The Quest
“Those who dance are thought mad by those who hear not the music”. That old adage is certainly true for those of us who walk to the beat of God’s drum. (Mark Batterson) When you take your cues from the Holy Spirit, you’ll do some things that will make people think you’re foolish and some will even think you’re crazy.
Well, so be it…
When continual tears over an eight-month period led me on a quest to the Syrian border during war time, people definitely thought I was quite mad. Even my husband, at first, was questioning my sanity. And yet, I went to the border and so did he and God showed up and we danced to His music. During another time at a mom’s prayer group, a gentle whisper, beckoned me and led me to a praying mom in the nation of Malta. Did I know anyone in Malta? No, not at all. In fact, I wasn’t even sure where it was! Again, my dance seemed quite mad to some, but seeing the uplifted face of the lady of Malta after that encounter arrested in me any thought of fear or doubt. Keeping tabs with the Holy Spirit is the quest of a lifetime. It’s invigorating, rejuvenating, and electrifying! It’s a thrilling and at times a bit scary ride of your life. Sadly, today, there are many louder voices within our culture beaconing us this way and that, conforming us to the pattern of this world. And regrettably, many end up defining themselves by the culture. It’s a bit like selling our souls to the culture, wouldn’t you say? Those who choose not to conform may feel like they are driving the wrong way on a one-way street at rush-hour. While others are being slowly pressed into a cultural mold before they know it, and lost from the purposes God has planned for them. They let the expectations of others override the desires God has planted in their hearts. The voice of conformity stops their concerns of what God thinks and is overridden by the fear of what other people will think. Pretty soon they may find themselves unable to hear the gentle voice of the spirit, as they submerge themselves in the fruitless desires of the culture.
There is a difference between a quest and an adventure. An adventure is something you choose. However, you are called to a quest. An adventure is going somewhere and back again. But you never return from a quest. In his book, An Introductory Guide to
Listening Prayer, Bob Japenga describes how God invites each one of us to join on a quest leading to an intimate relationship with Him. It’s not a there and back again. If developing such a relationship was not a quest, God would not have told us many times in His word to seek Him. It’s not because He is playing “hide and seek.” After all, didn’t he compare our relationship with Him to a friendship and a marriage? Friendships and marriages are quests, not adventures. We don’t come back from a quest. The same is true with our relationship with God. It is a quest and listening prayer is the significant key to our quest.
Prayer involves a two-way conversation between people and God. When we pray, we present our thanks, praises, and requests to God. As disciples of Jesus, we seek to learn from Him and be led by the Spirit in every area of our lives. Listening prayer is any kind of prayer that requires us to calm our minds and souls and be silent to focus on listening to God’s voice. A. W. Tozer emphasized how central this is in the life of anyone who wants to pursue God seriously: “The whole Bible supports the idea. God is speaking. Not God spoke, but God is speaking. He is by His nature continuously articulate. He fills the world with His speaking Voice. One of the great realities with which we have to deal is the Voice of God in His world.”
In listening prayer, we direct our full attention to God in faith for He desires to communicate with us. We patiently wait with open hearts, listening for the still, small voice of the Holy Spirit. As we listen, God may speak words of encouragement, revelation, or guidance into our spirits. He may bring scriptures or memories to mind. We may receive visions, pictures, or sensations. Or He may simply instill His peace, joy, or love in us.
We prepare for listening prayer by quieting our souls before God. Then it helps to begin with worship, offering our praise and gratitude to Him. Clearing our minds makes room to hear God’s voice. Therefore, we should follow with a time of surrendering distractions and anxieties to Him and receiving His peace. Then we invite the Holy Spirit to guide us in our time of listening. We may pray, “Speak Lord, for your servant is listening” (1 Samuel 3:9). As we listen, we should fix our spiritual gaze on Jesus and avoid letting our mind wander by gently redirecting it to the Lord. Finally, we must stay attentive like Samuel, who when God called his name answered, “Speak, for your servant hears” (1 Samuel 3:10).
As we listen, the Holy Spirit may highlight thoughts, scriptures, or mental pictures. Quietly write down anything meaningful so that you can reflect on it later. These impressions often bring clarity as you meditate on them. Listening prayer cultivates an intimate relationship with God. As we consistently make time to listen, we grow more attuned to God’s voice and learn to recognize the ways He speaks. Our discernment sharpens, and we gain wisdom for navigating life’s decisions. We can also experience the delight of true fellowship with our Holy Father.
I know listening prayer is something many of us do. But do our children? Is God’s voice the loudest voice in our life? Is it the loudest voice in our children’s lives? Importantly, do we listen to Him daily? If not, let us reaffirm our commitment to listen to God daily through listening prayer and to intercede for our children as well. May we always maintain the fullness of our quest to know God…In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.