4. John 5:31-35
31“
If I testify about myself, my testimony is not
valid. 32
There is another who testifies in my
favor, and I know that his testimony about me
is valid.
33“
You have sent to John and he has testified to
the truth. 34
Not that I accept human testimony;
but I mention it that you may be saved. 35
John
was a lamp that burned and gave light, and
you chose for a time to enjoy his light.
5. John 5:36-38
36
“I have testimony weightier than that of John.
For the very work that the Father has given
me to finish, and which I am doing, testifies
that the Father has sent me. 37
And the Father
who sent me has himself testified concerning
me. You have never heard his voice nor seen
his form, 38
nor does his word dwell in you, for
you do not believe the one he sent.
6. John 5:39-42
39
You diligently study the Scriptures because you
think that by them you possess eternal life.
These are the Scriptures that testify about me,
40
yet you refuse to come to me to have life. 41
“I do not accept praise from men, 42
but I know
you. I know that you do not have the love of
God in your hearts.
7. John 5:43-44
43
I have come in my Father’s name, and you do
not accept me; but if someone else comes in
his own name, you will accept him. 44
How can
you believe if you accept praise from one
another, yet make no effort to obtain the
praise that comes from the only God?”
8. How this Scripture passage relates
to listening prayer:
This Scripture passage teaches us that it is
possible to be a diligent student of the
Scriptures and still miss God. These religious
leaders missed God because they could not
hear God’s voice. If they had been able to
hear God’s voice, they would have known that
Jesus was the Messiah that the Scriptures had
prophesied about.
9. How this passage relates to listening
prayer
The reasons Jesus gave for why they could not
hear from God were that they did not have the
love of God in their hearts and that they cared
more about what people thought than what
God thought.
11. How does what you believe about
Jesus impact listening to God?
“You have never heard his voice nor seen his
form, nor does his word dwell in you, for you
do not believe the one he sent.”
John 5:37-38
12. Is something more than being intellectually
gifted needed to really know God?
“You diligently study the Scriptures because
you think that by them you possess eternal
life. These are the Scriptures that testify about
me, yet you refuse to come to me to have
life.”
John 5:39
14. Are there other factors that impact
Listening Prayer?
“I do not accept praise from men, but I know
you. I know that you do not have the love of
God in your hearts. How can you believe if
you accept praise from one another, yet make
no effort to obtain the praise that comes from
the only God?”
John 5:41-42, 44
15. Discussion Questions:
What is the role of the mind in growing closer
to God?
Have you ever experienced your ability to
reason and to think as being a tremendous
asset in helping you draw closer to God?
Have you ever considered that your intellect
may have limited your desire to draw close to
God?
16. Discussion questions:
Has your desire to pursue a personal
relationship with God ever been influenced
negatively by what other people will think if
you pursued this relationship with all of your
heart? Is it possible that you have missed God
at times because of this concern?
17. Heart Barrier To Listening Prayer
That This Session Addresses:
Caring more about what people think, rather
than what God thinks
18. Prayer Time:
Tell the Lord that you want to care more about
what He thinks rather than what other people
think.
Spend time being quiet before the Lord.
22. I Corinthians 13:1-2
1
If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels,
but have not love, I am only a resounding
gong or a clanging cymbal. 2
If I have the gift
of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and
all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can
move mountains, but have not love, I am
nothing.
23. I Corinthians 13:3-6
3
If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender
my body to the flames, but have not love, I
gain nothing.
4
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it
does not boast, it is not proud. 5
It is not rude, it
is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it
keeps no record of wrongs. 6
Love does not
delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.
24. I Corinthians 13:7-10
7
It always protects, always trusts, always hopes,
always perseveres.
8
Love never fails. But where there are
prophecies, they will cease; where there are
tongues, they will be stilled; where there is
knowledge, it will pass away. 9
For we know in
part and we prophesy in part, 10
but when
perfection comes, the imperfect disappears.
25. I Corinthians 13:11-12
11
When I was a child, I talked like a child, I
thought like a child, I reasoned like a child.
When I became a man, I put childish ways
behind me. 12
Now we see but a poor reflection
as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face.
Now I know in part; then I shall know fully,
even as I am fully known.
26. I Corinthians 13:13
13
And now these three remain: faith, hope
and love. But the greatest of these is
love.
27. How does this passage relate to
listening prayer?
This passage highlights the fact that when God
does deep spiritual things in our lives that the
fruit of this will be greater love for Him and
for people. If drawing close to God through
experiencing listening prayer makes us
prideful toward others than something is
terribly wrong. Our motivation for learning to
listen to God according to 1 Corinthians 13 is
to help us be more loving.
28. How does this passage relate to
listening prayer?
This passage of Scripture helps us to make sure
that our motivation to hear His voice is pure.
This passage is meant to serve as a corrective
and to get us back on track so that we will
draw attention to God rather than to ourselves
with whatever the Lord does through us in
experiencing listening prayer.
29. Discussion Questions:
In your opinion, is love for God and love for
people really all that important as it relates to
hearing from God?
Are you a natural show off? Is it possible that
seeking attention for yourself rather drawing
attention to God may be an issue in your
spiritual walk?
30. Discussion Questions:
Are you competitive to the point where it
might carry over into your spiritual walk?
When you hear all of this does it feel like
condemnation to you or does it help you
refocus and get back on track?
31. Heart barriers that this section
addresses:
The desire to be better than other people
The desire to steal God’s glory for yourself
The crippling effect of the absence of love in
our hearts
32. Prayer Time:
Express your desire for His love to fill your
heart toward Him and toward people.
Repent of any ways that you are trying to
bring glory to yourself rather than to the Lord.
Spend time in silence and let the Lord love
you.
35. Is It Really All That Important To Believe
That God Raised Jesus From The Dead?
That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is
Lord,” and believe in your heart that God
raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
Romans 10:9
36. How does believing in the resurrection of
Jesus relate to listening prayer?
And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ,
he does not belong to Christ. But if Christ is in
you, your body is dead because of sin, yet
your spirit is alive because of righteousness.
And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from
the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ
from the dead will also give life to your
mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in
you.
37. How does believing in the resurrection of
Jesus relate to listening prayer?
Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation—but
it is not to the sinful nature, to live according
to it. For if you live according to the sinful
nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you
put to death the misdeeds of the body, you
will live, because those who are led by the
Spirit of God are sons of God.
Romans 8:9b-14
38. Acts 2:22-23
22
“Men of Israel, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth
was a man accredited by God to you by
miracles, wonders and signs, which God did
among you through him, as you yourselves
know. 23
This man was handed over to you by
God's set purpose and foreknowledge; and
you, with the help of wicked men, put him to
death by nailing him to the cross.”
39. Acts 2:24-25
24
“But God raised him from the dead, freeing him
from the agony of death, because it was
impossible for death to keep its hold on him.
25
David said about him:
I saw the Lord always before me.
Because he is at my right hand,
I will not be shaken.
40. Acts 2:26-28
26
Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue
rejoices;
my body also will live in hope,
27
because you will not abandon me to the
grave,
nor will you let your Holy One see decay.
28
You have made known to me the paths of
life;
you will fill me with joy in your presence.
41. Acts 2:29-31
Brothers, I can tell you confidently that the
patriarch David died and was buried, and his
tomb is here to this day. But he was a prophet
and knew that God had promised him on oath
that he would place one of his descendants on
his throne. Seeing what was ahead, he spoke
of the resurrection of the Christ, that he was
not abandoned to the grave, nor did his body
see decay.
42. Acts 2:32-35
32God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are
all witnesses of the fact. 33Exalted to the right
hand of God, he has received from the Father
the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out
what you now see and hear. 34For David did
not ascend to heaven, and yet he said,
“ ‘The Lord said to my Lord:
Sit at my right hand
35until I make your enemies
a footstool for your feet.”
43. Acts 2:36-38
36"Therefore let all Israel be assured of this:
God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified,
both Lord and Christ."
37When the people heard this, they were cut to
the heart and said to Peter and the other
apostles, "Brothers, what shall we do?"
38Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every
one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the
forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive
the gift of the Holy Spirit.
44. Is Jesus the Lord, a Liar, a Lunatic,
or a legend?
45. Discussion Questions:
Has anyone in the group ever undertaken a
serious study about whether the resurrection
of Jesus was historical or merely a legend?
Have you ever struggled with doubt about
whether God raised Jesus from the dead? Are
you struggling now?
46. Discussion Questions:
How did this upfront presentation on the
necessity of the resurrection come across
to you? Did you feel challenged to
explore the resurrection of Jesus further or
did you feel like the views in this
presentation were narrow minded?
47. Discussion Questions:
Do you agree that God raising Jesus from the dead is
the most important prerequisite to hearing from God?
If someone didn’t presently believe in the
resurrection of Jesus and was here today, do you
think that they would feel excited to begin their study
to see whether the resurrection of Jesus really
happened or do you feel like they might consider
discontinuing seeking God in this way?
49. Heart barriers that this section
addresses:
Not believing that God raised Jesus from the
dead
Wanting to believe that God raised Jesus from
the dead but feeling overwhelmed by doubt
about whether the resurrection actually
happened
50. Prayer time:
If there are doubts in your life, ask for the
Lord to lead you into faith.
Ask the Lord to lead you to people or
resources where your intellect and your faith
can connect.
If you have doubt but want to believe you
might pray, “Lord I believe, help thou my
unbelief.”
51. Prayer time:
Spend some time telling the Lord that you
trust Him and express gratitude that He
raised Jesus from the dead.
Be still in God’s presence and listen.
