Join us as we continue our sermon series on Prayer.

The first week we dove into the Lord's Prayer - Jesus teaches us how to pray to the Father.

The second week we tackled the question - does prayer make a difference?

The third week we explored the topic of prayer;  intimacy with God. Too often God's children get caught up in lists and requests for prayer, making prayer a mechanical duty to perform. It's easy to lose sight of the fact that God simply wants us to spend time with Him.

The fourth week we discussed the topic of prayer - struggle against the spiritual forces of evil.

All prayer is true spiritual warfare. This is true because all of our aims in prayer - closeness with God, spiritual refreshment and growth, other people's forgiveness, blessings from God, forgiveness, peace, joy - are contrary to Satan's design.

This week we are discussing both speaking to and listening to God. God speaks to us in many ways, including through Scripture and the inner promptings of the Holy Spirit.

Our reading for this week: Proverbs 2:1-5; John 10: 1-5, 11-16, 27-30.

Plan to join us this Sunday morning at 10:30 am or go to our FB page to link to Youtube live on Sunday mornings or anytime on our website redoakpresbyterianchurch.com

Questions to Ponder:

1. Questions to keep pondering as we study prayer:

     What are your hopes and your desires for your prayer relationship with God?

     What problems do you struggle with in your prayer life?

2. What would you most like about having a conversational life with God? If we think of prayer as an honest exchange between people who are doing things together, what have you and God been doing together lately? If you're not sure, ask God right now to show you.

3. Why is reading Scripture very different from reading any other book? When, if ever, have you experienced times of meeting God while being immersed in Scripture (by reading or teaching)?

4. If God were to speak to you, what form would be the easiest for you to hear? A loud voice, a conversational tone, a whisper?

5. Perhaps the hardest part of listening prayer is clearing your mind. With all the noise of life regularly cascading through your mind, it can be hard to hear God's voice. How do you quiet your mind to hear from God?

6. In normal personal relationships, dialogue is initiated by asking questions. Questions prompt responses. Scripture is full of examples of people asking God questions. Isaiah 8:19 says, "Should not a people inquire of their God?" What questions are you asking God these days?

7. Seth Barnes poses a number of questions for us to ask God:

     Have I picked up any bad habits in the way I communiate with people? What are they?

     What are some ways You have spoken to me in the past?

     Is there anything I am doing now to quench Your Spirit?

     What can I do to better hear Your voice?

     What have You shared with me that I have failed to do?