2021-03-26 07:18:23
Prayer 1: A Two-Way Conversation
A Daily Devotional for March 26, 2021
Read Psalm 5:3; Ephesians 3:14-16; John 17:21–22
Billy Graham simply defines prayer as “a two-way conversation between you and God.” When we come to prayer, we normally think more about asking for forgiveness and presenting our requests and usually don’t give much room for hearing from God. But prayer is a two-way conversation, meaning we need to pause and hear from God.
Imagine if your friend asked to meet up with you for coffee and s/he talks for one hour and when s/he’s done talking, says goodbye and leaves without hearing what you have to say. How would that make you feel? But we do that to God all the time. We make our rushed prayers where we dump all of our worries and concerns on Him and run. God delights in hearing all the concerns and that we bring to Him, (Phil 4:6) but He wants more. He wants a deep and intimate relationship and that doesn’t come in a hit and run style of prayer.
The best thing that you can possibly do is to meditate on the words that He speaks to you. Stay in the quiet every day and listen for His voice. Real prayer is really a quiet, peaceful listening. God has so many things that He wants to say to you, but if you have the concept that prayer is always vocalizing your wants and your needs and your desires to God, you will waste a lot of time. Don’t spend an hour talking to God every day, and get up and leave without ever sitting in the quiet to see if God might have something to say to you. That is a wrong concept of prayer.
Don’t expect a loud voice or a burning bush to speak to you. God primarily speaks through His word. When you have a habit of meditating on His word, He brings up those words during your quiet time to speak to you. Secondly, His communication is through thoughts, ideas, impressions, suggestions in your heart, sensing, and discernment. It is through intimacy that the Lord gets an opportunity to speak, and intimacy requires time.
Life Application
Dwell quietly in the presence of God during your prayer time. Listen!
Prayer
Speak Lord for Your servant is listening! (1 Sam 3:10)
196 views04:18