Listening in Prayer

Prayer doesn’t always have to be about talking to God. Sometimes we need to listen! The country cousin came to visit his cousin in the city. As they walked down the busy sidewalk, noise intruded on them from all sides: blaring horns, jack-hammers, hustle and bustle all around. Suddenly the country cousin stopped and said, “I hear a cricket!” The city cousin didn’t believe him until the country cousin reached down and pulled a little black bug out of the grate.

“That’s amazing! How did you hear that little cricket above all the din?”

The country cousin smiled, reached into his pocket and pulled out a fist full of coins and dropped them on the sidewalk. Everyone froze at the sound and looked at him. He announced, “It all depends on what you are listening for.”

Exercise

Today, at the end of what has probably been a very busy week, try this exercise. Spend the first minutes just listening. Try to identify each sound and then put it away until all you hear is nothing. In the second minute, listen to your heart. God spoke to Elijah in a “small voice” (1 Kings 19:12). If God was speaking to you now, what would He say? For your final minute, continue the conversation with God. Tell him what is on your heart.

Blessings,

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