Listening

"Say That Again ..." 

As we try to listen and understand what someone is trying to tell us, it is not uncommon that we ask them to repeat what they said. The same can be said of our listening to the Lord in prayer. This being true, there are two practices in prayer that help with this, 
1. Repetition and

2. Writing it down.

When a passage that we are using for our prayer begins to stand out with particular meaning for us, then we need to return to that passage for further prayer. This can be as often as it continues to bear fruit for us. As well as returning to the same text, having a journal and writing down our thoughts is most helpful. 

Some thoughts on writing and prayer.

Writing and prayer have many similarities to classic journaling, but it is more than just writing down the linear sequence of our thoughts. Here, one records the account of an event that has taken place. An appointment was kept, a meeting took place and here is what  happened.

• The meeting, time and place.
• The scripture passage that was chosen.
• Who came - the character of your attentiveness - your sense of the Lord's presence.
• Did you come with certain questions, certain needs, 
• What was your state of mind?
• What in the scripture passage caught your attention? Why?
• How did you picture the scene in the scripture passage?
• Which characters did you identify with - inspired you, most resembled you?
• What images were you left with?
• Characterize the way your spirit is moving.
• What, if any, message were you left with?

The way you record your experience can be your own. Here you are giving the eye witness account. Record it right away and try to be accurate.  When you come back to review your reporting later, you are the interrogator, mining for the real truth, its meaning and message.

"Therefore, write down what you have seen, 

what is, and what is going to happen after this." Revelation 1:19