Shhhh, Just Listen
by Tracy Gordon
“Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among nations. I will be exalted in the earth.” –Psalm 46:10
Ever since I was a child, I have had some difficulty with the concept of being quiet. I was an early talker and am told I haven’t stopped since. I remember being in the 4th grade and was mortified when my teacher, Mrs. Huber, told my parents she was going to be sending a note home every Friday for a month, informing them if my “talking out of turn” had improved. Thankfully, progress was made and the notes stopped. However, this little issue of my need for words carried into my adulthood. One time, my husband, Jim and I were having a bit of a stern discussion with our (at the time) teenage son, Jimmy. Although there were three of us in the conversation, I was the only one talking to Jimmy. When the conversation ended, I was very perturbed with my husband and said, “Why did you just sit there, not backing me up or saying anything?” He very calmly responded, “Because you said enough for both of us.” Ouch! Sometimes the truth hurts!
Our prayer time with God can often be like this. Sometimes we are thinking so much about what we want to say, that we are missing His input and guidance from the Holy Spirit. Recently, my daughter gave me a sweet compliment on this very issue. You see, I tend to be a “fixer” whether I realize it or not. She told me that when she was in high school, she always felt so comfortable coming to me with things she wanted to talk about, but that sometimes she just wanted me to listen—while I wanted to fix everything (which required more talking on my part). Not long ago, we were having a very indepth conversation regarding some things going on in her life, and this time I was really hearing her instead of trying to be the fixer. At the end of the conversation she said, “Mom, I’m seeing a change in you. Thank you for just listening.” Over the past few years, I’ve been really trying to work on this so I guess there is hope for me yet!
We can all agree that these are unsettling times we are living in. I find myself sitting down to pray and not knowing where to start. Then I remember what Paul said in Romans 8:26: “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.” God is calling us to rest in His presence, but we cannot fully obey until we quiet ourselves. Contemplative prayer gives us this very opportunity, where our focus shifts from “me and God” to “God and me” and words become less necessary.
In contemplative prayer we seek to become the person we are called to be by just being with God, not saying a word but just listening. It is here that for me, this silence leads to worship as I offer prayers of adoration, praise, and thanksgiving to Jesus for who He is and the incredible blessing He is in my life. All of a sudden, it’s about me listening for His response instead of me talking over Him. In Matthew 17:5, even God the Father says, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to Him."
The Father invites us to view Jesus as the Voice who is worth hearing.
I’ll be the first to admit that I’m still a work in progress. However, the time is now to be more diligent. We must be listening for what God is calling us to do. We must be listening so we don’t miss His call to rise up, and we must be listening so we don’t miss the cries of those desperate for a Savior. So grab your cup of joe with Jesus or your cup of tea with the Trinity and enter into silent, contemplative prayer. The time is now…to LISTEN.
Thank You Jesus, that You call us to rest in Your presence, taking us out of the chaos and into the quiet of Your heart. Help us to be better listeners so that we can be equipped by You to bring great glory to Your Kingdom. In Your precious name we pray, Amen.