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Listening Prayer  

"I desire, then, that in every place the men should pray, lifting up holy hands without anger or argument..." 1 Timothy 2:8.

A. Who stands out in your mind as your "model" of prayer?

Read together in your small group:

"There was a certain man...whose name was Elkanah...Now this man had two wives; the name of the one was Hannah and the name of the other Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children. Now this man used to go up year by year from his town to worship and to sacrifice to the Lord of hosts at Shiloh...Hannah rose and presenter herself before the Lord. Now Eli the priest (at Shiloh) was sitting on the seat beside the temple of the Lord. She was deeply distressed and prayed to the Lord, and wept bitterly. She made this vow: ‘O Lord of hosts, if only you will look on the misery of your servant, and remember me, and not forget your servant, but will give to your servant a male child, then I will set him before you..."

"As she continue praying before the Lord, Eli observed her mouth. Hannah was praying silently; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard; therefore Eli thought she was drunk. So Eli said to her, ‘How long will you make a drunken spectacle of yourself? Put away your wine.' But Hannah answered, ‘No, my lord, I am a woman deeply troubled; I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but I have been pouring out my soul before the Lord. Do not regard your servant as a worthless woman, for I have been speaking out of my great anxiety and vexation all this time.' Then Eli answered, ‘Go in peace; the God of Israel grant the petition you have made to him'...In due time Hannah conceived and bore a son. She named him Samuel for she said, ‘I have asked him of the Lord.'" 1Samuel 1:1-3, 9-17.

Discussion Questions:

1. What was the worst thing Hannah had to cope with? 

a. her inability to have children? 
b. her irritating rival Peninnah? 
c. depression? 
d. being misunderstood by Eli?

2. What can you relate to in this story?

a. I know what it's like to strongly desire a child 
b. I have been taughted or provoked in my life. 
c. I have "poured out my soul" to God. 
d. I need to pour out my soul to God.

3. How do you tend to respond to God when the answer seems to be "no"? 

a. get depressed? 
b. get mad at God? 
c. keep on praying? 
d. put it out of my mind? 
e. accept it? f. other? 

4. Hannah gave Samuel to the Lord. What aspect of your life do you need to give to the Lord? 

a. child/children 
b. childlessness 
c. spouse/friend 
d. home 
e. possessions 
f. job 
g. future 
h. something in my past 
i. other

5. How can this group pray for you? Close in prayer.

(Questions modified from Master Builders Bible for Men. Lutheran Men in Mission Edition of the Serendipity Bible for Personal and Small Group Study)

B. Listening Prayer: "Speak, for your servant is listening," 1 Samuel 3:10. 

Read:

"Now the boy Samuel was ministering to the Lord under Eli. The word of the Lord was rare in those days; visions were not widespread. At that time Eli, whose eyesight had begun to grow dim so that he could not see, was lying down in his room; the lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the temple of the Lord, where the ark of God was. Then the Lord called, ‘Samuel, Samuel!' And he said, ‘Here I am!' and ran to Eli, and said, ‘Here I am, for you called me.' But he said, ‘I did not call; lie down again.' So he went and lay down. The Lord called again, ‘Samuel!' Samuel got up and went to Eli, and said, ‘Here I am, for you called me.' But he said, ‘I did not call, my son; lie down again.' Now Samuel did not yet know the word of the Lord, and the word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him. The Lord called Samuel again, a third time. And he got up and went to Ele, and said, ‘Here I am, for you called me.' Then Eli perceived that the Lord was calling the boy. Therefore Eli said to Samuel, ‘Go, lie down; and if he calls you, you shall say, ‘Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.' So Samuel went and lay down in his place. Now the Lord came and stood there, calling as before, ‘Samuel! Samuel!' And Samuel said, ‘Speak, for your servant is listening,'" 1 Samuel 3:1-10.

Discussion Questions:

1. What does Samuel's reaction to the voice of the Lord tell us about him? 

a. He was a light sleeper? 
b. He did not know the Lord yet? 
c. He was obedient to Eli? 
d. Other?

2. How do you hear the voice of the Lord? 

a. reading Scripture 
b. during prayer 
c. as a "still, small voice" 
d. in my thoughts 
e. in dreams or visions 
f. through sermons 
g. through other people 
h. I am not sure that I have 
i. other

3. How can this group pray for you?

(Taken from the Serendipity Bible for LMM)

"The first and basic act of theological work is prayer…Theological work does not merely begin with prayer and is not merely accompanied by it; in its totality it is peculiar and characteristic of theology that it can be performed only in the act of prayer," Karl Barth, "Evangelical Theology," 1963, p. 160.

"What is the use of praying if at the very moment of prayer we have so little confidence in God that we are busy planning our own kind of answer to our prayer?" Thomas Merton, "Thoughts in Solitude," 1958.

1. How have you seen prayer work?

2. What is your best question or want are you wanting to discuss and/or explore in greater detail regarding prayer?

C. Some Basic Guidelines for Personal Prayer 

1. Possible Ways to Pray - 

a. Invocation - call upon the name of God 
b. Examine your heart, repent of them, confess them 
c. Accept the Lord's forgiveness 
d. Give praise and worship to God; perhaps play some worship music on a CD or tape 
e. Thank God for answers to prayer and blessings in your life 
f. Personal petitions are lifted up to God
g. Intercessions for others are prayed being specific for what you are asking 
h. Conclude your prayers "in Jesus' name," Amen 
i. Alter what you include in prayer noted above but try to include different forms of prayer throughout your week 
j. Be persistent until you see answers to your prayers or sense your praying is completed

2. Common Sense Ideas on When to Pray? 

a. Develop and establish a daily habit or rule of prayer
b. Pray when you sense the Lord calling you to pray 
c. Pray when you are filled with anxiety or worry 
d. Pray when you are battling temptation 
e. Pray when you face decisions
f. Pray when the Lord brings someone into your mind or thoughts
h. Pray when you sense danger 
i. Pray in accordance to your natural "clock" - if you are a morning person, take time in the morning 
j. Pray when you face major challenges 
k. Pray without ceasing

(Modified ideas taken from A Book of Prayers: a man's guide to reaching God. Stephen L. Shanklin with W. Terry Whalin, Nashville: Broadman & Holman, 1998, p. 11.).