What Would a Spiritual Oximeter Reveal About My Prayer Life?

I've been pondering two words this week that have shown up quite often in my Old Testament readings. 

"God said..."

To be fair, sometimes it's recorded, "The LORD said..."

But, "a rose by any other name" (right?).

I've read those two phrases so many times through the first half of the Scriptures, I checked to see how often (the word-nerd in me wanted, no needed, to know).

My ESV records 1645 times (and, of course that doesn't count when pronouns are used or other ways to address God).

My point:

God spoke then.

A LOT!

He speaks now.

And, He has not fallen silent.

It's usually a quiet whisper.

So, we need to listen carefully.

Ask any theologian

What is prayer?

And you’ll get the simple answer:

A conversation with the Almighty 

I know that answer, 

But do I HEAR those words?

Because,

what I act on most is the talking part...

(I like to do the talking),

Then forget that God has something to say back to me.

But, conversation implies

Back and forth

Communication. 

Me to Him

Then me stopping

Turning my ear

Opening my heart

Opening my hands

Receiving in return.

Throughout the Scriptures

God spoke in various ways:

Through ordinary men

Visiting angels

Anointed Prophets and priests 

Judges 

Visions

Dreams

Special circumstances

The Law

Miracles

But, in these days

He speaks through

His Son

The Word made flesh

The Logos

Full of grace and truth 

Jesus is the Word

God’s final Word 

And through His written Word, Jesus presses a timely Word into my heart. 

The eternal Word speaks personally.

(The Logos has a Rhema)...

Applicable to me.

Mine to hold.

To comfort.

Guide.

Sustain.

Hold onto when most needed.

How do I hear His Word?

Through the Word...

I'm learning just how important it is to pray with my Bible open.

Praying is more like breathing than speaking.

I breathe in God's Word

I breathe out in Prayer.

His truth fills my mind.

My prayers return to Him.

Probably that's why my prayers can seem a bit exhausting...

I'm doing all the exhaling.

Talking.

Asking.

Pleading.

Processing.

But, very little breathing in.

Very little listening.

Very little receiving.

I need more oxygen.

We are hard-wired to breathe.

In.

Out.

Receive.

Respond.

Listen.

Speak.

The same is true in prayer. 

So, if I feel like I'm running low on spiritual oxygen...

I open the Word.

Sit quietly before the Lord.

Listen.

Breathe deeply.

If there were such a thing as a spiritual oximeter, what would it reveal about me today?