I rise before dawn ad cry for help; I wait for your words. (Psalm 119:147, NASB)
I wish I had learned this spiritual discipline earlier.
I know I can talk with God. That is called prayer. But do I fully understand that he can also communicate with me? Yes, he can. It is called a relationship.
A true relationship can only be built by both talking and listening. When we hear correctly, we respond in a way that builds that relationship. Our conversation with God is vitally important in constructing our walk with God.
He is, indeed, a great listener. Can you imagine the Creator of the universe loving this dialogue with us? He died for us, so why would He not want to talk with us?
I was introduced to two-way prayer on a golf trip five years ago. My golf partner saw me mumbling on the course and wanted to know if I was talking to God or myself. I assured him it was not God. That old man in me was trying to explain to my body that I could not do what I envisioned in the golf swing.
The two-way prayer concept is very easy and forthright. Instead of dumping our spreadsheet of prayer requests on God and wearing him out by telling him what we need, why don’t we show up and ask God what we need and then quietly listen to His response?
He will speak, not audibly, but he often speaks through the Holy Spirit to our conscience and by using people and events in our life to communicate. So, I tried it for a week, then a month. It became a habit. Now it has become an essential part of my life.
This is not magic! It is a spiritual message born in the silence of waiting on God by meditating on Scripture and listening in prayer. These moments become a tool that helps us fall in love with God more.
I found it helpful to journal these thoughts I received during this quiet time to discover if there is a consistent message. And there was a message—God kept telling me the same thing many times and in different ways. Repetition means emphasis, and maybe God knows I am a slow learner.
He is very patient and gives me multiple chances not just to hear but also enables me to follow through with my response. I have seen the answers to journaled prayers and petitions in countless ways. I have also been told to be patient with my unanswered prayers.
So, we have a choice. Maybe you already have a method to hear from God and understand what road to take. If not, try this for a week and see where it leads.
In his book Whisper, Mark Batterson writes: “Learning how to hear the voice of God is the solution to a thousand problems! It is also the key to discovering our destiny and fulfilling our potential.”
To order a copy of What God May Say, go to:
https://a.co/d/4nyMM9x. All proceeds will be used to support Links Players.
Prayer – Lord Jesus, thank you for answering my prayer and communicating with me. Even though my thoughts are not always yours, you make it clear that we can have a relationship and communicate daily.