Listening to God Together

Could We Write God A Prayer Letter? Do you keep a prayer list? I used to keep a prayer list taped to the console of my car, and everyday as I drove to work I prayed for the same list.  The list consisted of family and friends who had deep needs, either physically or emotionally, or those I prayed for to find the Lord. By the time I got to work in Calabasas I had usually prayed for the whole list.  Some days it seemed tediously repetitive, but I was determined to be the squeaky wheel, the man knocking repeatedly on his neighbor’s door, the woman who talked God’s ears off. When I moved my business to the ranch, my daily car-prayers were exchanged for other methods.  I pray as I go to sleep at night, putting my concerns before God.  It helps me sleep better.  I pray when I see or remember someone. I pray with others when we meet together.  I try to pray for someone or something in addition to the food at meals.  I practice the presence of God as much as I am able.

Reading the Bible is one of the “Spiritual Disciplines” we are called to do as Christians.  In I Timothy 4:13, Paul instructs Timothy to devote himself to the public reading of scripture. Wouldn’t it be great to do more public reading of scripture?  (Hey! We could do a Zoom together, taking turns reading scripture out loud!) Here are three ways I approach reading the Bible: Reading for Information, Study, and Devotionally. Reading for Information We need to find out what it says.  We need to know about God and all the people who wrote or had their stories told.  We need facts, events, history.  After all, how can we say that we believe the Bible is the Word of God unless we know what is in it? When I read a non-fiction book to learn something new, I often do a “read-through the first time”.  I want to find out what is in each chapter. Then I make notes or turn down pages to remind myself of what I want to revisit on a second reading.  There are a bunch of places in