Prayer Begins a New Relationship

   In this chapter I would like to tell you how conversational prayer, or conversing with God, has provided the simple way by which people have come into the Kingdom of God. The simplicity of responding person to person to Jesus Christ seems to break down all barriers. Yet it is not prayer that is emphasized, nor is prayer the important thing. Christ is the center, and prayer is the means by which we begin to respond to Him. In a moment I'll share with you two stories which illustrate what I mean.

   But first let us think back about the things we have already learned about conversing with God.

   We know to whom we are speaking. We are not talking with an unknown God, but to the God-Man, Jesus Christ, who was in all points tempted like as we are, so that we can feel freer to come to Him with our temptations. We have come to a clearer knowledge of the greatness of our God, who has shown Himself to us as the great Three in One.

   We have also discussed some of the things that keep us from intimate conversation with Him: The lack of knowledge of who Jesus Christ is, failure to remember He is constantly present with us; the language barriers, the tradition-bound prayer habits, self-consciousness or desire for the approval of others.

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   In order to overcome these barriers we need not only to read, but also to begin to put what we have read into daily prayer practice. We need to learn the art of conversation. We need to learn to pray in His Presence, and to let Him speak with us, to be in tune with Him until we are willing to hear what He has to say to us.

   There is an intimate relationship between the Shepherd and the sheep which is always initiated by the Shepherd Himself. But there is something for the sheep to do when he enters the fold. He has to be willing to hear and respond to the Shepherd's voice. Frequently we need the help of one or two other "sheep" who already know His voice in order to make our response a complete one. We need to learn to pray with one another. We are all sheep of His pasture, and we need to be together.

   But more is involved than merely being willing to pray together. How does one know when he is in the fold? When does one receive eternal life? The answer is simple. When he comes to Jesus. When he feels that need which the Spirit has put into his heart, and when he begins to respond to Jesus Christ, as the God who can forgive his sins and make him a member of His fold.

   This brings us to those wonderful words which the Lord gave us in John 10:27. When do we become His sheep?

   I remember Grace, a brilliant Chinese university student, who was about to complete her study for her doctorate in chemistry. Her chief concern for weeks had been the fact that she wanted to be a Christian and was not. One day we sat together at a study table talking about what Jesus Christ had already done on the Cross, and I promised her that because He is alive, speaking directly to Him would bring her the assurance she needed. Still she hesitated.

   We turned to John's Gospel and read chapter 10 verse 27 together: "My sheep hear my voice and I know them, and they follow me; And I give them eternal life . . . ." I asked her to notice the sequence of the verbs. My sheep

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hear my voice. They follow me. I give them eternal life. Then I asked, when did they become His sheep, before or after Jesus gave them eternal life? We looked again. The first step is to hear His voice and begin to follow the Shepherd, and then He does all the giving.

   She admitted she had heard His voice. But when did this "sheep" belong to Jesus? There it was, right in the beginning of the verse, My sheep. Because He already considered her His, she was able to hear His voice! Suddenly she saw it from His viewpoint. This is a mystery I cannot explain, but in His great eternal knowledge, He knows when to call us. There is no past, present or future with the Lord. It is all an eternal now with Him.

   There was silence at the table where we sat. We bowed our heads, and I said, "Thank You Lord, for showing Grace Your viewpoint." And she prayed, "Lord Jesus, I want to thank You. This is my first time to speak to You. So You've been here all along!" Then I thanked Him again. And quite naturally, Grace prayed again and thanked Him for forgiving her sins and for giving her eternal life.

   For a moment neither of us spoke. Then she began to pray for her family and for her friends. The barrier was down. Speaking directly to Him had made Him a real Person to her. Knowing, finally, that Jesus Christ had loved her from the beginning, there was only one thing left to do, and that was respond by speaking to Him.

   Last Year in New York City I was having lunch in the Manhattan Hotel Coffee Shop with a professional woman who had come to know her need of Jesus Christ through adverse circumstances. She tells the story in her own words in the copy she sent me of a letter she wrote to her mother:

   "Christ was always a waiting figure for me, who charmed and glowed, but still it seemed He always was 'outside me,' always slipping away from me. It seemed to me He was a waiting potential, nothing more: And I was sure it was His fault. Ros said, 'But Marj, have you asked Him to come in,

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have you said, "Welcome, abide with me" to Him even once?' No, I just hadn't, Mother. Never, not once: He scared me rather. For no reason at all. Ros said, 'Do you want to, now?' I said yes, and so help me, with her eyes open, so it looked for all the world like we were having a casual coffee shop conversation, Ros prayed. And then I said, 'Lord Jesus, I love You, too.' And meant it fully, with all my heart. That is why the past two months or so have been so different as to be beyond belief. Now there is a sheer, keen joy of living which I never really had before. I don't know much yet, and may make mistakes, but I know Jesus Christ will fix those up, too."

   I have included the experiences of these two women in this chapter since I have observed that a pious prayer in an emotionally charged atmosphere can turn some people the other direction, while an open, natural conversation with the Lord Himself, who is always right there with us, can make a hard step easier. It is not easy to turn the controls of your life over to Another when you can't see Him. But when you can know He's there and speak with Him and to Him naturally, the barriers go down.

   The response of your heart to His initial love for you releases your love for Him.

   You discover that He has long sought you, called to you, prepared for you, loved you. And now you know the way into the fold: Response to the Shepherd Himself, Jesus Christ.

   Have you responded to Him?

   Have you spoken to Him, simply, naturally, out of the need of your heart? In your own words?

   He is there.

   If you are interested in Him, you can come. Your very interest proves that you have heard His voice. And He has said:

Everyone who has heard . . . comes to me.

Further Bible reading on the subject of this chapter: Matthew 11:25-30; John 6:35-51; John 10.

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