July 2021 | Prayer Beads & the Art of Listening

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​CF Pastor’s Pen July2021

Prayer Beads and the Art of Listening
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Recently a fellow Pastor gave me a set of prayer beads she had made for me to give away as a gift.  I have made these simple symbols and reminders for prayer for myself, but my friend uses beads made from wood from the holy land, and they are beautiful.  The protestant prayer beads are separated into four sets of seven to help the one praying remember to give thanks, ask for intercession, dwell on the attributes of God, and then to simply listen for God to speak to them.  Sometimes we forget to just be in silence and let God do the talking!  Its an age-old problem and one that plagues us still.  Having the beads in my hands reminds me to be still and know that God is in communion with me in the silence.

Hebrews 4:16  reminds us that we are to “…approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”  Knowing we can always approach God is a blessing, however, I have found that sometimes when we approach God we do so in a rather casual manner.  Although God wants us to spend time with him, we need to be cognizant that we are approaching the Lord of the universe when we go to God in prayer.  As a reminder of this fact, I found that the use of prayer beads can help me to organize my thoughts and come before the throne humble and in an attitude of awe knowing the power found within prayer.

Communication is always a two-way street, it is not a monologue.  God wants to hear from us, but God also has important information to share with us.  And so we are to listen and not just speak.  A wise woman once told me we only have one mouth with which to speak but we have two ears so we can listen twice as much as we talk!  Both are important, but I urge you to be in silence during part of your prayer life and let the Lord speak to your spirit.  If you have an opportunity to use prayer beads try them and be open to seeking the Lord in a more guided way, hearing his voice.  God’s blessings be with you.
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In gentleness and peace,
Pastor Sue