Hearing God
“Hearing God” is the question most people ask, including Christians. Jesus said, “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.” (John 10:27)
Pastor Paul began this month’s sermon series with a focus on “Hearing God” for August. It is his desire for everyone to go to the next level in their ability to hear God. It is important to recognize and understand God’s voice. Spending time with God consistently without any distractions is significantly important. Learn to pray the Scriptures, wait on the Lord, encounter God’s presence through worship, be still and listen, and pray with purpose.
We need to understand the importance of Biblical instruction, reading and understanding the Bible, and beware of false teachers.
Week 1: Hearing God Through Consistency
“[The Servant of God says] The Lord God has given Me the tongue of a disciple and of one who is taught, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him who is weary. He awakens Me morning by morning; He awakens My ear to hear as a disciple [as one who is taught].” (Isaiah 50:4, AMP)
“For the word that God speaks is alive and full of power [making it active, operative, energizing, and effective] …” (Hebrews 4:12-13, AMP)
There are various voices: self, the world, Satan, God.
Hearing and obeying God’s word for spiritual growth, to share the Gospel.
Step out of your comfort zones and worship God in unexpected ways.
Learning to hear God's voice through stillness and trust.
PRAYER POINTS:
Pray for discernment of the different voices we hear whether they are from ourselves, from Satan, or from God.
Pray to learn to recognize God’s voice through stillness and trust.
“Surely I have composed and quieted my soul; like a weaned child rests against his mother” (Psalm 131:2). When we learn to quiet our minds, souls, and wait on Him with undivided hearts, we can hear His voice in our hearts. Pray for hearing hearts, hearts that can hear God’s heart.
Pray for an awakening of hunger and passion for His presence that we will step out of our comfort zones and worship God in unexpected ways and we will have a fresh new encounter with Him.
Pray that we will learn to communicate, to commune with the Father, and to not just bring our needs to Him in our prayer. It is the Father’s desire to have a relationship, a fellowship, a communion with us and to make His heart known to all of us, His sons and daughters.
Week 2: Restrain, Discipline, Waiting on God, and Believing in Unseen Realities
The importance of listening, watching, and to receive guidance from God.
Resisting distractions, avoiding negative self-talk.
Have patience and trust in God's timing, as His vision will not fail. (Isaiah 40:30-31)
God's voice is always fresh and new, even to long-time believers.
Hearing God through prayer and obedience; be doers of the word. (James 1:22-24)
Submitting your thoughts and beliefs to Christ's Lordship and testing the spirit.
PRAYER POINTS:
Pray to detox our minds from any voice, noise, common sense, thoughts, or beliefs from the world that is hindering us from hearing God’s voice.
Pray for our minds to be consistently filled with the word of God.
Pray that we do not focus on the noise of the world or any form of distractions from the enemies (secular news, social media, negative cognitions, self-talk, etc.), but learn to focus on the voice of God and the Holy Spirit.
Pray for patience and trust in God's timing, as His vision will not fail.
Pray for every veil to be removed and for a renewal of every heart, a new wineskin that is flexible and ready to receive God’s “now” words.
Pray against deception, a religious spirit, a familiarity spirit, routines or traditions that can hinder us from hearing God’s voice and even worse, making us to not be able to hear God’s voice anymore.
2 Corinthians 10:5-6: “We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” Pray to submit our thoughts and beliefs to Christ's Lordship. As we submit ourselves to Him, we will resist the voice of the enemy and he must flee! Let God’s voice be louder than the voice of the enemy!
Week 3: Hearing God Through Bible, Prophets, Preaching, and Still Small Voice
“For God may speak in one way, or in another, yet man does not perceive it.” (Job 33:14)
Maintain an attitude of expectancy, faith, and thankfulness.
“Therefore, the Lord will wait, that He may be gracious to you; and therefore, He will be exalted, that He may have mercy on you. For the Lord is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for Him.” (Isaiah 30:18).
“For He spoke, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast.” (Psalm 33:9)
“In the multitude of [godly] counselors there is safety.” (Proverbs 11:14)
PRAYER POINTS:
1 Corinthians 2:9-10: “What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived the things God has prepared for those who love him— these are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit.” Pray for every ear to hear, eyes to see, hearts to receive His words, and Holy Spirit to give us the understanding that we are enabled to know, perceive His words to us, and walk in alignment with His words.
Pray for Holy Spirit to teach us to mature in our sensitivity to God’s voice through the Bible, prophets, the preaching, and His still small voice that we will be able to listen and hear more clearly and accurately.
Pray that we can maintain an attitude of expectancy, faith, and thankfulness.
Week 4: Hearing God’s Voice Through Patience and Supernatural Interventions
“The Lord God has opened My ear; and I was not disobedient nor did I turn back.” (Isaiah 50:5)
Avoid laziness and draw closer to God. (James 4:8)
Hearing God through waiting, listening, and obeying.
The need to listen to God's voice and obey even in difficult situations. (Daniel 3)
Hearing God's voice through faith and trust.
PRAYER POINTS:
Pray that we learn to wait patiently on Him. Ask God to grant us a grace and patience to wait for Him – for His Presence, for His direction, for His intervention.
Pray that we will learn to receive, believe, understand and apply His word in our life.
John 10:27: "My own sheep will hear my voice and I know each one, and they will follow me."
And as we apply and experience His word, we will be able to hear His voice more and more.
Psalm 31:15: “Our times are in your hand”. Pray that we will not lose heart, give up, or waver in the waiting or when we find ourselves in difficult situations, but we are going to persevere through what God has promised us and to choose to trust God fully.
We renounce complacency and laziness, and ask for an awakening of passion.
Isaiah 55:11: “So is my word that goes out from my mouth. It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.” Declare that every word God has given or spoken to us through the Bible, prophets, preaching, or His still small voice will never return void, empty, or be fruitless, but will accomplish their assignments.
Pray for Holy Spirit to fill our hearts and mouths with God’s words so that we will speak over His words into every challenge, circumstance, or battle that we need to go through that will break every wall, release miracles, and breakthrough.
