Hear So as to Be Heard
To be heard by God, we must first learn to hear Jesus speak and abide in His words.
C.H. Spurgeon emphasizes the necessity of truly hearing and abiding in the words of Jesus to be effective in prayer. He asserts that our ability to be heard by God is directly linked to our attentiveness to Christ's teachings and the internalization of His truths. Spurgeon encourages believers to treasure the words of Jesus and to let them shape their character, which empowers their prayers. He highlights the privilege of having our will aligned with God's will, enabling us to intercede powerfully for others. Ultimately, he calls for a humble and diligent approach to listening to Christ to unlock the full potential of prayer.
Text
If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. (John 15:7)
Note well that we must hear Jesus speak if we expect Him to hear us speak. If we have no ear for Christ, He will have no ear for us. In proportion as we hear we shall be heard.
Moreover, what is heard must remain, must live in us, and must abide in our character as a force and a power. We must receive the truths which Jesus taught, the precepts which He issued, and the movements of His Spirit within us; or we shall have no power at the Mercy Seat.
Suppose our Lord's words to be received and to abide in us, what a boundless field of privilege is opened up to us! We are to have our will in prayer, because we have already surrendered our will to the Lord's command. Thus are Elijahs trained to handle the keys of heaven and lock or loose the clouds. One such man is worth a thousand common Christians. Do we humbly desire to be intercessors for the church and the world, and like Luther to be able to have what we will of the Lord? Then we must bow our ear to the voice of the Well-beloved, treasure up His words, and carefully obey them. He has need to "hearken diligently" who would pray effectually.
Sermon Outline
- The Necessity of Hearing Jesus
- The Power of Hearing Jesus
- The Privilege of Being Heard by God
- We have our will in prayer when we have surrendered to God's command
- We are trained to handle the keys of heaven and pray effectually
Key Quotes
“We must receive the truths which Jesus taught, the precepts which He issued, and the movements of His Spirit within us; or we shall have no power at the Mercy Seat.” — C.H. Spurgeon
“One such man is worth a thousand common Christians.” — C.H. Spurgeon
“He has need to 'hearken diligently' who would pray effectually.” — C.H. Spurgeon
Application Points
- We must receive and obey Jesus' teachings to have power at the Mercy Seat.
- Effective intercession requires a willingness to listen to and obey Jesus' voice.
- Praying effectually requires us to hearken diligently to the voice of Jesus.