The Listening Side of PrayerSýnishorn
Day 6: Be Attentive To Hear, Even In His Silence
There will be times when the Lord may answer your prayer to a tee. Down to the very specifics you’ve asked for. In Genesis 24:12-19 Abraham sent his servant to find a wife for his son Isaac. While on his journey the servant asks the Lord, “May it be that when I say to a young woman, ‘Please let down your jar that I may have a drink,’ and she says, ‘Drink, and I’ll water your camels too’—let her be the one you have chosen for your servant Isaac. By this I will know that you have shown kindness to my master.” Before he even finished his prayer, Rebekah came out with a jar on her shoulder and word for word spoke the servant’s specific prayer. Wow!
There will also be times when your prayer is unanswered…or so it seems. The times where the Lord is most silent are when He is most at work. Sounds backwards or just wrong, right? Why would the Lord be most silent when you need Him? Well, my friend, remind yourself in those times of 3 things:
- You are not alone. He promises in John 14:18 that, “I will not leave you as orphans, but will come to you.” Though we feel alone, that’s all it is, a feeling. Feelings are fickle and temporary, my friend, and they come and go. He is in fact with you.
- He is on your side and at work for your good. Romans 8:28 tells us that “In all things God works for the good of those who love him.” Did you catch that? In all things… Yes, in fact, the times He seems silent, He is behind the scenes, working for the good of both you and I because He simply adores us.
- This may be a time for growth. When a child first learns to walk, he or she falls, right? Though mom or dad may help guide their child to learn to walk, ultimately, the child must physically learn to walk on their own. Friends, we are no different on our prayer journey with Christ. He wants us to learn to trust Him. We don’t always get our answers right now. And we can totally be okay with that if we simply trust the same God who is always at work for our good.
About this Plan
When we pray, it’s far more important for us to hear what God has to say to us rather than what we want to say to Him. For most of us, prayer is too often a 1-way conversation. This devotional will explore ways we can better listen to what our Father is saying to us.
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