Listening to His voice

I've been praying for years and years and years. When I was six or seven, I went through a phase where I prayed that God would protect me from tigers while I slept. I also created a magic recipe so that our house wouldn't get robbed during the night: 1/ pray that God would send his angels around our house, 2/ pray it multiple times, 3/ make sure you picture the angles and their golden glow surrounding the house vividly in your mind, spending most of this time getting distracted by wondering what angles actually look like.

So, since I'm sitting and writing for you today, un-clawed, and un-robbed, I'm here to tell you that prayer works. In case you're thinking at this point: "Wow, she must be an expert on prayer!", I'm not, and I don't claim to be. This post is not a how-to (my blog is *gasp* not quite as authoritative as the dude in the Bible...), nor a sermon, nor an I-think-I've-figured-something-out-post. Nope. It's just thoughts. Good thoughts, perhaps, but just thoughts nonetheless.

As I've grown up, my prayer life has grown as well. I no longer pray for protection against tigers, because although it IS relatively more likely where I live now, it is still rather preposterous. As my prayers changed, my results changed. And let me tell you, praying against tigers in the middle of the suburbs of Missouri and not getting mauled by morning is quite a different feeling than praying that your Dad would live and seeing him head back to Africa. Wow is God good. So. Powerful.

I've been told that He is always with us, but aren't you supposed to feel something? People talk about hearing his voice, but where is it? And if we are supposed to daily pick up our cross and choose to walk with him, won't he guide us?

I think yes.

As I walk, my toes are dipping in sea foam of who He is. It feels wonderful, but it's just the beginning. There is so much more. Pray the impossible, respected Christians say, so that you can see the impossible accomplished. Yes, Lord! Listen, they say, so that he can guide you; prayer isn't just about you.Yes, Lord!

Day in and day out, he is there waiting to be acknowledged, waiting to be asked for, waiting to give wisdom. Trying is always the first step.

One thing that I'm trying that excites me is to use prayer in the small areas of my life as well as the big ones. Several years ago, a youth minister taught on the importance of the little things. God uses the little things, the smiles, the chats, the everyday sacrifices, the noticing of a hurt, as well as the big miracles. Since that day, I've only been reminded of all of the times I let those little things slide unnoticed, all of the times where I've missed out on an opportunity to show light.

The joy-thing in this is that it's a challenge, and one failure doesn't mean it's over. You pick back up and try again. The God who is listening is also helping. And everyday that we try, we get closer to him. So today, as I write, I can tell God, "I'm free, send me", and start over, try again, persevere to win the prize.

-kae-