In my last post I discussed that prayer is speaking to God. Here is a link to it. As a reminder, I mentioned that I think of prayer in four manners. Prayer is speaking to God. Prayer is listening to God. Prayer is being in communion with others. Prayer is resting in God. In this piece I will comment on how prayer is listening to God.
How exactly does one listen to God? God speaks to us every day. It is us who simply choose to not notice it. I will answer for me and how I have noticed God speaking to me. God is speaking to me when I am busy reading a book and my seven year old son comes up to me, jumps in my lap, tickles me and says, “Daddy, will you chase me”. m
God is speaking to me when I take a walk at night with my daughter and we together look at the dark night sky highlighted by the millions of bright stars and moon.
God is speaking to me when I read a book and an amazing insight leaps out at me from the pages of the book.
God is speaking to me when I am at church listening to a sermon. I hear a perspective that I have never heard before. I have opened a space within to just let it be. There is no judgment. There is no right or wrong. It just is and it is beautiful.
God is speaking to me when I have arrived early at church to help prepare for the upcoming service. I am speaking with another church member. A first time visitor to the church walks through the door. She is distraught. She immediately starts talking to the both of us. Her husband has left her. She needs to take care of her child. She is having problems at work. She was simply driving. She saw the church. She needs to talk to someone. She has very heavy burdens on her chest. We listen. We repeat back to her what we heard. We ask her if she will let us pray for her. She leaves before the service starts. We never see her again.
I have many other examples. I think you get the point. God is always speaking. It is simply us who choose not to notice. It is us who choose not to listen.
In my next article I will discuss prayer is being in communion with others.
What do you think?
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