But they soon forgot what He had done and did not wait for His counsel. Psalm 106:13
My friend, Rob, gave up an hour of his time the other night so Mason could interview him for a school project. At dinner the next night, I told my kids that I’d meant to email Rob earlier that day to thank him, but I forgot. Zack’s immediate response was, “Email him? Really? That’s like sending a message by carrier pigeon! You should text him. He’ll see it immediately.”
I get that each mode of communication has a different speed to it. But does everything have to be conveyed at the speed of light? I think it’s that thought process that derails quality prayer.
Prayer is a relationship. I’ve heard it described as a conversation between two people who deeply love each other. That depth only happens through unhurried time spent together. When we slow down, we’re able to be fully present. As both parties come together with open minds and hearts, a safe space is created where we can unburden our souls knowing we’re being truly listened to. That’s how deep bonds are built and strengthened.
I’m sure that if God had a cell phone, He’d be fine with us sending Him quick text messages. He loves hearing from us no matter what form of communication we use.
However, for us to truly benefit from His grace and counsel, we need to carve out the time to go old-school and just sit quietly with Him. Sometimes, His greatest blessings do come by carrier pigeon. We just have to be patient enough to wait for them to arrive.
Questions for Reflection:
- As the pace of the world gets faster, is my communication with God going at the same speed?
- Do I see any value in slowing things down in order to properly soak up the grace and counsel He has in store for me?
For us to truly benefit from God’s grace and counsel, we need to carve out the time to go old-school and just sit quietly with Him.
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Shifting My Perspective 
Beautiful reflection here on the importance of slowing down in our fast paced world of technology to nurture in prayer a true and lasting relationship with our God. Yes … texting, I agree, is a convenient and quick way to communicate with family and friends, but as you pointed out so well, it can never build a deep, satisfying and enduring relationship between two friends, nor was it meant to! Nothing can replace the joy and satisfaction of genuine dialogue and sharing between two friends, and especially when God is one of the listeners and sharer!!!
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Beautifully said, Jackie! Aren’t we so lucky to have such a Friend – One who is always ready for that genuine dialogue and sharing? May we show up in that relationship in slow and meaningful ways as often as possible. 🙂
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This hits home since I recently told Samantha she needed to write thank you notes to family who had given her birthday gifts. She couldn’t understand why she had to do it. She reluctantly completed them but I think it was good for her to really think about being grateful for the gifts. Taking that time is special and means more than a text!
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You are such a great mother, Michelle! I think the hardest thing is making our kids do something when they don’t understand why. Good for you for towing the line. Not only were those people properly thanked, but I bet the experience helped Samantha learn that valuable lesson of gratitude. Well done!
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