The Other Who

In the last post Who Can Help? we discussed the importance of finding someone (or several someones) who can help you process the unhealed wounds that God brings to your attention. We suggested that either a counselor or ministry leader or a close friend could be a good choice, provided they demonstrated certain qualities. 

But there is another possibility, one who needs no special screening. He is the ultimate counselor, the great physician, the light of the world, and our shepherd. Yep, it’s JESUS, himself! You’ve probably been talking TO him for years. But, we’re talking about a two-way dialogue. Talking AND listening. Not only were we created for communion with him, but we NEED his guidance, his wisdom, and his truth as we attempt to move toward health. 

Over a decade ago, Bruce and I attended a class called “Listening Prayer.” We both considered ourselves pretty weak pray-ers, so we hoped that it would give us some tips to energize our prayer lives. What we actually received was so much more than that—it both revolutionized our lives AND our relationshipwith God. 

The class presented scripture after scripture that illustrated how Adam and Eve, Abraham, Moses and countless others had actual dialogues with God. Many of the passages were familiar to us. What wasn’t familiar, however, was the idea that we can still have these two-way conversations today. Bruce and I had, at times in the past, felt like we had received instruction or direction from God, but it was a rare thing, reserved only for those most crucial crossroads in life, and certainly not a normal part of our daily quiet time. 

The session’s teacher talked about how louder, more familiar voices, like our own self-talk, the enemy’s condemnation and the distractions of life, so easily drown out the still small voice of our Heavenly Father. He taught us how to prepare to listen. It’s not that God needs a formula, He‘s always ready and willing to speak truth to his sheep. It‘s for US—to help calm our spirits and racing minds, so we are more able to tune into what He is telling us.

Preparing for Listening Prayer 
1. Invite Jesus to come. Affirm and align with God’s promises that Jesus will be with you (you might quote Matthew 18:20, Hebrews 13:5 or some similar scripture) AND that we can can, indeed, know our shepherd’s voice (John 10:3-4)

2. Bind both the enemy’s interference and your own way of thinking, in the name of Jesus, so habitual thought patterns don’t get in the way of what the Lord would like to tell you. 

3. Ask the Holy Spirit to give you the ability to recognize God’s voice. 

4. Speak your questions out loud to God and then sit quietly for a few minutes. Write down anything that comes to your mind —whether it’s one word or several pages. Be careful not to edit as you go.  If you don’t understand what God has told you or feel what you’ve heard contradicts scripture, ask for clarification. The answers you receive will likely lead to more questions from you. Ask as many as you like. 

Over the years, this type of interactive prayer has provided Bruce and I with many, many answers about the reasons for our own overreactions, the source of our wounds, the truth about things we had misunderstood, and the best way to move toward resolution and freedom. Hearing God’s truth, truly has changed us from the inside out, as it will you.
 
 “Then you will call, and the Lord will answer; you will cry, and He will say, “Here I am,” . . . And the Lord will guide you always.” — Isaiah 58: 9.11