DIALOGUE WITH GOD

"I talk to Jesus everyday," I responded to this elderly pastor from my local church 8 years back (Pst. Dada. CAC.), trying to show this gentle, prayerful man of God that i have a relationship with the Lord.
"Young man, he said to me: millions of people talk to their gods every day. What I'll like to know is, does your God talk back to you? " startled, i had to think before i realized that God had indeed spoken to me many times.
The fact that our God speaks to us and encourages us to dialogue with him is what makes our relationship with him so different & special. God didn't intended that our prayer life be a one-way communication, with a list of requests from us or orders from him. One of the most important aspects of our prayer life is the need to discipline ourselves to listen.
         We see this in Moses who went to speak "with God," not to him! (Exodus 33:11) observes that God spoke to Moses "as a man speaks with his friend." In a dialogue of friendship we take time with each other, sharing openly & listening carefully. Dialogue with God can include any topic. He's concerned with whatever concerns us.
  When we pray, don't let's spend all the time talking. Let us take time to listen to the Lord as well.
-Olu Akpata (Zûr)
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