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I Am Not Talking To God During Lent
Don’t worry, the title of this post is much scarier than it really is. Several weeks ago I confessed to my small group that I have been feeling really hurried in my prayer times, which is generally unusual for me as I tend to be pretty chill, or even somewhat stoic. For me to hurry through anything, something has to be "off".
I didn’t know what was causing this hurriedness; I just felt that I was rushed, my mind crowded. I should have plenty of time to pray and be alone with God, I mean, I’m a vocational pastor for crying out loud– if anything, I should have plenty of time to pray. Time wasn’t necessarily the problem – it was what I was praying. Or more specifically, it was what I was speaking – it was the fact that I was praying through my agenda – my family, friends, ministry events, yada yada yada…
My conviction and my confession were this – I was talking AT God way more than I was conversing with Him, enjoying Him, listening; that often thought of ethereal state of just being in his presence. So, for Lent, I decided to stop speaking to God. I am spending an intentional period of just listening.
But for what am I listening? That is just it… I have no agenda in what I am listening for. I just want to hear Him. And slowly-by-slowly, day-by-day, His voice seems to be getting stronger, closer.
Here is one thing that I did hear. It was through reading his Word in 1st Peter 4:7: The end of all things is near. Therefore, be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray.
The word that kept coming to my mind was "perspective." "The end of all things is near" brings back perspective. I know somewhere in the back of my mind that Christ will return… someday. But I think I had lost somewhere the notion that Christ WILL RETURN like a thief in the night… when I least expect it. It very well could be in my lifetime! I have no way of knowing when the big day will come. But having that on the forefront of my mind makes my prayers much more urgent, much more specific, much less yada yada yadaa. Praying for family, friends, and ministry events are vital and valuable – really. But they should never become a to-do list for me.
So, I’m proud to say that I’m no longer speaking to God… for a while. Listening has proven to be much more enjoyable.
Good point. When was the last time I stopped and asked ” So Lord, what do you think?” I appriciate your openness. Thankyou
Love this! Great challenge Joe! Thanks for keeping it real for me and challenging me by your example!
I agree with Brittany! Thanks for the encouragement to listen to God with no “agenda”
I can definitely identify with combining prayer and reviewing the schedule by doing both at the same time. The more I have going on, or the more I feel I should be doing the more rushed things become and the harder it is to carve out intentional time to spend with God. Not asking for things, or just going through the motions to check it off my list, but getting alone with God and just being. I think this also takes the focus off of God where it should be and puts in on me and my schedule and what I have to do. Like I should fit God into “my time”.
“Lord help us to get out of our own way for you to transform us and speak to us.”