Walkie Talkie Prayer

Yesterday my husband brought home some walkie talkies from our store.  They were the hit of the evening, but before the fun began a few kinks had to be worked out.  First we had to explain how you have to be on the same channel in order to hear each other.  Then we had to teach them to press down the button when you want to talk, and let go when you want to hear someone else talking to you.  Once they figured out how to use them, the kids all split up and thoroughly enjoyed the new-found ability to communicate with each other all over the house and outside in the yard.

Later that night, when I was tucking my kids into bed, I joked with the younger two as I spoke into my hands and pretended to have my own walkie talkie.  "Breaker, breaker, is anyone out there?"  (Insert fuzzy noise.)  "Can you hear me God?"  They giggled and said "Nooooooo mommie!  You have to PRAY for God to hear you!"  I laughed too, but that one little comment really got me to thinking.

How do we view our prayer life with God?  Do we see it as a two-way communication time, or do we forget to "let go of the button" and wait for His response?  Do we know that we can reach Him at any time, any place, night or day?  Are we on the same channel as Him, or do we just hear silence at the other end of our prayers?

All good questions.  Here's just a couple of answers from the Bible on the matter:

God listens when we call -  "Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you." -Jeremiah 29:12

God speaks to us when we call - "Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know." -Jeremiah 33:3

I have to admit, sometimes I'm better at the calling part than I am the listening part.

In the introduction to her book He Speaks to Me, Priscilla Shirer says "The Lord doesn't speak in a whisper or in a dark corner somewhere where people can barely hear; nor does He try to trick us because He knows we can't understand what He's saying... God doesn't have a case of cosmic laryngitis, and nothing is wrong with His transmitter.  Our receiving equipment, however, often leaves a lot to be desired."

I don't know about you, but I want to make sure that my receiving equipment is in tip top shape, ready to hear from God!  I will say to the Lord the way that Samuel did when he was a child "Speak, for your servant is listening." (1Samuel 3:10)