Make your communion with God a priority. What are the 4 keys to hearing God's voice?

2/23/2025 morning worship service Pastor Anthony Fields " "PRAYER — According To James " James 1,4 & 5, Hebrews 10:19-23 In Acts 1:4, Jesus commanded 'His disciples' not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for the Father's promise.. They understood what He meant by that and gave themselves to praying together. So why is something so foundational for Jesus, the Apostles, and the Early Church lacking so much with us today? Why is it these days that praying together is so often the spare tire rather than the steering wheel for us [as a] church? Why do so few attend Prayer Meetings or perhaps form or join a Prayer Team? The answer is obvious: "We believe better than we behave when it comes to praying together." I want to highlight five reasons why our stated belief and our practiced behavior don't match. And we're all guilty of all five. I. We do not see prayer as relational. God makes relational prayer a condition of His response to us. You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart (Jeremiah 29:13) II. We do not perceive the separating power of tolerated sin. Isaiah 59:1-2 says, "Indeed, the Lord's hand is not too short to save, and His ear is not too deaf to hear. But your iniquites have built barriers between you and your God, and your sins have made Him hide [His] face from you so that He does not listen." III. We do not understand prayer prepares us for spiritual warfare. IV. We crowd out prayer with other things. Luke 10, Psalm 46:10 V. We think we can handle things ourselves. James 4:1-2 Your future and mine are determined by this one thing: seeking after the Lord. The blessings We receive and pass along to others hang on this truth: Hebrews 11:6 ...He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him." " ______________________ "Lord, the morning is clothed with splendor from the beauty of dewdrops to the slow rising of the sun. And yet, as each day descends to night, we trust that the morning beauty will come again. Likewise, we pray to trust that you will decorate our lives with the essentials we need for today. Amen." ______________________ " "Think on This: God — Is Listening" Yes, God listens to our prayers, whether spoken or unspoken, and in all situations. ▪︎ The Bible shows God listens to prayers? Deuteronomy 26.7: God heard the Israelites' cries while they were sufering in Egypt. Psalm 55:16-17: God hears the complaints of those who call out to him. Psalm 17:1: God hears the cries of those who cry out to him in a just cause. ▪︎ How can we know God is listening? You may feel a sense of peace and calm. You may feel that everything will be okay if you follow God's will. You may feel that God knows what you need better than you do. ▪︎ What does God want us to pray for? To confess our sins To ask for God to meet our needs To align our will with Goď's To pray for our children in accordance with God's will ▪︎ What does the Bible say about prayer? Prayer is a gift from God and that it allows us to enjoy God." ____________________ " "The reward for honesty is worth the risk." Hebrews 10:19-39, Colossians 3:9-10, Ephesians 4:22-25 Who do you share your "real" with? Who has access to your innermost thoughts and feelings? When's the last time someone told you something true, but hard to hear? How did that person's courage shape what happened next in your life? What's one way you've seen God work through godly friendships in the past?" ______________________ (Folded praying hands images in thumbnail courtesy of freepik.com.)