Hearing God

Allowing God to speak to us as individuals, together in team contexts and in larger corporate gatherings as an integral part of our decision making process and for our ongoing spiritual growth.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Listening to God requires a right attitude in our hearts. In order to listen to God and receive His instruction, we must want to do His will. God honors the heart that is fully surrendered to Him. If we are stubbornly clinging to our own desires, we are unlikely to hear God's voice at all.

My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. John 10:27

Skilled Characteristics

  • Faith

    Belief that all people are capable of hearing God’s voice

  • Discernment

    Ability to differentiate different voices (God, self, others, enemy)

  • Purity

    Maintaining purity and surrendering to God

  • Inviting

    Willingness to invite and allow the Holy Spirit to speak

  • Testing

    Ability to test words against God’s word

How do you intentionally give your team opportunities to spend time daily hearing God’s voice individually and as a team?

Unskilled Characteristics

  • Doubt

    Unsure if God can really speak to you

  • Self Reliance

    Tendency to depend more on yourself or others for truth than you depend on God for truth

  • Unrepentant

    Unwillingness to repent and ask for forgiveness

  • No Time

    Not making time for God

  • Lack of Faith

    Not trusting or having faith that God may be speaking to you

  • Not Open

    Not believing that God can speak to you through others

  • Rushed

    Not testing words against the bible before choosing to believe them

In what ways can you make it more possible for you to hear from God?

Causes of Weakness

  • Role Models

    Poor (or complete lack of) role models who have demonstrated to you how to hear God’s voice

  • Abuse of Authority

    Experience of abuse of spiritual authority over you or others

  • Unpracticed

    Lack of practice hearing God’s voice

  • Failures

    Past failure or embarrassment when trying to hear God’s voice

  • Fear

    Fear of being wrong in choosing to believe that God spoke to you

  • Self

    Overdependence on self for self-protection

  • Dependent

    Overdependence on others for guidance or protection

Which of these causes of weakness relate to you?

Advice

Review the simple application steps below and choose 1 or 2 things you can do to spur yourself on to further growth.

  • 1

    Sincerely ask God to speak to you

  • 2

    Read articles on how to hear God’s voice, such as Joy Dawson’s principles of intercession

  • 3

    Practice hearing God’s voice with other mature believers

  • 4

    Don’t expect perfection of yourself when learning to hear God’s voice

  • 5

    Be open to hearing from God through His Word, His Spirit, through others, and even through circumstances

  • 6

    Acknowledge to God and others when you have heard from Him – it builds your faith, and other’s faith

  • 7

    Be willing to consider the last time you heard from God and make sure you did what He said

  • 8

    Be quick to repent of your sins and ask God for forgiveness

  • 9

    Read and meditate on God’s Word more often

  • 10

    Try a new bible study or devotional that challenges you to hear from God

  • 11

    Always remember to test any words you receive against God’s Word