TALK LESS! PRAY MORE! The Shield

"Every word of God is tested. He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him. Do not add to His words or He will reprove you and you will be proved a liar." Proverbs 30:5-6

"In addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. With all prayer and petition, pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints." Ephesians 6:16

"Is this going to be on the test?" Every teacher has heard these words uttered in their classroom. It often expresses a lack of interest in what is being said at the moment. It reveals an inclination to ignore the lesson completely unless there is a consequence for not paying attention. In other words, "Is this important? Is it necessary? Is it something I need to know? Is this going to come back and haunt me at a later date?" When asked if a particular person was a student in one of his classes. A professor replied,

"No. He is not one of my students. He just attends one of my classes." Dr. William Barclay

Ouch! I sometimes resemble that remark. How about you? Know doubt about it, The Word of God has been tested and tried. These two words desribe a process. Tested involves purification. It comes from jettisoning a trust in anyone else but God. Tried refers to proven confience that results when protection from God is provided. When people face their toughest tests in life, they discover that the Word of God can be trusted for the answers to the test. Purification comes from God knocking you out of you so He can fill you with Himself. Proof in His protection comes from having tried a number of disappointing substitutes before coming to the conviction that God is really who He says He is, and everyone else is lying. People who are satisified to be filled with themselves or the false promises of others never hunger and thirst for what God has prepared on the menu for them.

The truth of the Word of God does not always make the test any easier, but it leads a genuine student of the Word of God. Jesus is always the right answer to any test that comes our way. Passing the test does not always mean surviving the test, or eventually thriving from it. The test is meant to be passed. This means the student of the Word must trust his Teacher for the length and the outcome of the exam. If the test is before him, it must be necessary and it must be passed. When asked what he had learned from a prolonged, and painful illness that would eventually take his life, one great man of God replied:

"Tell them the last test is always the hardest." Allen Redpath

There are no short cuts or easy roads for the person God intends to prepare for a great work. Dependency upon the Word of God provides refuge from the fire of the enemy, but not an exemption from the battle. Refuge is often only sought after running out of supplies. Reaching a point of physical exhaustion or spiritual battle fatigue leads a person to then end of themselves and the beginning of God. As long as a person feels adequate for the mission, they are tempted to believe they are equipped for it. Receiving new power for God's work comes from seeking greater protection from His Shield. This learning curve of preparation is not painless or void of fear. It comes from consistent companionship with The Champion, Jesus Christ, and it involves the fellowship of His suffering.

"For God to use a man greatly, He must hurt a man deeply." A.W. Tozer

The shield of faith provides protection from the flaming arrows of the enemy. Fear tempts a warrior to run in spite of having been ordered to stand and face the enemy. When the smell of the burning tar reaches his nostrils, and the screams of the wounded fill his ears, the warrior begins to doubt what he knows to be true.

Paul challenged the Church at Ephesus three times to stand firm and reminded them to pray at all times in the Spirit. He knew then what we know now. Prayer raises The Shield of The Champion to protect us while we shove The Sword of The Spirit down the throat of the enemy. Prayer silences the voice that questions the integrity of God's Word.

Prayer fuels faith. Talk feeds fear. Talking about a crisis takes our eyes off of The Champion, removes us from behind The Shield of protection, and fans the flames of the enemy. When the enemy hears believers talking themselves into fear it raised their morale, and encourages them to pour it on. Prayer turns our fear into faith, and drives the enemy to fear.

"The one concern of the devil is to keep Christians from praying. He fears nothing from prayerless work, prayerless studies or prayerless religion. He laughs at our toil, mocks at our wisdom, but he trembles when we pray." Samuel Chadwick

Prayer draws us closer to the protection of The Champion's shield of refuge. Running to Jesus is how the warrior is able to stand firm in the face of the enemy's fiercest attack. Running away from the battle line leaves the warrior unprotected and vulnerable to the worst attack the enemy has to throw against him. The choice is between running away and running to pray. Choose wisely. TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

TALK LESS! PRAY MORE! The Summit

"I will lift up my eyes unto the hills. Where will my help come from? My help comes from the Lord." Psalm 121:1

In August of 1973, I climbed Mount Kilimanjaro with a team of thirteen other people. Our two Tanzanian guides led us on a five day journey that would cover 85 miles and reach an elevation of 19,700 feet at Uhuru Peak. The first three days covered rolling foothills, rainforest, alpine meadows, high sierras, and the dusty saddle between Mt. Mawenzi and Kili. After three days, we found ourselves at 17,500 feet elevation at the base of "The Scree." This steep slope of fine, grey, sandy, volcanic ash created a formidable barrier between us and The Summit.

We were resting in crude shelters trying to rest up for the final ascent. The climb would begin at Midnight and take approximately eight hours to cover the last 2,000 feet. It would be a long cold night. Sleep was hard to come by, and food made us nauseous. Altitude sickness added to the sense of foreboding. We felt pretty bad right where we were, and were not looking forward to what was ahead.

We had a team meeting. We were now down to thirteen. One of our party had been escorted down the mountain due to oxygen deprivation. This meant we had one guide left. We could not make the climb without a trained, professional mountaineer. He was certified to take us to the top. He was the only one who had been to the summit, and he alone knew the way there and back. If anyone else had to turn back, the climb was over. We had come a long way. We were close, but we were still far away. One of our team had unsuccessfully attempted to make the climb on two other ocassions. She had made it this far, only to be turned back by sickness somewhere between The Scree and The Summit. We pledged to her, and to one another that we would all make it. It was a simple statement. There was no drama in saying it, but there would be trauma in keeping it.

We headed up the mountain in a slow, measured pace that traversed The Scree in a zig zag pattern of steps that seemed slower than necessary. We became impatient and critical of the guide's patient plodding. We were ready to get on with it. He knew more about the next few hours than we could understand at that moment in time. We would become quick learners. As the slope grew steeper, our pace grew even slower. The dust from the ash coated our tongues, and dried out our mouths. When we reached for our canteens, we found the water frozen by the drop in temperature we were encountering. Thirst would soon become a huge issue. The darkness made the climb seem endless. It became an intimidating series of steps that were three paces forward, and two paces back. We were almost walking in place. Progress was slow, and our lack of depth perception gave us no markers to help us gain our bearings. We were in the hands of the guide.

At one point, we came to a frozen spring seeping through the rock wall, and we broke off ice-cycles to try and suck some water out of them. It stuck to our lips and tore at our flesh. It was frustrating to be so close to water, and not be able to get life from it. We moved on into the night. Halfway through the night, our legs and our lungs were on fire, but our hands and our feet were freezing. We had two members of the team experience servere reactions to the lack of oxygen. One collapsed and the other started moving down the mountain. I had to tackle the one who had reversed course, and drag him on my back, until we regained our ground. The guide said that if anyone else tried to leave, he was taking us all down the mountain. Four of us began to trade off carrying the two sick team members up the mountain. Literally, we took two steps and collapsed. Then we passed them on to the other. It was a rotating, passing of a heavy baton for the next four hours. I thought my lungs would explode.

By dawn, we arrived at the lower summit, and saw the sun rise up out of the clouds. We were all very near the highest peak on the continent of Africa. However, there was still more ahead for six of us who pushed on to The Summit. It was only another 500 feet, but by the time we crossed the soft snow and melting ice of the glacier, we arrived at Uhuru Peak four hours later. This meant, we had time to take a picture, and write a message in the log book, and then leave before the snow storm that was heading our way socked us in. I wrote the verse of Scripture that I quoted at the top of this blog. I did one more thing. I promised myself that I would never scratch the itch to come back to this spot on the earth.

When we made our way down The Scree, it took minues as opposed to hours. What was once a night filled with gasping for air and grasping for a foothold, was now filled with laughter and joy. What took eight hours to climb took less than an hour to descend. Gravity was our new best friend. When we arrived at the base of The Scree we were ravenous. We had not eaten the night before, and we had expended a huge amount of energy. We didn't count calories. We shoved everything edible into our mouths and washed it down with ice cold water. A group of Dutch Air Force climbers were observing us as we gorged ourselves. They had just arrived at this level of elevation, and I remember their faces were a serious shade of green. They all suffered from the nausea of oxygen deprivation, and could not comprehend our behavior. How could they? They had not been to the summit. We had been to a place in our lives that had made a profound difference in our ability to cope with conditions that had once been a major obstacle to us. We had returned to the same location, but we had a different perspective. We were able to overcome the obtacles down below, because we had been to The Summit. We did not have the capacity to live at The Summit. The climb had been part of the journey to prepare us for The Summit. The Summit had prepared us live life with a greater degree of joy in the face of people who could not comprehend where we had been. Even though we had to return to a lower elevation we were experiencing a higher standard of living.

This week of ReFesh at Sherwood Baptist Church in Albany, Georgia has reminded me of that week on Mount Kilimanjaro. The climb up Kili did not prepare us to be planted permanently at The Summit, but it equipped us to handle life in the valley in ways that once seemed inconceivable to us and to others. ReFresh is a great opportunity to meet with Jesus. I am so glad that God has sustained the vision for this conference in the heart of Michael Catt, and the sweet people of Sherwood. Since 2003, I have always looked forward to it as a time to gain a higher perspective and prepare for a restorationof power for life in the valley.

When I leave the city limits of Albany, I do not leave my Guide behind. The climb to The Summit of Refresh is not the ultimate goal of the conference for me. It is all about reconnecting with my Guide. Jesus guided the couple on the Road to Emmaus back from the intimidating hill of Calvary and gave them a new perspective as they made their way home. Jesus said on the cross, "It is finished." On the Road to Emmaus, The Risen Christ interrupted two despondent people gasping for breath and grasping for a foot hold on a slippery slope of dispair. They had talked themselves senseless, when He showed up, and asked them what they were talking about. In anger, Cleopas snapped saracastically, "Are you the only one who doesn't know about the things that have been happening around here." Jesus responded graciously, "WHAT THINGS?" He interrupted their independent lecture series and turned it into a converstation with Him. The more He shared with them, the greater their heart burned for more of Him. He did so by responding to their invitation to stay with them.

Jesus always responds to the invitation, "Stay with us!" He always has more to share with us. When we are willing to let Him make sense out of the senseless, the valley experiences are enriched and impacted by what He teaches us at The Summit. My prayer for those who attended ReFresh 2011 is for their heart's cry to be "STAY WITH US!" As we return to the valley, there is no need to leave the guiding hand of Jesus. He has so much more to share with us. What He finished on the cross has just begun to be shared with those around us. If you pass me on the road, honk if you have learned to TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

Thanks Michael!

Gary Miller and Dana L. Miller, TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

3717 Mossbrook Drive FTW, TX 76244

gmillerlight@gmail.com Twitter@garydonmiller

TALK LESS! PRAY MORE! The Distance

"The Lord is far from the wicked, but He hears the prayers of the righteous." Proverbs 15:29

"If I could hear Christ praying for me, I would not fear a million enemies. But the distance makes no difference. He is praying for me." Robert Murray M'Cheyne

This morning I woke up with the sobering realization that this is the last day I will have my little family of four under the same roof, and under the same name. My wife and daughters are fast asleep for a little while longer. Hopefully, changing the battery in one of the chirping smoke detectors will help them rest without any further interupptions.

Tonight we go to a rehearsal to prepare for the wedding of our first born, Ashley. She will spend tonight with us for the last time as a Miller. She will change her name to Warren on Friday night, and it comes as no surprise that she won't be living under my roof or under my name any longer. This is a great day for her and a sad day for me all rolled into one. Don't ask me to explain it. I can't. It must be a Dad thing.

There have been so many "last minute" things to do to prepare for the wedding rehearsal and dinner, that the final hours are coming at me with the speed of light. There has been the moving of our daughters from their apartment to our home. We transferred Ashley's furniture over to her fiancee's home, and painted bedrooms, bathrooms and kitchen. Allyson downsized and moved in with us for a few months. She needed time to let the dust settle after serving as Maid of Honor, taking on a new job, and graduating with her Master's Degree in Leadership from Dallas Baptist University. Her move-in meant a move for me too. My upstairs office had to be reduced and relocated downstairs. I sifted through my shelves and culled out, gave away or reboxed my books for storage in the garage. Did I tell you this has been the hottest summer on record in Texas? We have chosen to do the craziest of things in the hottest of times.

There are family and friends gathering, from all over the country. Some are on the road, and expected momentarily. Others are heading to the airports and their ETA's are in God's hands. We are anticipating a houseful in a few short hours. There will be a wedding rehearsal at the church and a dinner at a restaurant tonight. Dana will host a Bridesmaid's Brunch in our home on Friday morning, and then it will be time to head to the church to decorate and prepare for the wedding at 7:00 P.M.

It doesn't take much of a prophet to foresee that solitude to reflect on this day in such a concentrated space and tight time frame will be hard to come by. These early morning hours are quiet enough now for God to give me a little peace of His mind. I'm going to take advantage of his availability while everyone else is sleeping.

Father, thank you for placing Ashley into my life. She has been an answer to my prayers and the deepest longing of my heart. As a young husband, I recall the season of my life when you placed in me a hunger to be a Daddy. It was a new feeling for me. I had never experienced anything like it.

When Dana and I discovered she was expecting, it was a great day in our lives. We couldn't wait to share the good news with everyone we knew. We will always be grateful for those folks at First Baptist Church of Broken Arrow, Oklahoma who prepared such a soft landing zone for Ashley. When they discovered that the church's health insurance plan did not cover pregnancy, they put together a party and raised up a "Money Tree." When we picked the fruit, we had $2,500.00 to pay for the hospital and medical bills. God, you have such a great and generous family. Thank you for letting us be a part of it all these years.

Ashley, you have been loved by some of the finest people God ever made. You may not remember their names, but just the same, never forget them. They have not forgotten you. I am so glad that you arrived in my life on December 6, 1979. I will never forget what Sharon Ross said to me that day. She was standing next to me at the window of the hospital nursery. You were only a few hours old, but already such a beautiful little girl. I was trying to take it all in when she said, "That is a little blank slate, and you can write on it anything that you want." I almost passed out with fear. I had never felt so indadequte for task in all my life. I still do. Being your Daddy has been one of the greatest joys of my life. Trainng up a child in the way she should go has brought me to the end of myself so many times. Often I felt unprepared for the calling, and I called out to God on your behalf for Him to do for you what I could not do. I believe my prayers have been heard. You are an amazing work of His grace and His handprints are all over your life. Thank you for listening to God when I did not know what to do.

My heart has ached for you to know the love, the companionship and the completion that comes to a person when God brings a mate into their life. Truly, Dana has been God's perfect gift to me. I have prayed that your marriage partner's heart would be stamped with the same undeniable impression, "MADE IN HEAVEN." Again, my prayers have been heard. Receive Brent as God's perfect gift to you. God picked him. God prepared him. You prayed for him. Don't stop. "No complaints. No exchanges. All sales final." THE MANAGMENT.

Back in December 0f 2010, you were facing another birthday, and you could not see what God had in store for you. You needed hope. I felt strongly impressed to buy your wedding dress for you as a statement of faith in God's plan for your life. In days of old, young ladies would prepare for their wedding day, and marriage by setting precious items, momentos, or clothing in a hope chest. I felt you needed to place your hope in God, and prepare for this day with a sense of expectation and joy. It was my joy to take you out and buy your wedding dress before God revealed His choice of your husband. I loved seeing your face light up with the idea that God was up to something in your life. Never forget that you are always on His mind, and He is always planning how to place the gift of His grace in some new package just for you.

God's delay does not always mean His denial. It may mean that He is doing such a great work that He wants to complete His finishing touches on His gift. He loves to see the look on His child's face when He exceeds their expectations. You might recall, the night I shared with you about my sense of urgency for your dress, I was scheduled to have coffee with Brent at the Starbuck's in Southlake Town Center. He and I spent the evening catching up on what had been going on in his life. In a few weeks, he was asking my permission to step into your life, and ask you into his. The rest of your love story has yet to be written, but I really like the intro.

Ashley, I have always enjoyed our morning times together. Since you were a little girl in second grade in Borger, Texas, we have been going out on breakfast dates together. I was so glad when the day came that we moved from Burger King to McDonalds. Then we graduated to I-HOP, and a real breakfast menu. Recently you have shared your love for Starbuck's with me. So, today Starbuck's it is. I look forward to our last cup of coffee with Miss Miller, but I am looking forward to many more with the lovely Mrs. Warren.

Remember that your Heavenly Father is only a prayer away. Keep Him on speed dial. He has a great long distance plan. I am on call too, and always will be proud to be called...

Your Daddy.

TALK LESS! PRAY MORE! The Wedding

"On the third day there was a wedding...and both Jesus and His disciples were invited to the wedding." John 2:1-2

"Whatever He says to you, do it." John 2:5

"Fill the waterpots with water. Draw some out now..." John 2:7-8

In just a few days our daughter, Ashley, will marry her fiancee, Brent Warren. Today is the 12th, and on the 15th we head to the rehearsal. Three days to go. So much to do. So little time.

I have been in my share of weddings, and conducted hundreds of them. This is not my first rodeo, but I feel strangely unprepared for the occasion. It is different from anything I have ever done before.

Don't get me wrong. I couldn't be happier for them. They are in love, and their story is one for the ages. God made them for each other, and He has put them together. God has begun something in their lives, and He has promised to complete it in them. Marriage has always been God's plan for turning two people into one, and Ashley and Brent are ready for the next step.

Dana and I have prayed for Ashley to find God's man, and to be patient enough to give Him the elbow room and the time to prepare a husband for her. I have seen God work in Brent's life. I saw God call him into the ministry when he was a college student. I was there when he was ordained to the ministry. For over 20 years I have watched God develop him into the kind of man He uses. Humble. Available. Teachable. Moldable. Dependable. Expendable.

Dana has prayed for Ashley's husband and for this day with an intense fervor long before she was born. Dana carried the significance of this day in her heart while carrying Ashley in her womb. When Dana was diagnosed with Stage 2 breast cancer in March of 2008, she determined to do everything in her power to be a part of this special occasion. She prayed with more power and greater passion than I had ever seen. She asked to be granted God's favor for healing, so she would have the privilege of taking part in her daughter's wedding day. Her prayers were answered. Mine too. This is a big deal.

Any Dad who has ever viewed the Steve Martin version of "The Father of Bride" can remember the scene where he hears his daugher's unexpected engagement announcement. He hears her, but cannot process what she is saying. He can only "see" her sitting across the table from him as as his little girl. It is a great scene, and based on more fact than fiction. I can relate to Dad's who have a tough time letting their little ones grow up. This is a big deal too!

Back to The Wedding. I am meeting with Ashley and Brent tomorrow to go over the final details of the wedding ceremony. Father's of the Bride and Ministers conducting the wedding have one thing in common. They come at the end of everything else. Rings - check. Counseling - check. Church - check. Invitations printed-check. Invitations addressed -check. Invitations mailed - check. DJ- check. Music - check. Flowers - check. Decorate- check. Photographer-check. Cake-check. Food-check. Beverage- check. License- check. Minister - oops! It happens all the time, but I have learned over the years, it always pays to have the last word.

I love the fact that marriage was God's idea. This is what I love the most about Ashley and Brent's wedding. God put them together, and they have invited Jesus to take part in their great day. They are following in a grand and glorious tradition of couples who expect the Son of God to show up at their wedding, and do something in their lives that only He can get credit for. The couple at the wedding in Cana made sure that Jesus was invited. To their great joy, he decided to show up. Note to any future wedding planners out there: Jesus shows up where He is invtied. The Bible records the first miracle of Jesus, the turning of water into wine. It may not have been his first miracle, because His mother, Mary, said to the servants,

"Whatever He says to you, do it."

Mary seemed to be aware of the potential of something special breaking loose any time her son took hold of what others couldn't handle. Mom's are like that. They are special ladies who always seem to have a sense that God is on the move in the lives of their children. The wise mother doesn't panic when life overwhelms their kids, they pray and point them to Jesus.

"Whatever He says to you, do it." What great advice! Ashley and Brent, I cannot improve on this. I believe no less of a miracle takes place every time a couple invites Jesus to take what they give Him, and do something with it that only He can get credit for. You are both called, anointed and accomplished servants of God. He has done great things through you individually. It is only the beginning of what He has had in mind to do through you as a couple. Don't forget the lesson of the couple in Cana. They invited Jesus to show up at the beginning. When their challenge was put in His hands, He orchestrated a happy ending. Coming to the end of yourselves is the best preparation for receiving from Jesus what He wants to do for and through you.

Ashley: Thank you for being patient with me, and allowing me to discover the joy of being a father to a precious little girl who has become a woman of God. I am so proud of you, and always feel a little taller when I am introduced as Ashley's Daddy. I will always be there for you. I have passed my sword of protection to your warrior husband to stand by your side. I have kept my shield, and I will hold it over you both as you take your stand as husband and wife next to your Champion, Jesus.

Brent: Thank you for allowing God to work in your life. Continue to yield to His will for your lives as Ashley's husband. Run to Jesus and let Him walk you both through every trial, test, tear and triumph. Take this sword from my hand and protect my daughter with your life. She is worth fighting with and fighting for. She is an amazing woman, and I am grateful that you receive her as God perfect gift to you.

Well nuff said. Time for me to take my own advice and TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

Gary Miller, TALK LESS! PRAY MORE! Ministries: C/O The Whitefield Project 3717 Mossbrook Drive FTW, TX 76244 gmillerlight@gmail.com Twitter@garydonmiller

TALK LESS! PRAY MORE! The Wise

"Reprove a wise man and he will love you. Give instruction to a wise man and he will be still wiser. Teach a righteous man and he will increase his learning. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom." Proverbs 9:8-10

God is reachable. Prayer makes that possible. The Wise are teachable. Humility makes that possible. The distance between reachable and teachable is only as far away as a teachable spirit. People who know it all are very common, and so are their first cousins... The Fools. The Wise cultivate a heart that is open to receive the seed of God's Word. They allow it to take root until it bears the fruit of His character, and they are able to reap a harvest of His wisdom.

The wisdom literature of Proverbs points out that success in life is a result of meeting God at the juntion of the vertical and the horizontal. Being rightly related to Him holds the key to being rightly related to others. Self-absorbed people blasting through life politely ignoring God end up running over others who get in their way. When someone gets the idea that God is merely a speed bump on their road to success, they do not mind crashing through a crowded crosswalk filled with ordinary people.

"The beginning of wisdom is to call things by their right name." Author Unknown

Prideful people are prayerless people. There I said it. Calling pride by the right name leaves some hope for putting it where it belongs. It must be kicked to the curb or it will constantly try to get in the driver's seat. Prayerless people have great difficulty yielding the steering wheel to God and allowing Him to be in control of their lives. They have grown accustomed to being large and in charge. They don't know where they are going, but they are making great time. Racing everywhere they go, running on fumes, and terrorizing anyone who gets in their way, they seldom stop and ask God for directions. The last words out of their mouth as they crash through the last barricade and plummet over the cliff is, "Jesus Take the Wheel!" It is little wonder that the writer of Proverbs saw this coming from a long way off.

"The wise at heart will receive commands, but a babbling fool will be ruined (thrust down)." Proverbs 10:8

My first born, Ashley, opened up a Twitter account for me. She has introduced me to the sound byte world of Tweeting. I love the gentle reminder that flashes on the screen, when I have used more than my 140 characters to Tweet my message to the waiting world. It is profound to be told by an unseen monitor of the account that I must be more clever. WOW. That is a nice way of saying, "You twit!" It gives me pause, causing me to distill my thinking into less expansive prose or write in unintelligible text-speak. U No Wht I mn?

A recent study of the Hebrew word, "wisdom" led me to "Hebrew for Christians." Thanks to John J. Parsons I learned that the Hebrews defined wisdom (khohkh-mah) as a noun that meant wisdom or cleverness. They thought of the wise man (khah-kahm) as one who was prudent and clever. The Hebrews believed that the sage advice of a person who was wise at heart came from walking circumspectly. This describes someone who had lived a life clever enough recognize what they had learned was a landmine, and to see the wisdom in walking around it rather than stepping on it. They did not yearn to personally experience the trauma and drama of an explosion. They chose to learn, not to yearn. I was reminded by Parsons that the "wise" are "clever." I couldn't agree more. I think the person who had a hand in setting up the automatic warning on my Twitter account might agree with him too. Less is more. Be brief. Be clever. Be safe. Be quiet.

"A babbling fool will be ruined (thrust down)." What a statement! It makes a strong case for keeping one's proverbial pie hole shut. Clever people are those who learn to listen to the one in authority. A fool yearns for the sound of his own voice. Go figure. Clever people learn to pray through a crisis. The Fool yearns to talk his way out of it.

The writers of Proverbs would feel right at home on a Twitter account. Very few of the statements made in the thirty-one chapters of this book would violate "The 140 Rule." The prose, parallelisms, and poetry of Proverbs are brief, to the point and packed with wise counsel.

The clever person will learn to pray. They hear and obey God's voice. The Fool debates with God and delays obedience to His counsel. The Wise learn to listen. The Fool yearns to speak. The clever learn. The foolish yearn. One humbly places themselves under authority and listens for marching orders. The other grabs the command seat, and starts giving directions. Humility leads a clever person to realize that there is no need to experiment with every disastrous decision in life. The humble do not yearn to use their lives as a test lab or their bodies as a crash dummy to prove God wrong. Through prayer they yield to His perspective, His principles, and His Person. They are wise because they have learned to listen. They have heard God's voice, and have come to trust His direction, protection and correction. They are clever because they have come to the end of themselves, and the beginning of God. They are not whipped down, stripped down versions of what God had in mind for their lives. Through prayer they have learned to rest in God's best for them. Through prayer they turn their eyes towards Jesus, and away from themselves as their center of attention and center of gravity. Prayerless people are prideful people focusing only on themselves and their own solutions.

"Humility is not thinking less of yourself, but thinking of yourself less." C.S. Lewis

The Wise lead the way to the next great spiritual awakening. It will begin in the Church, and it will be a result of the obedience of Christ followers to the commands of Jesus. He described what He was looking for from His Church as a First Love Awakening. Jesus called His Church to remember that leaving Him and serving Him are not compatible concepts. Lack of intimacy with Him reveals a corrupted character that must be corrected. The Wise hear and obey. They learn to TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

"He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches." Revelation 2:7

Gary Miller, TALK LESS! PRAY MORE! Ministries

C/O The Whitefield Project

3717 Mossbrook Drive

Fort Worth, TX 76244

gmillerlight@gmail.com

Twitter@garydonmiller

TALK LESS! PRAY MORE! The Condition

"There are six things which the Lord hates, yes, seven which are an abomination to Him. Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that run rapidly to evil, a false witness who utters lies, and one who spreads strife among brothers." Proverbs 6: 16-19

Proverbs reveals the heart of God. It serves as a Leadership Training Manual for the young princes, governors, rabbis, and judges of Israel. God's character takes shape as each chapter unfolds more and more about His will and His way for His people. Perhaps the most succinct synopsis of what He holds dear is the revelation of the things he hates the most. Reading it is like taking part in an autopsy of The Fool. All the body parts are identified, and the cause of death is catalogued. It leaves even the casual observer with an inclination to hold his breath, as the stench in God's nostrils begins to reach his own. The list is short, but it is long enough to cause the reader to hope for it to end sooner than later.

The point is clear for the future leaders of the land. Love who God loves, and hate what God hates. Don't change the price tags of His value system. The currency of the realm is God's character, and He is the bank you go to get what you need. The Wise hear and obey God. The Fool ingores God, takes his own counsel and makes up the rules as he goes along.

Prayer brokers a heart exchange between you and God. When you pray, you come to God with your heart, but you leave with His heart. Rushed and harried as people are by the cares of their lives, they seldom spend enough time in God's Presence to receive what He has for them. They have such tight grip on their "Whine List" that they forget to leave it with Him and refuse to take hold of what God wants to give to them. Putting God on speed dial for a quick solution to a long standing problem in your life seldom transforms your restless heart into a peaceful one. Receiving God's heart requires you too pray long enough until God completes the transplant. God is not done with you until you have His heart in you.

The only condition of Paradise was obedience to God's commands. From the very beginning of His relationship with man, "The Lord God commanded the man." Genesis 2:16. Intimate communication is based on obedience of the child to the Father's command. "Prayer is intimate communication between the Heavenly Father and His child." Don Miller, Bible Based Ministries

"In the beginning" God ordained obedience to Him as the basis upon which His favor is found and His blessing is received.
Hearing the voice of God and obeying what He says to do are one in the same thing in the mind of God. The Hebrew language places equal importance on hearing and obeying, by utilizing the same word for both. The Hebrews understood that to hear God was to obey God. Hearing God speak was not a matter of receiving information or increasing intelligence. It required a response. The only condition to an unbroken relationship between God and man was immediate, complete, and absolute obedience. Disobedience to God resulted in Paradise Lost. There will be no semblance of Paradise regained by cultivating a deaf ear and a rebellious spirit to the commands of God. "The Father in heaven asks, and requires, and actually expects, that every child of His yield Him whole-hearted and entire obedience, day by day and all the day." Andrew Murray, "The School of Obedience," 1898

Obedience to the commands of God is the condition upon which Paradise is regained. God provides a way for His disobedient children to get back in touch with Him. The whole redemption of Christ restores obedience to its place of honor. The call to spiritual awakening at this time in the life of The Church is an invitation of The Spirit of God to restore what has been lost.

When Jesus confronted the Church at Ephesus, He challenged them to return to their First Love. His call to them was not for renewed effort, but restored intimacy. Obedience to His call has always required a response. Can you hear Him praying for you? He lives to intercede for His followers. Respond in kind. Through prayer make your voice familiar in Heaven. Prayer enables you to take your disobedient heart and place it in the hands of Jesus. The Son intercedes for you with the Father, and The Spirit transplants God's heart in you.

Prayer is a heart exchange. It transforms you into an obedient child of God who loves who He loves and hates what He hates. TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

Gary Miller, Founder and Executive Director
TALK LESS! PRAY MORE! Ministries
c/o The Whitefield Project
3717 Mossbrook Drive
FTW, TX 76244
gmillerlight@gmail.com
Twitter@garydonmiller

TALK LESS! PRAY MORE! The Watch

"For the ways of man are before the eyes of the Lord, and He watches all his paths." Proverbs 5:21

One of the discoveries a new father makes is the joy it brings to their child to call out, "Daddy, Daddy, Daddy...Watch me!" The most important thing for my two little daughters was the need to verify that Daddy was watching them. Every time they attempted to repeat something they had just learned to do, or if they were about to enter into a new adventure, they would call out, "DADDY! WATCH ME!" It still brings a smile to my face when I recall those times when it meant the world to them to have their Daddy's eyes on them. It still means the world to me, and now from the predawn hours, until I call it a day, I am still watching over them whether they know it or not. Some things never change.

Dads know a child can be relentless in the pursuit of their undivided attention. It is not enough for them to know that they are being heard. There must be eye-contact. There must be acknowledment. It is hugely important that their call is heard, but then in addition to this, they MUST be seen. Children have been known to drive their fathers to exasperation with the constant, repeating of and ramping up of the attention-getting cry, "Daddy. Daddy. Daddy. Daddy. Daddy? Daddy? Daddy? DADdy! DADdy! DADdy! DADDEE! DADDEE! DADDEE!" The call of the child is for the father of the child to make eye-contact with their own child to assure the child that their words are being heard and their presence in acknowledged. No other Daddy will do. Their call is directed to the one who they want to impress the most.

Being heard and being seen are evidently HUGELY important to little girls. I can remember times when my girls would call out to me while I was on the phone, in the middle of another conversation, or watching a particularly exciting sports program on TV. I would ignore their cry for a while, knowing deep down inside that it was futile to do so. When I just couldn't stand it any longer, I would blurt out, "Why don't you just go ahead and ask the question?! Why do I have to be watching you when you say it?" For them, it was more about eye-contact with me than the answer they got from me. What they were looking for was a sense of my presence and interest in their life. If they wanted a really good answer, they were smart enough to know they could go ask their mother. What they wanted was time with me.

Note to fathers of little girls: Your daughters get their sense of self-worth and self-esteem from you. Don't make them vulnerable to the schemes of others who are willing to give time to them to get what they want from them. Give yourself to your little ones. Make time for them in your life. Let them know that they are important to you. I will yield to the parents of little boys to speak on the possiblity of any similarities.

The message of Proverbs reminds us that the Father is always watching over His children. He is aware of the choices made and the paths taken by His children. This is not meant as a threat to His children, but an invitation to seek His direction, protection and correction. The Wise child of God will never tire of running into their Father's Presence and calling out, "Watch me!" The Fool hides behind their own "I" problem and refuses to make eye-contact with their Father. They are deluded into believing that God cannot see what they are up to if they don't put it before Him. Prayer becomes harder and harder for them the longer they postpone coming into His Presence willingly. The Wise know that nothing is hidden from God. They have learned that any degree of separation from the path He has chosen for them is best corrected by immediate admission to Him and themselves that they are off course. Prayer promptly intitates immediate obedience and avoids the accumulative error that separates children from the awareness of their Father's watchful eye.

Prayer makes eye-contact with your Father. It brings joy to His heart to have His children cry out to him, "Watch me!" Two things break your Father's heart, rebellion and repentance. When a child separates himself from the love of their Father it is because of the "I" problem. Whenever you find sIn in your life, you will find "I" right in the middle of it. Children with an "I" problem need to run into the Presence of their Father more than ever, and call out, "Watch me!" Prayer is practicing the Presence of the Father, and it leads a child to a new level of confidence in His desire to listen and look at them with love in His eyes for them.

Don't make excuses for your "I" problem. Talking about your separation from the Father only prolongs the degree and lengthens your distance from Him. Praying puts the turnaround into motion. Prayer enables you to face your Father, and make eye-contact with the one who was watching you all the time you thought you were on your own. Trade your "I will" for
"Thy will" today. TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

Gary Miller, TALK LESS! PRAY MORE! Ministries

C/O The Whitefield Project

3717 Mossbrook Drive
FTW, TX 76244

gmillerlight@gmail.com
Twitter@garydonmiller