Prayer
Week 02: Listening Prayer
Prayer is a two-way conversation with God. In our last session we focused on talking to God. But prayer is also listening to God. The two go hand-in-hand. But maybe you think “Wait, I’ve never heard God speak before… Can I hear God’s voice?” Well, the short answer is yes. Jesus taught that his followers would be able to hear his voice (Jn. 10:27). So, if you’re a follower of Jesus, you hear his voice. The difficult part is learning to recognize his voice.
I bet you already hear God’s voice whether you know it or not. The primary way God speaks is through the Bible. I bet you’ve read something in the Bible and thought “Man, that’s so relevant to what I’m going through” or “Wow, it’s likes it’s specifically for me.” But there are other ways God speaks. God speaks through dreams (Job. 33:14-15). Maybe you’ve had a dream that left you with a strange sense as if God spoke to you. God speaks through prophecy (Acts 2:17). Prophecy is just a fancy word for hearing God for others. And God speaks through a “still small voice” (1 Kings 19:12-13; Exod. 33:11; Jn. 14:26). Some times we think that if God is going to speak, it will be a booming voice from the sky. But more often than not, it’s a still small voice. God may actually be speaking far more than you realize. What if the voice of God is more like a subtle thought than a dramatic revelation? Now, sometimes it is dramatic. But more often than not, the voice of God is a gentle whisper of the Spirit.
The key is to learn to recognize God’s voice. My bet is that you don’t have a hearing problem, you have a recognition problem. We need to learn to recognize God’s voice. If you’re a follower of Jesus, you hear God’s voice (Jn. 10:27). The key is learning to recognize his voice. This is where listening prayer comes in.
01 – Silence yourself. After a time of talking to God, make space to listen to God. Take some time to listen to God’s voice. Take 1-2 minutes to be still before God.
02 – Ask God to speak. Invite God to speak to you. You may want to ask God: “Is there anything you want to say to me? Is there something you want to reveal to me? Is there anything you want me to do or stop doing? Is there anything you want to show me?” Ask God to speak to you. Write down anything that comes to mind. And then ask yourself: “Is it affirming, biblical, and Christlike (1 Cor. 14:3; 1 Thess. 5:19-21)?” Just remember A,B,C (Affirming, Biblical, Christlike).
03 – Yield to God’s word. In Acts 5:32 Peter says, “We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.” Did you catch that? The Holy Spirit is given to those who obey him. Learning to hear God’s voice begins with obedience. It’s not enough to hear God speak. God speaks to initiate a response. What would it look like to live in response to God’s voice?
Recommended reading: How to Hear God by Pete Greig