What Would a Spiritual Oximeter Reveal About My Prayer Life?
I’ve been pondering two words this week that have shown up quite often in my Old Testament readings.
“God said…”
To be fair, sometimes it’s recorded,
“The LORD said…”
But, “a rose by any other name” (right?).
I’ve read those two phrases so many times through the first half of the Scriptures, I checked to see how often (the word-nerd in me wanted, no needed, to know).
My ESV records 1645 times (and, of course that doesn’t count when pronouns are used or other ways to address God).
My point:
God spoke then.
A LOT!
He speaks now.
And, He has not fallen silent.
It’s usually a quiet whisper.
So, we need to listen carefully.
Ask any theologian
What is prayer?
And you’ll get the simple answer:
A conversation with the Almighty
I know that answer,
But do I HEAR those words?
Because,
what I act on most is the talking part…
(I like to do the talking),
Then forget that God has something to say back to me.
But, conversation implies
Back and forth
Communication.
Me to Him
Then me stopping
Turning my ear
Opening my heart
Opening my hands
Receiving in return.
Throughout the Scriptures
God spoke in various ways:
Through ordinary men
Visiting angels
Anointed Prophets and priests
Judges
Visions
Dreams
Special circumstances
The Law
Miracles
But, in these days
He speaks through
His Son
The Word made flesh
The Logos
Full of grace and truth
Jesus is the Word
God’s final Word
And through His written Word, Jesus presses a timely Word into my heart.
The eternal Word speaks personally.
(The Logos has a Rhema)…
Applicable to me.
Mine to hold.
To comfort.
Guide.
Sustain.
Hold onto when most needed.
How do I hear His Word?
Through the Word…
I’m learning just how important it is to pray with my Bible open.
Praying is more like breathing than speaking.
I breathe in God’s Word
I breathe out in Prayer.
His truth fills my mind.
My prayers return to Him.
Probably that’s why my prayers can seem a bit exhausting…
I’m doing all the exhaling.
Talking.
Asking.
Pleading.
Processing.
But, very little breathing in.
Very little listening.
Very little receiving.
I need more oxygen.
We are hard-wired to breathe.
In.
Out.
Receive.
Respond.
Listen.
Speak.
The same is true in prayer.
So, if I feel like I’m running low on spiritual oxygen…
I open the Word.
Sit quietly before the Lord.
Listen.
Breathe deeply.
If there were such a thing as a spiritual oximeter, what would it reveal about me today?
