In relation to God we are always in a position of response. God is already speaking to you. He has begun the conversation. The first component of prayer is not addressing God, but being aware that he is addressing you. We have discussed the fact that he is addressing you through his Word in the Bible. He is also addressing you through his general revelation in creation, his general providence and in upholding your very being. But God is also speaking to you personally every day. We should expect this to be the case because he wants you to be in constant relationship with him. God does not want you to just visit him intermittently and then go about your life without him. No, he wants you to walk with him every day. He has given you his Holy Spirit to dwell in your heart for this reason. God’s indwelling presence is not an intermittent visitation. It is a permanent gift and should have a perpetual effect on our lives. Our whole life should therefore be a conversation with God. To understand what this means, we should remember that for God to speak and to act are the same thing. When God speaks things change. Remember, he spoke the world into existence! This means that if you are unwilling to be acted upon by God you will be unable to hear him. Because hearing God and being transformed by his Word are one and the same experience. This is why Jesus kept saying, “Whoever has ears, let them hear”. He meant that only those who are willing to heed God’s Word will hear God’s voice.
Ask God to guide and transform you by his Spirit.
Read John 14:26 and Romans 8:1-16.
