This passage from Matthew gives us in a nutshell how, as Christ followers, we’re supposed to be directing our lives. Our priority is to seek first living into a world as God would have us live. This is a challenge for us since God’s priorities aren’t always in line [...]]]> Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness…

This passage from Matthew gives us in a nutshell how, as Christ followers, we’re supposed to be directing our lives. Our priority is to seek first living into a world as God would have us live. This is a challenge for us since God’s priorities aren’t always in line with our self-centered priorities.A key component to “living into the kingdom” is communication. It is how we not only connect to one another, but more importantly, how we relate and communicate with God . The kingdom is about community with God and one another. And the key to community is communication. Dallas Willard in his book Hearing God calls the kingdom a “network of personal relationships.” How we treat God and one another is key to expanding of God’s kingdom.

Establishing, nurturing and growing personal relationships is a tough challenges for many of us on a human level. How in the world do we do it with God? Here are two suggestions:

Slowing down and being quiet
Elijah the prophet needed to slow down in a cave in order to discern the voice of God. Our lives (mine included) are always full with activity, which often times comes with noise. Elijah also was a busy person, doing lots of God-work. However, when it came time to hearing God’s voice, he needed to slow way down internally and get very quiet. Now here’s the key regarding slowing down: The goal is to quiet down internally, and one of the best ways to do that is to slow down physically. Quiet exterior moments leads to quiet interior moments. How are some ways you can slow down in your daily life? I find that the morning before the work day starts is the best time for me to start out. Your pattern might be different. Being quiet for an uninterrupted period of time clears the path for listening to God’s voice.

Learning to value what God values
Many people want to know, “How do we know it is God speaking to us? How do we know what God wants us to do?” This is a great question. The way in which we can begin to discern God’s voice is to learn to value what God values. It’s a matter of aligning our hearts and minds with God’s heart and mind. It’s kind of like the subtle communication between spouses, best friends, or teammates on the field. When people become familiar with another person, they can communicate and connect in meaningful ways that people unfamiliar cannot. A look, a word or a gesture is often enough to get the message across. When we become familiar with God’s hopes and dreams, we, too, can begin to recognize the pattern of subtle and quiet messages God offers us.

As you read this, you are probably in the midst of your prayer triads. These triads allow for the quieting of our souls and the growing understanding of God’s values. The question we are asking in the triads is a big one, “What is God’s will for Blaine?” As we continue in prayer, my hope is that we will begin to picture the Kingdom as God wills it, both in our own lives and for Blaine.

Praying with you…
Dave