Listen and Learn
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Sometimes, I lack patience to read the instructions thoroughly. I am in a hurry, and so I skim along quickly and try to figure it out from the headings and bold print.
I often miss the important details in my rush to move ahead quickly.
Sadly, the result is that I have to start over. I end up going in circles, and I fail to progress.
I once had to take an entire desk apart because I didn’t put the initial parts together correctly, and I couldn’t get the final piece to fit in place.
My stubborn independence often carries over to my spiritual walk as well. I am slow to listen. I am too busy telling God what I think He should do, rather than quietly attending to His direction.
I lack a teachable spirit.
Perhaps I should start my morning by asking God to awaken my ear to listen like those being instructed.
If want my ears to tingle, the cry of my heart must be “Speak, Lord, for Your servant is listening.”
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This year, my desire is to lift up holy hands and “Pray Big.” Want to join me? I’ve created a private “Pray Big” Facebook group for like-minded sisters to share their stories and surrender each one to our mountain-moving God in prayer. Let’s cry out to God together.
Lyli…..I am so like you I laughed reading this post.
I am forever commending God for His patience with me !!
Break me, Change me, mold me fill me Lord until it is truly Christ who lives in me and not this stubborn woman.
pm me any time with personal prayer requests dear Lyli.
Love your heart, and your desire to Pray Big will bless many and cause God’s intervention in circumstances to turn them for GOOD.
Your name is well known in Heaven, Lyli and God loves your prayerful heart, as we do.
Mary, you are such an encourager. It’s a blessing to have sisters who pray. Hugs
Lyli, may I just say while I have come to love you for several reasons, I so love your transparency. Your post reminded me of the verse on my calendar this morning, “You have searched me, Lord, and you know me.” (Psalm 139:1) May we be willing each day to let Him search us and change us. I am grateful you are letting Him teach you & in so doing, you are teaching so many of us. Thank you for pulling us all together to pray & to pray big. You are such a blessing!
🙂 I smile because one of the main discussions my husband and I have in our marriage, it is trivial but he is always right…. is that I rarely, if ever, stop to read the instructions.
Instructions and reading thoroughly are a good thing.. a teachable spirit is a grace we give ourselves, isn’t it?
Blessings!
Dawn
The best way to start the day is with God. Love the idea of our ears tingling. I’ve had this song in my head all week, “Speak Lord. I long to listen to your voice. Here Lord, here I am.” So I guess you and I are on the same page!
Thank you for all that you are doing to help Christian women pray big. Love it!
Jenni
This is not the first things I’ve read lately about slowing down, not racing, not skimming life – I think God is using your words to speak his word into my heart – I am ready to stop, I am ready to seek him first and I am ready to pray big 🙂
Lyli- This is perfect! I always wonder about my quiet time because God certainly is talking but I am not always listening in the way that says “yes, send me”. I am so glad to join you here today and have been trying to stop by all day. I am so glad I did! Thank you for your sweet encouragement on FB and Twitter today! Blessings!
I’m happy when I click on a thumbnail picture in a link-up and it brings me here! 🙂 I’m stubborn, I always feel rushed, and I often lack patience. This certainly prevents me from seeing God’s path for my life and hearing what He is trying to tell me. I’m trying to let Him release me from the bondage of my own plans so that I can walk freely in His plans.
Slowing down with God and listening…
This is something I need to work on. Thankful that God is patient and faithful! Thank you for your post. Have a beautiful week!
I think this is the third post I’ve read just today about slowing down and hearing God. Perhaps God is trying to tell my stubborn self something. 🙂 And, of course, we’re on Snow Day #3 with more likely this week. I get it, God! Really! 🙂 I’m glad you linked up at #ThreeWordWednesday.
I’m your neighbor over at Kristin’s today. My teachers always scolded me over those blasted instructions!!!
Lyli – Loving your heart for prayer,and so appreciate what you are doing at Pray Big! And, yes!, I too need to listen, thanks for the reminder. sandraj (joining you from Holly Gerth’s)
Oh friend… I love your honesty here! I think we all struggle with this lack but few would just come right out and say it! It’s true – in this busy hectic world, with all the noise and clammoring going on all around us and within us – it’s easier to skip the instructions and just try to figure it out on our own sometimes. Or so we think, right? But all the while, we have the Maker and designer of all the things right by our side, ready and waiting for us to ask! LOVE this!
Lyli, Lyli…”Hello…Linda” this post says to me. I start off running and then wonder why I did not get this or that done or whatever! I do read instructions, more often prior to embarking on the task, but I do not take that same time to listen to the One Who directs my paths, and guides me in the dark. I do that after I have gotten lost or wandered in the dark.
Thank you for this timely reminder as I have “said” I would purpose to start my day on my knees before God and not on them scrubbing toilets.
Caring through Christ, ~ linda
I couldn’t help but laugh at your desk incident…sounds exactly like something I would do! Directions are my nemesis…because I never ever want to read them. Surely I can just figure it all out on my own. 😛 Until I can’t. Insert needing directions…and that goes for all my life. I believe I need to start praying fervently for a teachable spirit, as well. Thank you for these words of encouragement today! And thank you for linking-up with us at Woman to Woman. Glad to have you. 🙂 xoxo
Yes I want to be teachable!
And to listen more and talk less….
thank you for this reminder.. I love the phrase awaken my soul 🙂 Love it. Also love when I pop by your site and am reminded to Pray BIG. Thanks my freedom sister!
This is such a great reminder! I too, am quick to skim ahead and want to figure things out before I’ve stopped to see if I understand 🙂 Thanks for your honesty!
Lyli, thanks for the encouragement today to Pray Big. Visiting from #livefreeThursday linkup. Have a great weekend, Kim Stewart
http://www.kimstewartinspired.com
I just have to ask – do you think it’s just college English teachers who have trouble reading the directions fully? LOL . . . . but I want my ears awakening and tingle to His words, His amazing love and plans – not mine. Learning along with you, Lyli!
This is a great post and I can relate to a lot of it. Lack of patience and being in a hurry usually causes you more time in the end. I thoroughly enjoyed this