3. I am astounded O Lord that you
would want to communicate with me
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. 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.
8. But How Could I Distinguish Your Voice
O Lord With All The Commotion That
Goes On Within Me?
9. 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?
10. 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?
11. 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?
12. 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.
13. Thank you Lord that you want to
have a relationship with me
14. 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
16. Thank you Lord that You want
to communicate with an
ordinary person like me
17. 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.
18. 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!
19. 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.
20. 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.
21
The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned
against heaven and against you. I am no
longer worthy to be called your son.’
21. 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.
23. Our Father who art in heaven
When 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.
24. Our Father who art in heaven
This 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.
25. Our Father who art in heaven
Many 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.
26. 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?
27. 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?
28. 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?
29. 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?
30. 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.
32. Thank You Lord That You sent Jesus
To Die On A Cross For Us
33. The Lord Will Help You
Discern His Will And Plan
For Your Life
34. 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
35. 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.
36. 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.
37. Thank You Lord For Your Leadership
As We Seek Your Will And Plan
38. 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?
39. 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?
40. 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?
41. 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?
42. 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.
