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Going deeper into God
- Listening to God

Maturing as human beings involves fresh challenges as we become teenage and then adult. New experiences and challenge comes our way as we mature as Christians too. Read Ephesians 4:11-13 and Hebrews 6:1-3 concerning the will of God for us to become mature. This module explores some deeper experiences of God, and offers hands on exercises rather than just bible study

 This thread (Going deeper into God):
  1. Listening to God
  2. Centring down
  3. Opening my heart
  4. The Vine and the Branches
  5. The Bride & the Bridegroom

Deepening?

"Superficiality is the curse of our age. The doctrine of instant satisfaction is a primary spiritual problem. The desperate need today is not for a greater number of intelligent people, or gifted people, but for deep people". Richard Foster in Celebration of Discipline

Think about this, or if you are with someone else discuss this together. Do you agree? What do you think Foster means by "deep people"?

 

Listening to God

It is an underlying assumption throughout the bible that God is 'speaking' (communicating; revealing His heart) all the time. What is clear is that we are not hearing Him all the time. A reasonable analogy is the radio station which broadcasts day and night, yet some people only tune in some of the time, and some people never tune in at all. We all need to learn to actively listen to what God has to say. Discuss together your experience of listening to God.

 

How does God speak?

Briefly, the following are some of the ways God speaks. As you read each one, think or if with someone else then talk together about any experience you have of hearing God in these. God speaks through:
  • the bible. It is the record of God's revealed will. Because God lives, His word is fresh and applies for each new day and circumstance
  • circumstance. This needs care, but when we have asked God for guidance and answers, we may often see those answers in changed circumstances
  • other Christians. God will sometimes choose to speak to us prophetically through other Christians, either with a directly targeted message, or through a church service
  • the Holy Spirit. Because God's Spirit lives within us, He is perfectly able to drop things into our minds. Sometimes we just 'know' something we didn't before; at other times we have new thoughts drop into our heads which we then think through.

 

Listening to the Holy Spirit in prayer

"How do you know when God is speaking to you?". That is often asked. The answer is, "by experience". Think of someone you know very well. When you first spoke to him/her on the telephone, he/she had to say who was speaking. After a number of occasions you recognised their voice without being told. As you came to know them very well you will even recognise them by their cough, or some other little characteristic noise. Practice makes perfect!

 

Exercise

Spend time now (at least 15 minutes!) quietly and prayerfully listening for God. Start by asking Him to speak to you. If you are with someone else then be prepared to share with each other (as you go along) anything that comes into your mind that you think might be a word from God - however trivial; if you are alone, then jot down anything that comes for further consideration, and be prepared to find another sympathetic Christian that you can tell about this experience and show what you heard. Ask God to give you discernment that you might agree together whether this was something from God.

If nothing comes, don't panic, it's a matter of practice, but expect God to speak.

 

Any questions?

If you have any queries, or comments, then e-mail us and we'll get back to you

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Bible references

Ephesians 4:11-13
11It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, 12to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

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Hebrews 6:1-3
1Therefore let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God, 23And God permitting, we will do so.

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