As you most-assuredly know by now, we have a problem. The problem is that no matter how badly we want to please Christ, we’re just not able to apart from Him. There are a few simple ways that we can make sure we are on the right track. The first way, as we discussed Tuesday, is simply staying in His Word. The second way is found in worshipping Him. The third way is prayer. Yesterday, we discussed the importance of staying in constant prayer throughout the day so we can make sure our perspective is God’s perspective.
The second way we can spend time with God in prayer is found in silence. It’s found in waiting for Him to speak.
Psalms 46:10 (NLT)
Be still, and know that I am God…
Sometimes we talk, talk, and talk so much that we don’t give God a chance to get a word in. I’ve heard John (the Pastor, not the Baptist) use this illustration before:
What if you had the chance to eat lunch with Jesus one day? For one hour, you could be in the immediate presence of God. Would you run your mouth the whole time or would you be hanging on every word that Jesus had to say? Of course you would be hanging on Jesus’ every word. So why do we spend so much of our time in prayer talking?
When we just talk and talk every time we pray, we miss a vital part of the exchange. Sometimes we have to hang up and listen. Spend 5-10 minutes today (and everyday!) just being still. Waiting for God to speak.
It’s sort of like the movie Field of Dreams but instead of a field, we find silence and instead of building the baseball field, we are being still, and instead of baseball players, we find God’s voice.
I implore you in my best James-Earl-Jones-voice: If you sit still and wait on Him, He will speak.
If prayer is something that intimidates you or you’re not really sure how to get started, ask someone. Ask John. Ask either Jason. Ask someone and ask them soon!
We have a serious problem and there’s no time to waste!
