Words of conviction

Have you ever had the experience of someone saying something to you so profound that it felt like being kicked in the chest by a mule?  Ever felt like God was using someone in your life to speak directly to you?  Ever heard or read words so directed at your own particular heart that you sit in stunned silence after you read or hear them?  This has been happening to me all over the place lately.  I hardly know what to think.  There are so many examples that I scarcely know where to begin, so I will just pick one and run with it.  These are words from someone who has become a sort of a spiritual mentor to me recently via an e-mail exchange:

See, that is the secret of prayer. When we know more and think we have the answers we find it hard to pray. When we don’t know and when we realize we don’t know, we linger because we are dependent upon Him. We come to prayer because we HAVE to pray. We may begin, even reluctantly but out of necessity, but then as love cascading from His presence fills our minds and hearts we then WANT to pray. The mind that knows, and knows how, does not feel the need to pray and so becomes easily crowded out of our day. The fact that there is virtually no church wide prayer other than beginning or ending a meeting or meal and that not routinely is indicative of our reliance upon ourselves and our knowledge and ability.


"Reliance on upon ourselves and our knowledge and ability."  Does this sound familiar to anyone?  Can you relate? I have never considered why prayer has always seemed so difficult for me.  And typically unsatisfying!  It has always felt like some huge laundry list of things to ask for, with me doing all the talking and never letting God get a word in edgewise.  Prayer has always been difficult for me...until recently.  The words above were the impetus behind taking a really hard look at myself and admitting that I don't go to God out of need because I have typically felt I that I have it all under control, thank you!  Not surprisingly after confessing this, things have gotten much easier.  In his wonderful book "Crazy Love" Franis Chan has a chapter entitled "Stop praying!"  What he means is to stop talking, be still, and above all LISTEN.  It is in the silence, that the whisper of God's voice is heard.  Check out Francis and see if he doesn't blow your heart wide open.....

http://www.crazylovebook.com/    God is love. Crazy, relentless, all-powerful love. Have you ever wondered if we’re missing it? It’s crazy, if you think about it. The God of the universe—the Creator of nitrogen and pine needles, galaxies and E-minor—loves us with a radical, unconditional, self-sacrificing love. And what is our typical response? We go to church, sing songs, and try not to cuss. Whether you’ve verbalized it yet or not...we all know somethings wrong. Does something deep inside your heart long to break free from the status quo? Are you hungry for an authentic faith that addresses the problems of our world with tangible, even radical, solutions? God is calling you to a passionate love relationship with Himself. Because the answer to religious complacency isn’t working harder at a list of do’s and don’ts—it’s falling in love with God. And once you encounter His love, as Francis describes it, you will never be the same. Because when you’re wildly in love with someone, it changes everything.