Parenting - The Art of Conversation With God

Communication is a two-way transaction; we speak, and we listen (or we should). My daughters allege that I don't have conversations; I lecture! "Lecturing" doesn't allow for much listening - by the lecturer or by the captive audience! I'm trying to learn to talk less and listen more.


Sometimes, I wonder if God feels that our communication with Him is one-way - us doing all the talking and God doing all the listening. Yet, if we want to know God, we must learn to communicate with Him, by talking and listening. Prayer is the way we talk to Him. Listening to God is another matter. Learning to recognize when He's talking to us is sometimes a challenge.

In our fast-paced, instant everything culture, we aren't used to "waiting on the Lord"; we want to be able to shoot Him an email or text message and get a quick, abbreviated response and then move on. Sometimes, God does work quickly; other times, He seems silent, his response not so obvious. On occasion, God responds, we don't like the response, and we choose to keep looking and listening for one we do like. One thing is certain, though - God always hears and answers our prayers.

Jesus's disciples wanted to be taught to pray; they were given the model we know as "The Lord's Prayer" (Luke 11:1-4), but the verses that follow give additional direction in the way in which we can approach our Heavenly Father (Luke 11:9-13): 

"Here's what I'm saying:

   Ask and you'll get;
   Seek and you'll find;
   Knock and the door will open. 

Don't bargain with God. Be direct. Ask for what you need.... And don't you think the Father who conceived you in love will give the Holy Spirit when you ask him?" 

This doesn't mean that we should view God as some sort of cosmic Santa Claus or over-indulgent parent that gives his child whatever he or she wants. It does mean that when we come to Him, we can be confident that He already knows what we need and is willing to provide for us - we just have to ask and believe (Matthew 21:22). We do have to trust that God knows best for us because sometimes, just as our children do, we ask for things that aren't in our best interest. We don't know the outcome if God were to give us all we desired,  when we wanted it, and in the way we wanted. He does. He knows what we need and provides (Matthew 6:33).

The other half of the communication equation is listening. Listening for his leading is far more difficult than talking to Him. Each of us has to learn to hear from God. He speaks in ways specific to each individual and each situation. The Bible tells us that as his sheep, we recognize his voice (John 10:4;27).The more we learn to listen when God speaks, the more familiar his voice becomes to us. One of the surest ways to learn his voice is to read his word. When God is speaking to us, or when we think He is, we can validate what He's saying by ensuring that what we're hearing lines up with what we read in the Bible. 

Pastor Rick Warren, author of Purpose Driven Life, provides seven ways to determine if what we're hearing is from God:

• Does it agree with the Bible? (Luke 21:33) - If what you're hearing doesn't line up with God's word, it's not from the Lord.
• Does it make me more like Christ?(Philippians 2:5) - In other words, if what you think is of the Lord will result in behavior unlike that of Christ, then don't do it!
• Does my church family confirm it? (Ephesians 3:10; Proverbs 11:9) - God puts mature Christians in our lives for a reason; if no one mature in his or her faith supports what you're "hearing," reconsider.
• Is it consistent with how God has shaped me? (Ephesians 2:10; Romans 12:6) - Each of us is designed for a unique purpose that no one else can accomplish. If what you believe is from God isn't aligned to your "shape," then rethink what you're hearing.
• Does it concern my responsibility? (Romans 14) - We need to be concerned about God's will for our own lives and allow Him to direct everyone else's lives. In other words, we must be careful in assuming we know what God's will is for others. God may have us tell someone something, but Pastor Warren says to consider three things before acting:
  
  
• God will use you to confirm what He's already said to them. 
• If He uses you to help someone else, you may be unaware that what you are saying is meeting a deeper need than you could have imagined in their lives.
• Trust God to speak to that person before you do.  

• Is it convicting rather than condemning? (I John 1:9; Revelation 12:10) - When God speaks to convict us, He is specific and forgives us immediately when we ask; then, He forgets. Satan simply desires to make us feel bad for what God has already forgiven and forgotten and attempts to convince us that we are worthless.
  
• Do I sense God's peace about it? (I Corinthians 14:33) - God doesn't bring confusion. If what you're hearing is from God, you will know peace if you are obedient and act on what He's saying to you. He's not interested in your making a hasty decision, one that causes you to feel pressure and stress; He does want you to make the decision that He's leading you to.

As we grow in our walk with God, we must learn to art of conversing with Him. That does mean we must be intentional in setting aside time to read his word and listen for his voice. We must learn to be aware when He is speaking and respond. For parents, knowing how to talk and how to listen to God is one of the greatest tools we have for raising our children to be fully devoted followers of Christ.


Heavenly Father, I am thankful that you talk to us. My prayer is that we learn to listen, so that we will know your purpose and your direction for our lives. I pray that each of us will rely on you in all things and have the peace that only you can give as we learn to walk in your will.