A Worship, Prayer & Listening Experience

1] Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. Go near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools, who do not know that they do wrong.

2] Do not be quick with your mouth, do not be hasty in your heart to utter anything before God. God is in heaven and you are on earth, so let your words be few.

Ecclesiastes 5:1-2

"Come near to God and he will come near to you"—James 4:8.

"...anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him"—Heb. 11:6b.

"You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart"—Jer. 29:13.

1. What does that tell us about our initiative?
2. What are the conditions?
3. What are the promises?
4. What are the rewards?

Response:

"A voice came from the cloud, saying, 'This is my Son, whom I have chosen; listen to him'"—Luke 9:35.

"Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. Go near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools, who do not know that they do wrong. 2] Do not be quick with your mouth, do not be hasty in your heart to utter anything before God. God is in heaven and you are on earth, so let your words be few"—Eccl. 5:1-2.

1. What are we asked to do in God's presence?
2. What are we to avoid?
3. What does God say to us about these verses?

Response:

"Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does"—James 1:22-25.

What does God say to you about these verses?

Response:

"And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him"—Matthew 6:5-8.

What does God say to you about these verses?

Response:

"As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, 'Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!' 'Martha, Martha,' the Lord answered, 'you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her"—Luke 10:38-42.

With which sister can you best identify? Why? What do you hear from God when you read these verses?

Response:

1. What detracts you from listening to God?
2. Why are Christians in our culture so casual, and sometimes even irreverent and flippant in God's presence?
3. What does the sacrifice of a fool sound like/look like? Give examples—Eccl. 5:1. What characterizes the babbling of a pagan?—Matt. 6:7.
4. What are the reasons and the benefits for hearing and obeying what God says to you in worship and in the teaching of the Word?—James 1:22-25.
5. What are the ways you personally hear God's communication to you?
6. What is God saying to you about your life right now? If you don't have a clue, how will you know? Why not ask Him right now? Write out what you hear below.
7. Worship God and thank Him for the specific things He spoke to you about through these passages.