The Empty Chair

shoutout to Allec Gomes for the pic!

I remember a pastor telling me once that there are four parts to prayer:

1. We speak.

2. God listens.

3. God speaks.

4. We listen.

If you’re anything like me, it’s those last two that regularly present the greatest challenge.

Number one? I’m a talker. And when I’m spending time with Someone who is a phenomenal listener and loves me dearly, you better believe I have things I want to talk about—especially when you throw in the fact that I’m kind of walking through some things right now.

Number two? I’m still human. And despite the many times God has communicated with me, I still have to fight through occasional resistance to believe that the Creator of the universe has things He wants to talk to me about today.

This is where Bob Beaudine’s book, 2 Chairs: The Secret That Changes Everything, has been so helpful to me—and I haven’t even finished it yet.

To be honest, I’m not a huge fan of the title. I feel like it makes the book sound a little cheesy, which hasn’t been my experience at all. The concepts introduced in 2 Chairs aren’t some big secret. In fact, many of them are fairly common within Christianity. But the way Beaudine simplifies and helps you implement those concepts is where the brilliance lies—and it’s why the book has been so helpful to me.

I’ll share more as I learn more, but the basic concept of the book is both simple and profound. And it goes back to those four components of prayer I mentioned earlier—especially parts three and four.

Beaudine suggests setting up two chairs: one for you and one for Jesus.

You sit down at an ideal time and get comfortable. For me, that absolutely includes a delicious cup of coffee first thing in the morning.

And then, you talk.

But you also listen.

Beaudine suggests spending more time listening than speaking, though this isn’t about becoming legalistic. I’ve implemented the practice over the last two days, and what has been especially helpful to me is the visual reminder of the other chair.

I know God is with me all the time. But something about the combination of intentionally setting aside the time and having that other chair remind me that God is with me in the room has made prayer feel more conversational.

I want to thank my Aunt Cheryl and Uncle Johnny for introducing me to this book. And I have a few simple suggestions for you:

1. Pick up the book.

2. Give the practice at least a solid week.

3. See what happens.

As Beaudine points out, God knows your story and your situation. Nothing is too hard for Him, and He has a great plan for your life.

If you really look at prayer through that lens, what in the world would hold you back?