When the service ended last weekend one of our "special" adults came up to me and said..."it's not fair, God can see us, but we can't see him. Do you understand what I mean?"
This was just after I spoke on prayer.
Later in the week a friend, who's been under attack lately and has been "in full-time ministry" for more years than I've been alive, shared how God has been showing how he understood God's love propositionally, but it wasn't until recently that he was able to "see" God's love - and he saw it in how he was being loved by his Christian family and friends during a hard time.
One of the points he made, casually, and in passing, was this...some people say they hear God, but I don't know about that.
Okay, here's where I'm going...what does it mean when people say, "I heard God say?" or "God told me..." - what do people really mean?
Some people will qualify that with "in my heart" and the rest of us can relate more. But often it's as if people are suggesting they really do hear God as in "audibly." Some people will say...it was as clear if he had spoken...so after listening to this "man of God" share...I decided to examine myself.
I don't usuallly use words/phrases like "and God told me/said to me/spoke to me" not because sometimes I don't have the real sense that he did, but because I don't like to mislead people.
Where I'm going with this...when I've done spiritual gift surveys and the like (and I've done more than my share) there's one gift that always stands out above the rest - discernment. That'll make sense in a second.
I seek the Spirit and have often prayed to hear him clearly, I want, more than anything (most of the time) to have him have his way with me, to move freely, so speak, to guide etc.
But at the end of the day, the closest I think I've ever come to listening to God, hearing him talk is through what most of us would call intuition. Things like promptings etc fall here for me. The interesting things this is where discernment (intuition) - I know discernment is from God, intuition is an internal thing - however, when it actually happens, the line is not so clear as to what's really happening, so I use that loosely.
My point, I'm told I have the gift of discernment. I often find my "discernment/what feels a lot like intuition) leads in me in certain directions, to do certain things, have certain conversations, ask people directly about specific things)...and more than not, this intuition is, usually, pretty much on the money. In the end I assume it's got to be God.
But I have to confess with my brother...I've never heard God say, "Ed, go talk to that person", not in the same sense that we hear of Moses or Jonah etc. But I hear many Christians talk as if that's they're experience. Usually when I listen to them it makes me feel like I'm missing something. Like somehow there's something in my life that must not be lined up with God, something that I haven't given up, something that's a barrier to really hearing God.
I've heard many other Christians, especially recently, express the same thing.
My point...I wish that people were a little more clear when they spoke about God speaking to them. That if what they meant was, I sensed God saying - that they'd say that!
I also would hope people, when seeking God, would act more on their "intuition" and do what "it feels like they should do at the time."
I think there's a lot of confusion on this on and many Christians, really seeking God and trying to listen to him that feel like second class citizens of the Kingdom.
I'm not saying God only speaks one way...I'm just saying, verbal (the audible kind) from heaven is not, doesn't happen as often as some people make it seem like it does. Although, I believe God is speaking "all the time" for those who are willing to listen. And listening isn't as hard as some would make it.
Anyway, maybe it makes some sort of sense, if not I was able to express myself and work it out a little bit better.
I confess because of the traditions I grew up in, there's areas of this that I'm a babe in and have much to learn. Recently I saw someone (a friend) give "a word from the Lord." I struggle with this, I won't lie, I really do, but my inexperience in something doesn't negate something. But that's a whole other post.
Most of all I want to be open to whatever God - the Holy Spirit would have free reign with and through me. But I also get worried when I see certain things become elitism in the body. I don't like swinging pendulums to extremes to avoid other extremes...most of all I just want to follow Jesus, with all that means...
Posted by edHey...good post, good points.
One thing...whether you realize it or not, YOU give words from the Lord every Sunday. There were several sermons where I (& D) were squirming in our chairs...it wasn't like there was 1 good point that hit home, it was as if you had been in our home, in our hearts and thoughts, had seen everything that went on that week...and I know that God did...and that we were supposed to be there and that you were supposed to say those things, exactly the way you did...even the way you worded some things...it was exact phrases that we had spoken...and that my friend, is a direct word from God...and you're good at speaking it, so let God blow YOUR socks off (mine are already off) :)
thanks for the encouragement! I'm dumbfounded, that God speaks through me, the cool thing is that sometimes, maybe a lot of the time, during sunday mornings he speaks to people completely aside from what I said...but I do believe God speaks through me on Sundays, or else I there's no real reason for doing what I do. Of course he does that through all of us to each other in the body...which is cool!
I guess it's easier to see God speaking through me on sunday morning than it is to see him speaking through all of us to each other. It's almost expected. What I'm struggling with is how do all of us learn to listen to his voice so we can hear him talking to us, and so that he can talk through each of us to all of us. Does that make sense?
Yes that makes sense...and I'm not sure there is one answer.
In my own life, one day I just heard Him...it was actually a thought I guess, but very unlike my own at that time, so it was easy to see that it was not me.
I think once you've 'heard' Him, you have more of an idea of what to look for, and in my experience He doesn't speak in just one way to one person...He speaks in the manner, that He knows we need, to be able to hear Him.
I've had people speak into my life. I've had passages of text jump out as I flip through a book and it's answered a specific prayer. I've sensed things (sometimes felt burdened to say "this" to a specific person) and have been obedient even though not completely sure until the outcome...that I was actually 'hearing'.
And a few times He has audibly spoken...one specific time (I guess one of my more 'hard-headed' days), I was in my "me" world and He KNEW I needed something blunt to get my attention.
I simultaneously heard the words "shut up!" and felt like I'd been punched in the gut.
I don't tell that to most people because they'd think God wouldn't say that...however I say, the fruit speaks for itself. I was obedient and the results have been miraculous and life-changing.
It still requires real discipline though. If I'm serious about submitting and listening for His will, I have many other things to do first. If I come in there with a chaotic mind...or with emotional crap; bitterness, anger, hopelessness, unforgiveness, I won't hear anything beyond my own head.
I find I have to repent...start worshipping and once I get to that place, where it's all about Him and not about me, then I can 'hear'.
Posted by: hanni