Conversations With the Father

My dad wasn’t much of a talker. Don’t misunderstand me, he was a good conversationalist when a conversation started, but I could sit in the pickup with him for a three hour drive and not a word would be said. But I learned a lot from that quiet man.

There were many times over the years when I would be struggling with a decision and would call him for advice. But he was never much for giving direct advice and sometimes that would drive me crazy. I wanted someone to tell me what to do! But he would ask questions and those questions would make me think about things from a different perspective. Many times I would make my decision not on the advice he gave, but on the things I learned by talking with him. And in those conversations I began to learn how he thought; how he looked at things. And that changed me. It made me more like him.

Prayer is not much different. In prayer we talk to our Father who is often quiet. Not silent, but quiet. God has spoken to us through his written word, the Bible, and if we immerse our lives in his word our prayer life will become more of a conversation than a one sided speech. Consider this conversation:

Me – “God, I’m really struggling with this person who is impossible to deal with. What should I do?”
God – “Have you loved your enemy?”
Me – “I can’t love him! Do you know how many times he’s hurt me?”
God – “Have you forgiven him as I have forgiven you?”
Me – “But he keeps on hurting me! How many times should I forgive him? When is enough enough?”
God – “I think I said seventy times seventy times. What does that mean, Lance?”
Me – “But he’s evil!”
God – “Is that a plank I see in your eye?”
Me – “Yes, but my plank is small compared to his!”
God – “In humility are you considering him better than you?
Me – “Him! He’s wicked! He’s evil! I’m a preacher!”
God – “Were you always a preacher?”
Me – “No.”
God – “What changed you?”
Me – “Well . . . you did.”
God – “Were you any different from him?”
Me – “Well I never hurt anyone the way he’s hurting me!”
God – “You were never my enemy? Never alienated from me? You never offended me?
Me – “Well . . .”
God – “And how did I treat you?”
Me – “You died for me.”

Do you see where this is going? If we will read his word and talk to our Father we will begin to learn how he thinks, how he looks at things. And in those conversations we will be changed. We will become more like him.

Think about it.