Do You Really Want to Hear From God?

A friend gave me a copy of a booklet called God Guides by Mary Geegh. She was a missionary in India for 38 years. Early on, she learned she did not have all the answers to help the people she was there to serve. Through a visiting pastor, she learned God did have all the answers for His people, and the best way to find those answers was through listening to Him.

The booklet offers page after page of stories about people hearing God regarding their sin, what God wanted them to do next, and answers to their questions. It is based on Psalm 37:7:

“Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him,”

Pray America, which publishes the booklet, offers a sample prayer to start listening to God for answers, direction, repentance and any other need you might have. Here is the sample prayer from God Guides:

Father, I come to you in the name of Jesus Christ, Your Son, and according to James 1:5 I am seeking wisdom for  _____________________.

In the name of Jesus, according to Matthew 28:18 and Luke 10:19 & 20 I take authority over satan and his fallen angels and command that they be rendered deaf, dumb and blind to my prayers and removed from my presence. I place my own voice under subjection to the shed blood of Jesus and command that my own thoughts be taken captive to the obedience of Christ, according to 2 Corinthians 10:5. I ask Father that only Your Holy Spirit will speak to me as I wait on you for wisdom, insight and direction for ___________________ and what You show me and direct me to do I will quickly obey.

James 1:5 “If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.”

Matthew 28:18 “Then Jesus came to them and said ‘All authority in Heaven and on earth has been given to Me.”

Luke 10:19-20 “I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in Heaven.”

2 Corinthians 10:5 “We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”

The idea is to sit with a pen and paper, pray, then wait and listen, and write down the impression the Lord gives you. This is not a formula, but an example of how others have learned to hear God for decisions they need to make.

Remember, sin blocks us hearing from God. So, if we have unconfessed sin,

deal with that first. Also, if God has already told you something to do or to stop doing, and you haven’t done that, He probably will not give you another word from Him until you obey the first thing.

I hope this helps. If you would like to read the booklet you can order one at prayamerica.org.

If you have used listening prayer in the past, we would love to hear how God spoke to you. Please share with us in the comments below.

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This is day 25 in the series about Hearing God. To read the other posts in this series, click the links below.

Day 1: Take Off Your Sandals
Day 2:  God in the Grocery Store
Day 3:  God in the Grocery Store - Part2
Day 4:  Peeking During Prayer
Day 5:  How Do We Know God's Voice?
Day 6:  A Young Mom, Toddler Toys and Hearing God
Day 7:  Hearing God When Making Decisions
Day 8:  Lining Up Those Ducks
Day 9:   Hearing God for Our Kids
Day 10: God or Genie in a Bottle?
Day 11: The Perfect Day to Hear God
Day 12: Hearing God in a Crisis
Day 13:  7 Ways to Test an Impression
Day 14:  Remote Assignment
Day 15:  God's Silence
Day 16:  Hearing God While Dating
Day 17:  Hearing God Bible Verses
Day 18:  What Others Say About Hearing God
Day 19:  Hearing God Through Distractions
Day 20:  Hearing God as a Child
Day 21:  Hearing God in Confusion
Day 22:  Hearing God's Encouraging Voice
Day 23:  Hearing God on a Tractor
Day 24:  An Email Confirmation
Day 25:
Day 26:  Why Hear God?
Day 27:  Are You Texting God?
Day 28:  Hearing God in Our Depression
Day 29:
Day 30: Desperate to Hear God
Day 31: Desperate to Hear God (Part 2)