vladimirgrebenar 
Many Christians when they pray, they just list their wishes and lead a one-sided monologue. We should know that Jesus said the following about such a prayer: “When you pray, do not talk like Gentiles” (Mt 6: 7). Unfortunately, for many Christians, prayer is such a speech where a person expresses his desires, problems, sufferings and other intentions without first thinking about whether he is responsible for such a situation and whether the prayer intention is justified. Many Christians do not want to listen to God’s voice inside their hearts. There are several reasons why this is so.
The first reason, some are afraid that they might hear that they need to make some change in their life so they don’t give God a chance to speak to them because they have plans for their life. Another reason, some are afraid that doing God’s will would lead them into conflict with people. The third reason, some are too busy and justify themselves with the words: “I don’t have time”. The fourth reason, some find justification for human considerations: “so other people pray.”
Any attempt by a weak man to argue with almighty God that it is better not to listen and not to do the will of God is wrong. May I say to the Lord, “Your plan for my life is not the best”? Is it wise to say, “Forgive me, Lord, but I would not resent arrogant and evil people for you, you resolve these situations yourself!” Does one justify oneself with the words, “First I watch others pray, and only then do I read the Scriptures.” Aren’t these completely wrong attitudes?
That is why it is easier for many to calm their conscience with the prayers of enumeration, without meditative and contemplative listening to the inner senses of the heart of what God is saying and what God wants from us. Contrary to the usual prayer stereotype, throughout the history of the Church, but also in the early days of the patriarch and the time of the prophets, God spoke, and the believer carried out God’s will. The Old Testament and the New Testament contain texts in which God speaks to man. The examples of Noah, Abraham, Moses, David, Mary, Joseph and the apostles prove that God has his desires, and the fulfillment of these desires is man’s mission on earth that leads to success.
It remains somewhat unclear how this can be heard by the voice inside the heart that guides us in life. Is there any prayer guidance in Scripture on how to pray and hear God’s voice? We should learn from Jesus how to pray and listen. Jesus did not have his own home or room during his three years of public ministry: “The Son of Man has no place to rest his head” (Mt 8:20), so he often went to secluded places to talk to the Father in the silence of nature: in a desolate place, alone ”(Mt 14:13).
Following his example, Jesus instructs us on how to prepare for the prayer of listening: “When you want to pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father in secret! Your Father who sees in secret will pay you ”(Mt 6: 6). Therefore, there are guidelines on how to prepare for a listening prayer that is meditative and contemplative.
Preparing for the Listening Prayer has five activities that precede prayer:
The desire of believers to hear God’s voice – “When you want to pray.”
A special place for prayer – “go into your room.”
Unrestrainedness and peace “close the door”.
Intimate relationship with God – “and pray to your Father in secret.”
Trust in God – “Your Father who sees in secret will pay you.”
The desire or willingness to hear God’s will is the first step. It is a matter of personal commitment. Desire resides in the heart and motivates activity. She is man’s inner attitude. To want to hear God’s will is to keep the commandment: “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind” (Mt 22:37). There are two groups of Christians in the world regarding their relationship to Jesus. The first, who met the living Jesus in the specific circumstances of life, and the second, who read or heard about Jesus who once lived on earth.
Christians who have come to know Jesus have a longing to do his will and listen to his voice: “My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me ”(Jn 10:27). Christians who have just learned about Jesus do not experience the living God in their lives and their mental decision-making model is purely rational, often influenced by fear and rarely spiritual. When Jesus speaks to them, they do not listen: “I have told you, and yet you do not believe” (Jn 10:25). God is just and revealed Himself to all, great and small, learned and ignorant. God is known by heart, and without hot longing it is impossible to know him.
As there are two groups of Christians with regard to their relationship with Jesus, there are two types of motivation for prayer. In addition to desire, which is the fruit of love, motivation is also motivated by the fruit of fear. Motivation from commitment is contrary to feelings. For example, a man, against his will, has an obligation to go to work every day that he does not like. Although he does not like and does not want to, he still goes, he is motivated by fear, because he is afraid that change would bring a lower salary. Unfortunately, it is similar in the spiritual life. Many Christians are motivated by some kind of commitment to God, and the underlying motive is not love, but the fear that God will punish them if they do not pray or if they do not fulfill religious duties.
A prayerful approach to God with a sense of obligation, fear, gratitude, trust and love for God speaks to the miserable attitude of many people towards their Creator. Jesus sharply condemned the Pharisees who fasted and prayed out of obligation, not with the desire of the heart. He called such believers hypocrites who adjust their faith to their interests. Did not Judas want to use Jesus for his career and ideas, and he prayed together with Jesus and the apostles for three years! If a person does not have the desire to serve God in a way that conforms to God’s will, he cannot hear God’s voice. It is the same with all areas of human creativity, as well as with entrepreneurship.
God wants to multiply our talents so that in joy we create ever greater works to his testimony, not that we are motivated by the fear of doom. Motivation from desire and motivation from obligation have been proven in science as two sources of motivation that a person can have when it comes to everyday work and entrepreneurship.[1] Therefore, the will of God can only be heard and understood by an entrepreneur or manager who has put God first in his life and surrendered a business venture to spread the kingdom of heaven on earth.
Every Christian should have a special place where he can pray to the Lord. Such a place can be a study, a bedroom, or any other place that is appropriate for prayer. When it comes to prayers for work, a great decision is that entrepreneurs have some place in the organization where they can pray, ask the Lord, and listen. Jesus’ spiritual name is “Emmanuel – God with us”, which means that God is present when we worship him in spirit: “God is a Spirit, and those who worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth” (Jn 4:24). ).
If we are open-hearted to hear the word of God, God will be with us through the Holy Spirit who then becomes active in us and we proactive. The obligatory book that must be found in such a space is the Bible! Why? The entire Bible is a guide to rulers and individuals, as well as entrepreneurs and managers, on how to do the will of God. The entrepreneur experiences various events whose narratives are described in the Bible. For example, inspiration for solving a problem with a customer or worker can be found in the book of wisdom.
That is why it is useful to have a Bible in place of your daily work. The first Christians threw dice to know what God wanted, and over the centuries Christians spontaneously opened the Bible and found answers to important questions. The believer should arrange his special place for prayer with religious objects as he personally considers appropriate and sufficient. Such a place should not have books, paintings or any other objects that are occult in nature.
Occultism is a grave transgression against God’s first commandment, “Thou shalt have no other gods before me.” Occultism is an evil practice with unforeseeable harmful consequences for those who practice it and for all who seek help from such people: “For whoever does such things abhors God” (Deut. 18:12). Some items and books that are considered good in principle, but belong to other religions and spiritualities, can be a complete blockade of God’s grace. “Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump?” (1 Cor. 5: 6). The transgression against the first commandment is called idolatry. Everyone should research what they have in their home or business offices.
As long as there are occult objects, books and images from the fields of horoscope, reiki, yoga, bioenergy, transcendental meditation, astrology, numerology, radioaesthesia, alchemy and other occult practices, lasting blessings for business and family will not come. Entrepreneurs who engage in such practices or naively seek help in the wrong places with the wrong people cannot receive the full blessing of God. Moreover, in the end, there are likely to be dire consequences that could result in the death of innocent people such as company workers or family members. The occult narrative is always such that it goes well first, lasts for a while and in a short time everything collapses with consequences on all sides.
… to be continued.
[1] David WHETTEN – Kim CAMERON, Developing Management Skills, Prentice Hall, New Jersey, 2007, 331.