You have probably heard the story of Charlie Frank and his elephant Neeta. Frank raised her from birth, training her to be a circus performer. When he retired he gave her to the San Diego Zoo. After 15 years of being separated, Frank visited Neeta. He was 100 yards away from her and he called to her and immediately she came to him and performed her old routines on his command!
The story of Neeta is a great illustration of the elephant's love for and intimacy with her trainer, her familiarity with his voice, and desire to obey his commands. In fact, it has a lot to teach us about our walk with Jesus, too
Listening to His Voice
Practically every Christian believes in prayer, but when we're honest, most of us would say that we're not very good at it.
But that can change! Most people practice their prayer as "talking to God." But God's Spirit longs to also teach us to listen as we pray. Whether you are alone, or leading a movement in your community, listening as you pray provides the opportunity to draw on the unique "DNA" God equipped you with when you became a Christian. And He wants to reveal to you His special plan for reaching and equipping teenagers where you live!
Jesus told His disciples that His sheep "hear His voice, and He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out…He goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice." (John 10:3-4)
The kind of prayer that can make a network take off is pretty simple: listen to God, and follow His voice. If you do, it could be one of the deepest, most exciting adventures you've ever experienced.
Next week, come back to learn about how a simple principle, "Three Lights for Listening," makes listening prayer intensely practical.