“Now there were in the church at Antioch prophets and teachers… While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, ‘Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.‘ Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off.
“So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia, and from there they sailed to Cyprus… They proclaimed the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews… When they had gone through the whole island as far as Paphos, they came upon a magician, a Jewish false prophet named Bar-Jesus. He was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, a man of intelligence, who summoned Barnabas and Saul and sought to hear the word of God… Then the proconsul believed, when he saw what had occurred, for he was astonished at the teaching of the Lord.” Acts 13:1-7,12
Spiritual fruitfulness in the early church was rooted and established in prayer. The Lord showed Himself mighty when they gathered not simply to ask, but to exalt and listen. Whether they prayed with passionate adoration and dependence or a specific need, as they waited on Him, He responded with more than they’d imagined. Their bounty came not so much from a power of prayer as the power of the God they worshipped, whom they praised and believed. Theirs was the lifting of hands and heart, the yielding of will; His was the Spirit-work directing, infusing insight, empowering the word for eternal impact and transformation. (Acts 1:24-26; 2:1-4,11,42-43; 4:24-31; 12:12; Ephesians 3:20-21)
Man might define prayer as recitation, a wish list for God, the act of pleading for someone or something. Seldom is first impulse that of honoring, offering, yielding, or listening. We prefer to proactively direct, persuade, garner, when powerful prayer is a reactive practice of worshiping the Almighty for who He is apart from us, a whole surrender. Meditating on His attributes and listening for Him adjusts focus and reshapes desires.
“Let me hear what God the Lord will speak.” Psalm 85:8a
Listening in prayer uncovers facets of God’s character and desire. Listening changes ‘Please give me’ to ‘Please transform me and be glorified no matter what.’ Listening unclenches the stubborn fist to open the hands and will. Listening turns ‘punish and change them’ to ‘convict and change me.’ Listening leads ‘I want’ to ‘as You will.’
“Morning by morning he wakens;
he wakens my ear
to listen like one being instructed.
The Lord God has opened my ear.” Isaiah 50:4-5a
It takes practice to rectify praying habits. We can begin by pausing before the Lord, His word and attributes. Recite to Him a psalm or two, fill our minds with His vast knowledge, might, and love. Listen intently and responsively to what He reveals about Himself, mentally go where His Spirit leads. Acknowledge submission to His voice and call.
How will we improve the priority and substance of our prayer time? How can we listen better? Might we lay aside our list of needs and wants to lay open our hearts to the Spirit’s redirection, reorientation? How might the Lord speak, and what might He do, if we opened our mouths only in worship and praise?
Lord, shape my prayer time to exalt, listen to, and joyfully obey You, to Your glory and praise.
As the rain and snow 