Empty

I used to think silence
was an empty space
but I was wrong
(or at least distracted)

the more I learn
about listening
the more I find
waiting
the further I walk into the depths of the quiet
the greater the discovery

I used to think silence
was an empty space

 

24.01.2008

Prayer working.

I have no idea what you’re in to, but I’m someone who prays, both for myself and on the behalf of others; I know God listens and He does sometimes talk back (with thoughts, ideas, and circumstances… I’m not one of the 0.01% who have heard God audibly…)

A friend and I were praying for another mate last night, and after some focussed, spoken prayer there was a little while when we were quiet, listening… at one point there I felt my hand tense up. This is something I have felt while praying before, and not thought much of it, but this time I thought to myself that this may be some kind of physical trigger to something happening in a spiritual way (I have found this to be true with some other physical sensations in the past); perhaps God was trying to tell me something?

So I tested my theory and asked my friend whether he, at that moment, was thinking of anything in particular that we might pray for… and he said there was. Well, after a short discussion, we prayed for ‘that thing’ and it was obvious to all of us that this prayer was really ‘hitting home’. He said afterwards that this was the first time that that style of praying (directly into something in a specific way, based on theological principles of repentance, forgiveness, and freedom from ‘baggage’ via what we see in the power and grace of Christ’s death and resurrection) had such an immediate and tangible effect. So that was a great blessing for my mate, a very healing, releasing time…

Short answer: it was specific, it was real, and it worked!

What makes this encouraging for me, and potentially exciting for the future (as one who gets excited about such things) is that I have something ‘physical and tangible’ that I can at least use as a ‘question mark’ for God. But that I mean if I’m praying for someone, and that happens again, there’s a possibility that God wants to do something else specific. I can then ask either God or the person I’m praying for if there’s something else going on… I love that because it is God stepping-in in a subtle way to ‘cooperate’ with us here on the planet. And it’s creating opportunities for God to move outside of what we can humanly see and know, and I personally want more of that in my life.

I feel that this was a conversation with God, not just a ‘one way wish list’ – small steps, maybe, but real.

It’s always encouraging to find something outside of yourself that is evidence of God acting, interjecting…