Have you ever had a relationship where you are no longer talking? Usually, there is some hurt that caused a rift. Family members who were once so close can go decades without communicating because of a deep wound. There is no way to dissect the many possible ways that the injury happened and how to apply the salve and stitch the wound in such a short article. But you can understand what happens when communication breaks down. If there is no talking then there’s no chance for healing, repentance, forgiveness, bonding that can come from laughter, or growth through shared experience.
If there is no communication, there is no relationship and there is no love.
There’s a two-way communication that God established and that is prayer and the Bible. God has spoken to us in the Bible and provides a way for us to speak to him in prayer.
God has given us a complete revelation about all we need to know about his character, plan, and work in the Bible. In that Bible, we are instructed and commanded us to pray to him. God even pleads with us to pray. Like a parent whose children are living far away, he loves to hear from us. He wants to hear about what makes you happy and what troubles you. He wants you to ask him for help. He wants you to stand in awe of him and praise him, not so that he can feel better about himself, but he knows how much it helps you see him for who he really is. He is abundant in grace and power.
Abraham Lincoln was a great president in many ways. He had a habit of opening his door to take time to listen to the people directly. He didn’t want some mediator but desired to hear people and listen to their voice. God is the same with you. He wants to hear directly from you in prayer.
Like someone with great wisdom, guidance, and grace he also wants us to listen to him. Hear his voice. Pay attention to his instruction. Be lifted up by his encouragement.
A side about listening to God. In the Bible, when God responds directly to people in an audible voice, these are very rare occasions in comparison to the major mode of communication. Most often, God uses people and God uses his word (the Bible). The best scenario is when used together. Ultimately, listen to God’s word as revealed in the Bible because people can be wrong. Voices in your head are not always correct. But when someone speaks to you using God’s word, pay attention.
Here's what God has said to and about you. “I have called you by name, you are mine” (Isaiah 43:1). “Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you” (Jeremiah 1:5). “See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God, and that is what you are” (1 John 3:1). “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our sins, according to the riches of his grace” (Ephesians 1:7). “I have called you friends” (John 15:15).
When you see a couple out on a date, what do you notice that makes you believe that their relationship is strong? You see them talking but you see more. You see them laugh together. You notice how they look at each other. Even their posture and body language tell you how much they really enjoy being together.
Let God speak to you in his Word. As you read his word, you will be able to visualize his “body language” in the many stories. He loves you and has invested the life of his Son, Jesus, prove it. Speak back in prayer. Let his love overflow into your heart as you reflect it back to him in your prayers.
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