SA 14:18{SA 28:1{Are we not apt to think more of speaking to the King than of the King speaking to us? We come to the throne of grace with the glad and solemn purpose, "I will now speak unto the King." And we pour out our hearts before Him, and tell Him all the sins and all the needs, all the joys and all the sorrows, till the very telling seems almost an answer, because it brings such a sense of relief. It is very sweet, very comforting to do this. But this is only half-communion; and we miss, perhaps, a great deal of unknown blessing by being content with this one-sided audience. We should use another "now," and say, "Let my Lord the King now speak." We expect Him to speak some time, but not actually and literally "now," while we kneel before Him. And therefore we do not listen, and therefore we do not hear what He has to say to us. What about the last time we knelt in prayer? Surely He had more to say to us than we had to say to Him, and yet we never waited a minute to see! We did not give Him opportunity for His gracious response. We rushed away from our King's presence as soon as we had said our say, and vaguely expected Him to send His answers after us somehow and some time, but not there and then. What wonder if they have not yet reached us! The only wonder is that He ever speaks at all when we act thus.
Master, speak! Thy servant heareth, waiting for Thy gracious word,
Longing for Thy voice that cheereth; Master! let it now be heard.
I am listening, Lord, for Thee; what hast Thou to say to me?
Often through my heart is pealing many another voice than Thine,
Many an unwilled echo stealing from the walls of this Thy shrine:
Let Thy longed-for accents fall; Master, speak! and silence all.