Praying to the God Who Speaks
1 John 5:13-15 - These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life. 14 This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. 15 And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him.
v. 14 - This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us
John Stott – “Prayer is not a convenient device for imposing our will upon God, or for bending his will to ours, but the prescribed way of subordinating our will to his.”
Dallas Willard – “It is much more important to cultivate the quiet, inward space of a constant listening than to always be approaching God for specific direction.”
When it comes to praying “According to His Will”, what this means is…
- Knowing that God has spoken and that God still speaks
- Understanding what God has spoken or is saying
- Responding to what God had has spoken or is saying
Big Idea - “The God of Christianity is a God Who Speaks”
Three Stages of Hearing & Discerning the Voice of God:
Revelation – “What has God Spoken?”
Revelation (apokalupsis) – An uncovering or unveiling
(communicates/reveals)
A. His Word.
- John 1:1-3 - In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made.
B. Impressions (Neh. 7:5, Acts 14:9)
- Feelings
- Sensing
- Emotions
- Thoughts
- Words, Phrases, Sentences (prophetic and from others at times)
C. A Deep Knowing (Matt. 22:18, Mark 2:8, John 6:15)
D. Dreams & Visions (Daniel 7:1-2, Acts 10:10, 22:17)
- “Dreams” – Given to a person, by the Holy Spirit, while they are sleeping
- “Visions” – Given to a person, by the Holy Spirit, while they are awake and coherent
E. Audible Voice (Genesis 22:11-12, Numbers 12:6-8, Acts 9:4-6)
Interpretation – “What does this mean?”
Interpretation - (epilysis) - properly, unloosing (unpacking) in an apt (appropriate) manner
- Write It Down -> Be Detailed
- Daniel 7:1 – “In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon, Daniel saw a dream and visions of his head as he lay in his bed. Then he wrote down the dream and told the sum of the matter.”
- Habakkuk 2:2 - “Write the vision; make it plain on tablets, so he may run who reads it.”
- Seek Its Understanding -> Pray/meditate on What Has Been Revealed
- Daniel 8:15 – “When I, Daniel, had seen the vision, I sought to understand it.”
- Search The Scriptures -> Make sure it aligns with Scripture
- Psalm 119:105 – “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”
- Share With Trusted People
- Proverbs 27:9 – “Oil and perfume make the heart glad, so a man's counsel is sweet to his friend.”
- Wait Patiently and Cherish it
- Luke 2:19 – “But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart.”
Application – “What Should I Do About This?”
Why Proper Application is so Vital:
- Acts 20:22-24 – “Paul”
- Acts 21:4 – “Disciples / Friends”
- Acts 21:10-14 – “Agabus”
- Acts 21:30-33 – “Actual Event”
“Lectio Divina”
- Lectio (Reading)
- Meditatio (Meditating)
- Oratio (Praying)
- Contemplatio (Contemplating)
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