Conversation with God

Recently, I met a friend for lunch. We had not seen each other for a while but had stayed in touch via Facebook and each other’s blog writing.  After catching up on families, we moved on to our writing plans and goals.

But then the conversation stalled.

I shifted in my chair. The lull in the conversation stretched into awkward silence. My mind raced to find other topics to discuss.

In contrast, lunch with another friend ended way too soon. I know her well and she knows me as well. Conversation flowed with invisible ease. Comfortable silence filled the conversation gaps.

The difference in my lunches was in the relationships themselves. I realized I knew one friend with my head and other with my heart. Once we had asked all our questions from head knowledge, the conversation lagged. Knowledge does indeed begin a friendship. But when the heart gets involved, we then develop genuine yearning to be part of each other’s lives. Relationship forms.

Prayer and Conversation

Times of prayer are our lunches with God. When our relationship with the Lord is thriving, our hearts and souls are fully engaged. Prayer life is expectant. Worship fills our devotional times. Silence becomes comfortable.

When our relationship is based on head knowledge along, however, prayer becomes awkward. Devotional times become fact-finding missions. We gain knowledge about the Bible but fail to grow in our relationship with the Lord. We are not in the Presence and friendship He offers.

Deeper Conversation with God

As with friendships, we need time to move from head knowledge to heart knowledge in our relationship with the Lord. This is not a new revelation, but somehow we forget time and time again.

Brief “good-morning-Lord” prayers are akin to a quick status update on Facebook. When we instead sit with open hearts and open Bibles, relationship and conversation with the Lord emerge. We hear His voice in the Scripture verses, our journal meandering, and in the quietness of our hearts.

Comfort in the silence will be but one evidence of our growth. Another testimony of maturity is our ability to be at peace as we wait on the Lord for His responses in ongoing conversations.