Leawood, Kansas, United States - The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection Daily Guide grow. pray. study. for Sunday, 19 October 2014 "Prayer Tips"

Leawood, Kansas, United States - The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection Daily Guide grow. pray. study. for Sunday, 19 October 2014 "Prayer Tips"
Prayer Tip:
Have you ever heard someone say "God told me to do this"? Or "I feel the Holy Spirit telling me to do that"? I have, and I will admit to being a tad envious that they may have some direct line to God that I don’t have. Fred Craddock, a distinguished preaching professor and author, wrote, "What I have asked for most of my life is not simply some yes from God, but a yes that is loud enough for the people around to hear it." (Awakened to a Calling, Reflections on the Vocation of Ministry, edited by Ann M Svennungsen and Melissa Wiginton)
My experience resonates with this statement. While I yearn for an email from God spelling out the next half of my life with specific directions, what I have experienced more often is a sense of peace when I make a decision that is in alignment with what God may have in mind for me. I must venture a step in faith, and trust and see what happens, rather than having a whole journey mapped out in advance. According to the United Methodist Church’s denominational website, "the Holy Spirit is God's present activity in our midst. When we sense God's leading, God's challenge, or God's support or comfort, we say that it's the Holy Spirit" (http://www.umc.org/search/gcse?q=holy%20spirit).
There’s even a process, called discernment, to help us learn about what the Holy Spirit might leading us toward. The first part of that discernment process is to be open to the guidance of the Holy Spirit and to listen. We as Christians believe that God desires to be in relationship with us. So we seek to cultivate this relationship like we do with any other relationship—by spending time in communication with each other—not just speaking but listening as well. A common question to God in this conversation might be, "God, what might I do to better serve you?" If we listen well, we might begin to hear or sense that God is inviting us to a particular activity. The next step in discerning this invitation or call would likely be to speak to other Christian friends or a pastor to help consider if this call is in alignment with your gifts.
This week, as we continue to study Paul and his call listening to the Holy Spirit guiding his journey and his teachings to others about the Holy Spirit, I invite you to spend some time in silent prayer. Ask God to make known God’s dreams for your life, and then listen. What is God calling you to be or become?(Kelly Hansen, Congregational Care Minister)
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