Knock, Knock...
Who's Th... INTERRUPTING COW!
Knock knock jokes are popular with kids, and even adults. This is one that I have heard recently, and I thought it was funny. No one likes to be interrupted. Interruptions while I'm talking actually make me slightly mad. It's rude, inconsiderate, and just plain annoying. My mom and dad taught me as a young child, that if someone was talking, I did not interrupt, I simply was to wait on them to finish and then I could join in conversation. That was always difficult for me, given that I'm pretty sure I'm ADHD, which means, I talk... A LOT!
During my study time this morning I ran across a scripture that brought me to repentance and even to tears. Check this out:
Ecclesiastes 5:1-3 "Guard your steps as you go to the house of god and draw near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools; for they do not know they are doing evil. Do not be hasty in word of impulsive in thought to bring up a matter in the presence of god. For God is in heaven and you are on the earth; therefore let your words be few. For the dream comes through much effort and the voice of a fool through many words."
Ok... maybe you need to go read that again, but man did that challenge me. Don't go before God and offer up a sacrifice for others? Don't be so quick to petition a need for God? What in the world? THAT IS PRAYER! Or is it? According to Solomon (known as the wisest man in the Bible) prayer isn't about petitioning for needs, for others, or to talk to God all the time. Prayer is a CONVERSATION, that requires listening. Basically Solomon is saying here: If you REALLY want to draw near to God, if you want to hang out in HIS house... LISTEN!
That's a difficult thing to swallow. That puts a whole new importance on getting time alone with God. It's not just so I can say what I want and it stays between me and God, but because it gets me alone with someone I'm listening to. Now, I'm not saying that petitioning God for things, or praying FOR someone or something is wrong... by all means it definitely is not... however, maybe the traditional thought of prayer being that of a needs session, isn't what prayer is all about. Maybe it's not about listening for an answer to our prayers, but listening for the voice of God in general.
Through God's voice flows anointing and hope!
Check out these scriptures: 1 Samuel 2:3, Jeremiah 1:4-10, 12, 18-19; Nehemiah 2:12; Ezra 1:1; Joshua 6...
These are just a few examples, with MANY others to follow, however, if we see where the voice of God spoke to people, and see the things that they accomplished and were equipped/empowered to do then it only makes sense that THROUGH HIS VOICE FLOWS ANOINTING AND HOPE!
If we are constantly offering our words/dreams/visions/wants, then how do we ever have the time to hear His? And I can promise you this... His are much better! As a body of Christ, maybe we need to stop interrupting God, and allow Him to freely speak to us, and not just on OUR conditions.
Lord, forgive me for interrupting you... speak to me
