Can you hear me now?

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"Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus." 1 Thess 5:16-18

Our church is spending the month of May to focus on prayer.  Although we all can have our own ideas on what we need to do to encourage more prayer, I think most would agree....more prayer is good.

But you and I might have different ideas on what a church should/could do to promote more prayer.  After all, can you really 'promote' more prayer?  Shouldn't prayer be sincere and not forced and out of obligation?

But what's the state of our prayer lives today?  Has it changed much in the last 24 hours, 3 months, year or 5 years?

Even though our opinions might differ, I think we can come into agreement on one thing:  we all need to learn more about prayer and the only way to really learn (not study about it) it and make it our own is to do it.

Can God hear us?

Can I hear God?

As I reflect on this an old commercial from Verizon comes to mind.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OPwPo-IAQ-E

It shows a Verizon technician going from place to place asking "Can you hear me now?"

It gets me thinking -- I "know" God hears me...but HOW do I know?  What proof do I have in my life and especially prayer life, that He actually hears me?  Do you know?  Can you say with certainty?

The Verizon guy cannot verify if the Verizon connection really works unless he hears the guy on the other line say "yes" or "no"  We need to HEAR and LISTEN

 I shared a little exercise with our family small group a couple of weeks ago.  The exercise was simple:  blindfold a parent and ask the kids to say "can you hear me".  The parents say YES only if they hear their own child's voice

REMINDER:  God recognizes every single one of our voices and HEARS us even in the midst of all the noise in life.  If mom and dad can recognize our voice, how much more God!?

Then, I blindfolded a child and asked the parents to say "can you hear me".  Interestingly enough, when I changed my voice slightly, my son had to listen to it a couple more times before recognizing my voice.

REMINDER:  We need to focus and listen carefully in order to recognize our parents' voices and it takes practice!

How do parents and kids recognize each other's voice?

We share LIFE together.  We talk about everything.


As I enter May and as I reflect on what my church is spurring us to do more of, I make a prayer to God:

help me recognize your voice by looking for it day and night; and 

 help me recognize tangibly how you are listening to my voice.



The Verizon guy checked with the other guy on the other line to see if the guy could hear him everywhere he went.  And he listened to the guy to check.


And to "get there", cause we all really do want it (ie. to hear God), I cannot sit comfortably and wait for the skies to open wide and show me the way.....something has to give in order for me to learn.  I have to prioritize this.  I mean, anything else in life that I want, I prioritize time for it, don't I?  If I want a good relationship, I set time to be with that person.  If I want to lose weight, I set time to exercise.  If I want to get a promotion, I work more.

But, I'm busy!!!  Well, here is where the rubber meets the road!  How much do you really want this, Sandy? ~ God asks me.....

I need to be able to answer that question before thinking about HOW to learn the JOY that comes from a lively prayer life.

And then....I need to learn that God is pleased when I talk to Him alone, but when I pray with God's people, God acts! (If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land. 1 Chron7:14)


Let's check everyday.  Let's listen.  Let's respond..... 

 Prioritize...Look for God's voice everyday....Go and Pray with God's people....Help each other to continue listening!

 I want to learn the art of a DIALOGUE with God this May whether I'm alone, surrounded by a lot of people and noise, or with other brothers and sisters, wouldn't you too?

"Then you will call on me and come PRAY to me, and I will listen to you.  You will seek me with all your heart.  I will be found by you" Jeremiah 29:12-14a

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