Do you hear what I hear?

What I have said, that will I bring about; what I have planned, that will I do.

~ Isaiah 46:11

Following the 4-steps of prayer model is very helpful in keeping our focus on speaking to God. I wonder, though, if we should insert reminders on our prayer sheet to listen to God.

This week, I'm using the filled-in prayer sheet with the attribute "Master Planner". As I read the above verse, the thought came to me, God is not a dad who makes time to listen to us when he gets done with his work. We, and the stuff we are praying about, are his work.

One of the significant aspects of praying with others is the gift of experiencing unity in our prayers. Not unity of like-minded moms, but unity as only the Spirit of God can create. When I pray alone, I can listen to God and sense his presence but it is not the same as knowing that someone else is also hearing what I hear from God. 

Our prayers are filled with hope and power when we realize that we're not interrupting God with our stuff. He has a master plan which includes our stuff. All we need to do is listen to him. 

Confession should not be the only intentional silent time in our prayer groups. When we praise him, let's listen for his response. Allow the Spirit to whisper reminders of Thanksgiving. And wait on God to guide your prayers for your children and the schools.

What you hear may surprise you. It may seem strange to have a sense of knowing the need of someone you do not know personally. But God will tell you how to pray if you take time to listen.

Listen. Do you hear what I hear? If so, it's most likely from God. He is letting you and me in on his master plan. How exciting is that!