Does God think that I talk too much?

Does God think that I talk too much? Would He think that about you?

I admit that I like to talk. And since “prayer is talking to God”—atleast that’s what I’ve heard since I was a kid, I like to pray too.

If I have a worry, I talk to God.

If I’m stuck in a crisis, I talk to God.

If there is a petition high on my want list, I talk to God.

I’ll even talk to Him about your list of concerns.

And we can have some long “talks”–if a monologue counts. I can walk my route in the neighborhood and talk to him from the moment I step out the front door until the moment I return to my driveway. I can talk to him from the time I crank my car in the garage until the moment I crawl out of the driver’s seat at my destination. I can sit down in my rocking chair and talk to him until my coffee cup is empty. I can even talk to him at night instead of counting sheep.

I have talked to God enough in my lifetime that I hardly even need the Spirit to speak for me.  

Even though He promised His Spirit would intercede for me when I don’t know what I ought to pray (Romans 8:26-27), I usually know what I ought to say to Him. And I usually know how He ought to respond.

There have been seasons when I was speechless, and I know the Spirit interceded for me. But usually, I know what God needs to be aware of in my life.

Thankfully, God is merciful and He listens. My list of answered prayers is very long.

Lately, though, I’ve been thinking that He gave me His Spirit for a reason. His Spirit within me really does know better—I know, I’m a slow learner. Maybe I don’t really know what I ought to pray. I’m not the one who knows what would be best for my kids, my future, or even my day today.

Maybe I should pray more, but talk less.

I want to practice making my prayer time more than me “talking to God”. Hopefully I can let His Spirit within me help me in my weakness and intercede for me according to God’s will—not my will.

What about you? Do you talk too much? Does His Spirit have a chance to get a word in on your behalf?

Let’s pray more.

Talk less.

“…the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will.” Romans 8:26-27