When God Shows you something

Encouraging Prayer. God offers an open invitation for His people to talk with Him at any time about anything. On Encouraging Prayer, Dr. James Banks, author of the bestselling Prayers for Prodigals and many other books on prayer, provides weekly biblical insight to help you learn to love to pray. And now, here's James. So today on Encouraging Prayer, we're going to talk about when God shows you something.

What does that mean? Well, sometimes when we're praying and listening, because listening is also a prayer, right? God lets us in on something that He is going to do or wants to do. So, James, you can take it from there. All right, well, I love this topic, Robbie, because this is part of the adventure of walking with God.

He does this. And of course, we have to stay close to His Word when we talk about it, because we never want to say, God told me, you know, and be flippant about it. But because God does tell us things, we need to talk about this, about how to understand that correctly. And as we do, again, we need to stay close to His Word. So the best place to start is with the story of Simeon in the New Testament.

Wow, that's a great place to go. I mean, Simeon, right? He was the old guy that was there when Joseph and Mary brought Jesus into the temple at eight days of age. You can read about that in the second chapter of Luke. God had revealed it to him that he would not die until he had seen the Lord's Messiah. The one he had promised would save all the people. And as soon as they walk up with Jesus, Simeon basically says, oh, here he is.

Wow. And when he says that, you know, in Hebrew, salvation is Yeshua. So it's almost saying, like, I've seen Jesus.

That's really cool. So what's interesting about this is Luke tells us that the Holy Spirit had revealed that to Simeon that he would not die until he had seen the Lord's Messiah. So who knows how long he was waiting?

I mean, probably years, but God really told him that. Exactly. And I look at that and I think, I want to be like that when I grow up. I want to hear things like that from the Holy Spirit. And as I think about it, looking back, I can see that. I can see other times in my life where God did reveal something to me, even though I might not have known it right away. Sometimes I did, but not always. Wow, really? That's so cool, because really, that's exactly what happened.

Yeah, yeah, but it didn't happen until I was in my 40s. But I heard God right, that this was something I was to do. So the real question is, how do we know? How can we sort it out when God is telling us something individually and personally like he did Simeon?

And then how can we make sure it's not just our own thoughts or desires? It helps to lay out, I think, three ground rules as we look at this. First, it will never conflict with his word. Second, it will never cause you to hurt or harm anyone.

And that brings us to the third. The only way we can really know if we've heard from God is by staying close to him. Yeah, I mean, that might all make sense. And I think it's so important to follow each of those points to sum it up. Stay in God's word.

Don't hurt others and stay close. You said it in a lot fewer words. But that's what you see with Simeon. I mean, just look at the way he moves. Luke 2 27 says, moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. And that's when he sees Jesus.

But what you see here is that he's open, he's listening. And it's then that he sees God do this wonderful thing. Yeah, and I can't help but note that the 13th Psalm, I never thought about it as like Simeon's Psalm, because it starts out with, how long, Lord?

Will you hide your face from me? Well, at the end of that Psalm, he actually says, you know, I'm going to rejoice in my heart. I'll see your Yeshua. And it's really, really cool. So I can just imagine, I mean, what a moment. I mean, you see him holding in his hands, really the face of God and his whole life and his purpose are fulfilled. It really is breathtaking, Ravi.

I mean, let me read what it says, what he says. Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you may now dismiss your servant in peace for my eyes have seen your salvation, which you've prepared in the sight of all nations. And keep in mind, there were people from all nations there in the temple, in the courtyard where they were, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel. And then Luke says, the child's father and mother marveled at what was said about him. Just think of all the babies that were there that day, because that was what was required with parents of firstborn sons, to bring them there so they could be dedicated to the Lord. And then think about all the babies that had been brought into the temple over the years during Simeon's life. And the thing that is so cool about this is he knows. I mean, he really knows this is the baby. And he looks like any other baby, but Simeon knows because God told him. And that's something else that's special about Simeon.

What's that? Well, we really don't know too much about him. Some speculate that he was a priest, but this is the only place he's mentioned in the New Testament.

And we really don't know that. And you think that Luke would have said that he was, but all he says is that Simeon was righteous and devout. So that tells me that Simeon could have just been this regular guy who loved the Lord.

How cool is that? Exactly. Because that shows us that God can use any of us in spectacular ways. God can show us beautiful things if we're listening. And it goes so deep with Simeon. Remember, he says, as you have promised, he takes it as a promise, you may now dismiss your servant in peace. So Simeon takes it as this personal thing from God to him.

Yeah, he really did. And that makes you wonder, what is it that God wants to show you or me or really any of you listening? How personal, you know, does that really have a message for us if we stay close?

There's only one way to find out, isn't there? So, Robbie, would you close us out today by praying that we will listen, by praying that we will stay close? Because our Heavenly Father loves us and communicates to us, and part of prayer is listening, and he wants to show us good things. So would you pray that we be open to that? Jesus, thank you so much that your sheep hear your voice, and I pray that you would help us in this coming year to take the time to listen and to hear what's important from you, from your spirit, from your son. I pray for those words, and then I pray for the grace to obey and pay attention and stay close. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen. Amen. This is the Truth Network.