Learning To Listen!

Listening to a sermon can be a daunting task. There can be major distractions, everything from screaming babies to snoring neighbors (don't laugh-this really happened to me). Granted, there are many things that occur during a sermon that we simply can't control, including the preacher himself. But there are many things that we can control, at least to a point. This is the first in a series of posts concerning how to listen effectively to a sermon. For a more complete reading on the subject, find a copy of Christopher Ash's booklet Listen Up! He has some great ideas and thoughts, some of which I will cover in the coming posts. I hope these are a help to you. Enjoy.

L2L (Learning To Listen) Point #1:
PRAY. PRAY. PRAY. This one is so simple, yet probably the most overlooked aspect of listening to a sermon. And it might be the most important.  Honestly, how often do you ask God to allow you to hear the things you need to hear? And after you hear them, how often do you ask God to let those things be received into your life and applied in tangible ways? How do you deal with those things that are shared with which you initially disagree? How about those things that are particularly tedious/challenging/convicting? I cannot effectively listen apart from communicating with God. The quality of my listening, and the results that should follow, are contingent upon prayer. So...start praying now for Sunday's message, lifting up both speaker and listener to the Lord. Praying people make better listeners.