Editor: Al Vesper
We need to learn to hear the voice of God. Our spiritual sense will increase with maturity. We are probably all familiar with the saying "practice makes perfect." While we will never get "perfect" in our lifetime, there is some truth in that saying regarding prophecy; the more we use the gift, the more we seek to hear the Lord, the easier it will become to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit.
MEANS OF COMMUNICATION
There are a variety of ways to hear God speaking as he communicates with individuals in different ways. These include:
- Dreams
- Visions
- Pictures
- Hearing
- Physical sensations
- Impressions
- Nature
- Prophetic enactment
As we mature in our spiritual walk we need to grow more attuned to God's voice and the way he speaks to us personally. Each of us will find ways in which we hear God more readily and more clearly. We need to develop an expectation that God will speak to all of us every day and must learn to make space in our lives to listen to God.
The apostle Paul experienced God speaking to him in a number of different ways:
- Acts 9:4
- He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him...
- Acts 13:2
- While they were worshipping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul...
- Acts 16:9
- During the night Paul had a vision: there stood a man from Macedonia pleading with him and saying "Come over to Macedonia and help us."
- Acts 17:9
- One night the Lord said to Paul in a vision, "Do not be afraid, but speak and do not be silent..."
- Acts 19:21
- Now, after these things were accomplished, Paul resolved in the Spirit to go through Macedonia and Achaia, and then go on to Jerusalem.
- Acts 22:11
- That night the Lord stood near him and said, "Keep up your courage! For just as you have testified for me in Jerusalem, so you must bear witness also in Rome."
Dreams, Visions and Pictures
"Then the Lord came down in a pillar of cloud, and stood at the entrance of the tent and called Aaron and Miriam; and they both came forward. And he said, 'hear my words; When there are prophets amongst you, I the Lord make myself known to them in visions; I speak to them in dreams.'" Num 12:6.
We "see" in the spirit in a number of different ways. Dreams are moving and dynamic while we are asleep; visions are moving and dynamic while we are awake; pictures are static, just one image or scene.
There are a number of examples of each of these in the scriptures. We will just give an Old and a New testament example of each.
- Gen 28:11-12
- Jacob came to a certain place and stayed there for the night, because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones of the place, he put it under his head and lay down in that place. And he dreamed that there was a ladder set up on the earth, the top of it reaching to heaven; and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it.
- Matt 2:12
- And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they [the Magi] left for their own country by another road.
- Gen 15:1
- After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, "Do not be afraid, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great."
- Acts 10:3
- One afternoon about three o'clock he [Cornelius] had a vision in which he clearly saw an angel of the Lord coming in and saying to him, "Cornelius."
- Amos 8:1
- This is what the Lord showed me... a basket of summer fruit.
- Acts 7:56
- "Look", he [Stephen] said, "I see heaven opened and the son of man standing at the right hand of God!"
Hearing God Speaking
God's voice may also be heard as plain speaking. This may be audible but is more often with our 'spiritual ears'... an inner hearing of complete words and sentences. Teresa of Avila described this after she had 'heard' God speaking to her:
"The words were very clearly formed and unmistakable, though not heard with bodily ear." (Christian Mysticism, W. R. Inge p.219)Here are some Bible examples of people hearing God's voice:
- 1 Samuel 3:10
- Now the Lord came and stood there, calling as before, "Samuel, Samuel!" And Samuel said, "Speak, for your servant is listening."
- Isaiah 6:8
- Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?"
- Revelation 1:10
- I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet...
Physical Sensations
God will also use physical sensations to speak to us.
- Isa 16:11
- My heart throbs like a harp for Moab, and my very soul for Kir-heres.
- Jer 4:19
- My anguish, my anguish! I writhe in pain!
Here is an example from a recent meeting:
A young woman at a renewal conference experienced this. She had a fairly painful backache, it just would not go away. It lingered over two days, then the young woman asked for prayer. It was discerned that the pain was prophetic. Another person had the interpretation... a powerful word was spoken. The pain was representing that the backbone and foundation of the church was not right. The church needed to be built on the proper foundation of the apostles and prophets. With the word being spoken and the subsequent powerful prophetic release, the back pain disappeared!
Impressions
God may speak to us using impressions. We sense something deep within and know that it is God speaking. It may be in the sensing of great joy, deep sorrow, compassion, strength, etc.
- Matt 9:36
- When he [Jesus] saw the crowds he had great compassion for them, because they were harassed and like sheep without a shepherd.
- 2 Cor 1:4
- For I [Paul] wrote you out of much distress and anguish of heart and with many tears, not to cause you pain, but to let you know the abundant love that I have for you.
Nature
- Romans 1:20
- Ever since the creation of the world his eternal power and divine nature, invisible though they are, have been understood and seen through the things he has made.
God may speak to us through nature. The whole creation bears testimony to God. He may speak to us through a variety of different means... birds, animals, wind, rain, thunder etc. We need to learn to listen for God speaking in his creation. However we need to exercise care. God may speak through a earthquake one day, another day it may just be a earthquake!
Here are some Bible examples:
- Acts 2:2
- And suddenly from heaven there came a sound of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. Divided tongues as of fire, appeared among them...
- Psalm 18:6-7
- I cried to my God for help. From his temple he heard my voice; my cry came before him, into his ears. The earth trembled and quaked, and the foundations of the mountains shook; they trembled because he was angry.
- Exodus 3:2
- There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of a bush
- 1 Kings 19:11-13
- He said, "Go and stand on the mountain before the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by." Now there was a great wind, so strong that it was splitting mountains and breaking rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of sheer silence. When Elijah heard it he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. Then came a voice to him...
In the first three verses above, we see clearly that at times God manifested himself as wind, earthquake and fire, however with Elijah, he wasn't in the earthquake, fire or wind. Discernment is always essential.
Prophetic Enactment (or Prophetic Mime)
We can hear God speaking through a prophetic enactment. God uses actions to speak to us. We see it in stories like the water into wine (John 2) where Jesus showed the people that it was possible for one substance (water) to be changed into another substance (wine). Immediately afterwards we read the story of Nicodemus where he was told that he needed to be born anew, to be changed from being born of flesh to be being born of spirit. The prophetic sign that this was possible had already been seen!
- Hosea 1:2
- The Lord said to Hosea, Go, take a wife of whoredom and have children of whoredom, for the land commits great whoredom by forsaking the Lord...
- Acts 21:11
- He [Agabus] came to us and took Paul's belt, bound his own feet and hands with it and said, "thus says the Holy Spirit... "
CONCLUSION
In conclusion, a few words about the process of prophetic revelation. As we discern God's voice we need to know what to do with the things we are hearing.
This tends to be in three stages... number one is revelation. As we think we are hearing from God...the question we need to ask ourselves is simply: "Is this from God?" Does it feel like God, sound like God, smell like God. We need to check the revelation with the word of God, for prophecy will never conflict with the Bible. We need to share with other believers and ask them to help us discern the word. Having decided that it is a word from God, we move to the second stage... interpretation. The question we ask ourselves is: "What does it mean?" Interpretation is not always received by the same person to whom the word was revealed, nor is it necessarily received immediately. When we have a sense of what the Lord is saying to us, we move to the third stage which is application... the question we ask ourselves is: "What do we do with this word?"
Remember God's timing may not be ours! Never try to force or manipulate an interpretation or an application. Look at the story of Abraham (Genesis ch.12-21). Abraham received the prophetic word that he would have an heir (12:2). When the word had not been fulfilled and he was still childless, Abraham thought perhaps the heir would be through his servant, Eliezer. God reaffirmed the prophetic word (15:2). Then Abraham produced Ishmael with the slave-girl (16:1ff). Eventually Isaac was born (21:2). The prophetic word was fulfilled 25 years after it had first been given. On two recorded occasions Abraham had tried to fulfil the word himself... disastrous results! We need to wait for God's timing.
So how do we handle prophetic words that are not immediately interpreted or applied. A good way is to start journaling... write down the words God has given. Then every few weeks re-read them, ask God for the timing on them. (It is important to remember, also, that some words are not for us to share but are to send us to intercession. Read what Abraham did when the Lord revealed his plans to destroy Sodom. Genesis 18:16-33)
God communicates with us in a variety of ways, and we must not try to limit Him to one certain way. Rather, we must be open to allow Him to choose the method of communication and to respond to Him regardless of which manner He chooses. We can only discern the voice of God if we are willing to listen to Him speak to us in the manner that He chooses. If we only look for pictures, we will "miss it" if he decides to speak in a still small voice. Don't miss God's voice by assuming he will only speak to you in a certain manner. Instead, invite the Holy Spirit to teach you how to recognize His voice. Notice and begin to explore the method (or methods) of communication that God seems to choose most frequently to communicate with you.
Week 9 Activation Exercise
Discerning how God communicates
"see, hear, feel"
This activation will again stretch us to receive a thought from the throne for a fellow saint. The various groups will either pair off or structure the group is such a way that each one has someone to minister to.
PURPOSE
The primary purpose of this exercise is to allow us the opportunity to learn how and in what mode God communicates to each of us. We will be particularly trying to either "hear" God's voice, "see" what He wants to show us, or "feel" what he wants us to know concerning a matter. At the end of the exercise we will then evaluate which is the most common mode we usually experience.
We see God training the neophyte Jeremiah through a similar "see" and "hear" exercise is the first chapter of his book:
"Moreover the word of the LORD came to me, saying, "Jeremiah, what do you see?" And I said, "I see a branch of an almond tree." Then the LORD said to me, "You have seen well, for I am ready to perform My word." And the word of the LORD came to me the second time, saying, "What do you see?" And I said, "I see a boiling pot, and it is facing away from the north." Then the LORD said to me: "Out of the north calamity shall break forth on all the inhabitants of the land." Jer 1:11-14
As we gain confidence through use, this will in turn help us in the future to "dial in" to that "frequency" as we seek God to receive from the Holy Spirit.
This week's activation will help you determine how God speaks to you when He uses you to minister prophetically to another. It will help you determine if you are a "seer," a "hearer," a "feeler" or a "knower"...
STEP BY STEP PROCESS OF THIS ACTIVATION
- Understand That We Will Share From The Gift of Christ Within Us
- Stir Yourself Up Spiritually
- First, be convinced that it is the Lord's will for every believer to
move in the Gifts of the Spirit. If you are born of the Spirit you
have the Holy Spirit. He brings His gifts with Him and they are
available for your use. "There are diversities of gifts, but the
same Spirit. There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord.
And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who
works all in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to
each one for the profit of all." 1 Cor 12:4-7.
- Realize that no believer is perfect and it is OK to make a mistake.
This is a training environment and we love one another.. (right?)
- Just know that we all learn by doing.
- Praying in the Spirit can also help build up your faith and act as a
catalyst for the flow of the river of the Spirit out of your "inner
most being"
(John 7:28,29)
and prepare you to receive the mind of
Christ so that your human spirit can receive thoughts, impressions,
pictures, etc. from the Holy Spirit.
- We activate the gifts by faith and grace, therefore we can take initiative in cooperation with the Holy Spirit and in accordance with the Father's will.
- Sanctification - Activation Prayer
- Leaders Pray A Prayer Of Covering/Protection (if in a group setting)
- Now, Be Silent And Listen, Look And Feel
- If you are a "seer," you will see pictures in your mind readily.
These pictures may require interpretation. When you give a prophetic
word, you allow these pictures to guide you along a theme and speak to
what you see in the order you see it. In this manner, the Holy Spirit
can give you a "flow" by a series of pictures. Interpretation can and
does play a role in accurately speaking to the series of pictures.
- If you are a "hearer," you will "hear" what the Spirit says. This
will not usually be an audible voice but for some of you it could
be - on rare occasion. Normally, you just feel like you are hearing
something. In actuality, you are not hearing anything audible but
you still feel as if you are hearing what you receive. Once you
"hear," you simply share what you hear the Spirit saying to you for
an individual.
- If you are a "knower / feeler," you just seem to know something and it feels right but you could not explain to anyone how you know.. you just know! It is like a built in sense of "what is." If you are a knower, you will recognize this pattern. If you are a feeler, you may actually feel something. For instance, God may give you a word of knowledge of a physical healing He wants to do by allowing you to briefly feel in your own body the condition that God desires to heal in another. This is called a "physical word of knowledge." Or you might feel an emotion that God feels concerning a situation.
- Note the way God communicated with you
- Now, Give Your Word According To The Spirit's Leading
- I saw..
- I heard..
- I sensed..
- or I felt..
- Feedback
- Repetition
- Survey
- How many received it as a mental picture?
- How many received it as a mental thought or impression?
- How many received it as a feeling or physical sensation?
Since we are all saved, we have Christ living within us. Let's allow Him to minister to us, through us, and to and through our brother or sister in Christ. 1 Peter 4:10 says "Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms." We want to be good stewards of God's grace so let's be willing to share Christ within us with our brother or sister.
How do we stir ourselves up?
Pray this prayer with your group as you begin:
Dear Lord, in the name of your Son, Jesus Christ, I come before your throne. I believe that Christ lives within me, and that I am washed by the blood. Not in part, but in my whole being. I now bring every thought of my mind and soul into captivity to the mind of Christ within. I will be open to be led by the Holy Spirit to receive a prophetic word from You for my partner. I will gladly share just what you show me, without adding my own interpretation to it. I will not doubt it nor question it, I'll just be willing to give it. I am a believer, and I expect to receive. I thank You for giving me a thought from the throne. Amen.
(This prayer releases people from any guilt, fear, condemnation and sense of unworthiness. Since fear and feeling unworthy are the two most hindering factors to people moving in the mind of Christ, this brings a release.)
The purpose of this short and specific prayer is to bind any hindering or religious spirits, and to release faith and anointing. Use whatever words you desire, but it does not have to be long and involved.
Now relax because this is going to be fun and it will continue to help you "tune in" to the Holy Spirit. Once you go silent, give yourself about 45 - 60 seconds and during this time, look and see what pictures form in your minds eye (the eyes of your heart), listen to what you may "hear" in your Spirit and pay attention to what sense you may have in your "knower."
Again, here is an explanation of these different modes.
Once you've received your communication from God, note (identify) how you received it. Did you "see," hear" or "feel" or "just know"? Pay close attention to HOW you received this word. Remember that the purpose of this exercise is not to give a word so much as to identify how God communicates to you. Understanding this could be useful for receiving future words.
Dare to share.
Describe what you see; tell what you hear, or share what you feel; being cautious to share only what you receive from God.
Do not worry that it may seem simple or maybe even not make sense to you. Remember it will make good sense to the person for whom God gave it to you. For this exercise we will begin our sharing with either:
We also want to re-state our caution from before:
"God does not usually give us judgmental, negative, harsh, corrective, or directive words when we are just learning to move in the prophetic. For the scope of these exercises, these types of words will be STRICTLY OFF LIMITS. If you believe you receive one of these types of words during the activation exercise, assume you have heard wrong and go back to the Lord and ask Him for a different word.
The recipient(s) of the word should now give feedback as to the accuracy and significance of what was shared.
Repeat steps 5 - 8 with another partner. You may repeat with several different partners, depending on your time constraints. Note whether God uses the same mechanism to communicate (seeing, hearing, feeling or knowing) each time.
Take a survey to assess the following: