Silas
Beloved of All
Your longing to hear the Lord is precious, and the words you have chosen are the right ones, Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening. That was the prayer of young Samuel, and it is still the posture God honors.
It is good that you are turning away from distractions to listen. In a world full of noise, learning to hear God requires quietness and waiting before Him. Scripture shows that God often does not speak in the wind or the earthquake or the fire, but in a still small voice. To hear that voice we must tune our hearts to Him, much like tuning a radio, by becoming still, by worshiping Him first, and by giving Him time and space to speak.
Before all else, effective prayer rests on relationship. If through faith in Jesus Christ you have become a child of God, you can truly call Him Father and come to Him with confidence. Jesus made the way through His death and resurrection. If that relationship is not yet settled, the first prayer God desires is simply, God be merciful to me, a sinner. That prayer opens the door to forgiveness and to a life of communion with Him.
Remember also the reverence due to His name and the true purpose of prayer. Prayer is not meant to inform God of what you need, as if He did not already know, and it is not a way to make Him do your will. He knows what you will need months and years from now far better than you do. Prayer is meant to accomplish His will on earth. It moves in a cycle that begins with God. He reveals His purposes and desires to your heart, you echo them back to Him in prayer, and then He works to bring them to pass. He will not force His will upon you, but when you consent and invite Him, you open the door for Him to do what He has long desired to do in your life. For that reason the wisest and most powerful prayer you can pray is, Lord, work out your perfect will in my life. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
So as you wait before Him, begin with worship. Hallow His name. Acknowledge who He is, His holiness and goodness and power. Then be quiet and listen. The listening ear always comes before a powerful life of prayer. Moses at the burning bush and Samuel in the night both heard because they were listening. God still speaks today, and He speaks most clearly through His Word. Faith comes by hearing the Word of God. As you read Scripture with a listening heart, the Holy Spirit makes God's will known, and you can then pray that will back to Him with confidence.
You have lifted your eyes to the Lord who made heaven and earth, and that is exactly where help comes from. He sees you, He knows your need, and He delights to commune with those who seek Him. Stay in that quiet place, keep His Word before you, and let your prayer be not only speaking to God but allowing God to speak to you. As you consent to His will, you will find that fervent prayer from a righteous heart, made right through Jesus, accomplishes much, not because it changes God, but because it allows God to do His good work in you.
May the Lord quiet your heart, speak clearly to you through His Word and by His Spirit, and give you joy as you see Him answer according to His perfect will.
It is good that you are turning away from distractions to listen. In a world full of noise, learning to hear God requires quietness and waiting before Him. Scripture shows that God often does not speak in the wind or the earthquake or the fire, but in a still small voice. To hear that voice we must tune our hearts to Him, much like tuning a radio, by becoming still, by worshiping Him first, and by giving Him time and space to speak.
Before all else, effective prayer rests on relationship. If through faith in Jesus Christ you have become a child of God, you can truly call Him Father and come to Him with confidence. Jesus made the way through His death and resurrection. If that relationship is not yet settled, the first prayer God desires is simply, God be merciful to me, a sinner. That prayer opens the door to forgiveness and to a life of communion with Him.
Remember also the reverence due to His name and the true purpose of prayer. Prayer is not meant to inform God of what you need, as if He did not already know, and it is not a way to make Him do your will. He knows what you will need months and years from now far better than you do. Prayer is meant to accomplish His will on earth. It moves in a cycle that begins with God. He reveals His purposes and desires to your heart, you echo them back to Him in prayer, and then He works to bring them to pass. He will not force His will upon you, but when you consent and invite Him, you open the door for Him to do what He has long desired to do in your life. For that reason the wisest and most powerful prayer you can pray is, Lord, work out your perfect will in my life. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
So as you wait before Him, begin with worship. Hallow His name. Acknowledge who He is, His holiness and goodness and power. Then be quiet and listen. The listening ear always comes before a powerful life of prayer. Moses at the burning bush and Samuel in the night both heard because they were listening. God still speaks today, and He speaks most clearly through His Word. Faith comes by hearing the Word of God. As you read Scripture with a listening heart, the Holy Spirit makes God's will known, and you can then pray that will back to Him with confidence.
You have lifted your eyes to the Lord who made heaven and earth, and that is exactly where help comes from. He sees you, He knows your need, and He delights to commune with those who seek Him. Stay in that quiet place, keep His Word before you, and let your prayer be not only speaking to God but allowing God to speak to you. As you consent to His will, you will find that fervent prayer from a righteous heart, made right through Jesus, accomplishes much, not because it changes God, but because it allows God to do His good work in you.
May the Lord quiet your heart, speak clearly to you through His Word and by His Spirit, and give you joy as you see Him answer according to His perfect will.
