When you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly —Matthew 6:6
Battles are generally open and public affairs. At the beginning of the civil war, the upper crust of Washington went out in buggies as on a picnic to observe the federal army thrash the upstart rebels outside of town. Things didn’t turn out that way and the day ended in disaster for the union with army and observers alike scrambling for the safety of the city.
Our biggest spiritual battles take place in secret. Jesus tells us to go into a quiet secret place to commune with the Father. He tells us thus because the greatest battle of prayer, as it is with any communication, is focus. One of the things we try to teach volunteers for the Kairos ministry is how to listen. Listening isn’t easy. It requires focus. Most of us, engaged in conversation, are not really listening when others are speaking. We are, rather, plotting what we will say when the other persons finally shuts up and we get the chance to talk.
That’s why listening is so difficult. We are not used to really listening to what the other person is saying. And to so listen is the greatest honor we can pay to another. When we listen, we acknowledge that we attach importance to what the speaker is saying and, thus, to the speaker himself. Try giving someone the honor of listening to them and be amazed at how much you are appreciated and what a great “conversationalist” you are proclaimed to be.
Even more so this is true with our prayer communication. We trend to dive in, doing all the talking, telling God what we need and what He needs to do to fix whatever problems we are facing. God already knows our circumstances and what we need. We need to spend some time, focusing and listening if we are to gain anything. And thus the battle as Satan tries to keep us from focusing, from listening, from winning the battle and being blessed.
Nick
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