My father learnt to speak the language of his community because his father spoke to him, and he talked to his father. My son learnt to speak the language of our family because I talked to him, and he to me. The more we spoke, the closer we became, as we quickly learned what pleased and even displeased each other. When my son was younger, he often blurted in a demanding tone what he wanted. This usually led to disappointment and frustration because although he spoke; what he wanted wasn’t always in his best interest. As he grew older, he knew that just saying what he wanted was not enough and that we needed to have a conversation to understand. He did not always get what he wanted but understood why not. Our conversations were essential to our growth. Today, when we speak about certain subjects, such as things affecting our lives, our words are grounded in mutual understanding. Over the years, we grew to value each other’s hearts, so when those conversations occur, we have a common starting point connected to our love for each other.
God speaks to us through the bible. When we read it, we can learn to speak as God does. We can learn about His nature, what He loves, how He responds to certain situations and what His desires are for us. Our Father has also taught us how to speak back to Him. He sent His Son, the Word, to us to show how His will can be done on earth as it is in heaven. With Jesus, we can see how Father and Son are connected through a love based on mutual respect.
Daily, we should talk with our heavenly Father about things close to our hearts: family, friends and neighbours. We should pray with a desire to know Him and ourselves, and when we pray, we should consider praying His words back to Him.