The Ear of the King

There’s something innately intimidating about a king. Whether it’s Commodus from Gladiator or Kuzco from The Emperor’s New Groove, if Hollywood has taught us anything, it’s this: don’t get on the king’s bad side!

Why?

The king has unlimited power. He has unrivaled authority. He has unmatched reign. The king, in most of our minds, is an alpha-male megalomaniac whose only real concern is retaining his seat on the throne.

Imagine if you will, for a moment, that you’re a peasant and you receive a personal invitation to enter the royal hall of the castle for a private conversation with the king. You probably feel nervous, uneasy, maybe scared. After all, what could the king want with someone like you? You most likely look for your nicest clothes knowing you’ll be in the most privileged room in the kingdom. But then you glance at the invitation and read, “Come as you are.”

You walk towards the castle, meticulously planning out every word you’ll say so as not to misspeak and risk sounding ignorant. You assume your time will be brief since the king certainly has more important things to do than meet with you.

You wait for the drawbridge to lower and you cross it. You walk through the grand ballroom, astonished at the art and décor that adorns every wall. Finally, you approach the door of the royal hall where the throne is located. You’re told to go in, the king is waiting.

You open the door and enter.

You see the towering throne. It demands self-forgetfulness. You hesitantly move towards it and keep your head and eyes down to show respect. It takes you a moment to get from the door to the feet of the king.

When you finally arrive, you look up. Something unexpected has happened! As you drew near, the king descended from his throne to meet you. He is smiling. Genuinely happy to see you.

The king is different than you anticipated. He’s benevolent – not tyrannical.

He asks if you’d like to take a stroll through the garden. Confused, you nod in agreement.

As you walk through the botanical beauty, the king looks at you and asks, “My child, what would you like me to do for you? Tell me what’s been on your mind and heart.”

You’re completely taken aback. You weren’t expecting any of this. This is a king who delights in showing compassion and generosity towards his people - a king who simultaneously acts for his and your best interest.

What would you say if you had the undistracted ear of the king?

What would you ask for if you knew the king enjoyed listening to you?

You continue through the garden making your requests known to the king. The freer you feel in his presence the more your conversation ebbs and flows between thankfulness, adoration, and petition. In all this time he doesn’t get annoyed with you or bored by you. He’s not exhausted. He listens attentively to every word, carefully mining for the desires that propel each request.

The conversation ends and you are unsure who’s more grateful: you or the king. You turn to leave, but are stopped in your tracks by a parting question so unexpected it takes your breath away. The king asks you to come back. He says he’d love to visit every day. You can only smile in agreement, knowing you’ll be back soon.

You walk away from the king and for the first time ever you feel known. Fully known.

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The gift of prayer isn’t merely that God listens to us, it’s that He has given us a never-ending, arms-wide-open invitation to stroll with the King of kings through the garden daily. The King, even now, is offering you His ear. Why wouldn’t you take it?