One of my favorite pastors visited our church a couple of Sundays ago and he fed me something I needed. (God knows what we need and when we need it, huh?) The pastor posed this question: "When you pray, do you ever give God a chance to respond?" What? God doesn't speak in an audible voice. He doesn't always answer prayers in a timely fashion... What did he mean?
"Do you ever call a friend, and talk for a solid 10 minutes and then hang up the phone? Why do we treat our conversations with God any different?" Hmmmmm. Maybe this guy has a point.
"Take time to pause. To listen. To meditate in His word. He may lead you to a scripture, to a thought. Give Him time to do something." Worth a shot, right?
So, in my desperate attempt to grow and get past this numb phase, here I am in my closet. Right after I put Cam down for the night, here I can find peace and quiet with the least amount of distractions. Here...I can escape the world for a bit and listen. To pray-even if I feel like my prayers are reaching the roof and bouncing right back down. I know he hears me. And...low and behold. The second night in the closet... I found this gem from a hand-me-down devotional passed down from my Mom:)
"I'm convinced that in every woman's life there are "seasons"- a time to be single, to be married, to have small babies and children, teenagers. Every season is different, with varied demands, schedules and responsibilities."
She concluded that a woman will not spend her entire life on a mountain top. At times God leads her into the valleys, where the going is rough and time for extended communion with Him seems sparse. But God provides even in those "valley" times. He has ministered to my need through a Christian radio program, a phone call from a friend, a song or a verse. Or in my case through a Pastor from Dallas, Texas and a little hand-me-down devotional! (from "Love (and Baby Powder) Covers All" by Marilyn Gwaltney Barnes)
How perfect is that? Seek and you will find...;)
Post a Comment