Too Quick
Have you ever been in a conversation with someone who was so eager to make you understand what they were saying that they never gave you a chance to speak? They explain, gesture, give another example just in case you missed the first one, and before you can get a word in, they have already moved to the next point. There is no room for communication because communication is not just about talking; there has to be room for a response. Otherwise, how different is it from talking to yourself?
I hope we are not approaching God the same way. We pray every day, sometimes several times a day. We pour out our hearts, present our requests, say “Amen,” and leave almost immediately. But prayer is more than presenting our requests before God. It is communion with the Father.
If communication involves speaking and listening, why are we often in such a hurry to leave before giving God room to speak?
Habakkuk said: “I will stand upon my watch, and set me upon the tower, and will watch to see what he will say unto me.” Habakkuk 2:1
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Sometimes we wonder why God has not answered, when perhaps we have not stayed long enough to notice that He is speaking. We asked the question but did not wait for the answer. We asked for direction but were already halfway into our plans before giving Him room to direct us.
“Be still, and know that I am God.” Psalm 46:10. Prayer requires a kind of stillness. Not that God is reluctant to speak, but we are often too occupied with our own thoughts to notice what He is saying. His response may come through His Word, the prompting of the Holy Spirit, an inner witness, godly counsel, or a specific instruction. And whatever He says will never contradict His Word or go against His nature.
This is something I have been learning because I am often too quick to leave. Sometimes God gives an instruction, and almost immediately, my mind starts filling in the gaps. I hear what He has said, and I quickly decide the next step. But what if there is more to hear? What if, after the instruction, I need to ask, What next? How should I go about it? When? With whom?
Receiving an instruction does not always mean we have received the entire direction. Sometimes the wisdom is in staying long enough to hear the rest. Proverbs 3:5–6 reminds us not to lean entirely on our own understanding, but to acknowledge God and allow Him to direct our paths. Perhaps we make unnecessary mistakes because we hear the first sentence and immediately begin writing the rest of the story ourselves.
We cannot be so eager to finish praying that we miss the conversation. Samuel’s response to God was: “Speak, LORD; for thy servant heareth.” 1 Samuel 3:9. That should be our posture, too. Not just, “Lord, hear me.” But also, “Lord, I am here to hear You.”
Be quick to listen, be willing to wait. And when He speaks, be ready to obey. Isaiah 30:21: “This is the way, walk ye in it.”
It’s high time we stopped assuming we understand the whole picture because we caught the first sentence. Be quick to listen, not too quick to leave. You may have finished talking; He may not have finished responding…
