19 July, 2022
💎“So they rolled away the stone. Yeshua lifted up His eyes and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard Me. I knew that You always hear Me; but because of this crowd standing around I said it, so that they may believe that You sent Me.” (Jhn 11:41-42, TLV)
In our modern cultures, we express our thoughts and exchange information with others every day, but we rarely have intimate and truthful conversations. Most conversations are just two monologues or two persons expressing their own ideas. However, everyone desired to be heard, to be known and to be accepted for who we are.
When we pray, what does our God do most of the time? Is He a listener or a talker? Does He talk all the time to fill every single moment with His advice and thoughts? Or does He listen to us most of the time? Before we pray, He already knows all our issues, needs and solutions, but He still spends time with us listening to our prayer. Yeshua gives thanks to God because Father has heard him and always hears Him. When we listen to others, we are imitating God.
Good listening requires patience, love and curiosity. We are often half-eared because of a short attention span, or being disturbed by surroundings, preoccupied minds or internal conversations. Instead of giving full concentration on what is being said, our mind may be busy with deciding how to respond or we may have judged and rejected the other person during half of the conversation already! Let us learn to shut down the internal conversation in our mind, and practice curiosity. Ask the other person to tell you more about what makes you curious. Good listening asks perspective and open-ended questions, which draws out the deep water from hearts. (Pro 18:2, 18:13, 20:5) And lastly, good listening is a ministry to change ourselves and fulfill others!
🙏 Dear Father, thank You for being our role model as a good listener always. You always love us, believe in us, and accept us for who we are. Please help us to imitate you and teach us how to be a good listener, so we may channel your love, grace and acceptance to others, and make each conversation a life-changing opportunity to glorify You. In the Name of Yeshua we pray and bless You, Amen!