Listening Prayer

Written by Lauren Rogers of the Reality SF Prayer Team

At Reality San Francisco, we believe that God wants to speak to us today. Listening Prayer is simply asking God specific questions and then listening for His response. 

Hearing God is best practiced in the context of a healthy, Biblically grounded community characterized by truth, grace, Godly wisdom, safety, accountability, helpful feedback, and encouragement. 

Here is how you can practice asking, listening, and sharing for a person in your community:

Ask: 

“Jesus, how are you praying for __? How can we join you?” 

Listen:

God can speak through Scripture, a still small voice, spontaneous thoughts, feelings, and even a talking donkey (Numbers 22:21-39).

Discern and Share:

Does it line up with the Bible? Does it reflect God’s heart of love?

Use language that gives the person room to weigh what you shared. Use language such as “I sense/see/hear ___, does this mean anything to you?” 

Guidelines:

Be normal – Our job is to partner with God and to help facilitate what He wants to communicate to the person we’re praying for.  Prayer works because Jesus shows up. The pressure is not on us to perform, build things up, or force something to happen.