Years ago, before I was a Christian, back in 1987 my future wife, (Tammy) instructed me that if I was to marry her that I needed to attend Church. So I reluctantly agreed and we went on a search for the perfect church in Greensboro, NC where we lived at the time. Naturally our first choice was the most impressive on the outside; First Presbyterian Church in Greensboro. By no coincidence their Senior Pastor had left and Dr. Redhead the Pastor Emeritus was giving the sermon that first Sunday. His topic was prayer. He shared how if God was God we didn’t need to use a lot of words in prayer because God would know all that was on our heart but what we did needed was to listen for God’s voice and relax and let go and let go and let God.
I was impressed with his logic never hearing a preacher that actually made sense to me prior to this. Dr. Redhead further impressed me when he used the illustration that we have two ears and one mouth, being God’s design that we should listen twice as much as we speak. Being a car salesman for many years, I knew that this was one of the secrets of a good salesmanship. The Old Car Proverb being that: “he who talks the most ends up with the product.”
He then took us all on a sample journey of this prayer technique that would change my life forever.
First he had us sit back in the pew and feel our feet and toes and let go and let go and let God. Then up our legs to feel the weight of our back resting against the pew and let go and let go and let God.
The let go and let go and let God part, having now used this prayer thousands of times means that when any distraction comes floating into your mind that would keep you from hearing from God, then simply let it go and give it to God to deal with.
Dr. Redhead told us to feel down our arms and up our neck to the top of our head and let go and let go and let God, all in an effort to relax us so we could accept and hear God’s voice. This process went on for good three or four minutes. My later addition at times to this is to offer the parts of my body as a living sacrifice a similar and neat way for me to relax.
Second he said for us to envision a peaceful place a quiet stream, a mountain glade. Maybe for you it’s on a beach somewhere, or in a garden. He then instructed us to place ourselves there, listen to the brook, smell the trees, really make an effort to use all your senses to recall all that you previously sensed in that place. Then by all means let go and let go and let God. We spent another couple minutes experiencing the peace of our recollection of that first special place.
Thirdly, Dr. Redhead sent us to a second place; one that we could remember in similar fashion, a peaceful refreshing place somewhere you sensed God’s Presence. Then listen to the brook, smell the trees, Once again let go and let go and let God. We spent another couple minutes experiencing the peace of our recollection of that 2nd special place.
Fourthly, Dr. Redhead sent us to a third place using similar criteria. At the time I thought it a bit redundant or even a waste of time; however today I understand a great deal more the need for the touch God’s creation provides to settle our souls and improve our connection with Him. It was a garden that was paradise and there in the cool of the day God walked with Adam. If you pray this prayer outside in a place like this, even better. Again Jesus Himself did his best prayer work in a garden.
Fifthly, now for the best part, Pastor Redhead told us to picture, Jesus Himself coming down the isle and sitting down next to you. “NOW LISTEN.”
I believe this is where the rubber meets the road in this prayer. “Do I believe I can hear Jesus speak to me, or will He speak to me, or will I know it’s Jesus or some other voice?” These are some factors that may help.
First: John 10 Instructs:
“Most assuredly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. 2 But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. 5 Yet they will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.”
Do I believe the Bible that Jesus’ sheep hear his voice and know the difference? Yes I do, Jesus has showed it many times to me.
Secondly, the passage in 1 Kings: 19
12 And after the earthquake a fire; but the LORD was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice.
A good friend really dissected this verse for me; the word translated “still” in Hebrew is dĕmamah – a feminine noun and the word “voice” is qowl – a masculine noun so the “Still or Peaceful” could not be describing the voice according to the rules of the language a feminine noun can’t describe a masculine. So we are left to wonder is this not a result of the voice, “Peace, stillness”. Personally I know how many times this was the exact result in my life.
So here I think is a critical distinction that has to be determined in everyone’s mind, as John Eldredge, noted; “do I believe the Bible is a book of exception or a Book of examples?” If Abraham, Noah, Joseph, Moses, Joshua, King David, King Solomon, Hezekiah, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Jonah, Peter, Paul and Mary all heard God’s voice that why can’t or shouldn’t I? How can I have a personal relationship with God if the conversation is always one way?
Thirdly, how long am I willing to wait, how hard will I apply myself to listening for God, however you go about trying to hear? In the end I’m pretty sure that is determined by my faith that God really wants me to hear from Him.
Fourthly, my Pastor at Calvary Baptist Church in Winston Salem, Mark Corts once made a point in a sermon I will never forget. He called a small boy up to the pulpit and asked him to put on his suit coat. The Boy did and then Pastor Cots told him the boy to attempt to impersonate Pastor Corts.
It was a funny scene but then Pastor Corts made this point. He said, “You all knew the boy wasn’t me because you know my voice, you know how I speak and the types of things I say because you have heard me many times so you could easily spot the counterfeit. If you want to know how God speaks what He sounds like, the kinds of things He says so that you can spot the counterfeit then, (you guessed it) read His word, the Bible every day.
To me this is an absolutely critical part to the adventure. Not only do I get to know all those things but every morning God takes me to the very place in my soul that needs work and speaks through His word and the Holy Spirit prays with me and we have at times a four way session. Yes, me, the Father, Jesus and the Holy Spirit. It’s a community and meeting around your Bible with these Three are sessions you will never forget.
This experience is so amazing so spectacular I couldn’t just call this, prayer. So I named it something that would better communicate my joy in it. So thus: The “Phi-Slama-Jama Cat’s Pajama Prayer” says it for me.
Now how often can that happen? I will leave you there to ponder that on your own.
Lastly: Is the Phi-Slama-Jama Cat’s Pajama prayer the only way to hear from God? No, NO, NO, NO, NO!!! It’ has just been a way for me often when I feel distant and really need access to the throne of Grace. I have modified it in many ways at times, done it a long way, a short way, in the woods, in a garden, in a field, in bed, on the sofa on the floor on my face. God knows I have not done it enough and with His help I will continue till I get to see His Face, yet not through a glass dimly.
Tags: #drawneartoGod
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