Insights
Hearing and Recognizing God’s Voice
🐑 “My sheep hear my voice and they follow me.” – Jesus’ words emphasize the importance of recognizing and obeying God’s voice in our lives.
🐑 “The only requirement to hearing God’s voice is to be a sheep because he says clearly my sheep hear my voice.”
🚦 The conviction of the Holy Spirit can be understood through different lights: green for ease and peace, yellow for caution and uneasiness, and red for a clear “no” with confusion and dissension.
🗣️ The still small voice of God can speak through one or two words, leading to significant events or outcomes in the future.
🎧 “It is the deception of the enemy to cause us to think we have to have a seminary degree or some special hotline connection with God, when in reality, as regular men and women, we can hear from God.” – Priscilla Shirer
🗣️ “God is speaking and many of us are missing him because we’ve been conned by the stranger, the strange voice of comparison, the strange voice of depression and anxiety and perversion.”
The Importance of Relationship with God
🐑 The main difference between a believer and an unbeliever is that believers have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, which includes the ability to hear God’s voice.
💬 Discerning the voice of God is crucial in our faith, as it sets us apart and allows for a deep and ongoing relationship with Him.
🙏 “The more you know God, the more clearly you can hear Him.” – Priscilla Shirer
🙏 It takes faith to step out and walk in obedience to God’s calling, and when we do, we can never fail because we are trusting in Him.
🙏 Having a wiser, more mature believer in your life who has an ongoing conversational relationship with God can help confirm and guide your understanding of His voice.
God’s Presence in Everyday Life
💡 The birth of TBN, a global television network, was the result of someone responding to a moment when God was speaking to them.
🎶 “Hearing God is less about having a specific word and more about just a nearness of his presence just knowing that he’s near I’m talking about where your physical body responds to the presence of God.”
🌍 “There is so much more than our little box of our little stream presents to us, there are deeper depths and higher heights.” – Priscilla Shirer
💫 “God said that the reason miracles have to come into 2021 is because the world is getting dimmer and dimmer and they can’t believe but when they see my light when they see cancer dry up on the inside of somebody when they see somebody who was addicted and couldn’t function without pills and alcohol.”
👀 “I can see him at ihop. I can see him. I can see him as. I’m walking down the street. I can see him and a homeless person. I can see him in a beat. I can see him in a movie. I can see him in a camera. I can see him. The whole earth is the lord’s and most of y’all look for him on Sunday and I see him in everything.”
Summary
TLDR: Believers can develop the ability to hear God’s voice through prayer, scripture, and seeking confirmation, leading to a transformative and guided Christian experience.
- 🗣️ Believers can have a personal relationship with a communicative God who still speaks today, and can develop the ability to hear His voice through practices such as prayer and reading scripture, while maturing in their relationship with Him and seeking guidance in a more mature manner.
1.1 The speaker discusses the importance of hearing God and how believers can distinguish His voice from their own thoughts or the devil’s, emphasizing that believers can have a personal relationship with a communicative God who still speaks today.
1.2 Jesus is the shepherd and his sheep, both Jews and Gentiles, can hear his voice and follow him.
1.3 God created us with the innate ability to communicate and hear His voice, and we also have to learn how to pray and operate in our spiritual gifts.
1.4 The ability to hear God is innate, learned, and matured, and can be developed through practices such as prayer, reading scripture, and listening for God’s voice.
1.5 People often have immature ways of hearing from God, such as constantly expecting messages or randomly pointing to Bible verses, but it is important to mature in our relationship with God and seek guidance in a more mature manner.
1.6 God has a life verse for every person, but finding it based on the year you were born is flawed, and there are more mature ways to hear God’s voice than relying on chance or human mistakes.
- 🗣️ God speaks to us through his word and the Holy Spirit, confirming what we hear with scripture, and it can transform our Christian experience and guide us through conviction and discernment.
2.1 The speaker shares a personal story about how God spoke to her and confirmed her daughter-in-law’s pregnancy during a 21-day fast.
2.2 Believing and trusting that God speaks to us and discerning His voice can transform our Christian experience and separate our faith from others.
2.3 God speaks to us through his word and through the presence of the Holy Spirit, confirming what we hear with scripture.
2.4 The Bible is alive and the Holy Spirit confirms and connects with the Word of God, allowing it to apply directly to our personal experiences, guiding us through conviction and discernment.
2.5 God’s voice can be experienced as a conversation or a sudden recollection of information, and it can communicate specific words or ideas that are later realized.
2.6 The speaker shares a personal story about their parents receiving a message from God to quit their job and how it led to a unique opportunity.
- 🗣️ God’s voice can be trusted and confirmed through knowing Him, seeking His character, recognizing His blessings, and experiencing His presence, which changes our perception and desires.
3.1 The speaker shares a personal story about how he and his wife were told by God that they would only have boys, which led to the birth of their sons and the continuation of their family legacy.
3.2 God’s voice can be heard and trusted through knowing Him, seeking His character, and recognizing His blessings and provisions as a confirmation of His will for our lives.
3.3 God’s external confirmation through blessings and provision aligns with our internal sense of direction, as seen in the example of the speaker’s book being called for a re-face and the publisher wanting to freshen up the material.
3.4 God confirmed to the speaker through three lights and a message that discerning the voice of God is important, and the speaker shares a personal experience about how God called them to marriage.
3.5 Hearing God’s voice changes your perception and ruins you for mundane church routines, as it brings a sense of his presence and the desire for more.
3.6 Do you ever get goosebumps? We’ll unpack this further after the break.
- 🗣️ God is always speaking and wants to be involved in every aspect of our lives, so we must seek confirmation from Him and wise believers before making important decisions, as discerning His voice is a lifelong process that leads to experiencing His miracles and stepping out in faith.
4.1 God is always speaking and wants to have a say in every area of our lives, and the journey of discerning His voice is a lifelong process that requires faith and a desire to constantly grow in our relationship with Him.
4.2 Seek confirmation from God through external means and seek guidance from wise and mature believers before making important decisions in life.
4.3 The speaker wrote the book because they were dissatisfied with their Christian life and wanted to experience more of God, leading them to explore different streams of faith and realize that there is more to discover without compromising their existing beliefs.
4.4 Hearing God’s voice and discerning His guidance is essential for handling the challenges and blessings in life, as it allows us to step out in faith and experience the greatest gifts and miracles that He has in store for us.
4.5 Having experienced God’s faithfulness in the past, the speaker eagerly anticipates stepping out in obedience to His voice, even when it seems risky, because she has seen Him come through for her before and take her to places she couldn’t have reached on her own.
4.6 The speaker acknowledges the challenges of those watching the video and mentions people in foreign countries who may be facing even more difficult circumstances.
- 🙏 Seek God’s presence, pray for His guidance, and leave room for Him to speak, as discerning His voice is crucial for a successful and impactful life.
5.1 God speaks to us no matter our struggles, and seeking Him brings not only His blessings and guidance, but also the assurance that He will never leave or forsake us.
5.2 Pray for God to speak to you and bring a tangible sense of His presence, canceling the enemy’s assignments and replacing them with grace, love, and mercy, so that you can seek and find Him.
5.3 Stop talking during prayer and leave room for God to speak, as most of the time He speaks to us through His word or through impressions and inklings that we may discount as coincidence but should be taken seriously and treasured.
5.4 Discerning the voice of God is crucial and the success of TBN is attributed to God’s involvement, as the speakers emphasize that their lives changed when they heard His voice.
5.5 Praying and making time for God is essential if you want to hear His voice and experience His guidance in your life, as demonstrated by the speaker’s mother who prayed diligently for her children and influenced future generations through her prayers.
5.6 Believing in the relationship with God allows new Christians to hear His voice as His sheep, as stated in John 10:27.
- 🙏 God is speaking to all believers through the Holy Spirit, and it is important to believe that we can hear His voice, be anchored in His purpose, and make space for Him to speak in our lives.
6.1 The Holy Spirit is the connection that allows us to tap into divine channels and hear from God, and it is a privilege for all believers, not just those with special qualifications or connections.
6.2 Believing that you can hear God is the first step to discerning His voice, as the Holy Spirit works to sanctify us and align our desires with God’s will.
6.3 Moving from Orange County to Los Angeles, the speaker initially felt out of place but eventually fell in love with the area after being called by God to serve in Hollywood, emphasizing the importance of being anchored in God’s purpose rather than personal preference.
6.4 The speaker discusses the importance of being anchored in God’s word and shares their personal journey to understanding the significance of this concept.
6.5 God speaks to people and wants to do something special in their lives, and the speaker shares their personal experience of making space for God to speak to them during a sabbatical.
6.6 God is still speaking, but many people are listening to culture, finances, and motivational speakers instead of hearing His voice, and in 2021, people will not be able to blame God for not speaking to them.
- 🗣️ God is speaking to you through various means, including dreams, the Bible, the Holy Spirit, and even people you may not like or expect, so pay attention and don’t ignore it.
7.1 God is speaking to you, but you can’t hear Him because you’re listening to the voices of strangers, so you need to stop listening to them and start asking who is speaking before opening the door to them.
7.2 God speaks in various ways, including through an audible voice and angelic visitations, and his character as an unchanging anchor confirms that he is still speaking today.
7.3 God speaks through dreams, visions, signs, miracles, coincidences, and the written word (the Bible), which is the main way He communicates with us.
7.4 God speaks through the Holy Spirit, providing specific words for specific times and needs, and can use anyone, even those we may not like or expect, to deliver His truth, including through media.
7.5 God speaks through people we may not like, through media, through creation and nature, and through our conscience.
7.6 God is speaking to you through the Holy Spirit, so don’t ignore it when it interrupts your plans.
- 🔍 Recognize God’s voice by creating space for Him, prioritize His presence over gifts, seek His wisdom without doubting, and be anchored to what you are tied to in 2021.
8.1 Recognize God’s voice by normalizing silence and meditation, creating space for Him to speak, and seeking His presence for vision and guidance.
8.2 Value and prioritize God’s presence over gifts, as it is essential for transformation and anchoring oneself, and establish a consistent pattern of seeking His presence in order to experience His power and bring about change in one’s life.
8.3 Make time to spend with God and establish a pattern in your life, asking Him for wisdom without doubting, and He will generously give it to you.
8.4 God will give you wisdom and practical guidance in your life if you seek His presence and look for Him in every aspect of your life.
8.5 God spoke to the speaker and revealed that for 2021, being anchored to what you are tied to is more important than where you currently are, and the speaker encourages practical ways to hear from God and be anchored in this year.
8.6 Gideon, the weakest and least known person, was spoken to by God and asked to save Israel, but he asked for proof before agreeing to do so.
