Shhh...Listen!

“SHHH...LISTEN!”

“Don't talk before you think or make promises to God without thinking them through. God is in heaven, and you are on earth, so don't talk too much. “ – Ecclesiastes 5:2

My daughter, Lauren, could sell sand in the Sahara Desert.  When she was little, my husband and I would tell her that she could be an attorney, because she was so tenacious at arguing her point.

She would ask me for something. If my response was, “No,” the next half hour would be spent with her following me around the house, trying to sway me. She thought that somewhere in her endless stream of words, that there would be a magic phrase to change my mind.

Matthew 6:7-8 reminds me of this, “And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.”

I seldom changed my mind, because a “No” was usually due to safety, wisdom, or appropriateness.  She only knew that she wanted what she wanted, and she was unable to understand why I just couldn’t see things her way. 

“When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things.” – I Corinthians 13:11

With maturity comes wisdom and understanding. The interesting thing is that the same tactics Lauren used to attempt to get her way with me, are the same things I do to try to coerce the Lord!  Lauren has subsequently matured into a kind, brilliant and thoughtful young woman who is a source of great joy, but I persist in my childish tendencies.  Somehow, I think that if I badger God enough, I will eventually come upon some magic words to alter the heart of God— some mystical combination of syllables that will be the key that unlocks the will of God to do my bidding.  I’m ridiculous, I know. I need to take a lesson from my daughter and put away childish things. 

Just as I was able to see pitfalls and foresee trouble that Lauren, at that age, was unable to perceive about her requests, the Father sees the billions of tiny details that escape my attention and understanding.  He sees the big picture.  I see only a tiny fragment of one corner. He wants better for me than I even want for myself.

“The Lord is not too weak to save or his ear too deaf to hear.” – Isaiah 59:1.  His “No” does not come from feebleness, inability or lack of resources, but rather, from an abundance of love.  

His timing, that can feel so painfully slow, is not evidence of inattentiveness or slothfulness, but of patience. “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” – 2 Peter 3:9

The older I get, the more I realize that my time with Him is best spent offering worship and a brief request, followed by prolonged silence.  It is then, in the quiet, that He can speak, massaging the aches and longings of my soul, revealing the enormity of His love and goodness. 

Father, we come before You.  Forgive us for foolishly trying to use manipulative prayers to get our way.  We offer our hearts that are disappointed and broken.  We are still mere children, and so often we are unable to understand what is truly best.  Help us to mature beyond the childishness that causes us to beg for what is worthless, while You offer what is precious.  

We ask for more of Jesus.  Mature us to obey, even when we don’t understand.  And may our praises outnumber our petitions and more time will be spent listening than speaking.  In Jesus’ Name ❤️

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