(Foreword, this is not a plug!)
So I started reading this book, The Art of Listening Prayer, by Seth Barnes (FYI: He’s the founder of Adventures in Missions!). It’s a really great read! So good and refreshing to my relationship with and perspective of God that I can’t seem to make it to Day 3 of the study because I want to comprehend and absorb every last inch of it! (It’s short- I recommend you break out your Kindle or go to wherever books are sold and pick it up!)
I just… man, it’s SO good! Super convicting and perfectly timed in my faith walk. It was required reading for launch, but I was late in getting to it so though I DID read through it all, I only took the very superficial away from it. I’m glad I packed it!
Of the many lessons it taught me, it showed me just how superficial my prayer with God has been. That’s after accounting for the fact that my prayer life has been few and far between in the last year or so.
I was always taught by every spiritual teacher in my life to make my requests known to God, but that is where the buck stopped for me. I never viewed my prayer life as an open dialogue with God. Certainly I asked Him to answer me on occassion, but I never was expectant to hear anything from Him.
And then I open this book up, and it challenges me to have an actual conversation with God. Like, you talk with and ask Him what you will and wait expectantly for His response- Like, the basic paradigm of two way conversation!
Seth goes on to liken the prayer life of many Christians as an eager child, going through the store telling God what you want or what you “need.” Tell me, can you have very many constructive, mature conversations with a child? (PS having worked in childcare I know that you CAN carry on a conversation with a child that is even decently structured, but often little of it is retained) How does the conversation with the average 4 year old at Walmart go?
Anyway, I could go on for hours on all I have taken just out of the first 20 pages of this book. Seriously.
Now I don’t have to tell you again of my ability (or lack thereof) to maintain fluid conversation, so don’t imagine for a second that this is exactly easy for me to ebb my way into. That said, I have taken advantage of the opportunities granted me as a result of being away from the hustle and bustle of life at home to slow down, center my mind, and focus on the quiet, speaking to and listening to/for God. After all, it was a still, small voice that Elijah heard on the mountain, not a roaring or deep thunderous proclamation!
And God responded! And HOW He has responded!
Now that I have received that word from Him, the next part of that listening process, though, requries prayer for wise discernment. Be praying for it back at home, for it is my hope that I may share what He placed on my heart with you! (PS I also took the book’s advice and began journaling all that God has placed on my heart, the impressions I sense I receive from Him, and my own learnings- It’s great, you should try it! It will help your own dialogue with Him to grow!)
All that aside, do you want to know the deep secret of how I received this word from God? I thought you might.
Here it is: Ephesians 5:16.
What does it say? Glad you asked!
“Make the most of every opportunity, because the days ahead are evil.”
Agan, I can’t go super into detail, at least not right now (perhaps someday? We’ll see. Keep your eyes open for a blog post maybe 😉 ). BUT I can say that it involved me seeing an opportunity to do something that could edify God’s kingdom, giving me the choice of listening to God or listening to myself, and deciding to listen to Him rather than myself. And, as it so happens, today’s lesson from The Art of Listening Prayer had a line that went something to the effect of, “The fact that you may not be hearing from God may be a result of having been listening more to yourself than to Him of late and not allowing Him to accomplish in you what He’s trying to do; making that still, small voice impossible for you to hear over your own.”
If I may suggest, find a time in your day tomorrow to be in silence and invite God in. Give Him more than a few minutes, too. After all, if you don’t give a tree room for the roots to spread out, how can it grow to maturty? It will be stunted… or will even die. I think the logic carries over to relationships. Dig into the scripture, ask for discernment (both of what is of God and what is not as well as well as for what He wants to tell you), journal what you learn or feel has been impressed upon you, and just open up the floor to Him. Ask Him questions- He is eager to know you and you to know Him! And remember His timing truly IS perfect (trust me, I know how hard that last one is to accept but it REALLY is true!) and just as building solid relationships with people happens over a long time… well, again, the logic carries over. 🙂
Keep praying, y’all! For me, for my squad, that I might be attentive to His call and a faithful steward! Most of all, pray for Serbia! That is what I desire for you to do most of all right now. I would go so far as to ask those who feel led to fast for Serbia. There is much potential for growth here, but as my one teammate put it, there is much cloudiness as well. Let the light pierce the darkness! 🙂
