making sense of prayer

Just been reading "God on Mute" by Pete Greig - in snatches; in snatches because the book is so challenging I need time to think about what I'm reading. Pretty much finding myself in agreement with what Pete's saying. Too much grief has come to people who have been told to expect a constant buzz in the Christian life; people afraid to make change or moves in their lives without a "word" from God, or at least with that highly subjective feeling some call peace.
I remember when it was time for me to leave my first appointment as a minister: I had a possibility before me and wasn't sure whether to take it or not, and I wanted some kind of "word" from God that Taranaki was for me. So I went to colleague from another mainstream denomination, and asked what he "heard." He patiently prayer with me and then we stayed silent a while, then he caused me to stop and think carefully as he said, "I think God is saying that if you go He will go with you and if you stay and wait for another invitation He will wait with you too."
I mean, damn! Here was I waiting to be obedient to whatever God offered as the way ahead and He makes me choose. In fact what my colleague told me is true, it's even a good summary of what the Bible tells us about God as the Ever-present and the All-Wise.
Here's what I think God was doing to me; He was making me make a choice that I could look back on as a good reason for presevering, and for pursuing the kind of ministry that is consistent with who I was and who He was making me at that time. Not question about His approval or His empowering, those questions are already answered in both the Bible and in way in which we find ourselves pursuing our call as servants of the Lord's people.
I didn't need God to yell at me, I just needed to listen to the conversation that's been going on since I was 7 and was somewhat amplified when I was 25; and pay attention to God's loving self-revelation both in the written word and the Living Word, Jesus His Son.
Oh, and while I'm on the subject of prayer, I highly recommend Louie Giglio's DVD Prayer: the remix. Louie is a driving force in the Passion movement and a much loved Evangelist.