02. Listen to ME!

 


God’s Bucket List for You, part 9

  In case you missed it, to read the introduction of this series, click here.

Introduction

Scripture teaches us that we talk to God through prayer. James writes, The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much (James 5:16). Even the disciples of Christ wanted to be taught how to pray (Lk. 11:1-4). This is where we get the model prayer.

However, people despair and say things like, “No matter how many times I pray, nothing changes. I talk to God all of the time and it doesn’t help.” The question to ask, then, is, “When was the last time you listened to God?”

God’s desire for His children is for them to listen to Him! We’ll bend the knee but we won’t open His book.

 

Faith comes by…

The Calvinists of the religious community will argue and debate until they’re blue in the face that all you have to do to be saved is to believe and nothing more. “Faith alone is what saves you” is what they shout.

However, the apostle Paul; inspired by the Holy Spirit, wrote in Romans 10:17, So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. What was that, Paul? Just believe in God? No! He said, “Hear the word of God”.

That goes right along with what James wrote, You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only…For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also (James 2:24, 26). Faith alone cannot save.

 

Read His Book!


Before you can believe that God is who He say He is, you have to know who He is by reading His book. Paul also wrote in Romans 1:16-17, For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith.” Those who won’t read the gospel is ashamed of it no matter how “religious” they appear. As Paul states, “It is the power of God to salvation.”

Jesus said in John 14:15, “If you love Me, keep My commandments.” He also said it again in John 15:14, “You are My friends if you do whatever I command you.” How do we know what God’s commandments are? By listening to Him, that is, read His book!

The apostle John wrote, He who believes in the Son of God has the witness in himself; he who does not believe God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed the testimony that God has given of His Son (1 John 5:10). Now, look closely at this verse. The first part says, “believe in the Son of God”. We do not deny this. But look at the next part, “he who does not believe God has made Him a liar…” It doesn’t say, “believe in God” but, simply, “believe God” which means “believe what He says in His word.

If you don’t believe His word, you make God a liar! So, listen to Him!

 

How Do I Know?

How do I know that most people don’t listen to God? It’s prevalent in our society today. If people really listened to God, then we would not have:

1.   Denominations—1 Cor. 1:10; 2 Jn. 9

2.   Same Sex marriages—Gen. 2:24; Mt. 19:5; Eph. 5:31

3.   Transgenderism—Gen. 1:26-27

4.   Divorce for any cause—Mt. 19:9; Mal. 2:16

This, of course, is just a small sampling. None of these things and others would exist if people actually opened their bibles and read it.

 

Conclusion

Before you go to God in prayer; to speak to Him, take a moment to open your bible and listen to what God has to say to you. See what the prophet Isaiah had to say, Behold, the LORD'S hand is not shortened, That it cannot save; Nor His ear heavy, That it cannot hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God; And your sins have hidden His face from you, So that He will not hear (Isaiah 59:1-2).

If you aren’t right with God, He will not listen to your prayer. Listen to, and obey, Him first.

 

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