Mike Paschall . com

“My son, hear the instruction of your father, and do not forsake the law of your mother; for they will be a graceful ornament on your head, and chains about your neck.”  Proverbs 1:8, NKJ

It was a big deal when you got the word “hear” in Wisdom literature.  The Shema, “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one!” Deuteronomy 6:4, NKJ, was the basic confession of Judaism.  The name is derived from shâmaʿ, shaw-mah´ meaning to hear with your intellect and give attention to its truth with the intent to obey.  All kinds of bells went off to the severity and importance of what you were going to be told.  So, Solomon’s instruction centered on the one-two punch: dad’s commandments and mother’s enforcement of those commandments; also known as truth and law.  I don’t want to distract from my path today, but some people can relate to the fact that dad issued the commands and mom policed the action.  That was kind of the way it was in the home where I grew up, so it was very important to hear on the front end to avoid confrontation on the back end, if you get my drift.

Very little happens with the Body of Christ without our finding a way to attach a label to it and properly catalogue the experience.  For example, we can’t just hang out in worship, waiting to hear what the Lord might have to say.  We have to call it something, so we call it Harp and Bowl.  Then we develop a curriculum about how to orchestrate Harp and Bowl.  Then once we have a curriculum, we write books about Harp and Bowl.  If we have enough interest about that topic, then we’ll put on a conference and have in big name speakers all to talk about Harp and Bowl worship.  I often wonder if God ever looks down on all our activity and scratches his holy head?   I doubt David ever called it anything.  He just went into the Holy place to hang out and to hear God.

I know there are all kinds of operations of intercession.  The surfacing value and strategic roll of intercessors has drastically increased in the last 20 years.  Prayer is not new, but the way of intercessors and their role in the Body has taken on new forms and powerful strategies!  I have full appreciation for the relevance and importance of Spirit led intercession!  But, when you really get to the meat of prayer, you have to understand the importance of being able to hear the voice of the Holy Spirit.  In fact, the core of prayer is hearing, not blabbing.   Have you ever tried to comfort or counsel someone who is wounded and won’t shut up long enough for you to try to tell them something?  Honestly, it is exhausting trying to respond in the midst of all that!  We do that in prayer sometimes.  There is no new information you can tell God.  He already knows all about what you are burdened with.  He knows your need before you ask.  Go ahead and ask, He’ll be glad you asked, we are invited to ask, but we need to spend way more time listening instead of running our mouth.  Hearing or listening is not a style of prayer; it is prayer.  You may have a counter-argument… fine… go ahead… I’m listening.

-MDP