do you feel like you're talking to a brick wall?

do you ever find that when you are praying it is just like talking to a brick wall. you never expect an answer, you never expect to hear from GOD. it is just you talking?

it doesn't really matter if anyone is there or not, it is just you talking to yourself but if you realize that GOD does want to have a conversation with you – we talk about JESUS wanting to have a relationship, you can't have a relationship without people talking. if you do all of the talking, you don't have a relationship.

sometimes when i've asked GOD a question and i've waited and sensed that GOD was saying, "I don't want to tell you right now." that's ok. HE knows what's best.

it's like sometimes when i talk to my wife, margaret, "is there anything you want to say to me?" she says, "no, everything's ok." sometimes i go to GOD and say, "GOD is there anything YOU want to say to me?" and HE says, "no, everything's ok." i don't have to have something everytime

but i'll say this: if you'll practice these steps – withdraw, wait, watch, write and worship and begin to develop them in your life, more times than not, GOD will talk to you because HE's interested in your life. this is the difference in knowing about GOD and knowing GOD.

there are really three kinds of relationships you can have. you can believe in GOD. that's the lowest form of relationship or you can be acquainted with GOD. that's a little bit deeper relationship or you can be a friend of GOD. JESUS wants that kind of relationship with you. HE says, "I want to call you my friends, where we commune and discuss and dialogue and converse and know each other. GOD wants you to be HIS friend.

this is not the only way GOD talks to you, obviously, but this is a key way that GOD can get your attention and you can hear HIM talk to you.

some years ago a speed boat driver who had survived a racing accident described what has happened. he said he had been at near top speeds when his boat veered slightly and hit a wave at a dangerous angle. the combined force of his speed and the size and angle of the wave sent the boat spinning crazily into the air.

he was thrown from his seat and propelled deeply into the water - so deep, in fact, that he had no idea which direction the surface was. he had to remain calm and wait for the buoyancy of his life vest to begin pulling him up. once he discovered which way was up, he could swim for surface.

sometimes we find ourselves surrounded by confusing options, too deeply immersed in our problems to know which way is up. when this happens, we too can remain calm, waiting for GOD's gentle tug to pull us in the proper direction. our life vest may be other CHRISTians, scripture, or an impression deep within us from the HOLY SPIRIT, but the key is recognizing our dependency upon GOD and trusting HIM.

just a thought from the front porch…

your prayer takes on real meaning...

there are many benefits to developing the habit of journaling. in the first place, it keeps you focused. it gives your body something to do while you're praying. your mind won't wander when you're writing down what you're trying to think about.

another benefit is it allows you to remember what you've said to GOD and what GOD has said back to you. you don't have to learn a lesson over and over. because you wrote it down and you can go back and review it.

a third benefit, it allows you to test the impression. the bible says very clearly that not every idea you get is from GOD. some of them are from the devil, some of them are from GOD, some of them are self inspired. how do you know the difference?

we shared earlier here on the front porch the seven ways to test an impression and you don't want to go testing and analyzing your prayers while you're praying. that ruins the whole spirit of the thing so you just pray and receive what GOD wants to say to you, you write it down and later you can go back and test it and look at it.

withdraw, wait, watch, write and then habakkuk says we are to worship. you thank GOD for speaking to you.

habakkuk 3.2 (tev), o LORD, now i have heard YOUr report, and i worship YOU in awe.

he says, now that YOU've spoken to me, i love YOU and i want to express my love to YOU.

when you receive GOD's loving response, you've asked a question and you've heard an answer in your mind and you write it down, it's going to make you want to love the LORD even more and it will draw you closer to HIM. this turns prayer from a monologue into a dialogue, a conversation.

this is where your praying will take on real meaning.

just a thought from the front porch…