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Jesus assures us that Christians hear His voice. In John 10:27, Jesus said, “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.” The Greek word ἀκούω is translated as “listen” or “hear.” As this word is used in Scripture it implies grasping the meaning and responding in obedience. This is one of many passages in Scripture that make this point.
The first chapter of Romans tells us that everyone hears God’s voice. Some people may say they don’t hear God’s voice. You know you have a conscience. Since you have a conscience, you hear God’s voice. You can sear your conscience by doing what your conscience tells you not to do or not doing what your conscience tells you to do. If you fail to recognize that any wisdom or knowledge you have comes from God, you will take credit for that wisdom and knowledge. The human mind has no capacity to create wisdom or knowledge. All wisdom and knowledge are hidden in Christ. If you take credit for the true wisdom and knowledge that come from Christ, you will gradually lose the ability to discern between truth from God, lies from demons, or nonsense from your fallen carnal mind.
It’s hard to hear God when you listen to many voices. Ask God if some voices in your life are harming your ability to hear Him. He may tell you to eliminate certain music, TV, friends, or you may be surprised what else.
You may find it helpful to set time aside to listen to God’s voice. That quiet time before the Lord will not be wasted. This isn’t a time to blank your mind. You focus on Christ. You might start by praising Him or singing some worship songs. Make a time to ask God questions. Invite God’s presence and allow His Spirit to flow through you. Then ask God what He wants to talk about. He may just want to be with you. You can take this time by taking a walk, taking a ride, or just sitting in a chair. How can you have a meaningful relationship with God if you don’t devote the time needed to develop the relationship?
audio recording for reflection: |
Ask God to answer these questions.
- What does it mean to sear your conscience?
- What kinds of voices could make it hard to hear God?
- How does your conscience help you hear God’s voice?
- How can you set aside time to listen to God’s voice?
- What should you do during quiet time with God?
Bonus Questions:
- What does it mean that Christians hear Jesus’ voice?
- How do you know if you are one of Jesus’ sheep?
- What does the word “ἀκούω” mean, and why is it important?
SEEKING GOD
Turn your attention to God right now. Take as long as you like. Ask Him to put a fence around you to protect you from other voices. Praise and glorify Him. Let His Spirit pour over you and through you. You may be able to even sense His presences as His love, joy, peace, and patience flow through you. Just spend this time enjoying His presence and giving Him all the glory. You can ask Him any questions you like, and He will answer you.
Keep in mind that God doesn’t want you to ever disconnect from Him. He wants to flow through you constantly in knowledge, wisdom, and love.
Concept Map Exercise
Create a concept map suitable for this unit to visualize the relationships between entities. Entities could be things, persons, ideas, or concepts. They are nouns in language. Begin by writing the central concept or most important entity in the middle of the page and drawing a rectangle around each entity. Draw other entities around the central entities. When you think you have all the entities on the paper, draw lines between the entities that are related plus a verb (action word) that explains the relationship.
Let the Holy Spirit lead you in this. (Romans 8:14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.) Take what you learned, your notes or what you produced and videotape yourself. Become a kid influencer for Christ with your own social media platform by uploading your video as God leads. Learn to stand in God’s presence and hear His voice. Then teach others to do the same.
