Dis-TEA-ractions

But certainly God has heard; He has given heed to the voice of my prayer. 

(Psalm 66:19, NASB)

"Prayer is waking up to the Presence of God no matter where I am or what I'm doing." (Benedictine monk, David Steindl) 

In God's Presence. It's my favorite way to wake-up---but sometimes it seems short-lived, as I begin to hear the daily distractions instead of hearing the Lord. His "gentle whisper" (1 Kings 19:12) seems to get fainter with each hour. God continues to direct  His voice to ears of love....but it takes steadfast love from His children to listen "intentionally", for even His faintest whispers.

And help me keep my mind on my prayers....and not on that TV show Daddy's watchin''
 or Billy jumpin' on the bed or whatever Jeffy is mumbling or...Family Circus, 9/4/10

Praises that today the Lord did hear my prayer amidst the extraneous noises----a prayer answered in spite of my cuppa dis-TEA-ractions. He listens---so should I!

But God did listen! He paid attention to my prayer. Same verse, different version--NLT! 

Selectivi-TEA : a re-brew

After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. (1 Kings 19:12, NIV)

"Listening to the Lord" has continued to be in my musings. Is His voice so gentle and soft that I need a hearing aid? Or....am I not being still enough to sense His words?

Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him. (Psalm 37:7, NIV)

A chapter in book, Love Does, which Marge, my mountain hostess, shared with me, had a chapter dealing with this topic. Maybe, God speaks loud and clear through others.

Author, Bob Goff, definitely gave me some food for thought---or ear drops to clear my ears to aid my hearing. The intro to his "Hearing Aid" chapter said, "I used to think that God wouldn't talk to me but now I think I'm just selective with what I hear." (p. 137)

Other Goff gems:

• God doesn't speak in a voice into make audio needles move. 
• No cosmic whispers. No movie reels with subtitles.
• Sense something down deep like a tuning fork to "ping" my soul.
• God doesn't pass us messages, He passes us each other.

A great question is, "Am I just being lazy as I sip a cuppa selectivi-TEA while tuning out anything I don't want to hear?"

May I sit and "listen" just as Sarah Young did while writing Jesus Calling. She shared with me that it took lots of time sitting quietly and waiting.

Her cuppa selectivi-TEA provided impressions and scriptures on her heart and she jotted them down. A word. A phrase. a verse. A thought. She listened intentionally. Expectantly. Selectively. Blocking distractions. He filled her cuppa.

That's the best cuppa selectivi-TEA!

"jit-TEA-ry"

 And after the earthquake a fire; but the Lord was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice. (1 Kings 19:12, KJV)

Growing up at 2211, we were always told to "turn out the light" when we left the room. Or asked, "Did you turn off the light?" Mainly, the concern was payment of the light bill from Pennyrile Electric that prompted these remarks.

These days one needs to turn the "off switch" in order to have the light. Light from the One who is the Light.
Our lives could do with a little dimming of extraneous stimuli. Away from the bombardment of visual and auditory distractions.Turning off digital devices alone could afford one a little less noise and commotion, making life a little less jittery----but a lot calmer. 
Disconnecting digitally. Connecting spiritually.

If we don't intentionally create these quiet times, we can get caught up in all the wrong "hoopla" that will beckon us at every turn. Hoopla that is NOT from the Lord.

The de-caf shelf in my pantry where one can find "jitter free" tea.

We need to "de-caf" our life cuppa, just a bit, if we want to enjoy times of peace and restoration at His feet. It's only when one's away from the ji-TEA-ry influences and sensations that one is then able to hear His still small voice.