Consider Carefully what you hear, Matthew 4:24
Listening to God is in obedience to Gods covenant promises to have us BE STILL and Know That I am God and Matthew 11:15 says those who have ears hear. Prayer of a variety of types is given in Scripture. 1 Timothy 2:1 says First of all then I urge you that supplications, prayers, intercessions and thanksgivings be made for all people. Ephesians 6:18 reminds us to pray at all times in the Spirit with all prayer and supplication.
When I was 42 years old I went back to church and heard a lady say in a women’s group I was in that God spoke to her and said. I was like, O my gosh you hear God speak to you. Yes she said and you can too. I did not know the Bible at all at that time of my life and other ladies helped me with how to grow to know God more.
It took me six months of time with God each morning and reading Scriptures to hear God speak to me for the first time. I wrote about it in my book LEAN IN CLOSER TO GOD BECAUSE YOU CAN
I spoke to a couple of local pastor last month about listening prayer. One Pastor told me that when he as 8 and 14 he had heard God speak to him and he was about 60. Another pastor told me that God says alot of things to alot of people not one thing. I was asking about a group to listen to God for our city together. To create a prayer tapestry from heaven over time while listening together. This kind of prayer is about How to Move Heaven and Earth by slowing down together. Becoming intentional to wait on God and get the cares of the world or weeds as I would call it out of our soul. Detox is needed to get heavens instructions for a city.
Jesus was not happy with some leaders one day when he told them you don’t know the signs and the times. Matthew 16:3 “when its evening you say it will be fair weather for the sky is red and in the morning it will be foul weather for the sky is red and threatening Hypocrites. You know how to discern the face of the sky but you cannot discern the signs of the times. ”
Consider carefully what you hear is given to us by Matthew. I am in a group for prayer with church leaders for ten years and they pray what they call popcorn prayer. You just go around room with petitions, asks, thanks. Many people in the church are mainly familiar with petition and thanks prayers.
When you go to the doctor and lets say God our Father and Jesus and Holy Spirit are our Physician. The doctor says why are you here. Well I am not exactly sure, I think it might be this but it could be that. So you just say everything you know and hope you come upon the right answer.
WHAT IF THERE IS A WHOLE DIFFERENT RHYTHM to pray. It follow the truth of BE QUICK TO LISTEN AND SLOW TO SPEAK. If you have an ear and we have two of them, then how to pray in Intercessory prayer mode or listening prayer mode is to first go before God and praise Him and say, Lord I will wait upon you now to see what you might want to tell me or us about the issue at hand. You wait upon the Lord. Wait in still mode to let your spirit align with Gods spirit to be able to hear what it is the Spirit is saying. Kinda of like getting the Doctors orders !! Heavens prescription . Go in to the ICU and wait until you get exactly surgery needed… Because God says in John My Sheep Know My voice. So be it.
PAGA – is word in Bible for Intercession. Intercession is when you meet with God to listen and then speak. Its an opportune time kind of time. You ask God how should I pray. Jesus is the Intercessor High Priest. Holy Spirit interprets for us. Good book is Intercessory Prayer by Dutch Sheets.
You can do Intercessory prayer for yourself, your family, your church, your city, your county, your nation, the world.
Questions: What questions do you have about Intercessory Prayer or Listening Prayer ?
www.ColoradoPrays.org is a group started ten years ago to join our whole state together in prayer. To make a prayer canopy or tapestry 24 hours a day. I am the new County leader for Jefferson County and we are going to do prayer and a prayer retreat around helping people grow and mature in prayer and obedience to God.
We pray once a month now on first Wednesday at noon. We have a prayer focus with Scripture to start. We have a variety of intercession that goes on by our group which is now about seven people.
Denver Seminary Soul Care Department is going to Lead a half day prayer retreat on disciplines of silence, solitude, and Listening to God for us. We do not have exact date yet.
Have you gone to a prayer retreat that had alot of silence ?
LISTENING PRAYER IS PRACTICING GODS PRESENCE – Leanne Payne has book called Listening Prayer. Learning to hear Gods voice and keep a prayer journal. Page 125 shows us that the true pattern or model for listening prayer is Jesus with the Father. John 88:28-29 “I do nothing on my own but speak just what my Father has taught me. The one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what pleases him. Jesus modeled listening prayer. throughout his earthly ministry. Jesus learned to listen to the Father through obedience as a child. Jesus speaks to us through the Scriptures and we are in a John 17 divine union with God as we wait upon the Lord to hear. One doctrine issue in church is that people are taught you read scripture and repeat it but do not expect God to speak to you. God spoke from the beginning to the end of the Bible. Clearly My Sheep Know My Voice means what it says. Its a discipline to mature into. Of course it has to align with Gods Word.
Other books on hearing the voice of God
- Hearing Gods Voice – Henry Blackaby
- Listen to God – Charles Stanley
- How to Hear Gods Voice – Mark and Patti VIrkler
Action Steps to Take On Considering the spiritual health of our ears to hear God.
- Study scriptures on Gods voice, prayer, intercession, ears, eyes.
- Read books and take courses on Hearing Gods Voice and be in faith that you will grow in obedience to God to hear
- Join a listening intercessory type prayer group.
- Attend Prayer Retreats for growing in intimacy with God and quieting our soul
- Detox too much cares of the world. Guard our heart and ears eyes.