Name: Chocolate Avocado Muffins
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Yield: 6 Muffins
Ingredients: 1 ripe avocado; 2 eggs; 2 tablespoons maple syrup; 2 tablespoons granulated sweetener; 1 cup old-fashioned oats; 1 tablespoon unsweetened almond milk; 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

Matthew 6:6 (cev)

When you pray, go into a room alone and close the door. Pray to your Father in private. He knows what is done in private and will reward you.

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Sometimes it feels like prayer can be an obligation or a duty. It often feels like I’m talking to thin air, and I frequently wonder why I even show up. But when we read through this scripture, God’s giving us a promise that He’s there, and He’s actively listening.

Have you ever talked to someone who nods their head and gives the “mmhmms” at the appropriate times but isn’t really absorbing what you’re saying? Have you ever had an argument with your spouse over a conversation that you had, but they had no recollection of it? These things are the opposite of active listening.

Active listening is being engaged. It’s fully concentrating on and absorbing what’s being said instead of just passively hearing it. God doesn’t let our words slip through His fingers. They don’t go in one ear and out the other. He listens, and if we allow Him to, He engages with us.

But active listening isn’t just God’s responsibility, it’s also ours. While God listens to us regardless, we won’t get the most out of our conversations with Him until we learn to active listen as well. The scripture above promises that God will reward us for our private conversations and interactions with Him. But what if that reward doesn’t look like what we’ve been conditioned to believe is a reward? What if there isn’t a gold medal, a Publisher’s Clearing House check that’s delivered, or a steady stream of success in life? If we’re not actively listening to God, we might not be able to see and recognize the rewards He’s giving us.

Write

Spend some time thinking about the rewards that God has put in your life. Is it possible that they look different than you may have initially imagined?