While in my Principles and Practices of Prayer class, I learn a lot about different ways to pray. One of the types that I came across was the deeper listening prayer. Basically, it is a prayer that allows you to deeper listen to someone. Pretty simple.
You know how when someone is telling you a story and while they tell it, about halfway through, you think about what you’re going to say or about how you have to mow the yard later today and somehow fit that into your busy schedule and how are you going to pick up the kids while you do this and that. Sometimes it’s hard to stay focused on what someone is telling you because of all of your own problems floating around in your head.
The point of this prayer is to just listen. It takes two people. The first is the speaker. That person simply tells a story. It can be anything from an old memory, to something Christ has done for you recently, or even something you have always wanted to tell that person but didn’t because of fear or shame. The other person is the listener. All they do is fully listen to them while also praying for them during the story. Once the speaker is done, then the listener can speak. And then they change places and the listener is now the speaker and vice versa.
This prayer can grow you and a friend or family closer together and even strengthen your listening abilities. Sometimes without thinking or meaning to, we don’t fully focus on what people say to us. It’s just how we are built. But doing this can grow a bond. This prayer doesn’t even have to be set up. You can simply just be in conversation with your friend and do this. Just listen to what they say and pray for them while they speak. You’ll be surprised at some of the replies God can give you to speak wisdom in people's lives.
1 Timothy 2:1, “I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them.
With love,
Intern Pastor Jc Pappan