Vintage21 Church

Jon Beauchaine · Joined: 09 Feb 2008 Posts: 7 Location: Raleigh

After Whitney's spectacular job last night talking about prayer I got to thinking about prayer. Having heard others speak on it and read books on it, I've found that there is something that's always left out for me. People usually discuss why to pray, how to pray, when to pray, and what happens as a result of prayer, but when discussing listening to the Spirit, nobody ever really mentions what the Spirit sounds like.

Maybe that's part of the problem with us being total slackers at prayer: we don't know what exactly we're listening for? I know when I pray sometimes I feel like the Spirit moving is that sort of calming that comes over me. I also wonder if part of that is just me actually being still and quiet for more than 5 minutes. I don't always know and am curious as to what other people experience.

So my questions is: What does God sound like when He speaks to you and how do you know for certain that it is really Him that you're hearing?

Whitney Chambers · Joined: 15 Feb 2008 Posts: 23

Would it be too much for me to reply? I appreciate your compliments on what I talked about last night, JB, and I just don't want people to tire of hearing about prayer... or hearing me talk about prayer, I guess.

If one had the chance to look at my notes from last night, then it'd quickly become clear that I had enough material to fill a YEAR'S WORTH of owner's nights (possible/slight exaggeration). One of the topics I didn't discuss was how praying over time develops an intimacy between a person and God. So that calming feeling you experience is something that you associate with God because you know him well enough for things like that to become distinct or stick out to you. And I really believe stuff like that only becomes more and more distinct as time spent in prayer/in God's presence goes on.

Another thing about prayer: it lacks a lot of concrete sensory stuff that ALL other earthly forms of communication have in some way or another. In other words, there's no other being that we communicate with that doesn't give us some tangible evidence of it. Prayers can RESULT in tangible things later, but we really offer the prayer in total faith in the very moment we're praying.

BUT. I don't think that means God doesn't give us a sense of himself. There's no rule against that. When we look at scripture, we see a rule like that broken again and again... Jacob wrestling with God through the night, Moses's shining face after coming down from the mountain, Elijah (I think--somebody correct me if that's wrong) being hidden in the cleft of the rock and seeing God's shadow pass, Saul (& his buddies) hearing the audible voice of God on the road to Damascus, the incarnation of Christ (I think that fits here) and others you can think of.

So that's my "for anybody" answer in that I think everyone can use those things to answer your question.

But, personally, I've never heard God's voice in my ears. I have a handful of moments (less than 5) in my life when I heard God in my heart with certainty. Each time this has happened, my immediate response has been the thought: Wait, was that--could that be--um, God, was that you?

Also each time after THAT thought, I heard: You know it is.

And then I usually think something along the lines of, hey--can you say it again so I know I'm not crazy? or so I can be even surer than sure? But he always refuses. Gently but firmly refuses. I can't say I blame him, y'know, because he's God, not my circus monkey.

Anyway, I hope that gets the ball rolling on answers to this because I have mostly just my experience/perspective on it. Great question.
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Interested in the prayer ministry? Email me: prayer at vintage21 dot com!

Kristan Lovelace · Joined: 23 May 2008 Posts: 1

:shock: so it's my first time here in the world of "forum". i'm a little nervous (heh). all joking aside, my parents need loads o' prayer these days. my mother supposedly has "pancreatitis" (sp?) and two discs in her back that just won't quit. since her gallbladder removal among other things in december of '06, she has been in constant pain. i'm not exaggerating - every hour of every day - though i wish i was. she is taking top of the line pain killers but to no avail. God, help her. may we pray to Him whose hands our lives are in. my heart is broken for her. even if just once, right now as you read this you could pray, please do. thanks.

onto my father, his problems are mostly his own fault, considering his unhealthy diet and lack of exercise (but who am i to talk). he has heart issues, weight issues, knee problems, the lot. he also has 9 yr. old twins to raise late in life and they barely have a mother around. his doc says if something doesn't change, his life will be short and his knees will need to be replaced within 10 years from now. he needs a savior, and we need to pray that he finds ours.

thank you all. i'm learning daily how serious this prayer stuff is. . .

Pastor Tyler · Joined: 08 Feb 2008 Posts: 85 Location: Downtown Raleigh

Kristan...I prayed for your family this morning and will continue to do so. Please keep us up to date. Thanks!
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Pastor Tyler