Prayer is communication. Communication requires a transmitter and a receiver. Radio communication takes a station broadcasting on a certain frequency (Transmitter), and a radio tuned to that frequency (receiver). In prayer we often see God as the receiver. We make the prayer to God and He hears us. He receives our prayer. It is seen as a one way street, much like the radio, with one transmitter, and one receiver. We transmit and hope God is tuned into our frequency. But what about when God is the one who is doing the talking. Do we receive as well as we transmit? In prayer, is God the only one that is supposed to listen? Of course, the answer is no. We are supposed to listen for the voice of God, not only tug at His ear. A Biblical example of how communication between God and another person is both successful, and short circuited can be seen in the book of 1st Samuel. In chapter two a woman named Hannah silently prays to God. She is distraught over her barrenness and asks for a child. She is thought to be intoxicated because her lips are moving, but there are no words coming out of her mouth. God who knows her heart, also hears her prayer. God hears the silent, heartfelt prayer. Her answer is soon realized as she feels new life in her belly. God receives perfectly. There is no short circuit where God is concerned.
On the other hand, the priest Eli, who supposes she is drunk because of her inaudible prayers is addressed by God himself and refuses to listen. Communication is short circuited on the receiver end. God heard the woman’s prayer and answered, but when God transmits a message to Eli he will not listen.
In 1 Samuel 3, the boy given to Hannah as a result of her prayers is ministering at the tabernacle in Shiloh. He hears the voice of God in the night. God tells him that He has pronounced Judgment on Eli, the priest, because he would not listen. This is interesting. Hannah prayed silently, and God heard. God sent a prophet to audibly speak to Eli, but Eli turns a deaf ear to God. Eli’s wicked son’s are killed and Eli’s family is removed from the ministry (1 Samuel 4). Samuel, on the other hand hears the voice of God and becomes a prophet (1 Samuel 3:21).
How often do we short circuit communication with God? Our ability to hear God is more important than our ability to transmit messages to Him. What He has to say is more important than what we have to say. If we think a successful prayer life is seeing the hand of God move as a result of our prayers we are only partly right. A successful prayer life is hearing and being moved by the voice of God.The message for us here is that we must not only transmit to God, but we must be receptive. True communication is a two way street. Perhaps a radio is not as good an analogy for prayer as a walkie-talkie. Effective prayer is a two-way street.
