God's voice in your reasoning. When choosing a college, compare it to the perfectly rational decisions you make on a daily basis. This isn't a decision God expects you to make from a gut feeling, without regard to the practical matter of what you really want and need in a school. Quite the contrary.

"Just as in everything else, (choosing a college) is an act of free will, and God has given us reasoning," says Jessica Marvin, a graduate of Georgetown College in Georgetown, Ky.

Even if you can't feel Him near, God is speaking through who He created you to be and the desires and skills you already possess. So, the college God wants you to attend will make logical sense when lined up with who you are. Asking the following questions can help: "What is it that I want to accomplish by going to college?" "Why am I going to college, and what college will be good for me?"

Whatever reasons you have for wanting to go to college, the right school will afford you the opportunities you are looking for. Your deepest purpose, however, should be to know God better and to glorify Him through fully developing the passions, talents, abilities and personality He's given you. God desires you to be in a place where you can do this well. It's up to you to make a thoughtful match.

But just because God's given you a brain doesn't mean He is out of the equation. He is faithful to guide and direct you as you prayerfully exercise the powers of reasoning that He's given you. He works mightily through these powers, and where they're lacking, He perfects them with His strength. So, He's with you all the way.

Pastor Christopher Barnes of the Evangelical Free Church in Wauconda, Ill., assures his students of this very fact. "God will direct you to the place that He will use in your life to shape you as His servant, to establish lifelong friendships and partnerships and give you the skills to serve Him in the vocation where He will use you."

Value City

Listen for God's voice in your values. You make decisions everyday—such as what you choose to spend your time doing, what movies you watch, what you spend your money on—based on your values and what's most important to you. You'll also make the decision of where to attend college based on your values.

Evaluating a school based on your values is more important than evaluating it based on the majors it offers. "Choosing a college based upon the available majors is an important factor, yet nationally, [on average] the college student will change his/her major between two and three times," says Sally Foster, director of career services at Asbury College in Wilmore, Ky. "It is even more essential to consider what your values are. What criteria are most important for you in feeling like your college is a good fit?"

Mark Bryant, associate dean of student affairs at Belmont University in Nashville, Tenn., believes there are five crucial value criteria in choosing a college:

Student Culture: What type of college culture do I want to have? How much traditional campus life do I want in my experience?

Institutional Size: Do I want to be in a place that feels more intimate or a place that has a city feel?

Location: Do I want access to a lot of amenities, such as culture, sports or travel? Or am I a fan of the outdoors and want some peace and quiet in order to concentrate?

Learning Environment: Is it important for me to be at an institution that focuses its efforts on teaching? Do I want to know my professors personally? Or, would I rather be someplace where the emphasis is on research and producing new knowledge, where I am expected to pursue my education in a more independent fashion?

Cost: How much can I afford and how much debt am I willing to acquire for my education?

As you rank these values in order of importance and determine your stance on each one, make sure they all fit into the number one value criteria: "Will this college enable me to live in a way that is honoring to God as a good steward of the talents and abilities He's given me?" If so, you can hear God's voice through your spiritually sound value system.

It's also helpful to keep this list of values handy for the next few months. When you have them in a tangible form, you won't be as easily swayed by the values of well-meaning family and friends.

Career Fair

Listen for God's voice in your experiences. If you're like most high school students, you're probably thinking, "I have the thinking-and-values part down, but what in the world do I want to be when I grow up?" Well, there's really no easy answer. "You'll be asking and answering that question your entire life," says Barnes.

However, you can get started on that journey right now. Barnes suggests asking yourself, "What experiences have been fulfilling and satisfying to me? How has God wired me in the areas of skills, temperament, spiritual gifts and talents?

"The better you understand yourself, the better you will be able to focus on a particular vocation and college major. If you have tried a particular field through a part-time job or class and you know you love it, then focus your evaluation on schools that are the best for that field."

If you have yet to discover what you truly enjoy—and that's OK—you will want to choose a college or university that offers a wide range of majors. Don't be afraid; God will continue helping you discover your gifts as long as you're willing to try different things. For example, you might career-shadow several different professionals, then carefully evaluate your experiences to find out what you liked and didn't like, what came naturally and what didn't.

It may help to take a personality test such as the Myers-Briggs to boost awareness of your strengths and weaknesses, or you could ask a trusted friend or adult what areas are your strong suits.

Voice Lessons

There is no foolproof way to hear God's voice because He retains a certain degree of mystery that's often frustrating to us. But even if you don't receive a clear-cut answer, you can believe that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him (Hebrews 11:6). Narrow down your options and make the most educated and prayerful decision possible during this scary, yet exhilarating time. And remember to listen closely. You just might find that He speaks louder than you think.