What follows is another excerpt from Cornerstones New Year’s Day sermon. To here the preach in its entirety please go to www.cornerstoneag.net follow the pastor’s corner link to the sermon section of our website.
We have been talking about the F.L.A.C.T.S. that is:
Faith with a
Listening spirit
Adoring God before everything else
Confessing both the strengths and weaknesses of our situation
Thanking Him for His move in our lives as we recognize it and finally
Supplicating with the Lord in regards to the things HE wants to give us.
Having an effective prayer life involves coming to God with a LISTENING spirit. You see, Ultimately prayer is not about asking God for things. It is about discovering the will of God in a circumstance and coming into agreement with it. Some of our prayer lives are anemic because we spend all our time talking and no time listening.
Here are some steps in learning to listen:
1. Take the first 5 minutes of a prayer to be still and know that God is God. What does that mean to you?
2. read the Bible or a devotional for the next five minutes
3. Take five minutes to ask what the devotional says to you personally. How does it apply to you in your situation?
4. When you begin to pray for things don’t start with the conclusion you desire. Start by asking God what He would do in the situation. What outcomes seem very strong to you? Begin to pray into those things.
What steps have you taken to grow in listening?
Reinventing the We'll 
I appreciate you sharing this so much, Pastor J. How often do I start off with the conclusion I want to see? I also love the idea to start out just by listening. I usually start off praising and worshiping . . .or confessing and asking for forgiveness. God bless you as you listen and pray today!
In the stillness He is there! Thanks for the encouraging word Deb!
Listening is something I have to intentionally do. I learned this by doing the chapter charts. Before I read the bible I ask God what is it that you want me to see in your word. I will read a chapter then wait on Him. I admit this is harder in my everyday life but I am learning to ask God to show me His will in my circumstances rather than asking God to deliver me from them. Thanks, Pastor J for all that you do. God bless you.
It is hard in the rush of the day to still the voices without and within. I too am reaching for this goal that I may hear him in the hubub and know what He wants to do. 🙂
Thank you, Pastor J
Were you perhaps in morning prayers today? The leader for this session took us in this specific direction… When you shared part 1, the listening spirit was the first thing that jumped at me ….
I am beginning to think God is trying to tell me something 😉
Blessings
ann
Oh our God has so many wonderful things to say. I love to hear His voice! May we spend time listening and hearing His voice in the body of Christ!
love this! This has seemed to be how my quiet time has evolved! I first seek to listen for His feeding of my soul and seeking to know His will. Then in praying the model of the Lord’s prayer He speaks to my spirit and then amazingly speaks loudly in my devotion most often confirming or clarifying what His Spirit had prompted in my prayers. Thank you!
You are welcome. I love the confirming voice of God which helps us to know our right direction!