When you pray to God, do you find yourself doing all the talking?
The question probably sounds odd. You may be thinking: “Am I supposed to be hearing voices?” No, you’re not; don’t worry. But God does “answer” prayers, doesn’t He? Of course He does; we have too much evidence of prayer working to disregard it. And yet, many, when they pray, often engage in long, one-sided monologues, where they tell God all the stuff they want, all the problems they’re having, and all the struggles they can’t overcome that they need God’s help to do for them. All of those things are key parts of prayer, don’t mistake me, but there’s something missing there (apart from praise, thanks, and such like).
What’s missing is giving God a chance to respond. Or, to put it another way: You’re not giving yourself a chance to see/hear/know God’s answer.
Maybe you’ve heard the old story about a man trapped in his house during a local flood. He prayed fervently for help, and, soon after, as the waters began to overtake his yard, he spotted a man in a truck approaching, offering him a ride to safety. “No thank you,” he replied. “I have prayed for God to help me!” Later, as the waters reached the first floor of his home, he hurried to the second and watched out the bedroom window. Soon after, a boat came speeding toward him, beckoning him to jump in and be rescued. The man refused, saying “no, I have asked God to save me, but thank you!” Later, as the man was forced onto his roof, a helicopter flew overhead and dropped a rope ladder down for the man to use and be pulled to safety. He waved them off, however, telling them: “Thanks but no thanks: I have asked God to save me!” After that, he died.
Obviously.
When he got to Heaven he asked the Lord why He didn’t save him after all his fervent prayer, to which God replied: “I sent you a truck, a boat, and a helicopter; what more did you want?!”
What happened to that guy is what happens to many of us: We ask and we ask, we talk and we talk in prayer, and sometimes we spend ALL our time talking to God that we don’t stop and see/hear/know what His answer might be. It’s as if we expect a miracle when, often, just a helping hand from a providentially provided friend will do.
The next time you have something heavy on your heart, by all means, pour it out to the Lord. Then, after you do, shhhhh. Listen for the answer. Look for the answer. Find the answer that God might be giving you if you would only stop asking for help and start receiving it.
~Matthew