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Explain how Bible study, fellowship, and prayer can be called different forms of spiritual communication.
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Bible study, fellowship and prayer are different forms of spiritual communication. Because the Bible is the inspired word of God given to its authors by means of the Holy Spirit, it is the primary means of knowing God and His will. The promise of Jesus in John 16 is that the Holy Spirit will guide us in all truth and in Jesus’ prayer in John 17, He declares that God’s Word is truth. Consequently, the foundation of right spiritual communication is Bible study.
Fellowship with other believers is a means by which we practice love for one another, a command Jesus gave His disciples in John 13. In 1 John, the apostle explains that a failure to love your brother is a sign that the love of God is not in you. The absence of love is a sign of an absence of the Holy Spirit, as the two walk hand in hand. So, fellowship with believers is a practical sign and applicaiton of right spiritual communication.
Prayer, though often used to petition God for those things we desire in our lives, is really an act of submission to the will of God. In the prayer portion of the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 6, Christ instructs us on how prayer is a submission to the will of God, not a means of showing off, not a means of manipulating God into fulfilling our desires, but a means of aligning ourselves with His will. Throughout the chapter, Jesus explains how we can align ourselves with God’s will by giving the same grace to others that He gave us, allowing light into our eyes rather than focusing on darkness (worldly desire), rejecting worldly treasure and recognizing that God desires to meet our needs. Christ tells us that if we seek God’s Kingdom and Righteousness (submit to His will), God will provide for all of our needs. Therefore, prayer is a means by which we work toward aligning our will with God’s will, seeking whatever good gifts He has in store for us, even when those gifts include trials and tribulaitons.
These three forms of spiritual communication are essential elements for communing with God via the Holy Spirit. -
I believe Bible Study, Fellowship, and Prayer can be called different forms of spiritual communication because one can get/learn/give something out of each. With Bible Study, we learn God’s word, how He wants us to be. We get that knowledge. By fellowship, we can get a heightened sense of the Lord, praising him together. We also can learn together how to be as a group. For example, one may not reach out to a community, but we in the church as a whole, may reach out. Ahhhh, and prayer. I think God rolls his eyes when I start because I have a hard time shutting up! Prayer is a form of spiritual communication because that is our very own one on one talk with God. I know He is the Father, but He is my best friend. I praise and thank Him for everything He does for me, his provisions, just going out to read and hearing the birds in the sky, singing, I thank Him. I talk to Him about what is on my mind, in my heart, and of course pray for everyone that their needs are met, for their health and safety, etc…
So, after all of that, they can be called different, as they are different ways of having an open line of communication to grow in our relationship with our Lord -
Bible study is when you learn. You expand your mind, heart, and spirit. When I read the Bible, it makes me think about what happened and how it relates to me now. It can be overwhelming at times, but it helps you grow spiritually.
I cannot do this alone and fellowship has saved me. It is so comforting to have a community.
Prayer is everything to me. I can lose myself in prayer. I laugh, I cry, and sometimes I sit in listen. It is all okay. I feel heard and I listen.
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Bible Study teaches us and prepare us to become who God has called us to be.
Fellowship we take what we learn from the Bible Study to encourage others and make Disciples
Prayer is when we can communicate with the Lord and pour our heart and needs to Him and also give Him Praise -
“Explain how Bible study, fellowship, and prayer can be called different forms of spiritual communication.”
I understand from the references that spiritual communication is part of our spiritual formation or growth. I know my baby is growing when he shows the following signs: recognizing me as his mom and starts talking to me, although his words aren’t clear enough; showing interest in one or two things that attract him, such as his favorite toy or video; and bringing that favorite toy everywhere and bragging about that toy to his cousins and grandparents.
This experience helped me to understand better that our growth or formation must be visible, and must be seen by others. Bible study and fellowship help us to grow our characteristics and thoughts grow in accordance with His Words and to be more like Him, altogether with fellow believers. Prayer is an act of speaking to God and makes us closer to Him during our spiritual journey. All these forms of communication will form our self-identity to be more like Jesus Christ.