"The reality is my prayers don't change God. But I am convinced prayer changes me. Praying boldly boots me out of that stale place of religious habit into authentic connection with God Himself."
Lysa TerKeurst
The Bible is full of stories of God speaking to people: When He spoke to Adam in the garden, when He spoke to Noah of His plans to flood the earth, when He spoke to Moses on Mount Sinai, or when He spoke to Saul (Paul) on the road to Damascus. We don’t hear too many stories these days of the “audible” voice of God. But we do hear from God... in His word, through people in our lives that speak into us, through prayer.
As we enter a New Year, there is plenty of discussion around New Year's resolutions and goals. Those are all important and valuable. However, as you consider what you want 2022 to look like and all you hope to accomplish this year, my challenge is this—start with prayer.
And not only start with prayer (it’s easy to ask for things in prayer—to “do all the talking”), but rather, start with a listening prayer—listening for what God wants for you in 2022.
In early 2021, Michele on our team walked us through an exercise of Listening Prayer. This was new for me. Typically, I have all the words to fill up my prayer time with my Heavenly Father (not a good thing). Rarely do I leave or allow the space for Him to speak into me—not with the “audible” voice, but through the Spirit guiding my thoughts and my heart.
It’s really a simple exercise. The hardest part (at least for me) is learning to be comfortable in silence. Below is a simple process to walk you through a Listening Prayer for 2022. I encourage you to find a physical space that is distraction-free for 30 minutes where you can walk through this exercise with your Heavenly Father. After each question, sit in silence and listen. Keep a journal close so you can write down anything you learn. As you listen, remember: God is always for you, and His voice is filled with truth and grace. It’s okay if you get distracted; recenter yourself by asking the question again—God will meet you there.
A Listening Prayer for 2022
Come to God with your request for guidance.
“Father, I come to you in the name of Jesus, seeking your guidance and wisdom for this new year. Speak to me today through your Holy Spirit with wisdom, insight and direction.”
Ask, “Lord, what is on your heart for me today?”
Listen—for 8-10 minutes.
Ask, “Father, what is on your heart for me this year?”
Listen.
Ask, “Father, what do you have for me that is new to explore?”
Listen.
Ask, “Father, what in my current world do I need to stop doing to create more space for you?”
Listen.
Close with a simple prayer of gratitude and commitment to follow Him where He leads you this year.
Our prayer is that 2022 is a year full of faith, hope, and love for you and your family. That you live your life this year to be all God has created you to be. We pray in 2022 you become an even better version of you.
“In the morning, Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly.”
Psalm 5:3
P.S. This blog is a re-post of our first Monday Motivation email of 2022. This resource, designed for the entire Lighthouse Family, is a weekly email subscription created to get you motivated for the week ahead. If you’d like to have these emails sent to your inbox on Monday mornings, click here.