The other day I was invited to a meal which was a real treat to me. Over the meal my host asked me all kinds of questions and we discussed many issues which face human race. We both agreed that there were many things wrong in today’s society but then my host put me on the spot when he asked me what I could recommend that would make a difference. Gosh, that has put me on the spot, I thought but then from no-where I said, “try two-way prayer.”
Let me explain. Most people practice some form of prayer. The majority tend to only pray when they are in definite need. Their prayers, therefore, are in the nature of petitions. All prayer begins in this way. It is like the infant cry, “Father, give me.” But God does not want us to remain spiritual infants. Therefore, prayer ought to extend its range and its quality. Praise and thanksgiving soon begin to find a place in the prayers of anyone who takes prayer seriously. We must go on in the practice of prayer until we get to the stage of real communion with God. This means not merely talking to God, but also listening to Him. Everyone of us can cultivate this “two-way prayer.” At first, when we listen to God, we are not aware of any messages being given. Indeed, we find most of the messages come through the day. This is as it should be. But if we persist with “the listening heart,” we shall be surprised at the messages God puts into our minds. There are difficulties, of course. But patient practice in listening to God will be rewarded by a growing sensitiveness to His voice. We shall discover that God has things to say to us that no one else dare say. When we hold our lives quietly before God, we find a searchlight turned onto our hearts. Prayer is fellowship. We talk to God, and God talks to us. Do we always give God a chance to speak to us? His words are spirit, and they are life.
John