As I grow in age and experience, I’ve become more aware that rash and wounding words often emerge from the lips of those who are unsure of their belonging.
Our voices are a force. They determine our future and they reveal our hearts (see Luke 6:45). Our words may sound simple, but they elicit every emotion—from tears to laughter and fear to faith. Your voice has the power to set the world on fire (James 3:5), and it is needed in this hour like never before.
So how do we use our voices for good? How do we ditch sounding like an echo and instead learn to wield these weapons with grace and love?
I propose that your voice can be found anew, sharpened, and reignited with purpose when it is consistently raised where belonging is always assured.
What if we train and discover the sound of our unique tone in the safe space of prayer as we talk to the one voice we will never be ashamed to mirror? The story of the Syrophoenician woman, found in Matthew 15:21–28 and Mark 7:24–30, is a road map to follow as we consider what it means to raise our voices in the presence of Jesus. Her example of bringing both petitions and praise while facing down her own insecurities motivates me to remember that our words (even the less than pretty ones) are always welcomed in the presence of Jesus. Let’s learn from this brazen woman.
First, I want you to make note that she encountered Jesus on a day when Scripture says, “He didn’t want anyone to know which house he was staying in” (Mark 7:24). Jesus wanted a day off (I’m assuming), but as soon as this woman heard He was in town, she ran into His presence, shouting and bowing at His feet. Her request was not for herself but for her daughter, who was possessed by a demon. She wanted her precious girl set free.
With courage and desperation, this woman comes right up to the table where Jesus is reclining. Culturally, her appearance at Jesus’s table was inappropriate on many levels. She was a Gentile, she was a woman, and her daughter was oppressed by a demon, so she did not belong. The disciples nag at Jesus—“Tell her to go away . . . she is bothering us” (Matthew 15:23), and yet she presses in and takes a posture of humility.
She crawls to the table with one focus, one goal: she is determined to use her voice to find freedom for her daughter.
I can’t help but think the first steps into the room were surely the most difficult. Yet she doesn’t hesitate at the door, nor does she stand in the corner waiting to be noticed by Jesus that day. No, she comes right up to the table.
Do you find it difficult to come to Jesus in prayer? Do you ever hesitate at the door, battling the lies of the enemy that you do not belong in His presence? We’ve already addressed many of these lies, but it might be beneficial for you to ask yourself if the lies grow louder when you attempt to pray. The one place where you can always be assured you are welcome is the one place Satan desperately wants you to avoid. So he throws shame in your face, a busy schedule, or guilt if you happen to fall asleep when you try to press in to prayer. So let me pause here and say, it’s all a lie. Jesus loves speaking to you and listening to you. He is not aggravated if you fall asleep or only have ten minutes to sit in His presence.
In this story, even though Jesus was looking for a day of rest, the door was still open so that this woman could come and speak. His door is always open to you too.
About the Author:
Paige Allen is an executive pastor at Church on the Rock in Lubbock, Texas, a vibrant and diverse multisite congregation. There, she pastors the staff and gives oversight to global missions, the New Legacy Home for Women, and Bloom Women’s Ministry. Paige cohosts the podcast Bloom Talks and travels internationally to speak and teach. She and her husband, Josh, have two daughters and live in Lubbock. Learn more at PaigeAllen.net.
Connect with Paige:
Facebook: /ItsPaigeAllen ; /COTRpeople
Instagram: @PaigeAllenTexas ; @COTRPeople
Podcast: Bloom Talks
