My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: (John 10:27 KJV)
Prayerful Christians have learnt the power of divine dialogue with God in the midnight hour when the attack of the enemy is fierce. In fact, the scriptures exclaim, the prayer of a righteous man makes tremendous power available (James 5:16), but wise Christians have learnt to listen for God’s voice about their petition in prayer. The truth is we have not really prayed until we become listeners at the throne of grace.
The real prayer experience is not just when we display our confident assurance in God through our faith-filled petition to Him as our source for all things. What use is a dialogue when it’s all about one voice? Our prayer experience must be a speaking and listening experience, a talking and hearing experience. How sad to see many Christians get silent when you ask them “so what did God say?”
Religious prayer experience treats God as an unreality, they treat God as the silent, wordless personality on the other side. They pray and then conclude God has heard, but God having heard does not mean God having answered. A real prayer experience hopes to answer the question “what did God say?” This is why many who are known as prayerful are not all known as powerful because the latter is not just about praying but listening to God. Prayer led decisions are first spoken. God is not responsible for that which didn’t come out of His mouth.
Our prayer offers a great deal of guidance. Oftentimes, it’s a communication with our Creator about specific decisions or moves we need to make, hence we can’t overemphasize the place of listening in the midst of our speaking, knowing that He speaks back to our heart by voice, dreams and signs. A prayerful person hence is a discerning petitioner at the throne of grace. Pray child of God but listen. I expect you to win.
Rhema word: Let him listen that prays knowing this truth that the former is as important as the latter.
Confession: I am a discerning prayer champion, I am led by the spirit to will and to do the will of God. I am walking in the centre of God’s perfect will for my life. I’m led by the voice of the Spirit on all endeavours through my prayer like never before in Jesus’ name. Amen
Meditate further: Mathew 4:4
Yearly bible reading plan: Psalm 125-127