#Discipleship #DiscipleshipJourney #conversationwithGod #truestory

As a child, I was taught that prayer was a one-way street. I would speak to God, and He would listen and respond. But as I grew older, I began to feel like my prayers were falling on deaf ears. I would pray for guidance, for strength, for healing, but I never seemed to receive any answers. I began to wonder if God was even listening.

One day, as I was sitting in my room, feeling particularly lost and alone, I heard a gentle voice speak to me. It was not a voice that I could hear with my physical ears, but it was a voice that I could feel deep within my soul.

“Why do you keep talking to me like I’m not here?” the voice asked.

I was taken aback. I had never thought of God as being present with me in my daily life, let alone speaking to me in a conversational tone. But as I looked back on my life, I realized that He had been with me all along, guiding me, comforting me, and loving me.

“I’m sorry,” I replied, my voice shaking. “I just feel like I’ve been talking to myself for so long.”

“Oh, my child,” the voice replied, “I have been here all along. I have been listening to your every word, your every thought. And I have been speaking to you, too. You just haven’t been listening.”

I felt a wave of shame wash over me. I had been so focused on my own prayers, my own desires, that I had forgotten that God was a living, breathing being who wanted to have a conversation with me.

“How do I hear you more clearly?” I asked.

“Just listen,” the voice replied. “Listen to your heart, listen to your thoughts, listen to the world around you. I am speaking to you all the time, if you only take the time to listen.”

And with that, everything changed. I began to hear God’s voice more clearly, in the stillness of my heart, in the words of others, in the beauty of nature. I began to see that prayer was not just a one-way street, but a two-way conversation between me and God. And my life was forever changed.

Day 30 of 40 Day Discipleship Walk With Jesus Christ: Pray conversationally

Monday, December 30th, 2024

Blog Link – https://www.otakada.org/day-30-of-40-day-discipleship-walk-with-jesus-christ-pray-conversationally/

Full 40 day Discipleship Walk with Jesus Christ Link –  https://www.otakada.org/get-free-40-days-online-discipleship-course-in-a-journey-with-jesus/

Salvation Gift- How to be Born again Link – https://www.otakada.org/how-to-be-born-again/

Hebrews 4:14

Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess.

Conversational prayer is like any conversation. Someone speaks and someone listens and then responds based on the topic. One person doesn’t talk all the time. People don’t have to repeat themselves in order to be listened to. The conversation flows between all participants.

One way to practice conversational prayer as a group is to decide to say very short prayers where we listen in between. This avoids having to make the prayer ‘sound

right’. In order to practice, make the prayers VERY short, like how much can you say comfortably, without taking a breath. Then pause and let someone else continue.

Don’t be afraid of silence. You can take a breath and continue when there is another pause. You will find that it is easier to keep involved, to pay attention and to sense God guiding your prayer time. There are many different ways to pray, so use the invitation, “Let’s pray conversationally” as a way to help new comers feel comfortable speaking their words out loud.

For Reflection:

• Do you feel comfortable praying out loud?
• What does God think about your prayer?

Make Life Count:

• Try conversational prayer with another Be particularly mindful of keeping what you say very short, so you can listen to what others say. Be comfortable with silence.

Shalom!

Ambassador Monday Oreojo Ogwuojo Ogbe – ambassador@otakada.org