Topical Bible: Obedience to God: Pray to be Taught

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Obedience to God is a central theme throughout the Bible, emphasizing the importance of aligning one's life with God's will and commandments. A crucial aspect of this obedience is the recognition of our need for divine guidance and instruction, which is often sought through prayer. The act of praying to be taught by God reflects a humble acknowledgment of human limitations and a desire to grow in spiritual wisdom and understanding.

Biblical Foundation

The Bible consistently underscores the necessity of seeking God's guidance to live a life of obedience. In Psalm 25:4-5 , the psalmist prays, "Show me Your ways, O LORD; teach me Your paths. Guide me in Your truth and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation; all day long I wait for You." This passage highlights the believer's dependence on God for direction and the importance of being open to His teaching.

Similarly, in Psalm 119:33-34 , the psalmist petitions, "Teach me, O LORD, the way of Your statutes, and I will keep them to the end. Give me understanding that I may observe Your law and follow it with all my heart." Here, the request for understanding is directly linked to the ability to obey God's law wholeheartedly.

The Role of the Holy Spirit

In the New Testament, the role of the Holy Spirit as a teacher and guide is emphasized. Jesus, in John 14:26 , assures His disciples, "But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have told you." The Holy Spirit is depicted as an essential source of divine instruction, enabling believers to comprehend and apply God's truth in their lives.

Prayer as a Means of Seeking Instruction

Prayer is the primary means by which believers seek God's teaching. It is an expression of faith and reliance on God's wisdom. James 1:5 encourages believers to ask God for wisdom: "Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him." This promise assures believers that God is willing to impart wisdom to those who earnestly seek it.

Examples of Biblical Figures

Throughout Scripture, numerous figures exemplify the practice of praying for divine instruction. King Solomon, renowned for his wisdom, famously prayed for understanding to govern God's people. In 1 Kings 3:9 , Solomon requests, "Give Your servant, therefore, an understanding heart to judge Your people and to discern between good and evil." His prayer pleased God, who granted him unparalleled wisdom.

The prophet Daniel also exemplifies this practice. In Daniel 9:22-23 , the angel Gabriel comes to Daniel in response to his prayer for insight, saying, "Daniel, I have come now to give you insight and understanding. At the beginning of your petitions, an answer went out, and I have come to tell you, for you are highly esteemed."

Practical Application

For believers today, praying to be taught by God is an essential discipline in the pursuit of obedience. It involves a commitment to regular prayer, a willingness to listen to God's voice through Scripture, and an openness to the leading of the Holy Spirit. By seeking God's instruction, believers can grow in their understanding of His will and live lives that reflect His righteousness and truth.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Psalm 119:35
Make me to go in the path of your commandments; for therein do I delight.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Psalm 143:10
Teach me to do your will; for you are my God: your spirit is good; lead me into the land of uprightness.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

Prayer and Obedience (Continued)
... It is founded on the adamantine rock of obedience to God ... Only those who obey have
the right to pray. ... be the doing; and it is the constant doing of God's will in ...
/.../bounds/the necessity of prayer/x prayer and obedience continued.htm

The Lord's Prayer. Our Father who Art in Heaven.
... what he has to say in prayer, should always come before God in obedience to this ...
We pray, therefore, and exhort every one most diligently to take this to ...
/.../luther/the large catechism/the lords prayer our father.htm

Seventh Day. Holiness and Obedience.
... 6. Obedience depends upon hearing the voice. Do not imagine you know the will
of God. Pray and wait for the inward teaching of the Spirit. ...
/.../murray/holy in christ/seventh day holiness and obedience.htm

Knowledge and Obedience.
... V. KNOWLEDGE AND OBEDIENCE. ... the will of Him that sent Him; and He taught them to
pray, "Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven." The will of God is the ...
/.../thomas/the prayers of st paul/v knowledge and obedience.htm

Prayer and the Word of God
... may be undergirded by the Word as we pray, and on ... of the situation, and got all which
God had to ... Prayer, coupled with loving obedience, is the way to put God ...
/.../bounds/the necessity of prayer/xii prayer and the word.htm

Prayer --A Privilege, Princely, Sacred
... accept-able to God, because it is in obedience to His ... God is so concerned that men
pray that He has promised ... promised to do the very thing for which we pray. ...
/.../bounds/the reality of prayer/i prayera privilege princely sacred.htm

Abraham's Obedience
... James says Abraham was justified by works, if they would but pray for the ... lives,
and shew as utter faith in God, and complete obedience to God, as Abraham ...
/.../kingsley/twenty-five village sermons/sermon xiii abrahams obedience.htm

The Secret of True Obedience.
... and hear His voice, that we can possibly attempt to offer God the obedience He asks ...
Pray earnestly that God may show you the folly of attempting to obey ...
/.../murray/the school of obedience/iii the secret of true.htm

Third Chapter
... Day will ever do." Then said the Master, "Dear son, stay here, I pray thee, and ... that
you adjure me so solemnly, it may be that, in obedience to God, I ought ...
/.../the history and life of the reverend doctor john tauler/third chapter.htm

Fourteenth Lesson. When Ye Stand Praying, Forgive;'
... but the love of fixed purpose and sincere obedience, faith can ... it is suffering and
forbearing love that prevails with God in prayer. ... LORD, TEACH US TO PRAY.'. ...
/.../murray/with christ in the school of prayer/fourteenth lesson when ye stand.htm