Experiencing Listening Prayer

Experiencing Listening Prayer

Experiencing Listening Prayer

The Purpose of this session:

Begin communing spirit to spirit with Christ

I am astounded O Lord that youwould want to communicate with me

I am astounded O Lord that youwould want to communicate with me

I Corinthians 2:9-10

However, as it is written:    “No eye has seen,       no ear has heard,    no mind has conceived    what God has prepared for those who love him”— but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit.     

1 Corinthians 2:10b-11

  The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man’s spirit within him? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.

1 Corinthians 2:12-13

We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us. This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words.

How I Corinthians 1:9-13 relates to Listening Prayer:The Holy Spirit makes known to us the thoughts

of God as we listen to the Lord in prayer. The Lord is not limited to speaking to us only in this way, but this gives us a picture rather of one of the ways that the Lord speaks to us. In spite of the fact that we are just ordinary people, God will speak to people like us because of us being in a saving relationship with Christ Jesus.

But How Could I Distinguish Your Voice O Lord With All The Commotion That

Goes On Within Me?

But How Could I Distinguish Your Voice O Lord With All The Commotion That

Goes On Within Me?

Discussion questions: Does the experience that Tim described when

Esi prayed for him resemble anything you have ever experienced?

Have you ever been filled with questions about how does God speak and how do you know if it is really the Lord speaking?

Discussion Questions: Does the idea that the Creator of the Universe

would want to communicate with us in the here and now seem a little far fetched to you?

What do you think about the assertion that God delights in speaking to ordinary people?

Is it easier to believe that God would speak to other people rather than to you?

Heart barriers to receiving words from the Lord in prayer: I have a hard time believing that God would

speak to me.

How would I know if it was really God speaking instead of just a product of my overactive imagination?

Heart barriers to receiving words from the Lord in prayer: I talk to myself a lot. With the way that I

am wired, I have a hard time believing that I would even recognize God’s voice even if He did speak to me.

I am not sure that I would be able to sort out His words from the constant activity that is going on inside of me.

Thank you Lord that you want to have a relationship with me

Thank you Lord that you want to have a relationship with me

Prayer time: Tell the Lord that you are glad that He speaks

to ordinary people. Tell Him what you are feeling and thinking

about as it relates to listening prayer. Pause to be quiet and to sit still and to listen

Experiencing Listening Prayer

Experiencing Listening Prayer

Thank you Lord that You wantto communicate with anordinary person like me

Thank you Lord that You wantto communicate with anordinary person like me

Why would anyone want to be close to God?Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two

sons. The younger one said to his father, 'Father, give me my share of the estate.' So he divided his property between them.

 "Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need.

Why would anyone want to be close to God?So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of

that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.

 When he came to his senses, he said, How many of my father's hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death!      

Why would anyone want to be close to God?

I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men. So he got up and went to his father.

God welcomes home prodigal sons and daughters.      But while he was still a long way off, his

father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.

 21The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’

 

God welcomes home prodigal sons and daughters.

But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let's have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.

The loving relationship that God offers to us is astonishing

The loving relationship that God offers to us is astonishing

Our Father who art in heavenWhen Jesus prayed He referred to God as Father

and taught us to address God the same way when we pray. For Jesus this was a relationship of intimacy and love. The overwhelming mercy and love that is being offered to a sinner in this parable is good news for you and me.

Our Father who art in heavenThis parable gives us a window into what a

close personal relationship with God looks like because of what Jesus has done for us through His death and resurrection. However, today the thought of God as Father is painful or offensive to many. The thought goes along these lines, if God is anything like my father than I say no thanks to that kind of relationship.

Our Father who art in heavenMany people have a distorted view of what a

relationship with God would be like because of what they have experienced with parental relationships or with those who are in authority in their lives. When we pray to God as Father, we will want to do so in the context of Jesus’ relationship rather than through the prism of our broken relationships.

Questions for consideration: Have you ever given much thought to the

possibility that your relationships with people have impacted the way you approach a relationship with God?

Have you ever known anyone who did not want to get close to God because of a major disappointment that they had been through?

Questions for consideration: Many people have heard that God loves them,

but at a heart level they have a hard time believing that this is true. Have you ever known anyone who had distorted ideas about God because of broken relationships or because of painful experiences that they have had in life?

Heart Barriers to receiving God’s love: Why would God love me after what I’ve

done? Can I really trust God? How can I get past the painful relationships

that influence the way that I feel about having a personal relationship with the Lord?

Heart Barriers to receiving God’s love: Can I ever get past the disappointments that I

have experienced in life that get in the way of getting close to God?

Will God really love me?

Prayer Time: Thank God for the loving relationship that was

made possible with Him because of what Jesus has done for us.

Tell the Lord you would like to experience being God’s beloved child in prayer.

Sit quietly before the Lord and let Him love you.

Experiencing Listening Prayer

Experiencing Listening Prayer

Thank You Lord That You sent JesusTo Die On A Cross For Us

Thank You Lord That You sent JesusTo Die On A Cross For Us

The Lord Will Help YouDiscern His Will And Plan

For Your Life

The Lord Will Help YouDiscern His Will And Plan

For Your Life

Is there anything I can do that will help prepare me to hear from God?

While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, ‘Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.’ So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off.

– Acts 13:2-3

How this Scripture passage relates to listening prayer:

Barnabas and Saul (or Paul) were worshipping and praying when the Holy Spirit spoke to them about their mission for Christ. When we worship God, our hearts become open to God’s leadership. As we continue to seek God with fasting and prayer the Holy Spirit will give us the leadership that we need.

How this Scripture passage relates to listening prayer:

We don’t know if these words that the Holy Spirit spoke were spoken audibly or into the spirit or heart of those who were there. Regardless of how it happened that the Holy Spirit spoke is certain, and they immediately acted in obedience to this directive from the Holy Spirit.

Thank You Lord For Your LeadershipAs We Seek Your Will And Plan

Thank You Lord For Your LeadershipAs We Seek Your Will And Plan

Questions for Discussion: Have you ever sought God’s leadership by

listening in prayer? If not, why do you think that this has never happened?

Have you ever been a part of a leadership group that has sought the Lord’s leadership in prayer? If not, why do you think that this has never happened?

Questions for Discussion: What do you think would have to change so that

listening to God in prayer would be considered a normal way of doing things?

If people heard about listening prayer as a way of making leadership decisions do you think that they would be excited or resistant to this way of doing things? Why do you think that they might feel one way or the other?

Heart Barriers to Receiving God’s Leadership: Are you afraid of what God might tell you to

do?

Is turning the control of your life over to God exciting and exhilarating or is it frightening?

Heart Barriers to Receiving God’s Leadership: Is turning the control of your church over to

the Lord exciting or intimidating?

Do you have any fears that you might not ever really know for sure what God’s will might be for your life and ministry?

Prayer Time: Tell the Lord that things would go better if He

were in charge. Tell the Lord that you would like for Him to

be in charge. Tell the Lord to change you so that you would

be willing for Him to be in charge. Spend time resting in His care and listening

for His leadership.

I Want To Follow Jesus I Want To Follow Jesus