Ecclesiastes tells us...There is a time to speak and a time to be silent...Most of us have no trouble with the speaking it's the silence that causes us problems. Some of us feel compelled to talk when we are nervous or scared...maybe we're spending time with someone we don't know very well and we may feel if we don't keep the conversation flowing continuously, they will become bored or think we are. How many times have you been a conversation and you start formulating your response before the other person finishes their sentence...have you ever found that because you didn't listen, your words are inappropriate or off the subject? Perhaps if you had just listened you would have known that no response was required.
When we read the Scriptures, it is clear that Jesus listened with ALL His senses. The Gospels often remark "He knew what was in their hearts"--regardless of who He was with...scribes trying to trap Him or disciples who were puzzled or uncomfortable with what they were hearing. He watched peoples faces, listened to their words and sensed what they were feeling deep inside.
Remember the story of the adulterous woman? He didn't let loose and chew them out but responded with just one sentence "Let anyone among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone (John 8:7)." Do you recall what He did after that? He bent over and doodled in the sand. He felt the fury and the shame of the crowd as the went away but He kept silent. The effect of His silence not only saved the life of the woman but caused the crowd to look into their own hearts, at their own sin.
When we spend time with Jesus in prayer, there's no need to explain...He reads our hearts too. One of the wonders of prayer is that it opens our hearts to us. We can see our own jealousies and resentments and dig down to our deepest feelings. Next time you meet Him in prayer stop making so many words, be still and listen.
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