Photographer: Matt Bernstein

15Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints,
16Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers;
17That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:
18The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,
Ephesians 1:15-18

Faith. Prayer. Wisdom.

God uses us who seek Him. Our faith is loud and our words are the fruit of our faith ever from God and will never go unnoticed. Speak a soft, gentle word for our Lord. Speak His name. Walk in His way. Walk with godly integrity. He sees us and others will too. We will inspire, but not for a flash of self-edification, but a sincere word of praise to God. We will be heard by all. In actions and word.

…and the saints shall pray. Keeping the praying encouraged,  thanking God for them for they speak out and are heard. They will pray in intercession to the Father that wisdom will rain down the spirit of God and fortify each vowel and consonant with punctuation that shouts Jesus. It is a perfect circuitous path of listening, praise and prayer, then listening, always.

God speaks to us all. Some listen and say much, some little. But for both we pray for God’s wisdom. He speaks and we receive. Edification to our Lord comes in our choice to speak His word.

But His word was in my heart like a burning fire Shut up in my bones; I was weary of holding it back, And I could not. Jeremiah 20:9

How, Lord? You say that we will become weary holding back Your word. For Your word is a fire that burns in us. We therefore find the circuitous path is followed by we who listen, praise, and pray, and listen again. We are set apart in You Lord. All saints are on this path of hearing Your voice. If our heart is not on fire with Your word, then it must not be discerned as Your word. I ask. For certainly if we are followers of Jesus, co-heirs to eternity, You speak to us. Maybe those who do  not hear want Jesus but do not wish for the consequence of a walk in His footsteps. Then the deaf ear is a shield and Your word is blocked. But O my Lord, I know You will find a way into my aching heart: The aching hearts of the saints. Know that there are we who speak loud and we who pray loud and we who do both. It is hearing and really listening to God that matters. For as we listen, His word will not be contained. Bless the quiet and the unwilling followers with boldness for boldness will help them along our Savior’s footsteps and bring Your light.

Let us see Father. Let us listen to the wisdom of Your apostle. For we are enlightened and find hope and a calling in Your word because we have chosen to accept the consequence of a walk in Jesus’ footsteps. Help us Lord. To seek a higher calling, we listen with acute ears, craning to the heavens to meet Your incline to us. We are thus preparing for a higher calling.  Be mindful, our consequence is the result of our action  to follow Christ and it is good. We hear you in this walk and we are known. We see others, and they are known. All pray. All praise.

…and You hear those You set apart Father. You are pleased that we walk on a path that is not just on a circuit but ever moving toward you as one body on a straight line. We listen and act and all the while we become closer to You. So help us.  Raise us up Father. Anoint us with the oil of the Levites. Let us be the sweet incense that is fragrant to the saints and to the world. The fire burns hot. I can bear it no longer. It flows to a lost, but not forgotten world and they see. They are confounded. We saints edify You and pray fortification for the body. For it is not one,  it is many who hear. Are we enough? Give us the eyes of understanding and we follow Jesus. Serve the ones who listen. We serve You Lord. It is our beautiful consequence to a choice we made, forever changing our lives and joining us together-knit at the heart as one body.

We are the listeners.

Rick Stassi

February 26, 2012