This Sunday we talked about hearing the voice of God and deciphering God's Will. How do we ever know when something is the voice of God, with all the crazy ideas that flow through our heads over the course of any day given day? In Acts 10, which we looked at Sunday, we see that this revelation comes in three steps:
- Setup
- Repetition
- Confirmation
God's will is still revealed in many of the same ways. Often times we'll feel led in a direction and see some paths "open up" for us or small oppoortunities fall in our laps. Other times God will just spend some time chipping away at our mindsets and preconceptions little by little. His revelation will most often come through reading His word, but often times when he has a plan for you, you will be convicted by His word multiple times. For example, You might not know what job he wants you in, but you may be repeatedly and vehemently convicted that God wants you to serve more, leading you to a better understanding of His will. Confirmation often comes after a leap of faith is made in the direction of obedience or as you begin to understand and look deeper. Many times these are the experiences that tell you that you are heading the right way.
In the end of Acts chapter 9, we see an illustration of the power of God's name when used to perform His will. We can all say that things are done in the name of God. Words are cheap. God is after the intent of our hearts. Peter was very well-attuned to the will of God. At this point, he'd spent approximately seven years learning Jesus' teachings. He healed Aeneas by saying four simple words, "Jesus Christ heals you" (9:34). When God's will is at hand, His name carries unmatched power.
This is followed by Peter's raising of Dorcas/Tabitha in the following verses. We know that this is God's will because Peter was present all three times that Jesus raised people from the dead (Luke 7:11-14; Mark 5:22-43; John 11:1-44) and here will mimic Jesus' ways in this miracle (See Mark's account). He asked others to leave the room (see Mark 5) and then got down to pray. He said almost the same thing, only calling the woman by name, and took her by the hand, as did Jesus with the daughter of the Synagogue official. If we are called to live as Jesus lived then Peter was most definitely displaying a faith in God's will here.
Here's the big point, though: God's name means nothing when not preceded by the spirit. God's will is to do His will. In our prayers we may ask for things in Jesus' name and even want them in our heart. What God wants is a willing heart to do His work! By reading the word God reveals Himself to us, by being faithful to what he is showing us, our hearts will change. As they change we will see that our prayers change, too. What we used to pray for and not "see results of" we begin to see are sometimes on our agenda rather than God's. Through listening to His voice we will start to see a shift to praying more for His will and recognizing things that are our will and praying for them less. When we can surrender to doing His will in all circumstances rather than praying for the right scenario in which to do His will, He blesses that by granting power, peace and joy to His faithful and willing servants.
When you find yourself in a "prayer rut" in which you feel as if prayers are not being answered, I challenge you to examine the heart and motive behind your requests. Are you truly asking God for His will to be done and offering yourself as a vessel through which to carry it out? Are you seeking to hear His voice? His spirit always precedes His power, especially the power to heal our broken hearts and souls.
This is followed by Peter's raising of Dorcas/Tabitha in the following verses. We know that this is God's will because Peter was present all three times that Jesus raised people from the dead (Luke 7:11-14; Mark 5:22-43; John 11:1-44) and here will mimic Jesus' ways in this miracle (See Mark's account). He asked others to leave the room (see Mark 5) and then got down to pray. He said almost the same thing, only calling the woman by name, and took her by the hand, as did Jesus with the daughter of the Synagogue official. If we are called to live as Jesus lived then Peter was most definitely displaying a faith in God's will here.
Here's the big point, though: God's name means nothing when not preceded by the spirit. God's will is to do His will. In our prayers we may ask for things in Jesus' name and even want them in our heart. What God wants is a willing heart to do His work! By reading the word God reveals Himself to us, by being faithful to what he is showing us, our hearts will change. As they change we will see that our prayers change, too. What we used to pray for and not "see results of" we begin to see are sometimes on our agenda rather than God's. Through listening to His voice we will start to see a shift to praying more for His will and recognizing things that are our will and praying for them less. When we can surrender to doing His will in all circumstances rather than praying for the right scenario in which to do His will, He blesses that by granting power, peace and joy to His faithful and willing servants.
When you find yourself in a "prayer rut" in which you feel as if prayers are not being answered, I challenge you to examine the heart and motive behind your requests. Are you truly asking God for His will to be done and offering yourself as a vessel through which to carry it out? Are you seeking to hear His voice? His spirit always precedes His power, especially the power to heal our broken hearts and souls.
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