February 19, 2016
God is Listening!
Mary Southerland
Today’s Truth
Therefore, it was necessary for Jesus to be in every respect like us, his brothers and sisters, so that he could be our merciful and faithful High Priest before God(Hebrews 2:17, NLT).
Friend to Friend
God sent His son Jesus Christ, the greatest communicator ever to walk the earth, so that He could make a way to reach us. The birth, life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ make it possible for us to have an intimate relationship with Him, to communicate with God right where we are. To think that God wants to talk with me, to hear my voice and listen to my deepest heart longings is an amazing but true realization. Prayer is simply conversation with God, but it is in those intimate conversations that battles are won and strength is gained.
In Biblical times, the high priest was the communication link between God and man. Today, Jesus is our high priest, our communication link with God. And He longs for times of heart conversation with His children, dream sessions where we pour out all that we are and hope to be to the One who can make those dreams a reality.
Think about it. Every problem you have, every concern of your heart is important to God. If it is important to you, it is important to Him. He is always waiting, ready to turn His heart toward the voice of His child as surely as a mother hears her baby’s cry above all others.
I have a niece, Emma, who has had my heart in her precious little hands since the day she was born. I absolutely adore her and am in love with her sensitive but unusually courageous young heart. She is now a beautiful healthy teenager, but during the first several years of her life, Emma endured great pain caused by severe reflux, to the point that major surgery was required.
Helplessly, I watched as this baby girl bravely faced medical procedures that would terrify most people and send them running for the non-medical hills. Doctors, hospitals, a regimen of various daily medications were routine to this little girl and she faced each one with uncommon strength.
Because Emma lives several hours from me, we often resorted to telephone conversations as a way to stay connected. I say “we” because there were times when Emma would tell her mother that she needed to call “Mimi” (that’s me) to share something very important. Other times, Emma just wanted to talk. I cannot tell you what it did to my heart when I answered the phone and heard Emma’s soft, sweet voice say, “Hi, Mimi.” To know that she stopped in the middle of her very busy young life to call me was a cherished gift and brought me great pleasure. I treasured every one of those conversations, playing them repeatedly in my heart and mind, sharing them with everyone in my path.
I could just see her precious little face and dramatic expressions as she told me about her trip to the beach and the awful creature that stung her, or listen as she described what she wore for her ballet recital in which she was obviously the star. Every word was priceless – not so much because of its content – but because of the heart from which it is spoken.
I know that our Father loves it – absolutely loves it – when we, His children, stop in the middle of our busy lives for no other reason than the fact that we love Him and just need to talk with Him. When I pray, I picture His head turning toward me, to the sound of my voice.
He smiles, knowing that “Mary wants to talk with Me.” Yes, He is concerned with every ordinary detail of every ordinary day, but I suspect His greatest pleasure is found in the fact that, like Emma, we just need to talk to the One we love.
Let’s Pray
Father, I want to thank You for loving me. I praise You for the privilege and gift of prayer. I want to learn how to turn to You quickly and easily as I go through every moment of each day. I have to admit that I don’t fully understand how You can love me like You do, but I cherish that love and the freedom it offers me to approach the throne of grace, confident that You will hear my voice. Thank You, Lord.
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen.
Now It’s Your Turn
I want to encourage you to keep a journal of your journey with God. Carry it with you in your purse, briefcase or diaper bag. Write out your prayers to Him, and then record the answers when they come. From time to time, look back over your journal entries and celebrate what God has done in your life.
More from the Girlfriends
The children in my life are definitely some of my greatest teachers – especially in the area of prayer. I once heard the story of a grandpa who stopped at the door of his granddaughter’s room to listen to her pray. He soon realized that she was simply reciting the letters of the alphabet. When he tried to correct her, the little girl responded, “Grandpa, I don’t know exactly what to pray, so I’m just saying all the letters of the alphabet and God can put them together for me.”
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