Have you ever talked with someone, or should I say listened to someone, who takes over a conversation? You try to say something, but either get cut-off, or they just keep going on and on and on? It is like all they want to do is be heard, and it doesn’t matter who they are talking too… just that they are talking?
I have a daughter that is 11 going on 12 and she loves to talk. Amongst the constant talking there are nuggets of information about her life, but sometimes I miss it because she is always talking… and after a while, I tune out the chatter. It isn’t something I intentionally do, but often find myself asking, “What did she just say?” And at times she will be so focused on what she wants to say, that when I do get to respond… it is never heard. It could be that I am asking her to do something, or replying to a question she has… and within minutes she will either have to be told again what to do, or I’m answering the same question that was just asked. Sometimes, we will see the same thing happen, and she will repeat it about 5 times… to make sure that I knew it happened. I saw it too! I knew it happened! 🙂 I understand that a lot of this is a girl thing… the mind racing from one thing to another so quickly that you feel you need to get it all out.
But… as I was praying this morning, I found myself asking, “Who is leading my conversation with God? Him or me? More times than not, I think it is me. I have so much to say, doesn’t He want to know it all? I had this happen or that happen (which He already knows) and I need to tell Him how I feel about it (which He already knows). I have so many requests and I need to remind Him about them all. When I am finished… Have I allowed Him to say anything? Did I lead our conversation?
Interestingly enough, as I was looking for scripture references from the concordance in the back of my Bible, I couldn’t find the word “Listen.” And when I looked for “Hear”, all the references were … guess?! How God hears our prayers! Wow. Such selfish people we are! But as I was reading Psalms 143, I went passed the referenced scripture where David is saying, “Hear me,” to him saying, “Cause me to hear…” Isn’t it crazy that my Bible concordance forgot to add the scriptures references about listening and hearing from God?
Psalms 143 says, “1Hear my prayer, O LORD, give ear to my supplications: in thy faithfulness answer me, and in thy righteousness. 2And enter not into judgment with thy servant: for in thy sight shall no man living be justified. 3For the enemy hath persecuted my soul; he hath smitten my life down to the ground; he hath made me to dwell in darkness, as those that have been long dead. 4Therefore is my spirit overwhelmed within me; my heart within me is desolate. 5I remember the days of old; I meditate on all thy works; I muse on the work of thy hands. 6I stretch forth my hands unto thee: my soul thirsteth after thee, as a thirsty land. Selah. 7Hear me speedily, O LORD: my spirit faileth: hide not thy face from me, lest I be like unto them that go down into the pit.8Cause me to hear thy lovingkindness in the morning; for in thee do I trust: cause me to know the way wherein I should walk; for I lift up my soul unto thee. 9Deliver me, O LORD, from mine enemies: I flee unto thee to hide me. 10Teach me to do thy will; for thou art my God: thy spirit is good; lead me into the land of uprightness. 11Quicken me, O LORD, for thy name’s sake: for thy righteousness’ sake bring my soul out of trouble. 12And of thy mercy cut off mine enemies, and destroy all them that afflict my soul: for I am thy servant.”
In this Psalm, David did let God know how he was feeling, and he did petition God… but he left room for God to respond when he told God how his soul was thirsty for Him, then said, “Cause me to hear… and cause me to know…” Both of these statements are seeking God’s advise, and acknowledging that He wanted to hear from His God. And then, “Lord, teach me… and Quicken me.” They were all types of requests, but showed us that David wanted to allow God to lead him.
I don’t know about you, but I want God to lead our conversations. I want to listen when he decides to speak, I want to feel the nudging of His spirit and allow Him to change the direction of my prayers if it is His will.
Take time and think about this… Who is leading your conversation?