Satisfaction in Silence

Listening prayer. A new idea for me and my generation considering we spend most of our time busy with technology, surrounded by others, spotify or Pandora playing in the background. I think often we are afraid of silence because it forces us to take a vulnerable and truthful look inward. But as believers listening is a crucial skill, to be sensitive to the spirit, to take time to quiet our minds long enough to converse with our father. Something we all desperately need, yet try so desperately to avoid. Be in scripture-sure, have fellowship with others-of course, but find myself a quiet place and to just sit, just be present with papa-my brain gets busy, I get distracted, someone texts me. Amazing my priorities sometimes.

I’ll be the first to admit this is something I struggle with, so when we had a session in training camp about listening prayer I was both challenged to learn more and convicted to pursue it. ?”The spirit of the living God dwells in me” wow. What a gift. So I continued to lean forward and hear raw truth being spoken into me. There are so many platforms from which the Lord calls us whether it be through thoughts, or visual pictures, or even in your gut (knowing it in your knower).

“As children of the almighty we have access and rights to things we wouldn’t have otherwise-the power of His name!” Learning and knowledge about listening prayer armed me- but going and doing it was another story. So when she said now let’s go out and practice. That would require that I silence the voice of the enemy that tells me the Lord cant do it or wont do it, that means radical obedience and complete reliance…

So we practiced a little intentional listening-amazing how the kingdom and the reality of heaven comes alive when we listen intently. Don’t get me wrong-this doesn’t make it easy at all. But what I continue to try and remind myself is that I am not responsible for results, I simply but thankfully get to come along for His purposes. “The Lord said, my grace is all you need- for my power is most sufficient in your weakness” 2 Corinthians 12: 9…thank goodness.

So as mentioned above, on our last day our team went to an assisted living facility to implement our newly learned listening prayer skills, essentially to try and break us in a little bit before we take off for the nation’s. When we got there they pretty much gave us freedom to speak to whomever we wanted to. Some of the men and women were in the lobby and others in rooms.

As we walked down the hallway towards different rooms, we stopped in a lady named Jeannie’s room. I said I would love to stay and talk with her. Jeannie is 98 years old and a sweet southern lady. However, after talking to her for a while I realized that Jeannie was really not all there and would repeat things as well as say things that didn’t make sense. As I continued ask her questions and engage with her. I then started to explain why I was ?there and that with a missionary team would be going to the Philippines for two months.

Then without having explained the previously mentioned deep feelings of inadequacy and hesitancy to her, Jeannie turned to me for the first time looking me directly in the eye and said, “you’re ready.” Then she looked away and started saying things I did not fully understand again.

Wow, remind me again why we fear the quiet? I have been taught by this experience that being still and listening to the Lord can be equally as powerful as falling to your knees in prayer, and that divine appointment is altogether mind blowing and oh so satisfying. Those were Gods words, and he whispered them in an ever so subtle and super unexpected way. Convicted, humbled, ready.

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Kathleen Forrest