To Listen

[Karl Peters]

Prayer should be about listening to God!!!

Prayer is communion - that is to communion or have back and forth communication - with Jesus Christ the Lord our God. Yet consider - is it better to tell Him things or to listen for things He has to tell you?

Ecc 5:1 Guard your steps as you go to the house of God and draw near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools; for they do not know they are doing evil.

We so often approach God to give Him our opinions, thoughts, desires, and our piece of mind, as if we are smarter than Him. I know I do that. It just seems like I need to tell Him what I think. Yet it turns out that He knows what I think before I think it. So as I got to know Him better and better, I found it important that I should seek Him for what He thinks, what He advises, and get of His mind I could.

It's not that I don't still ask for things. Sadly, I still do. I just can't help thinking I know better than Him at times. Yet more and more I get a little wiser and remember that He always knows better than me. When I do get to thinking a bit better, I do wind up going in front of Him to find out what He wants, and what He thinks.

I was talking to Him about this topic this morning. He thinks it is indeed wiser that people should come before Him to listen than to speak, but still they should speak up and listen. He wanted me to post this.

 

[Pearl]

Good thread @Karl Peters

We so often approach God to give Him our opinions, thoughts, desires, and our piece of mind, as if we are smarter than Him. I know I do that. It just seems like I need to tell Him what I think. Yet it turns out that He knows what I think before I think it. So as I got to know Him better and better, I found it important that I should seek Him for what He thinks, what He advises, and get of His mind I could.

I so believe and accept what you are saying, it is how I try to pray.

It's not that I don't still ask for things. Sadly, I still do. I just can't help thinking I know better than Him at times. Yet more and more I get a little wiser and remember that He always knows better than me. When I do get to thinking a bit better, I do wind up going in front of Him to find out what He wants, and what He thinks.

I find it is always easier to pray if I ask him to show me what he wants me to pray about. Sometimes my prayer is just, "Let righteousness prevail'

I was talking to Him about this topic this morning. He thinks it is indeed wiser that people should come before Him to listen than to speak, but still they should speak up and listen. He wanted me to post this.

And I also find quite often that he shows me things to post on the forum, either as a new thread or new post on another thread. We so do need to listen to Him.

Thanks for sharing.

 

[Karl Peters]

Good thread @Karl Peters


I so believe and accept what you are saying, it is how I try to pray.



I find it is always easier to pray if I ask him to show me what he wants me to pray about. Sometimes my prayer is just, "Let righteousness prevail'


And I also find quite often that he shows me things to post on the forum, either as a new thread or new post on another thread. We so do need to listen to Him.

Thanks for sharing.

Yes - asking Him questions, even about what we should be asking from the Father is how we need to approach our Lord, the King of kings, Jesus Christ.

Still - it is more than that. What about what need to do today? What about how to go about our jobs at work? There is something about Him guiding our steps, but does He if we are not willing to listen to Him for what steps to take next in our lives?

Too often we make pray about asking for Him to do things, when it really needs to be a conversation with Him, where He is the all knowing God and we are people needing to find out what knowledge He needs to pass on to us at that moment.

My friends, righteousness prevails when we find out from Him what the right thing for us to do, and then we do it! That applies to all aspects of our lives. Of course, even if He tells us the right thing to do we might not do it the right way. But then He gives us His mercy and graces because we believed in Him, asked Him, and tried to do what He asked. In that case it is right that He applies His mercy and grace to us. And He knows how we are. He made us. So He can use what He made to accomplish His plans. So we just need to approach Him as humble people who believe in an all might, all knowing God - and listen!

 

[Pathfinder7]

Prayer should be about listening to God!!!

Prayer is communion - that is to communion or have back and forth communication - with Jesus Christ the Lord our God. Yet consider - is it better to tell Him things or to listen for things He has to tell you?

Ecc 5:1 Guard your steps as you go to the house of God and draw near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools; for they do not know they are doing evil.

We so often approach God to give Him our opinions, thoughts, desires, and our piece of mind, as if we are smarter than Him. I know I do that. It just seems like I need to tell Him what I think. Yet it turns out that He knows what I think before I think it. So as I got to know Him better and better, I found it important that I should seek Him for what He thinks, what He advises, and get of His mind I could.

It's not that I don't still ask for things. Sadly, I still do. I just can't help thinking I know better than Him at times. Yet more and more I get a little wiser and remember that He always knows better than me. When I do get to thinking a bit better, I do wind up going in front of Him to find out what He wants, and what He thinks.

I was talking to Him about this topic this morning. He thinks it is indeed wiser that people should come before Him to listen than to speak, but still they should speak up and listen. He wanted me to post this.

Good post/topic.
---
It reminds..the song.
'Wait On The Lord'
---
Wait on the Lord
Listen to His Voice..
---
Maranatha Music

 

[Karl Peters]

Listening to what He says to me is what stirs my soul!
Listening to what He says to me is what amazes me - that He, God, should talk to me.
Listening to what He says to me teaches me so much.
Listening to what He says is what encourages me to go, to keep going, to try harder, to want to do more.
Listening to what He says to me is how I get wisdom, knowledge, understanding, and more.
Listening to Him give me confidence that I'm ok as His creation, even when I make mistakes.

And above is just a quick off the cuff group of statements - but if only for those things how can we not be all about listening to Him?

So it is that I when I go to church, so often they don't make sense to me because prayer so often seems to be a request to someone who might do something someday, but is not presented as a conversation with the All Mighty who loves you. Have we not failed the Lord in that sense?

 

[Philip James]

I was talking to Him about this topic this morning. He thinks it is indeed wiser that people should come before Him to listen than to speak, but still they should speak up and listen. He wanted me to post this

Hello Karl,

Interesting.. I heard Fr. Goring's sermon earlier today which touched on this topic:

Pax et Bonum!

 

[Lambano]

 

[dev553344]

God is likely not to be the one talking when we pray. Most likely in my experience it is Satan that attempts to communicate. God works thru the Holy Spirit which has it's fruits to discern him (Galatians 5:22-23). I usually talk to God but he doesn't talk back. But good luck. (Sorry to be so negative, but that's been my experience. And God has spoken to me on a few occasions in 20 yeas of being Christian).

 

[dev553344]

Also we are told to try the spirits that commune with us. The scriptures point that out:

1 John 4:1-5

King James Version

4 Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.

2 Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:

3 And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.

4 Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.

5 They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them.

 

[Karl Peters]

God is likely not to be the one talking when we pray. Most likely in my experience it is Satan that attempts to communicate. God works thru the Holy Spirit which has it's fruits to discern him (Galatians 5:22-23). I usually talk to God but he doesn't talk back. But good luck. (Sorry to be so negative, but that's been my experience. And God has spoken to me on a few occasions in 20 yeas of being Christian).

Well that is not what the bible says:

Jn 14:14 “If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it.

Luke 11:9-13 “So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. “For everyone who asks, receives; and he who seeks, finds; and to him who knocks, it will be opened.

“Now suppose one of you fathers is asked by his son for a fish; he will not give him a snake instead of a fish, will he? “Or if he is asked for an egg, he will not give him a scorpion, will he?

While the Spirit of God is not the only spirit around, He is still God!! If you seek God and what He has to say to you, then you have God's word that you will find what you seek!!!! To say otherwise is to make God a liar!!

Now with that said it is good to know what the first words that snake in the garden said, which were, "Did God really say..."

So there is a Spirit, the Holy Spirit of God, who tells us to seek and we will find... then there are spirits (like that snake) which want you to doubt that God does talk to you!!

Since we hear the Holy Spirit by faith, that belief that our Lord is with us and sent His Holy Spirit to be with us always, we are not going to hear from Him if we buy into that doubt that the snake spreads!!

So the good news is that Jesus Christ is standing there at the door knocking with His voice, just trying to get our attention, and it only take a very small amount of faith to open up to Him!! All you have to believe is that Jesus Christ is there for you, to speak to you, to help you, to advise you, to reprove you so that your thinking will become better. It does not take much faith to believe and open up to Him. What is does not take is luck, because He is there for anyone willing to step out in faith.

Rev 3:19,20 ‘Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; therefore be zealous and repent. ‘Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me.

I testify that Jesus Christ is indeed with us always, even to the end of time, so that we who believe hear from Him and know Him. Discernment of spirits cannot be done if you first don't have ears to hear!! If you practice seeking the Lord and listening, you will receive instructions and counsel from the Holy Spirit! He will guide you into all truth because He takes the words of our Lord Jesus Christ and gives them to our spirit. So you have no, none, zero, ability to discern between good and evil spirits if with your ears you don't hear!! But with practice seeking the Lord, listening to the Lord, getting ears to hear, so that you can also start discerning when take snake suddenly shows up when not asked for and tries to get you to doubt.

Heb 5:14 But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil.

So, my friends, seek the Lord Jesus Christ and His words for you and you will find, the door will be opened to you, He will come into and you will eat with Him and Him with you. Your ears will be open. You will be able to practice hearing with your spiritual senses. He will lead you into understanding; like understanding that it is that snake who has always been trying to get you to doubt that God is there for you - to speak to you.

You will understand that those like Isaiah did not lie to you when they wrote:

Is 1:2 Listen, O heavens, and hear, O earth;
For the LORD speaks,

And you will be able to testify about the many things the Lord says to you - things like;

THE BEST LISTENERS MAKE THE BEST TEACHERS.


SHOULDN’T YOU HEAR FROM A MAN YOU’RE JUDGING WORTHY OF DEATH AND EXAMINE WHETHER THERE IS TRUTH IN WHAT HE SAYS. SO IT IS THAT I HAVE MADE HEARING FROM ME THE VERY THINGS THAT GIVES YOU ETERNAL LIFE.

THE LIE IS “GOD DOESN’T TALK TO YOU!!!!” REMEMBER WHAT THE DEVIL SAID “DID GOD REALLY TELL YOU?” THAT IS THE LIE! THAT IS THE LIE BEING USED TODAY!

A MAN THAT LISTENS TO GOD IS AS RARE AS DIAMONDS IN THE ROCK.


They say, “I KNOW, I KNOW, BUT WHO DO THEY KNOW?”

PRAISE IS MEANT FOR WORSHIP, BUT NOT ONLY PRAISE. IF YOU REALLY WANT TO WORHIP ME, LISTEN TO WHAT I SAY TO YOU!


WILL YOU HANG ON EVERY WORD THAT GOD SAYS? … I DID!

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO PICK UP YOUR CROSS AND FOLLOW ME?


Now He talks to me everyday, and we usually talk about a dozen times a day. He spends more time just giving me instructions, and the most common words I hear from Him are, "Karl, I love you." So while He has given me all sorts of little sayings like above, most of the time I spend with Him is like spending time with a friend, where we just talk back and forth. Never-the-less, we should all have little sayings that came from Him, which can be use to testify about Him. His sheep hear His voice, to who testifies that they don't hear from Him? Yet even that person can turn to Him and find Him, they just have to believe that and seek Him - then the saying that all who seek will find will apply in their life too!

 

[Karl Peters]

Also we are told to try the spirits that commune with us. The scriptures point that out:

1 John 4:1-5

King James Version

4 Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.

2 Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:

3 And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.

4 Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.

5 They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them.

You will note that to use the tests above you must first have ears to hear!! If you can't hear what the spirit confesseth or not you can't use the test above!!!!!


So, who actually uses the test to test spirits and who just uses the Scripture to tell people to not seek the Lord????

I use the above referred to test quite often. So when?? How often?? What results do I actually get??

I have found that very few Christians actually do use it and can actually talk about using it. If a "Christian" is saying:

I usually talk to God but he doesn't talk back

They cannot use that test and so don't. To use the test as it is written you have to be able to hear a response from the spirit!!

Now I used to use it even more, like a dozen times a day. I still find it interesting when I hear a spirit start talking to me, so I use the test and suddenly that spirit is just gone. Often instantly the voice is just gone. The spirit flew the coup! That is not always that case though. Sometimes the spirit would respond, "I can't tell you that." It makes me laugh when I hear that, but some spirit will tell you that. Still, evil spirit can be bold, and often not too smart in that regard. We have authority of evil spirits and access to the Kingdom of God to enforce that authority. I could go into this more, but that is not the point for this thread. The point for this thread is to get other to seek the Lord Jesus Christ and what He has to say to them.

Which brings me to the point of why I don't use that test as much as I used to. From using that test I also find out when it is the Holy Spirit and from using that test, I found that when I seek Jesus Christ I find Him!! So, if I ask something like, "Jesus Christ what do you want to tell me", the next spirit I hear from is always the Holy Spirit bring me words from Jesus Christ and confessing that Jesus Christ came in the flesh, died, and rose again, which is why the Holy Spirit is able to bring me His words for me. (Seek and you shall find - applies)

Now there have been times when I seek Jesus Christ and hear two responses that seem to conflict. From using the test above I have found that the first response is virtually always from the Lord, but the second might not be. So by practicing hearing with my spiritual ears, I have figured out things, and they are according to what is written in the Bible!!

There is something in the Bible about resisting the devil and he will flee. The fact is, that if we keep in communication with Jesus Christ, listening as we good to what He has to say to us, then the devil leaves you alone. Yet we don't keep the Lord close throughout the day, do we? We/I get busy doing things and that is when the devil comes and messes successfully with me. It is not when you are seeking the Lord but when you are not seeking the Lord when you are most likely to hear from the devils!!