The first
two weeks of July, Jenny Gossard and I led a group of high schoolers through
the Rio Grande Valley of South Texas.
This isn’t
our story to tell though; it is and has always been God’s. We are simply
observers and vessels of His glory. That is so humbling to say.
Here is the first in a series of God stories from the trip. (Written by the participants)
God speaks.
“Before I went on
the trip to Texas, if anyone were to ask me what prayer was, my definition
would have been:
‘Prayer is when someone talks to God. Usually when asking Him for something or
giving Him thanks.’ If they also would’ve asked if God answers when you pray I
would say ‘If you ask for something and it happens, that is God’s way of saying
yes. If it doesn’t that is when God says no. So yeah, I guess you could say God
answers prayers.’
In
Texas I was changed.
I realized that my definition of prayer was WAY OFF! Prayer is not you talking
to God. It’s you and God talking! There is nothing one-sided about prayer. We
had to do an exercise called listening prayer where we were given a question to
ask God. One of the questions was ‘What is Your favorite thing about me?”
At first I was a little worried because I asked and I wasn’t getting anything.
My mind kept wondering and somehow it kept thinking about how much I wanted God
to tell me what to write. How I wanted God to give me direction. How I always
love when I have a purpose from God in my life.
Finally, I realized that this was God’s way of answering! So I wrote down God
loves my obedience and my love to serve. After I wrote that I felt was so peaceful,
so happy.
Now I for one have never heard a clear voice when listening to God. I hear
small ideas, I hear God through His Word, and I hear God speaking through
others. Everyone hears God differently, but God speaks. Even if you
don’t realize it, like I didn’t for most of my life, God is still there talking
to YOU. All you have to do is listen.”
