In this first key we will be covering two areas of communication: a) Between Man and God b) Between Man and Man
a) Man and God:
Is there a necessity to build confidence in the subject of communication between Man and God? Let me ask you these following questions…how is your prayer life? Is it all it should be? Are you confident that God hears you? Have you had answers to prayer? Do you meditate on His word (supposing that you are reading it)? Do you feel God speaking to you through the Word?
What robs us of confidence? If you are lacking in understanding the truth of God, the Word, Jesus Christ, then you are being robbed of security, courage, confidence and wisdom to name just a few things. However, you can’t be robbed of something you never had, so, let’s look at what communication between us and the Lord can do.
We know that God cannot lie (Titus 1:2 “In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began.”) so we can fully trust his word. If we can trust that his word is total truth then we at least know that one side of the conversation between us will be honest. Now, in saying that, it leaves us to believe that for our communication with God to be all it should be, then we, too, must be honest. Always keep in mind…there is nothing you can tell God that He doesn’t already know. In other words, nothing dawns on him….he never declares “really?...I didn’t know that, thanks for the update-what would I do without you.” Yet he commits us to prayer by saying ‘pray always’…(Luke 18:1; Luke 21:36), in other words we are to keep communicating with the Lord…always for all things.
How do we communicate to God all our needs and desires and supplications? Do you remember, as I do, what seems to be a hundred years ago, going to Mom and saying something like…. “Mom, can I go to….oh, never mind, you’ll only say no”? Or, you bring a friend in with you, poke them in the ribs and say “you ask her.” The reason we (I) did that was because I expected a “no” for my answer. I made an assumption, because of past experiences, on what the answer would be. I already knew what the answer was. Though I didn’t know it at the time…I was using a form of manipulation. It didn’t work on Mom. It didn’t work on me by my own children, why oh why, do we think it will work on God – the Father of all?
We expect honesty from God, should we be any less truthful? I guess for some it doesn’t come easy. I know many people, who I love dearly, who have practiced deception all of their lives. It was a form of defense and perseverance to get them through bad times. Even after becoming a Christian though, they struggled with total honesty. It was foreign to them. They lived their life by being in control. To hand control over to God can be quite difficult if you don’t see him as totally honest; totally loving.
How do we combat issues that cause us to dread and fear? How do we trust God’s word enough to turn our lives to him? I’m going to ask you to stop now and say a quick prayer. “Lord, open my heart to understanding your truth. Amen”.
There is no set system for prayer. In other words, it is okay to sit, kneel, stand or lie down to pray. You can pray with your eyes open or closed; you can be moving or still…but you are to pray. Praying ‘always’ also means at any time of day.
Prayer is “a” way we connect with God. It is not the only way. Reading God’s word is another way. Reading his word allows him to communicate with us. What does he want to tell us? We don’t hesitate to tell him every bad thing that has ever happened to us. We rattle on and on about all the unfairness in the world and all the things we do not have that we desire. We fill his holy ears with our wants and should be’s and whys. What does God have to say to us? How often do you start your prayers out with praise or ‘thank you’? How often do you talk to him just to acknowledge who and what he is and what He has done in your behalf? How often do you listen instead of going on and on about your life? God has a lot he wants to tell us. He has a lot He wants to give us…..if only we’d be quiet and calm…and wait.
It is very hard to mentor someone who constantly asks questions while you are trying to love them and advise them; you know that they are not hearing you…instead they are thinking of their next question or statement of ‘fact’. They have no intention of following any godly advice you might have; they only want to be heard. They may not even be aware of their actions. They have learned to be controlling. That, in itself will cause them misdirection and sometimes even harm. If they are shutting you out, you can presume they may be shutting God out and they will be the first to say… “What’s the use…God never answers my prayers.” If you are nodding your head because you have experienced that scenario, stop and ask yourself whether you have been guilty of doing the same thing with God. I know I have. I pray hard only to hear myself repeat over and over again the same prayers without giving Him time to answer. Then it is “Amen” and I’m off again. I have learned valuable lessons over the years and one of the most important is to stop and listen to the ‘small voice’ of God. If you are waiting to be blasted by some booming voice directing you which way to go, what to do and how to do it then you are wasting good time. Stop – read for example, the words concerning Elijah in I Kings 19:1-13. Elijah knew that God was there but he was listening in the power of wind and earthquake and fire instead of the still…small voice of God. Finally, Elijah gets around to communicating about the real things on his heart. He is angry, upset and jealous. He thinks he is the only one left that believes and honors God. A little vain if you ask me, but at least he was being honest with God (verse 14). God lets Elijah rant and then in verses 15 -18 he fills him in on the facts.
Now, talk to God in sincerity. Open up to the Father; share all your feelings (which include both positive and negative things). Praise Him, commit yourself to Him and then, before you walk away, stop – listen – meditate and wrap yourself in His promises.
Now is the time to ask you: Are you confident in the God to which you are praying?
God as the listener: Psalm 130:2 “Lord, hear my voice: let thine ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications.” Look at that! The psalmist (remember that the Bible is for our edification even today over 2000 years after Christ walked the earth) is making petitions to God and needs to be heard. He cries “hear my voice…let thine ears be attentive…” He is saying ME….HEAR ME…HELP ME - What does God do? He doesn’t have to hear you. He tells us that several times. He will hear us, but not if we are living a life of sin. God can choose not to hear us (Psalm 66:18). Does that mean that if we are knowingly not walking in God’s will, that we shouldn’t call out to him? As a parent, I had often looked the other way, meaning that I knew the truth of circumstances yet have allowed my children to work out their dilemma so that they would learn and grow. I heard them….but I didn’t respond to their call…for their own well being. God is a far greater parent than you or I, if we can discern when to let them ‘sink or swim’, how much more discerning will our Great Father in heaven be on our behalf. So, if you find yourself in an emergency situation, for heaven’s sake…cry out to Him…..He will respond no matter what your lifestyle, if you truly need him! God chooses to hear us or not and when he does – He answers. He told Joshua that he would never leave or forsake him but be very courageous. He sent Moses to help his people after hearing their cries. He told Paul that regardless of what he was going through, more than he thought was bearable, that His (God’s) grace was sufficient for him. It helped Paul to realize that God was in, even the pain of life. God gives confidence through His word and his answers to prayer. If we take time to look back at prayers answered we will discover that God truly was in control and thankfully, he answered according to his will and not our desire.
For Your Eyes Only:
Ask yourself the following questions and answer sincerely. Take time to think about the changes you need to make and then pray about it. Expect God to assist you….He wants to hear from you.
Am I totally honest with God when I pray? _______
Do I make excuses for my problems or try to blame someone else? _______
Do I take time to praise God for who and what He is? _______
Do I meditate on His word so that it can work in my life? _______
Do I remember to thank him every day? _______
After you have taken time to think over these questions, write down your own that you need to talk over with the Lord. Where would your faith be without communication? It is important to have confidence when we initiate conversation with God.
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