As we wrap up 2022, we also wrap up our time reading through the Psalms as a church. Many in our church family have read the daily devotion, Deeply Rooted, along with hearing teaching each Sunday morning through the Psalms. It has been a meaningful experience, reminding me of other times I found myself pouring over the Psalms.
Yielding is laying down the idol of control and choosing to trust God. It’s trusting God over my own ideas about what would be best for me. Yielding is making time to listen.
I recently asked Instagram followers in a poll (it was very scientific!) what they thought of the term “yielding” in regard to their prayer life. The most common answers were “surrender” and “listening”. These were lovely responses, causing me to wish my first instinctive answer was equally as graceful.
My two-year-old granddaughter has found her words. They flow ceaselessly with a variety of expressions, cascading in often indistinguishable words, phrases or bits of songs that are bouncing around in her head. I smile as I watch her daddy lovingly bend down to listen to her. He hears her heart, not just her words. He knows her needs, even when she doesn’t. She responds to his voice and his promptings. And he responds to her with words and actions that demonstrate his great love to her.
Repentance in and of itself is an interesting thing. Did you know it is both a noun and a verb? By definition, the noun form refers to sincere regret or remorse, while in the verb form it means to turn from sin; to feel regret; to change one's mind; to feel sorrow for. From this short grammar lesson, I realize that repentance is both a state of mind for me to embrace and an activity for me to take part in.
I have a sweet friend who is the most polite “texter” I know. Whatever the subject of her text, she never fails to begin with “Hello, how are you doing, hope you are having a good day”. Most people I know, including myself, usually just blurt out the question or the comment they want the person on the other end of the text to see. We know that texting was designed to be short and to the point, but if we talked that way to people face to face, it would seem like a rude way to start a conversation. That started me thinking about my prayer conversations with God.
