Does God Speak to Us in Prayer?

Dr. Jay Adams has written a fine book on guidance titled, The Christian's Guide to Guidance: How to Make Biblical Decisions in Everyday Life.  A summary of the book can be found in a blog post he wrote here. One question that he addresses is, "What is the place of prayer in seeking guidance?"
Dr. Adams is critiquing a Sunday School lesson he heard once and says,
     "His idea (a very common one, unfortunately) was that when you pray, you must be still and listen for some sort of answer from God. If that is true, why were the Israelites to consult the Urim and Thummim (Numbers 27:21)? Moreover, if God whispers answers in stillness, why bother with (Scripture)? Such replies would be better even than Scripture since they would be in English (we wouldn’t have the translation problem from Greek or Hebrew), and they would be directly applied to our individual situations. No, any such idea, even ideas of deep impressions or feelings received in prayerful waiting, must be eliminated, since they would render the Bible’s teaching either unnecessary or negligible. You would also face the problem of distinguishing impressions from God from those that arise out of your own prejudice. Prayer to discover the Lord’s will should be that you may understand and use the Bible in a proper way. It should be prayer for ability and strength to do whatever you discover God wants of you as you study the Scriptures. We are not given the Urim and Thummim for our day, but we have been given an inerrant and infallible Book, which contains all we need by way of precept and example for living a life pleasing to God. All that is necessary to love God and our neighbor is found, in one form or another, in the Bible. Today we consult God by turning to His written Word."

We speak to God in prayer and God speaks to us in the Bible.  The Bible does not encourage us to "listen to God" while praying.  That would entail extra-biblical revelation and is not something we should seek since the days of prophets and apostles has ceased.  If you want to hear "God's voice" or get "God's guidance" then read Scripture, meditate on it and pray for wisdom based upon what has revealed in His written Word.    

 

Are we to pray unto God only?

Larger Catechism

Q. 179. Are we to pray unto God only?

A. God only being able to search the hearts, hear the requests, pardon the sins, and fulfill the desires of all; and only to be believed in, and worshiped with religious worship; prayer, which is a special part thereof, is to be made by all to him alone, and to none other.

The God of the Bible alone searches the heart.

1 Kings 8:39 Then hear thou in heaven thy dwelling place, and forgive, and do, and give to every man according to his ways, whose heart thou knowest; (for thou, even thou only, knowest the hearts of all the children of men.)

Acts 1:24 And they prayed, and said, Thou, Lord, which knowest the hearts of all men, show whether of these two thou hast chosen.

Romans 8:27 And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.

The God of the Bible alone hears prayer.

Psalm 65:2 O thou that hearest prayer, unto thee shall all flesh come.

God alone is omniscient, knowing the hearts of men.

Only God is omnipresent, hearing the prayers of all people in all places. God alone knows our needs - before we even ask.

The God of the Bible alone is able to pardon sin.

Micah 7:18 Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? he retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy.

Only God can pardon sin. The Jewish leaders were right in saying, "Who can forgive sins but God alone?" Vos states, "God is the person whom our sins have offended, and only the offended party can forgive the sins." King David wrote, "Against Thee, Thee only, have I sinned." (Psalm 51:4)

The God of the Bible alone is able to fulfill our desires.

Psalm 145:18-19 The LORD is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth. He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him; He also will hear their cry and save them.

God alone is omnipotent. "For with God nothing will be impossible." "For with God all things are possible." Since God controls all things, then it is to Him we must address our requests.

The God of the Bible alone is to be believed in and worshiped.

Romans 10:14 How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?

Matthew 4:10 Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.

To believe in God is to put our absolute trust and confidence in Him. No one other than the Triune God of Scripture is worthy of such trust or faith. He is always faithful and completely trustworthy. Vos writes, "We believe in him with religious faith; that is, we take him as our God, and entrust ourselves to him for time and eternity, and confess that our destiny is in his hands, and that our chief end is to glorify and enjoy him."

Since there is only one true and living God, and since all other gods are false and no gods at all, then only the God of the Bible should be worshiped. Since prayer is a special part of worship, we should address our prayers to God only and no other. Not man, not angels, not saints, not Mary.

1 Corinthians 1:2 Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours.

Psalm 50:15 And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.

WCF - 21.3 - Religious Worship and the Sabbath Day

III. Prayer, with thanksgiving, being one special part of religious worship, is by God required of all men: and that it may be accepted, it is to be made in the name of the Son, by the help of His Spirit, according to His will, with understanding, reverence, humility, fervency, faith, love, and perseverance; and, if vocal, in a known tongue.

Vos: "Is it everyone's duty to pray to God?"

"Yes. Only the Christian can pray acceptably. Yet it is everyone's duty to pray. The prayers of non-Christians, who try to approach God without coming through Christ as their Mediator, cannot be pleasing to God; yet for them to neglect to pray is even more sinful and displeasing to God."¹

1J. G. Vos, A Commentary on the Westminster Larger Catechism 

What Is Prayer?

Larger Catechism

Q. 178. What is prayer?

A. Prayer is an offering up of our desires unto God, in the name of Christ, by the help of his Spirit; with confession of our sins, and thankful acknowledgment of his mercies.

This definition of prayer includes:  1) Petition, 2) Confession, 3) Thanksgiving

Not all prayer is true prayer. The definition given us in the catechism is Christian prayer, which is the only true prayer that is acceptable to God. Only a person who has been redeemed by the blood of Christ may engage in true prayer. The only true prayer is that which is Trinitarian. The only true God is the Triune God of the Scriptures.

"Trust in Him at all times, you people; Pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us." (Psalm 62:8)

Why should we pray? i.e. offer up our desires unto God? B/C as those who were created and redeemed by God, we are dependent upon God for all our needs. Prayer is a means of grace by which we are enabled to glorify and enjoy God. To glorify and enjoy God is also the chief end of prayer.  What kind of desires must we offer to God? Not selfish desires or sinful desires. Only lawful desires that are in harmony with the law of God and in submission to the will of God.

"And in that day you will ask Me nothing. Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you." (John 16:23)

Why must we pray only in Christ's name? B/C we are sinners and only in and through Christ can we have access into His holy presence.

"Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered." (Romans 8:26)

Why do we need the help of the Holy Spirit? B/C we don't know how to pray and what to pray for. We lack spiritual power and zeal for prayer.

I acknowledged my sin to You, And my iniquity I have not hidden. I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the LORD," And You forgave the iniquity of my sin. (Psalm 32:5)

And I prayed to the LORD my God, and made confession, and said, "O Lord, great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant and mercy with those who love Him, and with those who keep His commandments, we have sinned and committed iniquity, we have done wickedly and rebelled, even by departing from Your precepts and Your judgments." (Daniel 9:4-5)

Why must we confess our sins in prayer? B/C the Bible stresses that in order to approach a holy God acceptably, we must confess our sins. J. Vos said, "We cannot have company with God unless we desire to part company with sin." Psalm 66:18 "If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me."

"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God." (Philippians 4:6)

Why should we always include thanksgiving in our prayers? We are debtors to God for every good and perfect gift. We have so much to give thanks for - material, spiritual and eternal blessings. "In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus." (1Thes.s 5:18)

The Character of the Christian: Gentle

Tim Challies writes, To be gentle is to be tender, humble, and fair, to know what posture and response is fitting for any occasion. It indicates a graciousness, a desire to extend mercy to others, and a desire to yield to both the will of God and the preferences of other people. Such gentleness will be expressed first in the home and only subsequently in the church. It is a rare trait, but one we know and love when we see and experience it.  Read the rest of the article here.

The Danger of Turning a Good Thing into a Moral Thing

Stephen Altrogge writes, The danger, however, is when we take a good thing and we turn it into a moral thing. When we make a good thing into something that other people must do if they are going to be truly spiritual. All of us are tempted to do this. A lot of it has to do with our experiences. I was homeschooled growing up, and I see both the spiritual and educational benefits of homeschooling. But, I need to be careful that I don’t start to believe that homeschooling is morally superior to other education methods. I need to be very careful to distinguish between principles and practices. (For the record, I send my kids to public school.) The principle is that parents must raise their children in the fear of the Lord. Homeschooling is one practice for accomplishing that. However, I also know many godly parents who have raised their children in the fear of the Lord through the practice of sending their kids to public school. These parents are just as committed to their children as the parents that homeschool.  Read the rest of the article here.