The Ultimate Cell Phone

by Tim Howard

In a conversation some time ago the topic of prayer came up and the person I was speaking with said emphatically: “ I don’t believe in prayer, I believe in luck!” I jokingly said in response: “I too believe in luck but it seems the more I pray, the luckier I get!”

In it’s broadest definition, prayer is simply talking to God. This can be done audibly as God hears our words or silently as God knows our thoughts. And because communication is a two-way connection, prayer includes both speaking to God and listening to God as He speaks to us.

Prayer is like having a built-in cell phone that allows you to connect at any time and from any place. At times the reception may be less than desirable and you might not hear God as clearly as you might anticipate but just having the privilege of talking to God and Him talking to you is an awesome gift.

Prayer is the ultimate cell-phone and many are taking advantage of this amazing gift. According to surveys by Barna Research Ltd. over a 10-year period, 82% of adults and 89% of teenagers pray to some ‘Higher Power’ in a normal week. 88% of women and 75% men pray. 96% of professing Christians pray weekly, while 72% of people not describing themselves as Christians pray as well.

I pray because Jesus prayed. He kept an open line to the Father and stayed in constant contact. He prayed daily, He prayed over meals, He prayed early in the morning and sometimes all night long.  He prayed short prayers and long prayers. He prayed for His enemies, His friends and His followers. He prayed in private and in public. Just like an airline pilot who never takes his headset off while in flight due to the extreme importance of maintaining constant contact with the tower; so too Jesus shows us how significant it is to maintain constant communication with the Father as we go on our journey throughout life.

When I pray – I talk to God our Father in ‘Jesus Name’ because Jesus made relationship with the Father possible. Because of His love for us – His willingness to live and die for our sin – We have access to God.  Plus, God the Father gave Jesus all authority so when I am in need – I go to the one who has the final answer.

According to the Bible the future has not yet been written and prayer is our way to become God’s pen that He uses to write our tomorrows. When people pray, God moves! Prayer, however, does not negate God’s divine prerogative nor does it override His purposes. We have the privilege of asking and He retains the right to answer on the basis of His wisdom, foresight and love. His answers sometimes defy logic or analysis but when we pray, He hears and always responds.

A cell phone will set you back $$$$$ but the ultimate cell phone is free! No upfront fee, no monthly service charge and no hidden cost. It truly does provide real security because when you fall, make a call to Him – saying I’ve fallen and I can’t get up – God hears and helps you get back on your feet! 

B.T.W. Everyone has been given the ‘Ultimate Cell Phone.’ It’s not just for emergencies and It has unlimited talk time. It’s your free gift to use daily!

Staying in Touch

by Tim Howard

Unless I am out of the country visiting a developing nation or located in some remote place without Internet or phone access, I communicate with my wife virtually every day. I value my conversations with her and have a strong desire to stay in touch.

Sometimes we misunderstand what the other is saying which comes with the territory when you are trying to communicate. Like the other day: My wife and I were sitting at a very busy intersection. I asked her if it was clear in her direction and could I proceed? She spoke one word and it was ‘GO.’ In response to her statement I stepped on the gas, quickly moved into oncoming traffic and nearly caused an accident. Out of frustration I questioned her about her statement. She responded to me with a piercing question; “What didn’t you understand about the word ‘NO?’

If you are going to communicate clearly you must talk and listen.

God really wants to talk with you but He also wants to be understood! Staying in touch with God on a regular basis – talking and listening – will help in your ability to hear correctly on a more consistent basis.

Some time ago we spent a weekend on the coast with some good friends. One of them was a pilot so we flew on his small aircraft and I noticed something interesting. While in flight he never took his headphones off. I learned something new that day.

During an airplane flight, there is constant communication that involves your plane. The air traffic controllers clear the plane for take-off and later at another tower, they will clear the pilot for landing. They stay in touch the whole time between the takeoff and the landing. Why? Because there is more to the flight than just the beginning and the end! The pilot needs to know if there are other planes nearby or of bad weather that demands a course change. It's good for the pilot not to turn off communication with the tower after he takes off. In Revelation 22:13 Jesus says: “I am the Alpha and the Omega the first and the last, the Beginning and the End.” But He’s also everything in between.

Here’s the problem. We allow ourselves to get very busy. We check in with the tower when we take off in the morning, and then we take off our headsets until it’s time to land in bed at the end of our flight.

In doing so, we set our selves up to make hundreds of little decisions on our own without consulting the Lord. No wonder we experience turbulence, get off course and sometimes we even crash.

In the Old Testament a man of God named Nehemiah was very busy serving his King but not too busy to check in with God. One day in the midst of a high priority conversation that would alter the course of his life, he took time to consult with God. His prayer only lasted a few moments but those few moments proved to be life changing.

From the very beginning God reveals Himself as one who wants to communicate regularly. He didn’t create things and then leave on vacation – never to be heard from again. He wants to stay in touch.
Staying in touch with the Air Traffic Controller will guide your plane but staying in tough with your Creator will guide your life.

If you want the safest route to the best destination, keep your headset on from takeoff to landing every day. Stay in touch with your Creator!

Prayer

by Tim Howard 

Lily Tomlin once said: "Why is it that when we talk to God we are said to be praying. And when God talks to us we are said to be schizophrenic?" People who struggle with schizophrenia may experience auditory hallucinations, paranoid or bizarre delusions among other things. Unfortunately, people who admit they hear from God are often put into a similar category. If you admit to others you hear from God, be prepared for strange looks.

The answer of course is that people do all kinds of stupid things and blame it on God. God told me this… Two days later God changed his mind and told me something different… Many who have claimed to hear God are locked away because they are self-delusional. Everyone who claims to hear God accurately doesn’t! 

Communication is difficult on a human level so it stands to reason communicating with God will require a learning curve. Just because we don’t always hear God’s voice accurately, that shouldn’t stop us from communicating with Him anymore than it would if we were communicating with anyone else.

Husbands and wives have trouble communicating! I don’t always get it when my wife speaks. I’m sure she wonders if I will ever ‘get it.’ I sometimes misunderstand, misinterpret or just simply miss her point. That doesn’t mean we stop speaking and sharing on various levels. We continue to learn each other’s love language so we can communicate on an intimate level. 

In the Bible, 1 Samuel chapter 3 records a narrative of a young man named Samuel who didn’t know how to distinguish God’s voice. The account is not only interesting but it helps us gain some insight in regards to hearing God. Here are a few things we can glean: 

1. God is speaking but we don’t always recognize his voice. Samuel finally figured it out with the help of an old Priest named Eli. It’s always wise to check with other people who have walked with God for some time when you think God is speaking. They can help you discern his voice.

2. You will hear more clearly if you stop speaking and listen more intently. The Priest told Samuel: “If the Lord speaks again say, speak my Lord for your servant is listening.” Too often we view prayer as only talking to God. A monologue rather than a dialogue. Too often we say: “Listen my Lord for your servant speaks. You can’t hear God if you don’t stop yapping…

3. Samuel was at rest when God spoke. We live in a noisy world where it’s sometimes hard to hear God above the commotion. Do you know what most of us do with silence? Fill it! We fill it with noise. God can speak through the noise, or even over it, but usually, He waits for us to be quiet. Take a time out and press the pause button in your life. “Be still, and know that I am God.” Psalms 46:10.

4. Samuel was in the Temple when God spoke. I personally believe God can speak to you while you are mowing your lawn, fixing the car, shopping for a new dress or taking a shower but meeting with others in a Church setting is important. It is so significant that the author of Hebrews in the New Testament said: Don’t neglect getting together with those who believe in Christ.