Yield

"Be still and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth." Psalm 46:10

She sat still, eyes closed, not moving a muscle. Her stillness bellied the whirling inside. She thought over and over again “God..., God...!”

She didn’t trust her emotions. She had learned her feelings did not stand up against the knowledge of her Saviour.

“Dear God, not my will but Yours be done,” she whispered. As she sat quietly, scriptures started to press on her heart. “Be anxious for nothing” - “I know the plans I have for you” - “The steadfast love of the Lord...” Finally every fear, every worry, every question faded and was replaced by truth. Silent tears ran down her face – not tears of sorrow but of thanksgiving, yielding her will to God's. She took a deep breath and reached for her bible.

"Though the fig tree should not blossom And there be no fruit on the vines, Though the yield of the olive should fail And the fields produce no food, Though the flock should be cut off from the fold And there be no cattle in the stalls, Yet I will exult in the LORD, I will rejoice in the God of my salvation. The Lord GOD is my strength, And He has made my feet like hinds' feet, And makes me walk on my high places." 
Habakkuk 3:17 – 19

I can’t tell you how often I’ve sat like this, sitting quietly and waiting for the Lord. Yielding doesn’t come naturally for me.

A good example is yielding to traffic on the freeway. I start to direct how things should go. “You go, GO, you go, WAIT! No! I go next!!” I direct, I command; I have the plan as to how it should flow. I want to be in control and I'm afraid when I’m not - things might turn out differently, not the way I think it should be. It was more important that I ‘tell’ God what I wanted - what I thought I needed and expected - never listening.

But, by yielding I came to understand how important it is to simply read His word, to slow down and pray for understanding. I began to realize how sweet time with Jesus could be.

"He (she) will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in it season An its leaf does not wither; And in whatever he (she) does, he (she) prospers."
Psalm 1:3

When I first sat down to write about sitting quietly and listening to Our Lord I looked up the definitions of yield and merge.

Yield – To give way to, to produce – Synonyms: surrender, submit
Merge – Combine, to form a single entity, to blend gradually into something different – Synonyms: unite, mix, and fuse.

As I read these definitions I realized that to become sensitive to the Holy Spirit - to be transformed - I needed to submit to God and allow Him to unite my will with His.

"For we through the Spirit, by faith, are waiting for the hope of righteousness."
Galatians 5:5

I hope these points may help you in listening for the Lord in prayer.

First: Pray. Ask for His help to quiet us. It's not easy. That’s usually when I remember I have errands to run or have to go to the bathroom or what I want for dinner. My trick: I sit with a pad and pencil and when some distraction comes to my mind, I jot it down knowing I can revisit it after my quiet time.

Second: Listen. Expect to hear from the Lord. He is always with us, it isn’t easy but, believe me, your stillness will bear fruit. Think of this as time invested in honoring God. It is never a waste of time. Wait. It’ll be worth it.

Third: Read. Often times scripture comes to mind. It may be that He will speak to you through His word. Remember, God's Word never goes out void. It accomplishes His purposes.

Fourth: Give Thanks. Be grateful whether you tangibly hear from Him or not. He is God and He will reveal His will for you in His time.

Fifth: Make time with God a daily habit. I know and understand in this busy life it’s just hard to sit for long periods of time. God knows that too. He will honor what time you have given Him because He knows your heart. Try to do it daily at the same time.

Waiting expectantly - listening quietly and reading His word with the purpose of merging your heart with His refocuses your attention from wanting your will to wanting your Heavenly Father's will.

"I would have despaired unless I had believe that I would see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait for the LORD; Be strong and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for the LORD." Psalm 27:13-14

Wait, listen, quiet, submit, abide, yield and unity – these are not words the world uses. However, for the daughters of the King, these are actions that transform us into women who bear fruit in God's Kingdom.

by Eve Montano