Jackie Millar on What Comes Next: Prayer
What comes next? Well, that depends on which voice you’re listening to in this season.
Through the storms of change we have all recently experienced, and in the subsequent settling of the dust, we have had to listen to other voices to help get us through.
Voices that educate us in the knowledge of a virus, voices that guide us in ways to stay safe, voices that teach and encourage us to “move church online”, voices on how to work from home, how to guide our children through this, how to pass the time etc.
So many voices! Some voices haven't been uplifting at all, while others have been incredibly courageous and insightful.
Whose voice is loudest? Whose voice do you follow?
Psalm 95:7 says, “For he is our God, And we are the people of his pasture, And the sheep of his hand. Today, if you will hear his voice, do not harden your hearts...”
It can be easy to harden our hearts and do our own thing, even good things. But hardened hearts can turn to self or others before turning to God and listening to his voice.
Listening to others is needed and has its place, but not when it cuts out the voice of The One.
I have been inundated with articles to read, sermons to listen to, books to read, podcasts to listen to and have found myself getting wrapped up in hearing what others are hearing from the Lord.
All these things have their place, BUT we need to be intentional about hearing His voice through this season.
Listening to The One who hears us
It still astounds me, that as a royal priesthood (1 Pet 2:9), we have this precious, beautiful and massive privilege of prayer. We get to communicate with The One. We can hear God and he hears us.
Matt 21:13 says: “And He (Jesus) said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a ‘den of thieves.’ ”
Through this season, we have learnt many things about ourselves, our families, our church communities and even our government leadership.
We can prayerfully reflect on what once was, what now is and what comes next.
May I encourage you to hear God's voice for the “what comes next?”.
Let’s be intentional about prayer and being in prayer; both alone with God, as well as with others.
Because we want the “what next?” to be God-breathed, God-inspired, God-led, God-ordained and God-honouring; for we cannot do that in our own strength.
What is the voice of The One saying to you?
Jackie Millar
CCCNZ Prayer Coordinator
jackiemillar@cccnz.nz
