Click below to hear Larry's audio message about the Power of Focus at EmpoweringMessages.com
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"Communication is a two-way street. And while we revel in the reality that we can always get through to heaven, our concern should be whether our Lord can always get through to us." - Joseph Stowell
"Two monologues do not make a dialogue." - Jeff Daly
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The PrizeFighter is back from summer vacation! As our children head back to school, I can't help but think of the education I received this summer - especially about the power of clear communication.
Halfway through the summer, I received a voicemail from Dennis. He had read some of my reviews on amazon.com and was interested in speaking with me about a business opportunity. He invited me to call him back, and I was prepared to return his call that same afternoon. Unfortunately, he forgot to leave his contact information on the voicemail! Dennis, if you read this newsletter, I'm looking forward to hearing back from you.
As I drove to a seminar on August 7, the earpiece of my cell phone stopped working. People at the other end could hear me speak, but I could not hear anything that they said to me. I couldn't answer any calls; I couldn't even check my voicemail. Worst of all, I couldn't communicate with my friend Peter, who was supposed to call me to arrange a place for us to meet along the way. It wasn't easy, but through a series of calls to my wife and Peter's cell phone, all beginning with, "Ok, I can't hear you at all, and I don't know if you're getting this, but...", we finally did meet.
At the end of August, I was busy directing our church's Vacation Bible School. One of the main keys to my success as a Director was opening myself up to feedback from our 100+ volunteers. After every daily session, we had a de-briefing to assess what worked and what didn't. Knowing that I had a very gifted team, I spent much more time listening than speaking. That opened the door to many positive ideas that I would not have reached on my own.
"Yeah, I thought I heard something. I just turned up my stereo and hoped it would go away." |
These three experiences combined to teach me a powerful lesson about prayer. The first two experiences highlighted the importance of two-way communication. The third showed the importance of listening over speaking. I started to see why my prayer life had been feeling so shallow all these years. When I prayed, I had been doing lots of talking, but not much listening. I wasn't using my earpiece. I was calling God but not leaving a number where he could reach me. In your prayer life, in your relationships with family and friends, how well do you listen?
Ask yourself...
- Am I giving others an opportunity to share in conversations?
- Am I really hearing what others have to say?
- Am I listening to God's voice when I pray?
Keep running for your prize,
Larry Hehn
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