Okay, so I’m at the gym doing my early morning routine except this particular morning was a little different. About halfway through my workout, I felt this pain or spasm in my back. I’m thinking this isn’t right. I mentally went back through my routine to see if I’d done something different or wrong that might have caused this unnerving pain in my back. Then it dawned on me, I’d forgotten to do something – something really simple. I hadn’t stretched like I typically do every time I’m at the gym. In fact, the pain didn’t dissipate until after I’d gone through my stretching regimen, which included some backstretches. How could I have been so careless to forget? How could something so simple as stretching impact my workout? I did, it can and it does.
My simple forgetfulness led me to a thought about my prayer life since I’d just spoken about the habit of prayer in spiritual formation and listening prayer. Sometimes I can get so caught up in all the requests by telling God everything I want Him to hear that I forget to be still and listen. Just as a small thing like stretching can make all the difference in my workout, so does this practice of listening in my prayer life. Think about it. When Jesus taught people to pray, He makes an amazing claim just before He recites the model. He tells His listeners the Father already knows their needs before they ever utter the first syllable. And to top it all off, His model prayer is more about an awareness of God than any list of requests. God already knows our needs and for us it is more important for us to be aware enough of Him to listen. In another gospel narrative, Jesus states His sheep know His voice. Jesus’ voice is distinct and recognizable. In the midst of a multitude of voices there is one that’s unique. But, we’ll never hear it if we’re not still, quiet and listening. Listen for Him.
Prayer isn’t all about the requests He already knows about, it’s about being quiet long enough to recognize and hear His voice. Listening is the lost art of prayer. Next time you’re reciting a list of requests, press pause. Remember the Scripture you read earlier, God has a message for you in it. Remember the conversation yesterday with a dear friend and fellow Christ follower? Think about the advice offered. Remember the podcast from last week? Yeah, the one that really spoke to you about your situation? What was God saying to you? What is God saying to you? Sometimes we’re so busy repeating the request and yet God has already spoken. The funny thing, we’ve just not been quiet enough to listen. Ponder the truths; consider His precepts. Don’t talk, speak or make a noise, but listen with your mind, heart and soul. Pull up a chair for He’s speaking and all you need to do is listen. The power of prayer isn’t in the request, it’s in the listening.
