“If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.”
Mark 4:23
The stumbling times of prayer in my life have come when I’ve heard the Holy Spirit, ever so quietly, endeavouring to lead me places I don’t want to go.
John 16:12 “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.
I am convinced once we do hear, His grace comes with His instructions enabling us to do. The thing required from us is believing and obeying. Thats why Hebrews 3:7 warns us, “…as the Holy Spirit says, “Today, if you hear his voice, harden not your hearts…”
He will not speak and instruct us in things we are not able to bear but when he does speak there is a truth he wants us to know that will prepare us in some way for the purposes of God.
I suppose the real question for us would be, are we willing to hear the truth. The apostle Paul’s life by his own admission was filled with hardships, persecutions, trials and through them all Gods answer was “ my grace is sufficient”.
John 16:13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, …. And he will show you things to come.
Jesus’ ministry began with being led by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. Matthew 4:1. Jesus knew when his time was up. Jesus knew how he would suffer and die. Jesus ‘set his face’ to Jerusalem and did not turn aside from his willing obedience to serve the Fathers purpose.
In the same way, the Holy Spirit directed Paul’s life, declaring things that were to come. Paul’s ministry began with God showing him the things he must suffer for his name sake.
Act 20:22-24 And now, behold, I am going to Jerusalem, constrained by the Spirit, not knowing what will happen to me there, except that the Holy Spirit testifies to me in every city that imprisonment and afflictions await me. But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.
Act 21:10-13While we were staying for many days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. And coming to us, he took Paul's belt and bound his own feet and hands and said, “ Thus says the Holy Spirit, ‘This is how the Jews at Jerusalem will bind the man who owns this belt and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.’ When we heard this, we and the people there urged him not to go up to Jerusalem. Then Paul answered, ‘What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be imprisoned but even to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.’ ”
I guess my real thought today is, the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of truth, will lead us, guide us and reveal to us all things necessary for life and godliness IF we are prepared to hear even the hard unpleasant realities we may be destined to face. So, this place of prayer must always include a hunger for hearing the truth, a willingness to hear things you don’t understand and perhaps don’t even align with your personal theology.
John 8:32 And you shall know the truth and the truth will set you free
Sometimes the greatest freedom I need is the freedom from fear. Fear of the unknown, fear of loosing control, but knowing the truth comes with freedom in it because with the truth and in the truth is the reality of Jesus.