One of my favorite comic strips when I was a kid showed an astronaut radioing Earth, “No signs of life,” while standing in an immense footprint he’d mistaken for a crater!
Previously (God, Are You There?), I spoke about the “still small” voice (I Kings 19:12) that awakened me to God’s presence when I was in my 20s, a voice that in Hebrew (demamah) can only be known by means other than external senses (like knowing a person has entered the room without actually hearing them). I’d been standing in God’s footprint without realizing it.
Hearing God’s voice changed everything. I not only came to believe he was there, I discovered he was the love of my life. Now, if you love someone, you want–need–to connect with them. But that doesn’t make it easy. In fact, the more a relationship matters, the more difficult it can be, precisely because it matters so much.
My initial prayers were clumsy but earnest, like the words that spill forth when you first confess your love to someone. But real love outlasts infatuation, and as it grows, differences arise: that delightful dimple turns out to be acne, that charming laugh an evasive maneuver. You hurt each other’s feelings and react defensively, adding layers of hurt before you humble yourselves and remember how much more important your love is than your pride.
Spontaneous communication with God is easy. Regarding this type of prayer, the Apostle Paul says simply, “Keep it up—don’t ever stop!” (1 Thessalonians 5:17).
Scheduled communication with God is harder. Our expectations are higher, so we tend to put off such meetings and to be a little uncomfortable when they do happen: “Well, here we are, Lord” (nervous chuckle). “So, I guess I’m due for a haircut” is OK for starters, but it’s time to talk about things that matter!
When I joined the comedy act Isaac Air Freight, a decision that would impact the rest of my life, I prayed, “Is this your will?” and got my answer when a complete stranger handed me a note that read, “Look! I have placed before you an open door no one can shut” (Revelation 3:8). When I asked, “Was that from you, Lord?” a song blared from my car radio, “I’m telling you over and over again so that you’ll know for sure!” (I’d never heard the song before and haven’t heard it since.)
But that kind of clarity was an exception.
I eventually grew frustrated with dryness in my spiritual life, and began driving up to California’s Mount Wilson Observatory once a month to focus exclusively on God. God honored my intentions by pouring out his Spirit. I laughed and sang joyfully to him among the pines! But after five months that still small voice whispered, “Now, go find this at the bottom of the mountain.”
I’d like to say I immediately found a way to consistently connect with God, but I didn’t. Oh, I continued to read his Word and to “pray unceasingly” (spontaneous communication). But I still faltered during planned “Us times.” Another decade passed before a different—and far more consistent—way of meeting with God was given to me.
Next: Everything I Need to Know I Could Have Learned in Sunday School (But Didn’t)
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Reblogged this on Blue Dragon Journal and commented:
Learn to listen to the still quiet Voice within your own Heart…
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Wow! I can relate so much to what you have shared! God’s timing is always perfect, even when we don’t see it.
When you shared the part about hearing the song on the radio, it reminded of the unique way God spoke to her at a pivotal time in her life.
Due to the Vietnam war, my mother tragically became a young single mother to a six week old daughter. Her beloved husband Jack had been killed.
As time went on, she fell in love with my dad, Paul. He proposed, but she was torn because she didn’t want to dishonor her first husband, whom she was still grieving.
She prayed and asked God for wisdom and guidance.
Not long after she heard this song playing on her radio,
“Girl, I heard your getting married,
Girl, I heard your getting married,
This time your really sure and this is the end,
That was the confirmation from God she needed and she moved forward in getting married. My parents were married for nineteen years until my mom died of cancer.
She was the love of my dad’s life, and he has never remarried, even though she passed away almost thirty years ago. ❤
Sorry for the long post, your words and your heart inspired me to share. God bless you
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God bless you, too, Shanon, and thank you for sharing that lovely personal story.
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I’m kind of in awe of this post, Mitch. Read it twice, and wow. Love this.
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God spoke to me through a song on the radio last Thursday. I was hurting very much emotionally over an attack from a “Christian” blogger that had just recently happened, and the words to this particular song were exactly what I needed to hear.
But here’s the amazing part. The car radio was off. My husband was driving and he hates driving with the radio on. Suddenly, the radio came on all by itself, and the song I needed to hear was playing!
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Whoa, way to go, God!
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Thanks for sharing this testimony, Mitch. The early days of our relationship with Christ are clumsy, just like the first dates with the woman we marry. It’s funny that, in both cases, we long for those clumsy days 🙂 I can so relate to Andre Crouch’s “Take Me Back.”
Is Mount Wilson Observatory the one shown in Rebel Without A Cause?
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Hi Bill. No, that’s Griffith Park Observatory. Mount Wilson is much higher up and has what, at one time, was the largest telescope in the world. https://www.mtwilson.edu/
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Cool!
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1 kings 44:37
1 thessalonians 5:42
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Loved this post Mitch, sitting on the edge of my chair for part two!
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I’m really appreciating this series of posts. Thank you!!
Love, light and glitter
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Oh was that flight 777 yours? I still remember but not sure from which early Maranatha release(I think). Anyway thanks for the great post. It’s a constant challenge no matter how long we have been walking by faith. Blessings
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Sounds like you’re talking about “777 Pearly Gates,” Pete. It was on the album Fun in the Son, recorded the year before I joined the group. Blessings on you too, my friend!
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Actually it was from a short version lp that had a mix of various Maranatha, Love Song a few associated artists and that one cut. Wish I still had that one. We lost or gave away all but a few from that era.
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You were part of Isaac Air Freight????? I’m not worthy!!!
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Hah!
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I liked this post and all of its comments. I received a prayer journal for Christmas as well as a regular journal, I have yet to write in either. I don’t really know how to start in the prayer journal and I just have not taken the time to write in the regular journal yet. Since I’m a blogger it seems a bit redundant, but I guess I really need a separate place for each type of writing. What are your thoughts on all of this?
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Only speaking for myself, of course, but I keep a growing record (more a list than a journal) of things I’m grateful for, Kim, and add a “P” next to the ones that are answered prayers. https://mitchteemley.com/2019/11/29/from-crappy-to-happy/
As far as the “regular journal” goes, I’ve been journaling for 40 years, and wrote a 2-parter about what’s worked for me: https://mitchteemley.com/2018/10/12/journaling-for-life/
Blessings on your journaling journey!
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1 kings 44:37
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Thanks for sharing. Wonderful .. God is good all the time!
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I’m beginning to wonder if God is ever silent, as we sometimes believe he is – or if we just have selective hearing. He’s showing us the way to go all the time; I hope to stop exasperating him! 😉 In this blog I think you really get to what all of us feel when trying to connect with God.
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Thanks.
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You reminded me of this track from Out of the Grey: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JtBsgvu3aZc “He Is Not Silent”
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I appreciate the insights in your post.
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That’s Beautiful – and it’s like stumbling to get it right; the planned so much harder than the spontaneous.
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The ‘consistent’ meetings with God are a struggle for me. Spontaneous comminication comes easy…I think that’s mostly becasue that is me talking to God. Dedicating time for God to speak to me through his word and being consistant in terms of time allocation and state of mind I find extremely difficult. I suspect I have allowed my life to become too cluttered and busy. Looking forward to the next instalment…in the meantime ‘that delightful dimple turns out to be acne’, will keep me laughing..
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You share some great insights and you get nothing more than acceptance to your position. Great post.
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God is Great, philosophical post sir thnx 2 share
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“Us time with God” each morning is my favorite time of day, and has been for several decades. Practice has not made perfect, but it has made permanent. I, too, look forward to your next installment on this topic, Mitch.
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“Practice has not made perfect, but it has made permanent.” I like that, and boy do I get it, Nancy.
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Glad you liked it, but I can’t take credit for it. Our pastor used that statement in his sermon two Sundays ago. Good truth!
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I’m glad I’m not the only person God has spoken to over the radio.
I remember driving alone one day and just feeling dry. Without considering how purely selfish I was being, I prayed, “Lord, talk to me.” I impulsively turned on the radio, which was set on a secular station. Paul McCartney’s “Silly Love Song” was playing, and I tuned in just in time to hear the chorus” “I … love … you …” I smiled, thought, “Good enough,” and turned the radio off for the rest of the trip.
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