{"id":1219,"date":"2019-02-14T13:17:45","date_gmt":"2019-02-14T18:17:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/read.whitefire-publishing.com\/?p=1219"},"modified":"2020-06-01T09:07:17","modified_gmt":"2020-06-01T13:07:17","slug":"listening-prayer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/whitefire-publishing.com\/read\/listening-prayer\/","title":{"rendered":"Listening Prayer:"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Listening Prayer:
Learning to Hear the Shepherd\u2019s Voice<\/em> <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

by Joanne Hillman<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Listening Prayer <\/em>is a Bible-based method of hearing God\u2019s precious voice, so relationships can be healed and personal struggles overcome. The simple technique presented is so appealing that after the first few pages readers are eager to begin their own journal. Often people are afraid to ask, \u201cFather, what do You want me to know?\u201d Even more daunting is the question, \u201cLord, what do You see when You look at me?\u201d Over and over, His answers bring tears to eyes and healing to hearts<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Sample <\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t

LEARNING TO\nLISTEN<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

My sheep\nlisten to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

~ John 10:27<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFather, what do You want me to know?\u201d I wrote in my\njournal. Did I really want to know what God had to say to me? My life was far\nfrom perfect, my Christian walk often wayward, and I was more than a little\nafraid of direct conversation with Him. I tried to quiet my mind, almost an\nimpossible task. After a few moments, I picked up my pen and began to write: I love you. I have been with you through all\nthe hard times of your life, loving and upholding you. You cannot imagine how\nmuch I care for you.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Amazed, I stared at the paper. The words were in my\nhandwriting, but these were not my thoughts. I would never have expressed\nmyself in this way. Those words remain some of the most precious, the most\nhealing ones ever spoken to me. Even now, tears spring to my eyes when I read\nthem again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How\noften had God wanted to convey this message of love to me? What is He even now waiting to tell you?<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

WHAT, EXACTLY,\nIS LISTENING PRAYER?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cListening prayer\u201d is a way\nto bring His guidance into our everyday walk by expanding our prayers into\ntwo-way conversations. This may seem almost an oxymoron if we have always\nunderstood prayer to mean going to God with a list of our requests. As we look\nback, however, most of us can remember times when we received strong\nimpressions that could only have come from Him, and those experiences have\nchanged our lives. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Too often, our prayers amount to a monologue, much\nlike the story Nicky Gumbel tells in his delightful video and book, Questions of Life.<\/em>1<\/sup> A man\nwent to his physician with an entire list of complaints. \u201cMy shoulder hurts,\nand I have this cough that won\u2019t go away, and I often have blinding headaches,\nand sometimes my left knee locks, and my back hurts a lot.\u201d Then, without\nwaiting for a response, he says, \u201cThank you very much, doctor,\u201d and leaves. How\ncan the physician help you unless you wait and listen to his response? It\u2019s\nludicrous to waste your time and his without waiting to hear his\nrecommendations. You\u2019d consider your office visit terribly incomplete. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our prayers are too often the same as this man\u2019s\ndoctor visit\u2014only half-finished\u2014unless we wait for God\u2019s response. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Listening prayer is a simple tool to help us hear\nGod\u2019s voice by using a daily journal, recording not only our own prayers, but\nalso the answers He lays upon our hearts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

HOW I BEGAN\nLISTENING<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Several years ago I lived and worked at Hidden Manna\nChristian Retreat Center in New Waverly, Texas, under the direction of Dr. Paul\nLooney, one of the finest Christians I\u2019ve ever known. As a staff member, I\nattended many excellent conferences held at the center. At one of these, Dr.\nLooney invited Dave Olson of El Cajon, California, to teach the basics of the\nprayer journaling technique he and his wife Linda developed.2<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Skeptical at first, I was astonished to realize that\nGod would speak to the likes ofme.<\/em> Even more amazing was how my\nuntrained, wayward spirit could recognize His voice so clearly that I could\nwrite His words on paper. Since then, my prayer journals have become treasures,\nsecond only to my Bible. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

My relationship with God has changed as a result.\nNow I know, and I know that I know, I am His beloved child. He delights in my coming\nto Him with anything, anytime I wish.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During John F. Kennedy\u2019s presidency, a touching\nincident happened at the White House that illustrates this new relationship. While\nPresident Kennedy met with several other heads of state, into this important\nconference ran his small daughter, Caroline, calling, \u201cDaddy, Daddy.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

He turned away from his guests and held welcoming\narms toward her. Before she reached him, she tripped and fell, crying in pain. President\nKennedy picked her up, held her in his arms, and kissed her tears away. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I, too, can run to my Father, the Creator and King\nof the Universe, whenever I wish. I don\u2019t need an intermediary, nor do I need\nto come hanging my head in fear. Whatever special business He is about, He\nalways has time for me. I can bring all my questions to Him and receive wisdom.\nHe guides me through conflict and teaches me how to mend fractured\nrelationships. He takes the veil away from my eyes and helps me understand His\nWord. His love shines through the pages of my journal, so that even His\ncorrection is sweet. He cares enough for me not to let me remain in my wrong\nthinking and judgmental attitudes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019m sure there is much more transformation ahead. More\nhard times and struggles will have to be overcome. But I know He will lead me,\nguide me, encourage me, and comfort me as I meet with Him daily for our\nwonderful dialogue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

DOES GOD WANT\nTO TALK WITH US?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Relationship is the most important reason for\nhearing the voice of the Lord. God is not only infinite, but also personal. If\nwe don\u2019t have communication, we don\u2019t have a personal relationship with Him. True\nguidance is getting close to the Guide. We grow to know the Lord better as He\nspeaks to us. As we listen to Him and obey Him, we make His heart glad.3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n

REQUIREMENTS<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our first need is to recognize Jesus as the Son of\nthe Living God, crucified for our sins, resurrected and living forever as Lord\nof Lord and King of Kings. This is the gate to a relationship with God (John\n14:6). Any other entrance is that of a thief and a robber (John 10:1). If you\nhave not yet made the decision to submit to His lordship, the prayer of\ncommitment at the end of this book will guide you in this step. This is the\nmost important and life-transforming decision you will ever make. You can be\nsure He will meet you with open arms. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When He sees us turn to Him, like the father of the\nprodigal son, He runs to us, rejoicing (Luke 20:21). And all heaven rejoices!\n(Luke 15:10).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Resist the enemy if he tries to tell you that your\ncommitment is not real. The very name of Jesus is powerful. James 4:7 says we\nneed only resist Satan, and he will flee like the coward he is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We must search our hearts as we come before God\n(Psalm 19:14) and confess any sin we find there. His Word says He will not hear\nus unless our hearts are pure (Psalm 66:18).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

HOW WILL I\nHEAR HIM?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Usually, God speaks to us through His living,\nbreathing Word, ever revealing His will and His nature. <\/em>He may speak through a particular verse as we follow our daily\nBible study. The Bible tells of His speaking to Moses in an audible voice\n(Exodus 3:4). He gave dreams and visions to the Wise Men and to Joseph (Matthew\n2). Isaiah and the Apostle John were given visions (Isaiah 6:1; Revelation\n1:12-17). But the most common way is through His still, small voice speaking to\nour hearts (Isaiah 30:21) as the Bible resonates with our yielded hearts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As we continue coming to Him as little children,\npresenting our questions and problems, recognizing God\u2019s voice will become\neasier. But we must remember that our obedience is essential. Like\nstrong-willed lambs, if we wander away from the sound of our Shepherd\u2019s voice,\ndanger awaits us. If we cannot hear Him, perhaps we have failed to obey (Luke\n11:28; John 14:15).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

CAUTIONS<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Listening prayer is no substitute for deep,\nconsistent Bible study. We must never isolate a few Scripture verses from the\nremainder of God\u2019s message, or we can easily be deceived. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Neither must we rely on others to get the word of\nthe Lord for us. The Old Testament, 1 Kings 13, tells a sad story of a man of\nGod who allowed another prophet to \u201camend\u201d God\u2019s clear direction to him, and he\nwas killed by a lion on his way home.<\/p>\n\n\n