Dialogue

“It is written, ‘No eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love Him’ – these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God.” - 1 Corinthians 2:9-10

A husband was trying to prove to his wife that women talk more than men. He showed her a study, which indicated that men use about 10,000 words per day, whereas women use 20,000 words per day. His wife thought about this for a while. She then told her husband that women use twice as many words as men because they have to repeat everything they say. Her husband looked at her, stunned. Then he said, “What?”

Prayer is not meant to be a one-way conversation. It is not meant to be a monologue. God designed prayer to be a dialogue. God uses prayer to show us things and tell us things we cannot learn any other way. For this reason, sometimes the best thing we can do when we pray is simply to be quiet and listen. In 1 Corinthians 9:10, we learn that God reveals unimaginable truths to His children through His Spirit. In Jeremiah 33:3 God says He will tell us, “great and hidden things that you have not known.” Both of these passages show us that through prayer, God will show us things that are inaccessible to human intelligence or even human investigation.

The greatest knowledge any person can ever have is the will of God. But we will never know His will apart from prayer. The greatest person we can ever know is the Lord Jesus Christ. But we will never truly know Him apart from prayer. The greatest book we can ever read is the Word of God. But we will never understand it apart from prayer. Prayer is essential to every part of the Christian life.

I pray that as followers of Jesus Christ, the Church will grow to see prayer as more than a discipline or a duty. I pray we will see it as our lifeline. I pray we will be humbled by the privilege of prayer and moved by the power of prayer. When we begin to see prayer as the channel by which God imparts His will through His Spirit, we will be hungry not only to talk to God but also to hear from Him.

No relationship can grow, deepen, or thrive without honest and regular conversation. Your relationship with Christ is no different. How often do you talk openly and honestly to Him? How often do you listen for His voice? There are unsearchable secrets awaiting you if only you will pray.

Father, please deepen my prayer life. I want to know You in a deeper way. Show me how to seek You and to listen to Your voice. In Jesus’ name, amen.