Prayer and Listening to God Part 4: Before We Go On; Prayer is a Rich Fellowship With God

((This is Part 4 of a series of posts on Prayer and Listening to God. Click here for Part 1).

In the previous article in this series, I said that I would offer a few quick guidelines for interpreting Scripture, and then look at some Scripture passages that have been used as "proof" that we should expect God to speak directly to us. I need, though, to stop here for a minute and say a few things that I think are important.

In making the case that we are not to deliberately listen for God's voice, whether in prayer or at any other time (for this is the case I'm trying to make), I am not, not, not saying that we do not enjoy rich fellowship and communion with God in prayer and in other times, too.

This rich fellowship and communion with God can be understood in light of such passages as John 14:26, John 15:26, and John 16:12-15. The fellowship we enjoy with God is through the activity of the Holy Spirit, who is the Spirit of adoption (Romans 8:15, "by whom we cry 'Abba, Father'") and who is the Spirit of truth (John 16:13-14, "he will take what is mine and declare it to you"). One main thing the Holy Spirit came to do was to apply the truths of Scripture to our thinking and desires. You can work that out for yourself from John 14 and 15 and 16. That would be a worthy year-or-two-long project.

The more Scripture-soaked and promise-infused we become, and the more we come to love and reverence his word, the more we are coming to love and know God. This is how the Holy Spirit works in our lives in an experiential way-- always through the word of Christ (the Scripture). This is what John 16:13-14 is saying.

Prayer and fellowship with God is the stuff that fits us for heaven and makes us ready to stand before him on that day when all shall give an account to him. But we must never confuse the rich, warm and abiding fellowship with God that we enjoy through the Spirit's application of the truths of God with an expectation that we should hear God speaking to us in direct ways, apart from his word. To go there is to use a language and experience that the Bible doesn't use about prayer.

So, to sum up, there is a richness, a reward, a life-changing knowledge of God to be had in and through prayer. All this is the very reason (!) I'm writing against the practice of listening for his voice, as taught by so many today. Seeing prayer in that false way, seeing the Holy Spirit's work in that false way, will rob you of what is really available to you. Available, that is, if you cling to his promises in trust, look to him for his mercy, fear him for his excellent greatness, and tremble at his word, the Scriptures.

So please, keep in mind as you read these articles on prayer and listening to God that prayer is a rich life with God, seen in secret and someday openly rewarded by our heavenly Father, promising fellowship with him through his Spirit by his word. Next article I intend to get back to dismantling as best I can the wrong stuff in the hopes of making more way for the good stuff. We'll look at those guidelines for interpreting Scripture and at examples of misinterpreted texts (starring one of the biggies, the much-misunderstood "still, small voice").

Thanks for reading. Please feel free to share your thoughts, questions and ideas in the comments.





[1] E.M. Bounds said, “The word of God is the food by which prayer is nourished and made strong.” The sense of fellowship and growing relationship with God we feel as we grow steadfast in prayer is the work of the Spirit, the Spirit who came to teach and apply to our hearts and lives the word of Christ, the Scripture (John 14:26, John 15:26, John 16:12-15).


Please click here for Part 5.