
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