God Speaks Through prayer
Memory verse: He who belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God. (John 8:47)
Prayer is two-way fellowship and communication with God. You speak to God, and He speaks to you. Prayer is not a one-way conversation in which you merely list everything you want God to do. Your personal prayer life may primarily be one-way communication—you talking to God—but prayer is more than that. Prayer includes listening. In fact, what God says in prayer is far more important than what you say. God already knows what you are going to say. You, however, do not know what God is thinking.
Prayer is a relationship, not just a religious activity. Its purpose is to adjust you to God, not to align God with your thinking. God doesn’t need your prayers, but He wants you to pray because of what God wants to do in and through your life as you pray. God speaks to His people by the Holy Spirit through prayer.
When the Holy Spirit reveals a spiritual truth to you in prayer, He is present and actively working in your life. Genuine prayer does not lead to an encounter with God. It is an encounter with God. What happens as you seek God’s will in prayer?
God takes the initiative by causing you to want or need to pray.
The Holy Spirit takes the Word of God and reveals to you the will of God.
In the Spirit you pray in agreement with God’s will.
You adjust your life to the truth (to God).
You look and listen for confirmation or further direction from the Bible, circumstances, and the church (other believers).
You obey.
God works in you and through you to accomplish His purposes.
You experience God just as the Spirit revealed in your prayer.
Read the verse and answer the following questions
Likewise, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God (Romans 8:26-27)
Why do we need the Holy Spirit’s help when we pray?
What advantage does the Holy Spirit have that we do not have?
What does the Holy Spirit do for us?
You may be asking; “how do I know the directions I am praying are the Spirit’s leading and not my own selfish desires?”
First, deny self. In all honesty with yourself and before God, come to the place where you are certain your only desire is to know God’s will. Then check to see what the Holy Spirit is saying in other ways. Ask yourself:
What is He saying to me in His Word and in prayer? Do they agree?
Is He confirming it through circumstances?
Is He confirming it through the counsel of other believers?
God will never lead you to do something that contradicts His written Word. If what you sense in prayer runs contrary to Scripture, it is wrong. For instance, God will never lead you to commit adultery. He is always opposed to that. Watch for God to use the written Word to confirm or correct what you sense in prayer. However, don’t play games with God. Don’t just look for a Scripture that seems to say what you want to do and then claim it is God’s will. That is dangerous