How To Hear God’s Voice

1. How To Hear God’s Voice God wants to COMMUNICATE !!! The VOICE of the Holy Spirit The word “PROPHETIC” – where did it originate from ?? Is it Right to SEEK for Prophecy ?? The Prophetic is Activated by the LOVE of GOD (1 Kor 13) Prophetic Vision

2. How To Hear God’s Voice God wants to Communicate… • God created the Heavens and the Earth through WORDS. He is a Speaking God, and wants to communicate His message to us – ever since creation, and He hasn’t stopped !!! (Gen 1, Heb 11:3, Joh 1:1, Isa 55:11) • God is a Personal God – He desires to talk to us and builds relationship with us - since the days of Adam & Eve (Gen2&3) • Gen 3:8-9 And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden. And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou? • BUT: SIN Dulled the ears of Man – and they refuse to hear and listen!! • In the Old Testament: God selected certain people that He could talk to & who would convey His message to others – like • Noah, Abraham, Moses, Joshua, David, Samuel, Elijah, etc… • These People were called Prophets in the Old Testament (Heb 1:1) • God spoke to them either with an Audible Voice, or His Spirit would come UPON them for a period of time – and they would see visions (Isaiah & Jeremiah) and/or have dreams (like Daniel & Joseph) • 2Kings 3:14-16 And Elisha said, As the LORD of hosts liveth, before whom I stand, surely, were it not that I regard the presence of Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, I would not look toward thee, nor see thee. But now bring me a minstrel. And it came to pass, when the minstrel played, that the hand of the LORD came upon him. And he said, Thus saith the LORD…. • TODAY: He communicates to us through His Son – Jesus (Luk 9:35, Heb1:2) , His Holy Spirit and the Bible • Jesus had to die on the cross (rent the veil of Sinful Flesh – Which is the Carnal Mind) in order for us and God to reach each other again !! (Heb 10:20) • Thus the way is now open for God to communicate with each and everyone of us through the Holy Spirit Living/Dwelling IN us – which comes from when we are Born Again and are Spirit Filled. (Joh 3, Joh 14-16, Eff 2:22)

3. How To Hear God’s Voice The VOICE of the Holy Spirit • God’s voice can be “heard” in various ways – like: • Supernatural Revelation • Natural things – like Nature • Internal Peace – Still Small voice • Inner Conviction • This is referred to as: The Prophetic Voice • Prophetic Ministry IS the Voice of Revelation and Illumination which reveals the mind of Christ to the human race !!! (1 Cor 2:16) • Prophets were God’s Communication Channels in the past (Old Testament), but today we can ALL Hear God’s voice – through the Holy Spirit dwelling within us. (1 Cor 3:16, Eph 5:17-20) • Joel 2:28-29 And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out My Spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out My Spirit. • Humbleness and Quietness of Heart opens the way to HEAR !! (1 Pet 5:6 & Matt 11:28-30) • THUS: CREATE an Atmosphere (Climate, Environment, Mood) in order to Hear from God – mostly through stabilizing your Attitude & Emotions – as bad attitudes and unstable emotions can easily hinder us (and others) to Hear God’s Voice... • Rom 12:18 If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men • Mat 11:28-30 Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light. • Meditate also on other Scriptures like Isa 40:28-31, Ps 46:10, Phil 4:6-7, etc

4. How To Hear God’s Voice • The Prophetic Ministry is thus mainly today to help new believers to hear God’s Voice through His Spirit • But Prophets are also still used by God to reveal His Word and WILL to the world. (Eph 4:11-14) • The Holy Spirit’s Gift of Prophecy through the saints is to bring edification, exhortation, and comfort to the Church (1 Cor.14:3) • The Holy Spirit Whispering the thoughts of Christ within a Christian’s heart is God’s divine order for communication. • NOTE: What an individual has sensed in his spirit should be confirmed: God’s counsel is that every word should be witnessed and confirmed in the mouth of two or three witnesses (2 Cor. 13:1, Mat18:16-20) • Amos 3:7 Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but He revealed His secret unto His servants the prophets. • Prophecy is a method that God uses to Reveal His secrets – like in the old Testament it was mostly for Warnings of Destruction (Jer 1:14-17) • BUT: there were also messages of promises for God’s blessing or Revealing His Purposes(Joel 2:28-29, Isa 54, Isa 61:1-7, Eze 36 & 37, 2 Chron 20:20) • God also wants to reveal His secrets and mysteries He kept secret through the dispensation of the old testament that the Angels didn’t even know/understand till it came true !! (Rom 16:25-26 ,1 Pet 1:12) • Jesus said to His disciples that they are allowed to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of God, but not everyone – thus the reason why Jesus spoke in Parables to the masses (Mat13:11&17, Luk 8:10,Rom 11:25, Eph 1:9, Eph 3:9, Kol 1:26-27, 1 Tim3:16, 1 Kor 2:7, 1 Kor 14:2, 1 Kor15:51) • Prophecy is also a method God uses to reveal the secrets of our hearts • 1Cor 14:24-25 - But if all prophesy, and there come in one that believeth not, or one unlearned, he is convinced of all, he is judged of all: And thus are the secrets of his heart made manifest (revealed); and so falling down on his face he will worship God, and report that God is in you of a truth. • Eze14:4 & 7 Therefore speak unto them, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Every man of the house of Israel that setteth up his idols in his heart, and putteth the stumblingblock of his iniquity before his face, and cometh to the prophet; I the LORD will answer him that cometh according to the multitude of his idols;

5. How To Hear God’s Voice Origin of the Prophetic • By definition prophecy is pro – “beforehand” or “time” – and phemi (or phani)- “saying” – that which is said before it happens… • THUS: It is Foretelling, forth-telling, teaching, writings, or verbal utterances under the inspiration of the Spirit of God • What makes it prophecy according to definition is its sphere of formation, which is eternity. Anything God says is prophetic because He spoke it outside of our time to be manifested in our era. This is why prophecy relies much on dreams and visions !! • Everything we see and feel or experience in the physical can be used or seen as a Prophetic explanation of what exists in the Spirit – like a parable (Hos 12:10 – Prophets act out the parables) • THUS: Jesus spoke to the multitudes in Parables also – to bring across a secret TRUTH regarding the Kingdom of God (Mat 13:11-13, 31-34 – mustard seed) • Some of the functions and objectives for prophecy and God’s uses of it: • Destiny, Ministry, Correction, Blessing, Change, Creation, Healing, Power, Instruction, Counsel, Impartation, Empowerment • Isa 55:8-11 For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, said the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts. For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returns not thither, but waters the earth, and makes it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: • So shall My word be that goes forth out of my mouth : it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

6. How To Hear God’s Voice Is it Right to seek for Prophecy ?? • YES and NO !!!! • We sayYES because of Paul that emphasized that truth when he told the church at Corinth to “covet to prophesy” (1 Cor. 14:39; Eph. 4:11) • If you struggle to hear from God, then you can search a true Prophet to hear on your behalf. But then keep in mind, he will be used of God to reveal the secrets of your heart – meaning he will bring out what you might be hiding as well as your true motives !! (ex Jer 42, Eze 14) • BUT: We also say NO because personal prophecy must never become a substitute for the individual’s responsibility and privilege of hearing the voice of God for himself. • God is a Jealous God, and is not pleased when we allow anything to hinder an intimate relationship and personal communication with Him – even if the hindrance is from a ministry He Himself has ordained. (Exo 20:5) • Seeking for Personal Prophecy must not take the place of our duty to fast, pray, and seek God until we hear from God for ourselves! • At the same time, many people cannot hear, or will not take time to hear, what God wants to say to them. • God is more anxious to talk than we are to listen, but He will not always break in on our busy schedules, trying to shout over the noise of the television or social chatter (though occasionally He may catch us while we are asleep.) • When this is the case, the Lord often uses the voice of the prophet to speak to individuals, congregations, and nations. • But His Greatest Desire is always for His children to take quality time to wait upon Him until our mind, emotions, and will are cleared sufficiently for Him to communicate His heart and mind to us clearly(Ps 46:10, Isa 40:28-31, Ps. 46:10)

7. How To Hear God’s Voice ACTIVATED BY THE LOVE OF GOD • 1 Cor 13 – The Chapter of the Perfect LOVE of God – written in between the 2 chapters on the Gifts of God and the explanation of Tongues & Prophecy • 1 Cor 12 finishes with these word: “But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way” – • Then 1 Cor 13:13 “Right now three things remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love.” • Gal 5:16-18 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law. (Gal 5:6) • Gal 5:22-25 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit • 1John 4:6-8We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. • 1John 4:13 Hereby know we that we dwell in Him, and He in us, because He hath given us of his Spirit. • John 15:4 Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. • In other words – STAY and MOVE in the LOVE of GOD, and His compassion will lead you right into the Gifts of the Holy Spirit to work through you. • In order to open up the ways for God’s Love, is through Forgiveness – Mark 11:22-26

8. How To Hear God’s Voice PROPHETIC VISION • The Ability to SEE and HEAR in the Spirit needs to be Developed and PRACTISED… • WITHOUT the Interference of the Physical senses - Eyes & Ears….etc… • Vision is Developed through Prayer, and Worship (Joh 4:24) • GOALS to aim for in order to set the Prophetic Atmosphere so that God can DROP His Word, Create Faith and Release the Prophetic Flow… • To be STILL, • To Live in the GRACE of God, • To be AWARE of His Presence • To be at REST • Prophecy FLOWS from Intimacy with God • You can experience either one of the following types, or a combination of them when you spend time in God’s Presence: • “Feeling” (or Sensing) His Presence (Like a 6th Sense – just more..) • “Seeing” – Visions of Pictures (in your mind or even open eyed – even interacting in the Spirit) (or Dream Dreams) • “Hearing” – Sounds, or Voice speaking - An Audible Voice, or a Voice inside yourself – normally very Maturing and Loving, Uplifting, Firm, etc.. (Warning: Distinguish between the 4 “voices”) • Even “Taste” or “Smell” sometimes – but that is not as popular as the other 3 • Kathryn Kuhlman – Trance • Interpretations – is mostly Word Based – but rather wait for God to Reveal the answer/explanation to you. • There are books available – but use them only as a guide. • Revelation is sometimes Totally Illogical for the normal mind. This can cause fear and uncertainty, and then you will make it off as nothing. Be careful of that. You can miss an awesome experience with God.

9. How To Hear God’s Voice Q U E S T I O N S ???? BREAK…..