Chapter 10
Fulfilling God's Will
"How to Pray in the Spirit"
Prior - Next Chapter
In my youth when I sang "Father, I Adore You", my thoughts were of love for the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. As humility grows within me and the concept of life extends beyond death, my thoughts change to the following:
Father, I am presently too self-centered to know how to adore you, but I have the desire to follow the journey you have for me. One day I will come to know the caliber of love that is appropriate to honor you.
The road to salvation is not limited to our struggles with "being good." Jesus wants us to be righteous, so that our hearts wish to please God by longing to fulfill what God desires for us. If one's heart is not there yet, take the burden off one's self. Ask God!
Are you are satisfied with your level of spiritual development, yet feel your life is going nowhere? Have you ever considered God's plan may require additional personal growth before taking that next step down His path?
Consider this prayer:
Dear Heavenly Father, teach me to listen so that I may grow into the person that you desire which has the capacity required to be of service to you. Teach my heart to hear, so that if you have a role for me to serve, that I respond with a heart of humility that is focused upon you. In Christ's holy name I pray, Amen
If one looks at the frequency of what kind of prayer God answers the most, it may be the kind which aid us in growing closer to Him. God loves us, and desires to share his grace so that we may grow closer to being acceptable in heaven. What might be a better one sentence definition of our purpose on earth?
We might imagine ourselves as Born Again Christians in the role of servants. After preparing the master's meal and the fulfilling the routine duties, our role is to wait and listen. The less experienced servant may assume he knows what the master desires and acts upon it, only to cause a disruption to the master's plan.
Our own timing to proclaim God's message may fall on deaf ears. However, there are moments when God calls upon those children who listen and are willing to respond. Still, what can be a greater privilege in life than to effectively share the Good News of Jesus Christ at a time and in a way of God's choosing?
How might we receive such opportunities? The introduction of this booklet refers to the disciple, Peter (Matthew 17:1-8). He asked Jesus if he should set up shelters for Moses and Elijah, who came from heaven.
Peter had the desire to serve God, but had no clue to how to do so effectively. How does that knowledge come about? Within John 14: 15-26 during the Last Supper, Jesus said to his disciples,
“If you love me, keep my commands. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. (15-18) “All this I have spoken while still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. (25-26)
In asking God and the Holy Spirit to teach us to listen and possess hearts willing to hear, we may grow in these spiritual lessons. Assuming we know how to serve God can quickly become a barrier. Our approach to serve him needs to be without our preconditions while possessing a heart that is open to learning his way. Jesus termed it this way, "Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” (Mark 10:15)
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Just as God created the garden of Eden where he could walk with man, those of us willing to receive his message, will again have the opportunity to be in his presence. It simply takes a heart that says, "Yes God, I will follow you."