The Assumption of Spirituality: We Respond, Not Perform

The assumption of spirituality is that God is always doing something before I know it. So the task is not to get God to do something I think needs to be done but to become aware of what God is doing so that I can participate in it.” – Eugene Peterson

Have you ever felt unsure of what to pray or how to pray?

“Real prayer is not something we do; it’s something the Holy Spirit does in us.”-Eugene Peterson

What if prayer wasn’t about our performance but about learning to respond to God’s presence?

The Holy Spirit constantly us to pray and guides us in ways we wouldn’t pray.

The Holy Spirit Us to Pray in Ways We Wouldn’t on Our Own

Romans 8:26 (NIV)In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.

Romans 8:26 (NCV)Also, the Spirit helps us with our weakness. We do not know how to pray as we should. But the Spirit himself speaks to God for us, even begs God for us with deep feelings that words cannot explain.

True Prayer Begins with Listening, Not Just Speaking

The Spirit’s Nudge

 Have you ever woken up in the middle of the night with someone in your heart?

The Story of Young Samuel (1 Samuel 3:1-10)

1 Samuel 3:1-10 – New Living Translation

3 Meanwhile, the boy Samuel served the Lord by assisting Eli. Now in those days messages from the Lord were very rare, and visions were quite uncommon.

2 One night Eli, who was almost blind by now, had gone to bed. 3 The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was sleeping in the Tabernacle[a] near the Ark of God. 4 Suddenly the Lord called out, “Samuel!”

“Yes?” Samuel replied. “What is it?” 5 He got up and ran to Eli. “Here I am. Did you call me?”

“I didn’t call you,” Eli replied. “Go back to bed.” So he did.

6 Then the Lord called out again, “Samuel!”

Again Samuel got up and went to Eli. “Here I am. Did you call me?”

“I didn’t call you, my son,” Eli said. “Go back to bed.”

7 Samuel did not yet know the Lord because he had never had a message from the Lord before. 8 So the Lord called a third time, and once more Samuel got up and went to Eli. “Here I am. Did you call me?”

Then Eli realized it was the Lord who was calling the boy. 9 So he said to Samuel, “Go and lie down again, and if someone calls again, say, ‘Speak, Lord, your servant is listening.’” So Samuel went back to bed.

10 And the Lord came and called as before, “Samuel! Samuel!”

And Samuel replied, “Speak, your servant is listening.”

We are more to the Spirit’s direction when we prayer with an open heart.

“Holy Spirit, what do You want me to pray?”

Learning to Recognize The Spirit’s to Pray

Signs of The Spirit’s Nudge

When we obey these nudges, we step into the work of God.

Spiritual Gift of Discernment of Spirits

1 Corinthians 12:10(NLT)10 He gives one person the power to perform miracles, and another the ability to prophesy. He gives someone else the ability to discern whether a message is from the Spirit of God or from another spirit. Still another person is given the ability to speak in unknown languages,[a] while another is given the ability to interpret what is being said.

Learning to pray begins with when the Holy Spirit is prompting us.

The Disciples’ Spirit-Led Prayer in Acts

Acts 4:31 

Acts 8:26-29

Acts 13:2-3

Acts 16:6-10 

How can you begin responding to the Spirit’s nudges in prayer?

This week, let’s slow down, listen, and respond to the Spirit in prayer.