Listening to God: The Power of Choice in Prayer
Summary
In our journey of faith, we are learning to harness the profound gift of choice, particularly the choice to listen to God. Our lives are shaped by the decisions we make, and today, we focus on the decision to bring our lives before God, to be still, and to listen. Drawing from Paul Turner's insights in "The Meaning of Persons," we explore the nature of prayer and the deep-seated human desire to be known. Turner suggests that even in our struggles, there is an inner dialogue with God, whether we recognize it or not. This dialogue is a testament to God's constant presence and His desire to communicate with us.
God speaks to us in myriad ways—through nature, art, scripture, and most profoundly through Jesus. Turner's story of his wife's transformative encounter with God through the sound of cathedral bells illustrates how God can break through our everyday lives, revealing His greatness and inviting us into a personal relationship with Him. This encounter is not just about hearing God but responding to Him, allowing His voice to guide and transform us.
Prayer, as Turner notes, can sometimes devolve into mere introspection, where we become consumed with our own inadequacies. True prayer, however, is a dialogue with the living God, who speaks to us through our thoughts, scripture, and the world around us. This week, I experienced the power of bringing my burdens to God, writing them down, and receiving His guidance. It reminded me of the story of the woman caught in adultery, where Jesus offers no condemnation but instead, a path forward.
As we pray, we are invited to bring our concerns to God, to listen for His voice, and to act on His guidance. Whether through a thought, a scripture, or a feeling, God communicates with us, offering love, comfort, and direction. Even in silence, His presence is a profound part of our relationship with Him. We are learning to listen to God, to choose well, and to walk with Him, step by step.
Key Takeaways:
1. The Gift of Choice: Our lives are shaped by the choices we make, and choosing to listen to God is a profound decision that can transform our lives. This choice invites us into a deeper relationship with God, where we can experience His presence and guidance. [00:26]
2. God's Constant Dialogue: God is always speaking to us, even when we are unaware. This ongoing dialogue is a testament to His love and desire to be in relationship with us. Recognizing this can change how we perceive our struggles and experiences. [01:44]
3. Encountering God's Greatness: Personal encounters with God can happen in unexpected ways, revealing His greatness and inviting us into a deeper understanding of His nature. These moments can transform our faith and perspective. [03:39]
4. Prayer as Dialogue: True prayer is a dialogue with the living God, not just introspection. By bringing our concerns to God and listening for His voice, we open ourselves to His guidance and transformation. [05:20]
5. Acting on God's Guidance: When God speaks, whether through thoughts, scripture, or feelings, we are called to act on His guidance. This action is a step of faith, trusting in His wisdom and love for us. [10:02]
Youtube Chapters:
- [00:00] - Welcome
- [00:26] - The Power of Choice
- [00:42] - Learning from Paul Turner
- [01:07] - The Desire to Be Known
- [01:44] - Two Dialogues: With God and Others
- [02:19] - God's Unexpected Breakthroughs
- [02:46] - God Speaks Through All Things
- [03:25] - Turner's Transformative Experience
- [04:07] - Encountering God's Greatness
- [05:04] - The Nature of True Prayer
- [06:03] - Personal Struggles and God's Guidance
- [07:10] - No Condemnation in Christ
- [08:10] - Bringing Concerns to God
- [09:18] - Listening for God's Voice
- [10:02] - Acting on God's Guidance
- [10:54] - Closing and Invitation to Connect
Study Guide
Bible Study Discussion Guide
Bible Reading:
1. John 8:1-11 - The story of the woman caught in adultery.
2. Psalm 46:10 - "Be still, and know that I am God."
3. Hebrews 1:1-2 - God speaking through His Son, Jesus.
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Observation Questions:
1. In the story of the woman caught in adultery (John 8:1-11), how does Jesus respond to the accusations against her? What does this reveal about His character? [07:10]
2. According to the sermon, how does God communicate with us through different aspects of life, such as nature and scripture? [02:46]
3. What was the transformative experience that Paul Turner's wife had, and how did it change her understanding of God? [03:39]
4. How does the sermon describe the nature of true prayer, and what distinguishes it from mere introspection? [05:20]
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Interpretation Questions:
1. How does the concept of "being still" in Psalm 46:10 relate to the idea of listening to God in the sermon? What might this look like in a practical sense?
2. In what ways does the story of the woman caught in adultery illustrate the theme of "no condemnation" mentioned in the sermon? How does this impact our understanding of grace? [07:10]
3. The sermon suggests that God is always speaking to us, even when we are unaware. How might this understanding change the way we perceive our daily struggles and experiences? [01:44]
4. How does the idea of God speaking through Jesus, as mentioned in Hebrews 1:1-2, align with the sermon’s emphasis on encountering God's greatness through unexpected ways? [03:39]
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Application Questions:
1. Reflect on a recent decision you made. How did you involve God in that decision-making process? What might you do differently next time to ensure you are listening to His guidance? [00:26]
2. Think about a time when you felt overwhelmed by your own inadequacies. How can you shift your focus from introspection to a dialogue with God during such moments? [05:20]
3. Identify a specific area in your life where you struggle to hear God's voice. What steps can you take this week to be more attentive to His communication through scripture, nature, or other means? [02:46]
4. Consider a personal encounter or experience that revealed God's greatness to you. How did it transform your faith or perspective? Share this experience with the group. [03:39]
5. The sermon encourages us to act on God's guidance. Is there a specific action you feel called to take this week? How can you ensure you follow through on this prompting? [10:02]
6. Reflect on the concept of "no condemnation" in your own life. How can embracing this truth change the way you view yourself and others? [07:10]
7. What is one practical way you can "be still" and know God this week, amidst the busyness of life? How can this practice help you grow in your relationship with Him? [08:10]
Devotional
Day 1: Choosing to Listen to God
In our lives, the choices we make shape our journey, and one of the most profound decisions is to listen to God. This choice is not just about hearing His voice but actively seeking His presence and guidance in our daily lives. By choosing to listen, we open ourselves to a deeper relationship with God, where His wisdom and love can transform us. This decision invites us to be still, to bring our lives before Him, and to allow His voice to guide our steps. [00:26]
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 is one area of your life where you need to make a conscious choice to listen to God today? How can you create space to hear His voice more clearly?
Day 2: Recognizing God's Constant Dialogue
God is always speaking to us, even when we are unaware. This ongoing dialogue is a testament to His love and desire to be in relationship with us. Recognizing this can change how we perceive our struggles and experiences, as we begin to see them as opportunities to hear from God. Whether through nature, art, scripture, or the quiet moments of our day, God is communicating His love and guidance. By becoming more aware of this dialogue, we can deepen our relationship with Him and find comfort in His constant presence. [01:44]
1 Kings 19:11-12 (ESV): "And he said, 'Go out and stand on the mount before the Lord.' And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. And after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire the sound of a low whisper."
Reflection: In what ways has God been speaking to you recently that you might have overlooked? How can you become more attuned to His voice in your daily life?
Day 3: Encountering God's Greatness
Personal encounters with God can happen in unexpected ways, revealing His greatness and inviting us into a deeper understanding of His nature. These moments can transform our faith and perspective, as we experience His presence in profound ways. Whether through a transformative experience or a simple moment of clarity, God reveals His greatness to us, inviting us to respond to His love and guidance. By being open to these encounters, we can grow in our faith and deepen our relationship with Him. [03:39]
Psalm 19:1-2 (ESV): "The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge."
Reflection: Can you recall a moment when you unexpectedly encountered God's greatness? How did it change your understanding of Him, and how can you remain open to such encounters in the future?
Day 4: Engaging in True Prayer
True prayer is a dialogue with the living God, not just introspection. By bringing our concerns to God and listening for His voice, we open ourselves to His guidance and transformation. Prayer is an opportunity to engage with God, to share our hearts, and to receive His wisdom and love. It is not about focusing on our inadequacies but about connecting with the One who knows us deeply and desires to guide us. Through prayer, we can experience God's presence and find direction for our lives. [05:20]
Jeremiah 33:3 (ESV): "Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known."
Reflection: How can you transform your prayer life from introspection to a true dialogue with God? What steps can you take to ensure you are listening for His voice during your times of prayer?
Day 5: Acting on God's Guidance
When God speaks, whether through thoughts, scripture, or feelings, we are called to act on His guidance. This action is a step of faith, trusting in His wisdom and love for us. By responding to God's voice, we demonstrate our trust in Him and our willingness to follow His lead. Acting on His guidance requires courage and faith, as we step out in obedience to His call. Through this process, we grow in our relationship with God and experience the fullness of His plans for our lives. [10:02]
James 1:22 (ESV): "But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves."
Reflection: What is one specific way God is calling you to act on His guidance today? How can you take a step of faith in response to His leading?
Quotes
"well we're learning how to use that great gift of the ability to choose to choose well to choose wisely because our life is built on our choices and the choice today is when i face an important or significant situation in my life to choose to listen to bring my life myself my person my world my heart to god and to be still" [00:16:53]
"and i thought this is incredibly helpful and deeply true about the nature of prayer part of what paul tourney was convinced of is that people pray and god speaks to us far more than we have any idea he says we all have a deep hunger desire to be truly known to come to learn the truth about ourselves and reveal that to another and yet being known is also our greatest fear" [00:46:08]
"there are then two parallel dialogues two personal contacts one with another person the other with god and because god is always present because god made everybody because god loves each person god is always there and that ability to listen to god to be aware of god is actually far deeper in people than we have any idea even if you believe that you're an atheist that dynamic is still going through eternity rights" [01:42:56]
"and then he says when god breaks through sometimes when the word of god strikes a person without warning even when it's quite sudden which changes all it wants the direction of somebody's life what happens is we realize god has been speaking to us for a long time that the dialogue was already going on in the darkness of the unconscious before it broke into the full light of day we realize then that god is speaking to us all the time" [02:10:23]
"god speaks through the poets and the musicians through children and through the aged through the example of the saints through anyone he chooses even the flowers and the beasts in our dreams and our events and particularly through jesus when i am outside in a place like this i just talked to my wife before talking with all of you and she said you must be outside i hear the birds god is god is speaking" [02:37:59]
"turning has a very powerful story about one year he was married early on in their marriage and he had gone on a new year's eve to great cathedral square was an old custom from when he was a kid and he said when i got back home i found my wife overwhelmed and transformed i have suddenly realized for the first time the greatness of god she told me as the bells rang out telling of the inexorable and endless march of time it had been borne in upon her that god was infinitely greater than she had ever imagined" [03:16:64]
"the greatest event in life had taken place the personal encounter of creature and creator the dialogue between the voice of god so great that it makes itself heard in every earthly sound without any one of them ever sufficing completely to express it and the voice of the human so weak that nothing he can say is adequate to the reply" [04:07:68]
"prayer degenerates into introspection and that in introspection i'm just obsessed with consumed with myself my inadequacies my weaknesses my problems and it's not dialogue because dialogue means being in the presence of another and we are always in the presence of god and god can speak to us through bells through birds especially through scripture and he speaks to us in and through our own thoughts when we submit them to him" [05:06:96]
"this last week i found myself as sometimes happens for me just feeling overwhelmed by so many problems i don't know how to solve and tasks that feel incomplete and the weight of wondering what will people think of me depending on how all of this goes and it felt crushing to me and it's odd but sometimes i can go to god in prayer and read scripture and not bring to him what's actually on my heart" [06:06:96]
"and so this week on that morning i did and the thought the first thought that came that sounds very forsaken was just write it down and so i just wrote down all the things that i was concerned about that needed to get done and somehow writing them down took them out of the category of this vague cloudy overwhelming thing to just one item at a time for which i could receive mana for today" [06:35:76]
"and then the next thought that came was no condemnation and i thought of the story of the woman who was caught in adultery in john 8 and jesus says where are those who condemned you are they gone neither do i condemn you in that thought i do not condemn you john it was so helpful to me and then the other thought was act just start with one item start with one problem and ask is there anything that i could do that would be constructive and do it" [07:01:68]
"and now god we thank you for your heart for us and if a thought came where there's some action that you need to take make a decision now that you'll take it if it's a call to be made or something to get written or some step to be done or some errand to be run just make the decision now that you will do it if god spoke a word of love or comfort or encouragement be grateful" [09:54:08]
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