Introductory Thought:
What is the goal of the Christian Life? It is godliness born of obedience to Christ. Obedience unlocks the riches of the Christian experience. Prayer prompts and nurtures obedience, putting the heart into the proper “frame of mind” to desire obedience.”
talk about highlight.
My Response:
This question relates so perfectly to what I’ve been experiencing on the Race. Adventures in Missions places such a high emphasis on listening to the Lord and then stepping out in faith through obedience.
I’ve learned so much about listening to the Lord these past three weeks on the field through listening prayer and then stepping out. It’s so amazing what God can do in such a short time. In general I am a thinker and a planner. I think deeply about something before I do it. Thus when I received a word from the Lord I would always (and still am prone to) overthink it. “Was that my thought or God’s?” I would ask myself. I asked so many times during the first week that God would make himself “clear” when he spoke to me. “Don’t make me have to step out in faith” I thought. I wanted it to be so blatantly obvious that I’d have to be a fool to ignore it.
One of the leadership gave a talk on John 10 later that week. Jesus is saying that he is the good shepherd and that we are his sheep. The sheep follow the shepherd because they know his voice. On hearing that I realized that I really do know the voice of God. It is still and small but I do know it. I realized that I cannot ignore it any more. I cannot ask the voice to change or become more “clear.” I know His voice and I must act on it.
The past couple weeks when I’ve heard God telling me to do something in His still small voice I’ve wanted Him to give me divine confirmation. These last few weeks He has been asking me to do crazy things way outside of my comfort zone but I’ve wanted Him to confirm His word in obvious ways before stepping out in obedience. One of the leadership gave a talk on this. He said that almost always God will make a call, then we’ll have to step out in faith, then God will show up and blow our minds. We shouldn’t ask for signs before stepping out. That’s not normally how God is going to work. That struck me right where I was at. I have to step out in faith and obedience, and trust that He’s going to show up.
Prayer is so so important for obedience and for putting the heart in the proper “frame of mind” to desire obedience. It is possible to be obedient to God without prayer in a technical sense. One can read scripture and follow the commands, rules, and teachings of Jesus laid out there without ever once praying. But if that is your only practice of obedience you are missing out on much of what the Holy Spirit may have for you. The Holy Spirit wants to speak to us and give us specific things to do. Figuring that out the past few weeks on this trip has been stretching. I need to pray and spend deliberate time listening. When I hear something I need to act on it in obedience. This is often uncomfortable for me though because I often don’t fully understand why God wants me to do what He’s telling me to do. I have to step out in faith.
Prayer not only helps me hear God but it also gives me the desire to obey Him. Throughout the day I try to acknowledge God’s presence and just be with Him. I often just tell God about my day and how I’m doing. I often pray seeking comfort. Whether immediate or not that comfort comes sometimes just in the knowledge that God hears, cares, and cries along with me. I sometimes pray for deliverance. This last weekend was a perfect example of that. Immediately as I cried out, God rescued me. For me prayer is such an important way to connect with God. All of these different “types” of prayer grows my relationship with Him and gives me more of a desire to do His will. He has done so much for me even just in my prayer life that I owe Him my obedience. I don’t just obey because I owe it to Him though. He’s done so much for me that I want to obey Him because I love Him and I trust Him. I want to please Him and I know that whenever I step out in faith through obedience it will work together for my good and His glory.
I’m super excited to see what the Lord continues to reveal to me on this trip. I still have a lot to learn when it comes to listening prayer. It’s sometimes hard for me to just sit and listen. And even harder acting on what may be a very uncomfortable call from God. But through these prayers and through my obedience my faith is growing exponentially. And all the while as God continues to show up in big ways my desire to obey grows daily.
