No-brainer. The Role of Prayer

I was nervous. I was open. I was also afraid. And excited. It was 2013 and a pastor from New Jersey called asking us to interview for a position at their church. At first I pretty much declined because I loved (and still love) my church Rock of Grace. But then I told Danielle “Well, I always want to be open to where God might want to take us. Let’s at least visit.” So we agreed to come down for a weekend. It was a very large church so in the sense of being invited there was an honor. While that was obvious, we couldn’t ignore the feeling of “no” we were getting in our spirit. It was gentle. It was whispered but it was “no.” I reached out to a few wise friends who gave me “good” advice but turns out it wasn’t God-advice. They said “Jordan, this could be the Lord blessing your music. You’ll instantly have much more exposure and impact and sales…” I thought “hmm that’s true — maybe.” Three friends, all great people, said the same thing “Man, it’s a no-brainer.”

No brainer. That little phrase just sat in my spirit and swirled in my head. All three guys said it and when I heard it the third time I remember thinking “Lord, why is that phrase standing out?” And the Spirit gently replied “Because this isn’t a decision you make with your brain. You make it with your spirit - where I speak to you.”

In prayer we felt the Holy Spirit saying “No” and I am SO glad we listened to that voice. A few months later we got a call about the church’s demise. We could’ve moved our family there only to experience pain and turmoil 3 months later. God spared us from that. I’m so thankful for the opportunity to pray and hear God’s voice. This is the same voice the disciples heard speaking to them. It’s the same voice Jesus referenced when He told them “It’s better for you that I go.” After all the miracles, after all the wild experiences, Jesus was going to be GONE. Jesus was gone. BUT the Holy Spirit’s voice - the voice they would hear if they would only pray, was there. GOD, JESUS, the SPIRIT of JESUS was available to them at a moment’s notice.

ACTS 16:6-16

Paul and his companions traveled throughout the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been kept by the Holy Spirit (bc he was constantly in state of prayer / talking with God) from preaching the word in the province of Asia. 7 When they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to. 8 So they passed by Mysia and went down to Troas. 9 During the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” 10 After Paul had seen the vision, we got ready at once to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.

11 From Troas we put out to sea and sailed straight for Samothrace, and the next day we went on to Neapolis. 12 From there we traveled to Philippi, a Roman colony and the leading city of that district of Macedonia. And we stayed there several days.

13 On the Sabbath we went outside the city gate to the river, where we expected to find a place of prayer. We sat down and began to speak to the women who had gathered there. 14 One of those listening was a woman from the city of Thyatira named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth. She was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message. 15 When she and the members of her household were baptized, she invited us to her home. “If you consider me a believer in the Lord,” she said, “come and stay at my house.” And she persuaded us.16 Once when we were going to the place of prayer, we were …

4 things from this passage stand out to me.

  1. They were in a constant state of prayer / even at night God was speaking to them in their dreams. *You can be praying and talking to God all day

  2. They were intentional about having times of prayer. They saw their Master and Lord, Jesus, go away early in the morning to pray to the Father and they followed suit. They heard Jesus tell them repeatedly before and after his death and resurrection - “Wait on the Holy Spirit in prayer” “Go pray”

  3. They obeyed what they felt was the voice of God or the “Spirit of Jesus” They didn’t make big decision based on it being a “no-brainer” or simple logic. They truly believed God would direct them specifically where to go and what to do.

  4. According to Jesus Himself, you and I can have this same Holy Spirit speaking to us and leading us into adventures with God! Friendship and adventure await!

A persons spirituality is the sum of their responses to what they believe to be the voice of God. Think about that. When people attest to being spiritual or “Christian” it’s a testimony to times when they feel God was speaking to their heart. Our maturity in our Spirituality then is our obedience to that voice.

David said in Ps 27:8 “When you said ‘Seek My face’ my heart said to You ‘Your face, Lord, will I seek.”

The Holy Spirit spoke to the Psalmist’ heart; he recognized it and responded. In the atmosphere of solitude with God, the Spirit of God will often speak to us. He will tell us like He told the apostles “don’t go here” or “do this” or DONT do this.” Or even “be careful around this person” There’s a discernment that can only come through the Holy Spirit that ONLY comes through intentional prayer. That discernment from the Spirit is PRICELESS! Think about it. That discernment and voice of God is able to

  1. Stop you from making a mistake

  2. Start you in the right direction

  3. Make you more effective Why waste time doing what the Lord hasn’t called you to do when the Spirit causes us to be effective in HIS will?

When it comes to prayer, our tendency is to focus on the fruit (the doing / the outside) but where God wants to change us is at the root - the inside - the unseen underneath And that only happens in prayer.

Jordan Biel