Dudley Rutherford – Walls Fall Down

When Pastor Dudley asked me to read his new book Walls Fall Down: 7 Steps from the Battle of Jericho to Overcome Any Challenge, I was quite frankly a bit intimidated.

“What if I don’t really like it?” My mother always said. “If you have nothing nice to say, say nothing at all.”

I was afraid I would have nothing to say. Gulp! I couldn’t have expected it to change the way I interacted with God, having known Jesus as Lord for over 28 years.

But it did change things. It really did.

I know I sound like one of those weight loss ads with those hokey promises saying, “Take this pill and your fat will melt off like butter.” But I am going to go for it anyway… This book will produce hope, inspire, and give you victory. And you don’t have to take a pill. You just have to read.

One small paragraph in particular especially resonated with me. On pages 53 – 54, Pastor Rutherford writes:

Try this for a week: When you wake up each morning—before you leave your bed and before your feet touch the floor—pray earnestly, “Lord, what do you want me to do today?” Then spend a few minutes with your eyes closed, listening for the voice of God. Try that for seven days and see how faithful God is to answer you when you take the time to ask and to listen. He will let you know exactly what He wants you to do each day. It could be as general as “I want you to be a good steward of your time and talent at work today.” Or as specific as “Call this person and tell them you love them,” or “Forgive,” or “Stop by the coffee shop before work and buy breakfast for the homeless man you see every day.”

Skeptical, I decided to test it and give myself a 7-day challenge. I felt kind of silly and didn’t tell anyone, but for 7 days I asked God every morning what He wanted me to do each day. All the while I thought it wasn’t going to work.

I sincerely had my doubts about hearing God as clearly as Pastor Dudley had promised. Not that it had never happened to me in the past, but could I really expect those few, supernatural moments to happen on a regular basis?

What I expected was to hear the same or close to the same thing every day. Or even worse, not to hear anything. I was wrong. Each day I received clear instructions. And each day was different. They were filled with focus. Decisions became easier. Having received my “marching orders” each morning, I had clarity. (Now I sound like a giant billboard sign. March To Victory!)

I visited family members. I exercised thankfulness. I experienced rest, joy and love from my family and amazing husband. I learned to chill. I encouraged others. I learned to love God more fully.

Each day felt more like a gift. (Okay, that sounds like a Hallmark card!)

Marching around the wall, I learned to listen for God’s voice. Like many women, I am more than proficient at talking, but in the silence, I heard God’s instruction. If we listen for God, He will indeed answer. We simply need to take the time to listen and obey.

As the walls fell down, all I could think was simply this:

It changed me. And I’m glad I had something good to say.