Heart To Heart

20“I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who jwill believe in Me through their word;  21“that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. 22“And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: 23“I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me. 24“Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world.
John 17: 20 - 24 NKJV

The conversation in our group this week once again turned to God and how it is that we listen to Him.  In scripture, we often hear Jesus in a heart to heart conversation with His Father.  In fact, Jesus speaks to the Father as if He was walking with HIm side by side as in a normal conversation.  Now, to Jesus, this was just a normal conversation.  But what about us?  There has been many a time when I have struggled to find the perfect "way" to speak to God.  Not only that, but to discern what it is that He wanted me to know.  More than a few times I have been among a group of christian friends when inevitably one will turn to me and say "God told me something I think you need to hear."  Really?  First off, if God truly wanted to tell me something, why didn't He cut out the middle man and just tell me Himself?  Which brings me back to my original question of...how do we listen for the voice of our heavenly Father?  I believe that there is ZERO difference between those conversations between Christ Jesus and God and those of ourselves.  It's just that Jesus knew how to listen for that voice of His Father.  He had indeed heard it from the begining of time so it was nothing new to Him.  I believe that it is nothing new to us as well, if we listen for Him.  I believe the key to hearing our heavenly Fathers voice lies in the conversation which Jesus had with the Father in the garden prior to His crucifiction.  The words of Jesus in John 17, His prayer for us today, that we today would be one with Christ in the Father and  the Father in Christ Jesus.  In this we would be made perfect in one {John 17: 23}.

20“I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me."
Galations 2:20 NKJV

What did Jesus have that we also share with Him?  He had the Father.  The apostle Paul assures us in Galations 2 that we ourselves have what Jesus had then, direct access to the Father.  I believe that the mistake too many people make in their search to hear the assuring words of the Lord lies in where it is they are looking for Him.  All too often we make that mistake of seeking the Lord outside of us.  Yes, God must be outside of us which is why we are so often told that we need be more "like" Jesus right?  Wrong!  Paul assures us that we do not live under a seperation from our heavenly Father.  He is not simply looking down from heaven ready to intercede should we need Him to.  No, Jesus' prayer for all believers in the garden was that we would be one as He and the Father are one.  So, if we indeed are one with Christ Jesus and the Father, then each and every conversation that we have with Him is very personal, for we are one with Him.  We need not look outside of us for some sort of guru religious experience in order to hear our Lords voice, we need to listen for Him within ourselves.  After all, if Christ now lives in me, then He is that much closer to me than I'll ever need.  So how is it that we listen for that voice of the Father?  Well, I believe that we can always have a heart to heart conversation with Him.  What I mean by that is that look for and listen for Him in our own hearts...we will find Him.  Indeed, if Christ is in me, then when I listen to my own heart I will certainly hear His words meant just for me.  If I listen to my heart I will hear Him.

~Scott~