…I am careful how I bring my emotion, or my experience, to the need at hand. I don't ignore them; but neither do I let them dictate what I am praying. Our testimonies of previous results are valuable, and they may come into play. But this is a very dynamic story we find ourselves in, and as we mature in prayer, let us be careful not to assume this situation is exactly the same as the one before. You will want to ask God what needs to be prayed.

Now, if I am having a hard time hearing God's voice, or being certain that I have heard, I will sometimes "try on" one answer, then the other. Still in a posture of quiet listening, I will add to my prayers, "Are you saying yes, Jesus? Are you saying you want us to go?" Pause. Listen. "Or are you saying no—you don't want us to go?" Often as we "try on" one answer or another, our spirit can feel the guidance of the Holy Spirit through a confirmation, or a strong sense of reservation.

Effective prayer is often like the felling of a great tree—it takes repeated blows.

You will find it hard to hear from God until you let go your rights and your agenda.

Prayer is such an intimate act, a place of vulnerability. It is, hopefully, when we are our least guarded, our most honest selves. And this is good, of course; this is as it ought to be. When we come to God, we certainly want to come as honestly and openly as we can; we want to be our truest selves before him. Prayer lets us be in a place of need.