Impetus
It was very early in the morning, still dark. During that season I was feeling overwhelmed and frustrated about many personal issues concerning my family in particular. I was also battling damaged emotions of “old hurts” and betrayals that just wouldn’t go away -- along with the burden of the call of God to give my life to the ministry of the word. I needed answers and I was faithful to prayer, but I was doing all the talking telling God what I wanted Him to fix and change.The house was quiet because everyone else was asleep, so much stuff was on my mind that I found it very difficult to quiet my thoughts. As wife (Pastor's wife at that) mother, daughter of a widow who is confined to a wheelchair, it is nearly impossible to find quite time, but I was
determined to talk to God. So much to think about, so much to do. It took about thirty days before I was able to bring my mind in from its wanderings and imaginings. As is my usual pattern, I entered my prayer room one morning to have a private time of intercession, petition and worship. I would ALWAYS have my Bible and sometimes other books with me during these times. When I began praying I felt a prompting and heard the Lord say, “I don’t want you to pray today, just sit before me and listen.” Little did I know that this would be the beginning of a very wonderful journey. Every morning for 1 year He gave me the same instruction.
I would just go and sit quietly before the Lord without intercession, petition or declaration of any kind. Thirty days prior to the close of one year of these one-on-one sessions with God, in the month of March, the Lord told me to begin writing everything I heard in my spirit. Each day a letter would come, and some days there would be more than one, until there were 40.
Maturity
Soon, I began taking advantage of any opportunity I had with the Lord. If my family was out or if I was riding in the car alone, I would just turn off everything. No TV, No XM Radio, No preaching CD’s or DVD’s, just a quiet space. All my gadgets got put down. No checking email, no IPod, no cell phone, no texting. Just plain old quiet natural sounds -- like cars passing, television or people’s voices no longer interupted my time with God.
As I've shared with you, the letters would mostly come early in the morning, but occasionally at different times of the day. For instance, one day I was in the hair salon. There was plenty of chatter and lots of salon noise. I received a disturbing text message that really upset me, but there was nowhere to go.I was able to pull myself together. At that moment I was prompted to use my cell phone to document what I was hearing deep inside my heart, which later became Letter #34, titled, “It’s Time to Let It Go.”
Sitting in that very noisy place I escaped into the private sanctuary of my heart and the Lord spoke words of comfort and healing to my spirit. The commitment to listening had opened up my spirit to find quiet whenever and wherever I needed it in order to hear what the Lord wanted to say to me.
Assignment
After writing these letters He began to share with me that he was assigning me to publish them so that others may come and sit quietly before Him. He said, “many know what they want to say to me, but do not know what I want to say to them and are depending on others to confirm my voice to them.”
He let me know that this book would be one of many tools that would help to fine tune people’s ear to recognize the voice of the Father in the many ways in which He speaks. Sometimes correcting, other times assuring and encouraging, and even just sharing His heart.
Now that I’ve returned to intercession and petition, I feel my prayer life is more effective, not because of what I say only, but because of what I hear as well. I am hearing and seeing like never before!Sharon Dean
www.sharondean.net
