Communicating with God: Listening and Speaking in Faith

Devotional

Day 1: The Dual Nature of Divine Communication

In our spiritual journey, communication with God is a two-way street, involving both listening to His voice and speaking to Him. This duality is essential for a vibrant spiritual life, as it mirrors the natural flow of a meaningful conversation. God initiates communication through various means, such as scripture, the ministry of His word, and the quiet whispers of the Holy Spirit. Our role is to be attentive and responsive, allowing His words to guide and transform us. On the other hand, when we speak to God, we express adoration, gratitude, confession, and petition, reflecting our dependence on Him for both our spiritual and temporal needs. This dynamic interaction fosters a deeper understanding of God's will and a more intimate fellowship with Him. [04:38]

1 Samuel 3:10 (ESV): "And the Lord came and stood, calling as at other times, 'Samuel! Samuel!' And Samuel said, 'Speak, for your servant hears.'"

Reflection: How can you create space in your daily routine to both listen to God and speak to Him, ensuring a balanced and dynamic spiritual conversation?

Day 2: The Importance of Attentiveness

God speaks to us through various means, including scripture and the Holy Spirit. Our role is to be attentive and responsive, allowing His words to shape our lives and guide our actions. This attentiveness requires a posture of readiness and willingness to listen, much like the biblical figures who responded to God's call. By cultivating a habit of attentiveness, we open ourselves to the transformative power of God's voice, which can provide comfort, guidance, and assurance in our daily lives. Being attentive also means discerning His voice amidst the noise of the world, ensuring that His words take precedence in our hearts and minds. [09:17]

Isaiah 30:21 (ESV): "And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, 'This is the way, walk in it,' when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left."

Reflection: What distractions in your life might be hindering your ability to hear God's voice, and how can you minimize them to enhance your attentiveness to Him?

Day 3: The Role of Prayer

Prayer is our opportunity to express adoration, gratitude, confession, and petition. It is a vital component of our communication with God, reflecting our dependence on Him and our desire for His presence. Through prayer, we engage in a heartfelt dialogue with God, sharing our innermost thoughts and concerns. This dialogue is not one-sided; God responds to our prayers, often through His word, providing comfort, guidance, and assurance. By prioritizing prayer in our daily lives, we acknowledge our need for God's intervention and guidance, allowing His presence to permeate every aspect of our existence. [25:36]

Colossians 4:2 (ESV): "Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving."

Reflection: Consider your current prayer life. How can you make your prayers more heartfelt and sincere, reflecting a deeper dependence on God?

Day 4: The Balance of Speaking and Listening

A healthy spiritual life requires a balance between prayer and scripture study. This balance ensures that our relationship with God is dynamic and reciprocal, fostering deeper intimacy and understanding. Just as a conversation requires both speaking and listening, our spiritual life thrives when we engage in both prayer and the study of scripture. By immersing ourselves in God's word, we gain insight into His character and will, which in turn informs our prayers and deepens our relationship with Him. This balanced approach allows us to experience the fullness of God's presence and guidance in our lives. [33:20]

James 1:22-25 (ESV): "But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror."

Reflection: How can you intentionally incorporate both prayer and scripture study into your daily routine to ensure a balanced and dynamic relationship with God?

Day 5: Christ as the Fulfillment of Divine Communication

Jesus Christ is both God's answer to us and our answer to God. Through Him, we find the fulfillment of divine justice, the assurance of salvation, and the depth of God's love. Christ embodies the perfect communion between God and humanity, bridging the gap and providing a way for us to experience the fullness of God's presence. Through His life, death, and resurrection, we are invited into a relationship with God that is marked by grace, love, and eternal hope. In Christ, we discover the ultimate expression of God's communication with humanity, offering us the promise of eternal life and the assurance of His unwavering love. [42:31]

Hebrews 1:1-2 (ESV): "Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world."

Reflection: How does understanding Jesus as the fulfillment of divine communication impact your relationship with God, and how can you live out this truth in your daily life?

Sermon Summary

In the midst of Job's trials, he found himself surrounded by friends who, rather than offering comfort, became instruments of further distress. Despite their harsh judgments, Job maintained his integrity and appealed directly to God, confident in his righteousness. This narrative invites us to explore the profound nature of our communication with God, emphasizing the dual modes of divine conversation: God speaking to us and us speaking to God.

The first mode of communication is when God initiates the conversation. Throughout scripture, we see examples of God calling out to His servants, such as Abraham, Moses, and Samuel. These instances remind us of the importance of being attentive to God's voice, which can come through scripture, the ministry of His word, or the quiet whispers of the Holy Spirit. Our response should be one of readiness and willingness to listen, allowing His words to guide and transform us.

The second mode is when we speak to God, expressing adoration, gratitude, confession, and petition. Our prayers should be heartfelt and sincere, reflecting our dependence on Him for both our spiritual and temporal needs. This dialogue is not one-sided; God responds to our prayers, often through His word, providing comfort, guidance, and assurance.

Combining these two modes of communication enriches our relationship with God. Just as a conversation requires both speaking and listening, our spiritual life thrives when we balance prayer with the study of scripture. This dynamic interaction fosters a deeper understanding of God's will and a more intimate fellowship with Him.

Ultimately, Jesus Christ embodies the perfect communion between God and humanity. He is both God's answer to us and our answer to God. Through Christ's life, death, and resurrection, we find the fulfillment of divine justice and the assurance of our salvation. In Him, we discover the depth of God's love and the promise of eternal life.

Key Takeaways

1. The Dual Nature of Divine Communication: Our relationship with God involves both listening to His voice and speaking to Him. This duality is essential for a vibrant spiritual life, as it mirrors the natural flow of a meaningful conversation. [04:38]
2. The Importance of Attentiveness: God speaks to us through various means, including scripture and the Holy Spirit. Our role is to be attentive and responsive, allowing His words to shape our lives and guide our actions. [09:17]
3. The Role of Prayer: Prayer is our opportunity to express adoration, gratitude, confession, and petition. It is a vital component of our communication with God, reflecting our dependence on Him and our desire for His presence. [25:36]
4. The Balance of Speaking and Listening: A healthy spiritual life requires a balance between prayer and scripture study. This balance ensures that our relationship with God is dynamic and reciprocal, fostering deeper intimacy and understanding. [33:20]
5. Christ as the Fulfillment of Divine Communication: Jesus Christ is both God's answer to us and our answer to God. Through Him, we find the fulfillment of divine justice, the assurance of salvation, and the depth of God's love. [42:31]
** [42:31]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:15] - Introduction to Job's Trials
[01:06] - Job's Appeal to God
[02:31] - The Nature of Divine Communication
[04:38] - Two Methods of Converse
[06:50] - The African Chieftain's Example
[09:17] - Listening to God's Voice
[13:00] - The Role of Scripture
[16:54] - The Voice of Command
[20:41] - Responding to God's Rebuke
[23:21] - Innermost Communion
[25:36] - Speaking to God
[33:20] - Combining the Two Methods
[37:09] - Varying the Order
[42:31] - Christ as the Answer

Sermon Clips

Job might well have been driven frantic by his miserable comforters it is wonderful that he did not express himself far more bitterly than he did surely Satan found better instruments for his work in those three ungenerous friends than in the marauding sabians or the pitiless Whirlwind they assailed job remorselessly and seemed to have no more bowels of compassion than so many Flint Stones. [00:00:20]

The tormented patriarch did what none but a man of the highest Integrity could have done so intensely as he did he made his appeal from the false Judgment of man to the bar of God and begged to be forth with summoned before the tribunal of the judge of all for he was sure that God would justify him. [00:01:10]

Sometimes the Lord calls to us and we reply and at other times we speak to God and he graciously DS to answer us a missionary some years ago returning from Southern Africa gave a description of the work which had been accomplished there through the preaching of the gospel. [00:05:26]

I look down to the book and God speaks to me and then I look up in prayer and speak to the Lord and in this way we keep up a holy talk with each other I would set this picture before you as being the mirror and pattern of fellowship with Heaven. [00:06:40]

The Lord Our God has spoken to us by his spirit and our spiritual ears have listened to his words and thus our fellowship with Heaven has commenced if the Lord Wills to have the first word in holy conversation which he intends to hold with his servants God forbid that any speech of ours should interpose. [00:09:04]

The Lord's voice has many t tones all equally Divine sometimes he uses the voice of Awakening and then we should give Earnest heed we are dead and he quickens us we are sluggish and need to be bestowed and the Lord therefore cries aloud to us awake thou that sleepest. [00:10:26]

All scripture is written for that purpose and our business is to listen to its teachings with open ear and willing heart well did the psalmist say I will hear what God the Lord will speak for he will speak peace unto his people God's Own command of Mercy is incline your ear and come unto me hear and your soul shall live. [00:13:04]

The Lord also speaks to his servants with the voice of command those who trust Christ must also obey him in the day when we become the Lord's children we come under obligations to obey does he not himself say if I be a father where is mine honor dear friends we must never have a heavy ear towards the precepts. [00:16:54]

The Lord sometimes speaks to his servants in the tone of rebuke and let us never be among those those who Harden their necks against him it is not a pleasant thing to be told of our faults but it is a most profitable thing Brethren when you have heard if you are on good terms with God he will gently chide you. [00:18:52]

The Lord sometimes speaks to us in consolatory language how full the Bible is of Comforts how truly has God carried out his own precept to the prophet Comfort ye Comfort ye my people saith your god what more indeed could God have said than he has said for the consolation of his own beloved. [00:21:41]

The second and equally common form is that we speak to God and he graciously replies to us how should we speak to the most high I answer first we ought constantly to speak to him in the tone of adoration we do not I fear adore and reverently magnify God one 100th part as much as we should. [00:25:36]

Brethren we sometimes go to prayer and we want God to hear us but we have not heard what God has to say this is wrong suppose a person neglects the hearing of the word but is very fond of prayer I feel certain that his prayer will soon become flat stale and unprofitable because no conversation can be very Lively which is all on one side. [00:33:20]

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