A prayer arising from 1 King 19
God ever-new and ever-old,
Teach us to listen:
To listen with patience, when we want immediate answers;
To listen with openness to a new word, when we are more comfortable with the old;
To listen with deep respect to the roots of our faith, when we would prefer a new, flashy solution.
Teach us to hear your voice in stillness and silence, when we expect thunder and lightening,
To hear a renewed call to return, even when this means hard, incompatible work.
Teach us to listen, ultimately, with faithfulness, knowing that your voice can come in unexpected places, through unlikely people.
And, listening, give us courage to act.
Merryl Blair is Senior Lecturer in Old Testament at Stirling Theological College, Mulgrave, Australia
