May 25th, 2016 - Thoughts for your Week

Scripture Verse

This is what the Lord says: “Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls. But you said, ‘We will not walk in it.’

Jeremiah 6:16

These are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God.  For who knows a person’s thoughts except their own spirit within them? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us.

1 Corinthians 2:10-12

“Mental prayer is what we participate in most often. In praying with my mind, I work through my prayer list; I ask for forgiveness of sins, offer Him thanks for specific things, bring Him needs for which I desire His intervention, and intercede on behalf of others. But instead of ending my prayer time there, I then wait and quiet my mind so I can move to a Spirit-led time of prayer. I turn my thoughts inward, giving the Holy Spirit an opportunity to direct my prayer time. He alone knows the thoughts of God and can express them as He leads me in prayer. The more I practice this type of prayer, the more I develop the ability to do it anywhere, no matter the chaos swirling around me.”

Discerning the Voice of God” by Priscilla Shirer

Three Stages of Listening Prayer by Stephen Verney

1)  “Me and Him”: I come to prayer conscious of myself, my needs, my desires. I pour these out to God.

2)  “Him and me”:  I become more conscious of the presence of God than of myself.

3)  “Only Him” – God’s presence arrests me, captivates me, warms me, works on me.

“God will speak to the hearts of those who prepare themselves to hear, and conversely, those who do not prepare themselves will hear nothing even though the word of God is falling upon their outer ears every Sunday.”

A.W. Tozer

 “If you told God on your knees that you had reached an impasse and were handing it over to Him, then leave it with Him. Do not go to the first Christian you meet and say, “You know, I have an awful problem; I don’t know what to do.” Don’t discuss it. Leave it with God, and watch for His answer.”

D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones

“By stopping at regular intervals in my day, putting aside my other tasks, and spending a few minutes in scripture and prayer, I recalibrate my mind and soul toward God rather than the things of this world.”

“With” by Skye Jethani