How do you feel when someone comes to you for advice and will not listen to what
you have to say?
They go on and on about their problem, but never let you say a word. Does this sound like anyone you know?
Communication is supposed to be a two way street, not a one way street. It should be one person talks and the other listens,
then the listener gets to talk while the other person listens. Now that is communication.
Prayer is a two way communication.
We talk to God and He listens. But how many of us stop talking and never listen to what God might say back to us? How rude!
We would not like it if someone talked to us and just walked off, but how many times do we do that to God?
Now you may be wondering, how do we listen to God?
Let me give you an illustration. Twenty-five years ago my son, Jeff, was born. We did not know anything was wrong with him at first.
But when he was three months old, he did not move (most three month old babies roll over by that age).
He still did not roll over at six months old. By nine months Jeff looked like a limp rag doll with no muscles.
He was a very good baby, never cried, and never moved. His doctor started doing tests and I began to pray.
I said, “Lord, You made the body so You know how it works. Tell me what to do for Jeff. Tell me how to get him to move.”
Then I would be quiet and listen. I did not hear with my ears but I would get an idea and I knew it was from the Lord.
I would start doing the idea that God had put in my mind to do. At first Jeff did not respond, but with continued prayer and faith in what
I knew God had told me, I continued doing it and eventually Jeff did respond. When he did respond,
I would ask God for something else to do and then I would listen. God always would give me a new idea to do and
I would always begin doing it. At two years old we had a CAT scan done on Jeff’s head and found that he was born without a
cerebellum. It is completely void where his cerebellum should be. Now the cerebellum controls all movement,
so without the cerebellum there is no movement. That is why Jeff was not moving. When we had the CAT scan done and found out
what was wrong with him, the doctor explained that Jeff would never walk, talk or move, and would be a total vegetable.
Remember I had been working with Jeff for over a year, so I was able to tell the doctor that Jeff was doing a “combat crawl”.
The doctor could not believe it and was quite excited as I explained to him that I had been praying and listening to God and
doing what God told me to do and that was how Jeff was doing a combat crawl.
Listening to God is very important.
The Lord put it into my heart that Jeff would walk before he was three and talk before he was five and you know what? He did!
Yes, it took a lot of prayer and listening to God and doing what God told me to do, but it was worth it!
The Bible says in Psalms 46:10,
“Be still and know that I am God”.
I believe the Lord wants us to be still so we can listen to what He has to say. In I Kings 19, it tells the story of Elijah when he ran away
from Jezebel. Elijah went to Horeb, the mountain of God and hid in a cave. In verses 11 & 12 it says:
“Then He said, “Go out, and stand on the mountain before the Lord.”
And behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the
mountains….
but the LORD was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake,
but the LORD was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire,
but the LORD was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice.”
Have you ever been in an extremely strong wind? It is loud, so is an earthquake and so is a huge fire. They are all loud.
But God says “Be still” because He speaks to us in a “still small voice”.
If I had not stopped to listen to the voice of the Lord, Jeff would still be a vegetable. I know Jeff is not completely normal,
but he does walk, talk and move and he loves to praise the Lord! Let me say it again, prayer is a two way communication.
We speak to God and then we LISTEN so God can speak back to us.
As head of the prayer ministry, I am always hearing peoples prayer requests. There are truly so many people with so many needs.
But I know that God has an answer for every one of those needs. For surely the God of the universe who created everything there is
and knows all there is to know including the future, has answers for us today.
All we have to do is ask and then really listen. He will speak to you.
JUST LISTEN!
you have to say?
They go on and on about their problem, but never let you say a word. Does this sound like anyone you know?
Communication is supposed to be a two way street, not a one way street. It should be one person talks and the other listens,
then the listener gets to talk while the other person listens. Now that is communication.
Prayer is a two way communication.
We talk to God and He listens. But how many of us stop talking and never listen to what God might say back to us? How rude!
We would not like it if someone talked to us and just walked off, but how many times do we do that to God?
Now you may be wondering, how do we listen to God?
Let me give you an illustration. Twenty-five years ago my son, Jeff, was born. We did not know anything was wrong with him at first.
But when he was three months old, he did not move (most three month old babies roll over by that age).
He still did not roll over at six months old. By nine months Jeff looked like a limp rag doll with no muscles.
He was a very good baby, never cried, and never moved. His doctor started doing tests and I began to pray.
I said, “Lord, You made the body so You know how it works. Tell me what to do for Jeff. Tell me how to get him to move.”
Then I would be quiet and listen. I did not hear with my ears but I would get an idea and I knew it was from the Lord.
I would start doing the idea that God had put in my mind to do. At first Jeff did not respond, but with continued prayer and faith in what
I knew God had told me, I continued doing it and eventually Jeff did respond. When he did respond,
I would ask God for something else to do and then I would listen. God always would give me a new idea to do and
I would always begin doing it. At two years old we had a CAT scan done on Jeff’s head and found that he was born without a
cerebellum. It is completely void where his cerebellum should be. Now the cerebellum controls all movement,
so without the cerebellum there is no movement. That is why Jeff was not moving. When we had the CAT scan done and found out
what was wrong with him, the doctor explained that Jeff would never walk, talk or move, and would be a total vegetable.
Remember I had been working with Jeff for over a year, so I was able to tell the doctor that Jeff was doing a “combat crawl”.
The doctor could not believe it and was quite excited as I explained to him that I had been praying and listening to God and
doing what God told me to do and that was how Jeff was doing a combat crawl.
Listening to God is very important.
The Lord put it into my heart that Jeff would walk before he was three and talk before he was five and you know what? He did!
Yes, it took a lot of prayer and listening to God and doing what God told me to do, but it was worth it!
The Bible says in Psalms 46:10,
“Be still and know that I am God”.
I believe the Lord wants us to be still so we can listen to what He has to say. In I Kings 19, it tells the story of Elijah when he ran away
from Jezebel. Elijah went to Horeb, the mountain of God and hid in a cave. In verses 11 & 12 it says:
“Then He said, “Go out, and stand on the mountain before the Lord.”
And behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the
mountains….
but the LORD was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake,
but the LORD was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire,
but the LORD was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice.”
Have you ever been in an extremely strong wind? It is loud, so is an earthquake and so is a huge fire. They are all loud.
But God says “Be still” because He speaks to us in a “still small voice”.
If I had not stopped to listen to the voice of the Lord, Jeff would still be a vegetable. I know Jeff is not completely normal,
but he does walk, talk and move and he loves to praise the Lord! Let me say it again, prayer is a two way communication.
We speak to God and then we LISTEN so God can speak back to us.
As head of the prayer ministry, I am always hearing peoples prayer requests. There are truly so many people with so many needs.
But I know that God has an answer for every one of those needs. For surely the God of the universe who created everything there is
and knows all there is to know including the future, has answers for us today.
All we have to do is ask and then really listen. He will speak to you.
JUST LISTEN!
| Are You Listening? (Part 7) by Julie Anne Hood |
| Why Pray? Reasons (part 1) Persistence (part 2) Believing (part 3) Praise & Worship (part 4) Praying The Word (part 5) Sowing & Reaping (part 6) When God Says No (part 8) Hindered Prayers (part 9) |
@2007. Family Life Church. All Rights Reserved.
| "Cease listening, my son, to discipline, and you will stray from the words of knowledge" (Proverbs 19:27) |
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