Slam the Door Only...?

How many times have we all prayed "God, slam the door in my face if it's not your will."

I thought that was a pretty smart prayer that showed the willingness of my heart.

The prayer is well-intended,
But if that's the ONLY way we seek God's answer,
I just want to ask you,
How would you feel if you were in a relationship like that?

What if you had a friend or spouse that is a HORRIBLE listener,
But they always say,
"If you want to get through to me, just YELL. That's the best way."

Is that a enjoyable relationship?
Is it fair for you to be put in a position of having to YELL all the time?
What does that say about the other person's attitude towards you?
If a spouse did that, would the marriage last long?

We are Jesus' BRIDE.
Jesus died on the cross to restore RELATIONSHIP with us.
Is slamming the door in our face what He had in mind?
Do you think He LIKES that?

Here's the truth...

It's much EASIER to have the door slammed in our face.
It's much HARDER to sit still, wait and listen.
Many of us are self-professed ADHD candidates,
Many of us shamelessly state that we can't sit still,
Many of us know we lack patience,
And we're ok with it.

That posture can make us LAZY with God,
And keep us from SEEKING, LISTENING and sitting STILL with Jesus.

As we MATURE in our relationship,
It's time to really learn to LISTEN to the still small voice of the Lord.
It's time to step up to the plate and say,
"I'm going to be a good friend, a faithful servant and a trustworthy bride."
In order to do what we need to SEEK Jesus by WAITING and LISTENING for His voice.

"but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake;And after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire [a sound of gentle stillness and] a STILL, SMALL VOICE."

God's peace, wisdom, friendship and presence is not in the crazy, busy-ness of the day, but it is in the STILLNESS of WAITING and SEEKING Him.

So what do you say to...
Leveling-up our LISTENING skills,
Leveling-up our SEEKING skills,
And doing what any good relationship would entail,
PAYING ATTENTION to each other and really HEARING each other.

Here's 3 steps to LISTENING and SEEKING Jesus.

1) ASK - write down the question on a sheet of paper if you can. This will help you get intentional and focused on Jesus.
2) LISTEN - Close your eyes and take a breathe as you clear your mind. Pay attention to any thought that comes to mind and write it down. Sit still and wait up to a couple minutes if needed. WAITING on the Lord, be patient and still is crucial.
3) GET DETAILS - After you write down your first answer, ask a follow-up question, "God, anything else? Can you make that clear?" and wait again in silence. Write down any thought that comes to mind

Rinse and repeat as needed.
Take your time.
Do not rush anything.

"Dear Heavenly Father,

Thank You for the gift of hearing Your voice,
Teach me how to sit STILL,
Grant me patience and endurance,
Rewire my brain to SEEK You more,
Train my ears to HEAR You clearly.

Show me the things that grieve You,
And the things that delight You.
Help me have a REAL relationship with You.
In Jesus name, Amen."

Cheers to HEARING Jesus and not asking Him to slam the door in your face again. ^_^