Ecc.5:1 Walk prudently when you go to the house of God; and draw near to hear rather than to give the sacrifice of fools, for they do not know that they do evil.
There are three recorded instances of Jesus hearing from His heavenly Father in the Gospels, and each teaches us valuable lessons about listening in prayer.
Yes Jesus Was God In Human form but never ceased being God! God Manifested himself to Pay the Price of Sin And Death~
Jesus Set the Example of How we have our Relationship with Our Heavenly Father`
1 He Listened To The Voice Of The Father:
Matthew 3:17 And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in who I am well pleased.”
Jesus' Baptism
Matthew 3:13-17
13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him.
14 And John tried to prevent Him, saying, “I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?”
15 But Jesus answered and said to him, “Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he allowed Him.
16 When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him.
17 And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”
The first recorded instance of Jesus' prayer life is His baptism.
It was a moment of Seeing Him Fulfilling all things~
Jesus, at the start of His ministry, came to John the Baptist to be baptized in the Jordan River.
John initially objected, but Jesus insisted, saying,
"Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness"
Matt. 5:17 “Think not that I am come to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill.
Philippians 2:7-8
but made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
Col. 2:14 having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.
SO WHAT WAS JESUS DOING BEING BAPTIZED
AFTER THE ORDER OF ARON~
Hebrews 4:14-16
14 Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven,[Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess.
15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin.
16 Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
Numbers 19:7 Then the priest shall wash his clothes, he shall bathe in water, and afterward he shall come into the camp;
(Matthew 3:15). As Jesus rose from the water, heaven opened, and the Spirit of God descended on Him like a dove.
A voice from heaven said, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased" (Matthew 3:17).
Jesus Our High Priest
Jesus modeled baptism for all believers—an act of BELIEVING AND obedience representing a change of heart.
Listening in prayer can affirm our identity and purpose as believers.
2. Listening for Instruction:
The Transfiguration
Matthew 17:5 “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Listen And Hear Him!
Matthew 17:1-9
1 Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, led them up on a high mountain by themselves;
2 and He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light.
3 And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him.
4 Then Peter answered and said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You wish, let us make here three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”
5 While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and suddenly a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!”
6 And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their faces and were greatly afraid.
7 But Jesus came and touched them and said, “Arise, and do not be afraid.”
8 When they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only.
9 Now as they came down from the mountain, Jesus commanded them, saying, “Tell the vision to no one until the Son of Man is risen from the dead.”
Jesus took Peter, James, and John up a high mountain to pray.
HE Took Them Into the Spiritual Realm~
His appearance changed,
His face shining like the sun, and His clothes becoming as white as Bright as the SUN.
Moses and Elijah appeared, talking with Jesus.
Peter, not fully understanding, suggested building three shelters—one for Jesus, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.
While Peter was still speaking, a bright cloud enveloped them, and a voice from the cloud said,
"This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!"
This command, "Listen to him," was crucial.
The disciples needed to focus on Jesus, understanding His mission and message. Similarly, we must listen to God's instructions, paying attention to His guidance in our lives.
We Need To Spend Time Listening~
What You Hear
Mark 4:24 “Consider carefully what you hear,” he continued. “With the measure you use, it will be measured to you—and even more.
How You Hear
Luke 8:18
Therefore take heed how you hear. For whoever has, to him more will be given; and whoever does not have, even what he seems to have will be taken from him.”
~WHEN YOU HEAR~
Matthew 24:6-13
6 You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come.
7 Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places.
8 All these are the beginning of birth pains.
3. He Listened for Direction:
Jesus Predicts His Death
John 12:20-30
John 12:27-28 "Now my heart is troubled, and what shall I say?
'Father, save me from this hour'?
No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. Father, glorify your name!"
The third instance occurred during the week of Passover.
As Jesus approached Jerusalem, the crowds welcomed Him with palm branches, shouting, "Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!"
(John 12:13). Amidst this, Jesus spoke about His impending death, comparing Himself to a kernel of wheat that must die to produce many seeds.
He said,
John 12:27-28 "Now my heart is troubled, and what shall I say?
'Father, save me from this hour'?
No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. Father, glorify your name!"
John 12:28
A voice from heaven responded, "I have glorified it, and will glorify it again"
Jesus explained that this voice was for the benefit of the crowd, affirming His authority and mission…
God's direction was clear—Jesus was to be lifted up, drawing all people to Himself.
Keep Watch
In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus taught His disciples the importance of keeping watch and praying to avoid falling into temptation. He said:
Matthew 26:40-41
"Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping.
'Couldn't you men keep watch with me for one hour?' he asked Peter. 'Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.’"
Watching involves staying spiritually alert and aware of potential pitfalls.
Praying Involves Watching and Waiting~
Jeremiah 33:3
“Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known.”
Psalm 119:105
“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”
John 10:27
“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.”
4 The Disciples Did Not Listen
Luke 22:46
"Why are you sleeping?' he asked them. 'Get up and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.'"
The Disciples Still Had Not Listened To Jesus~
He asked Them To Pray~
In That Prayer He Requested To Listen To Them!
But They Fell Asleep~
Ephesians 4:27
"And do not give the devil a foothold."
Put on Spiritual Armor:
Ephesians 6:10-20 describes the armor of God, including truth, righteousness, the gospel of peace, faith, salvation, the Word of God, and prayer. These are essential tools for resisting temptation.
Ephesians 6:10-20
"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.
Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.
In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.
Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.
With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people."