I just got out of a season of having a hard time devoting myself to prayer.
Ever feel like you are on a cell phone with bad reception, trying to talk to God?? One moment you are having a very clear signal and are having a great conversation with God then you travel through a tunnel and the call drops without you noticing... You end up having a one sided conversation till you realize that it's way too quiet, you check your phone and realize you've been talking to yourself... (how embarrassing!) You call back and all you get is static... every now and then a few distorted syllables will break through the static (your phone's fault... Not God's... he has a perfect signal). Both You and God yell through the phone like the guy in the Verizon Commercials "Can you hear me now?" When you finally can hear God you both sigh in relief and maybe laugh a little the poor signal you experienced because now you can say all you want to each other.This describes my struggle to a "T".
Let me break down this analogy into 2 parts for you.
The Dropped Call: I find this happens, when you stop listening to God and become too focused on yourself. I think during this dropped call season your faith starts to be challenged. "Did God even hear everything I just said to him?" "What if I call over and over again, yet still can't get a hold of him?" "What if I call him and I do get a hold of him? I don't want him to just tell me how selfish I am for wanting to get to know more of him for myself rather than talking to him on behalf of other people."
My recent experience with this is relatively new... I was listening to my fears and not even bothering calling him back. I think we all should be reminded every now and then by these verse's
~ James 1:6-8 "If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does."
~ Luke 15:4-6 "Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, 'Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.'"
~John 10:1-5 "I tell you the truth, the man who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber. The man who enters by the gate is the shepherd of his sheep. The watchman opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger's voice."
My other experience with this experience is that "Fear" is much bigger than it makes it self to be... Which reminds me of this episode of "Buffy the vampire slayer" Of course it's a Halloween episode were fear is being manifested into this realm. After much research the Scooby Gang is ready to slay the demon. When they finally face "Fear" The find him to be 2 inches tall screaming things that were supposed to scare them... Buffy just replies to him by squishing him with her foot... Giles after peering into his book says "Oh dear.." Willow replies "What is it Giles?" " I should have read the caption next to the picture... 'Actual size'"
I think we all fail to read the captions next to the pictures which is the bible... It clearly tells us that there is nothing to fear because first of all we don't face this life alone thanks to the blood of Jesus Which covers everything. Secondly that we have the power through that same blood to overcome that fear! woot! Another Thing is "It's not selfish to know more of God. Because if you know more of God you function more fully as his servant" - Adam Narciso (paraphrased... Thanks Adam! Sure encouraged me!) So, really the only cure for this season is stepping out in FAITH making that phone call you've been so afraid to make.
The Static: I like to call this season "Uncertainty", "Doubt", "Dry", or as many people like to call it "The Desert". Unfortunately, this is a season that ALL Christian's go through. This is where you hear little of God's voice and when you do hear his voice you are unsure of whether you heard correctly. I personally prefer the Dropped Call season to the Static because at least with the Dropped Call you are certain of one thing... That you need to hear God's voice but you are afraid to make the call. I've gone through a season like this (VERY RECENTLY) were you think God says one thing but really he said something else or he didn't say anything at all and it was wishful thinking. After a while I had to step back from everything and evaluate what was going on. In a season like this I think it's a good idea to go on a sabbatical... or have some HEALTHY isolation time (yes, there is a difference). When all the noise was gone it was easier to hear what God was actually trying to tell me if anything (which usually something much simpler than we expected). I think this is why so many elders and disciplers stress the importance of a quiet-time. If we don't consistently seek God's voice, we get stuck in long season's like this... all I can say about this is... Oy... I'm definitely having an interesting time with this subject. I think the big decision that needs to be made on this subject is "What is more important to you? Spending time on Facebook or hearing from your daddy who has something important to tell you?"
Believe me, after you actually get these two seasons out of the way amazing things happen! How about changed lives for the better? What about being filled with the holy spirit and knowing a Joy that you have never known before? How about having a better revelation of who God is?? If those are the rewards, I'm on board... I'm making that phone call now!!!
