Ask, Listen, Act

“Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?” (John 6:9 NIV)

From The Seeds of Heaven: Sermons on the Gospel of Matthew, by Barbara Brown Taylor:

"The problem with miracles is that we tend to get mesmerized by them, focusing on God's responsibility and forgetting our own. 

...Stop waiting on a miracle and participate in one instead.

However much you have, just bring it...and believe it is enough to begin with, enough to get the ball rolling, enough to start a trend.Be the first in the crowd to turn your pockets inside out; be the first on your block to start a miracle."

We certainly need prayer in order to see miracles happen.  But we cannot remain on our knees.  We must be participants.  If the boy had not offered his bread and fish, there would have been none to multiply.

This is why we have to understand that prayer is more than just telling God what we want.  It has to be a two-way conversation.  We have to listen.  We have to learn to hear God's voice as he speaks to our hearts.  If we only pray to ask and never to listen, never to adore, never to just be in God's presence, we are missing out on 99% of the prayer experience.  And we are likely to never see those miracles we ask for.

Pray first, last and always, but be sure that a large part of that prayer is listening.  And then act.  Offer your meager bread and fish when needed.  Take that bold first step to organize a new ministry or revive and old one.  Ask, listen... and then act.  You will see miracle after miracle after miracle.

Father,
We know miracles still happen all the time and you have them ready for us.  We only need to know what to do to receive them.  Help us to recognize your voice amid the noise of our lives.  Help us to hear you and then give us the courage to act.  Amen.

Joys:  Taking both our granddaughters to church yesterday (so much fun, but it sure wore us out!); nice days and rainy nights; graduations