My sheep listen to my voice; (John 10:27, NIV)
It's been said that the only way to really get to know some one is to "shut-up and listen." At our house "shut-up" is considered an "S" word, so we say "hush" or in this context, "Be quiet and listen."
I think that bodes well for our prayer times as well. God already knows us---inside and out. But, if we want to really know Him, maybe we need to say less and listen more.
Prayertime isn't just some grocery list where we go thru the quick check with our items---cross them off our list and hurry on to "our" real agenda.
God's children have ears to hear---the question is, "Will they use those ears to hear the voice (Word) of God? (Amos 8:11-12)
Listening requires one to "tune in" to Him, which for me means "tuning out" the audible distractions of the world (“Take heed what ye hear.”--Mark 4:24-25) & even the whirring thoughts that can creep into my thinking. Thus an open Bible--a tool used to keep me focused on His word as I meditate and pray.
Meditation helps this sheep stayed "tuned in" to the promptings of the Holy Spirit, who will enable me to hear the very, and often exact, word I need to help get through my day. Mysterious, I know......but when God's Spirit speaks, we need to be still and "tuned in" in order to truly listen.
Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God (Romans 10:17)
As I sip my cuppa, filled with the beauty and mys-TEA-ry of prayer, I pray “give me, thy servant a hearing heart,” just as Solomon prayed.* (1 Kings 3:9)
*In the Hebrew, "understanding heart" is literally translated as "a hearing heart."
