(Mark_Virkler) How to Hear Gods Voice

NEW BEGINNING INTERNATIONAL MINISTRIES BIBLE STUDY

November 11, 2008

How to Hear God’s Voice By: Mark and Patti Virkler Chapter Two: “God’s Voice Sounds Like…” Review: 4 Keys to Hearing God’s Voice (Habakkuk 2:1-2) 1 I will stand upon my watch, and set me upon the tower, and will watch to see what he will say unto me, and what I shall answer when I am reproved. 2 And the LORD answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it. • • • •

Key #1 Key #2 Key #3 Key #4

Recognize God’s voice as spontaneous thoughts which light upon your mind Quiet yourself so you can hear God’s voice Look for vision as you pray Write down the flow of thoughts and pictures that come to you.

The two Greek words for “word”: Logos: The Bible the written word, which is the absolute standard of truth. Ex. The mind reading and understanding the Bible. Rhema: God’s voice sensed as spontaneous thought, idea, word, feeling, or vision.

In tonight’s class we will further explore Key #1 (p 55-74) I. Key #1 Recognize God’s voice as spontaneous thoughts which light upon your mind. A. Qualities That Characterize God’s Thoughts Interjected Into Your Heart (p 56-57): • Spontaneous, not cognitive or analytical • God’s thoughts are expressed through our personalities and styles of speech. For example, the gospels reflect each of the author’s personalities. The book of Mark has a different style than the book of John. • These thoughts come as easily as God speaking in the first person • They are often light and gentle and can easily be cut off by our own thoughts • They will have an unusual content, they will be wiser, more healing, more loving and more motive orientated than our thoughts. • They will cause a special reaction within you, such as excitement, conviction, faith, peace… How to Hear God’s Voice

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NEW BEGINNING INTERNATIONAL MINISTRIES BIBLE STUDY

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When embraced, God’s words carry the fullness of strength to perform them and joy in doing so. As time goes on you will more easily recognize God speaking to you. God is speaking all the time and you are receiving His interjected thoughts, but until you can recognize them, they will be grouped together with your own thoughts.

B. Testing Whether Flowing Thoughts Are From God (p 57-59): • Posture your heart properly, and the flow will be from he Holy Spirit (John 7:37-39) • Test the flow of thoughts against the Bible • Test flowing thoughts by knowing where your eyes are fixed • Thoughts from my mind are analytical • Thoughts from my heart are spontaneous • Biblical meditation combines analysis and spontaneity C. Sources of Our Thoughts (p 59): • Spontaneous Positive Thoughts=Holy Spirit • Spontaneous Negative Thoughts=demons • Analytical Thoughts= self Exercise: Write down a question in your journal that you would like to ask the Lord. Try not to make it a question about something stressful or traumatic. These type of issues can inhibit your ability to posture yourself by being still and quiet, so that you can hear God’s voice. II. Biblical Meditation A. Turning Logos Into Rhema (p 61-65): • One way to experience rhema is through the Holy Spirit illuminating scripture as we read the Bible. Have you ever been reading the Bible and words just seemed to leap out at you? This is done by the Holy Spirit and it is God speaking to you. •

“Biblical Meditation” results in illumination, revelation knowledge and anointed reasoning, it should not be confused with “Western Study” which emphasizes studying and book knowledge.

B. Seven Steps of Biblical Meditation (p 65-66): • Lord, cleanse me by Your blood: Since receiving divine revelation is at the heart of biblical meditation, you must be prepared to receive from the Holy Spirit. You need to be walking in obedience. Confess any sin in your life and ask God for forgiveness. • Lord, grant me a teachable attitude: Revelation is given to those who maintain an attitude of humility. • Lord , I will not use my faculties myself: You can do nothing by your initiative, you must be led by the Holy Spirit.

How to Hear God’s Voice

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NEW BEGINNING INTERNATIONAL MINISTRIES BIBLE STUDY

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Lord, I pray that the eyes of my heart might be enlightened: Slow down as you read, mull over the text with both your heart and mind. Pray for wisdom and revelation knowledge of Him to be revealed. Lord, I present the abilities to reason and to imagine to You to fill and flow through by Your Spirit: Meditation involves presenting your faculties to God for Him to fill and use. Lord, show me the solution to the problem I am facing: Focused attention brings additional energies of concentration of heart and mind, which help release revelation. Thank You, Lord, for you have shown me: Realizing that the revelation came from the Holy Spirit, give all glory to God for what He revealed.

C. The Effects of Rhema: p 70 • Productivity (Luke 5:5) • Effective Ministry (John 3:34) • Life (John 6:63) • Relationship (John 8:47; Acts 28:25-28) • Authoritative teaching (John 14:10) • Fullness of desire (John 15:7) • Faith (Rom 10:17) Homework Assignment: pg 73 Meditate on the following scriptures John7: 37-39; Revelation 22:1-2; Psalms 1:2-3; John 15:4-8 Picture each scene and ask God for the spirit of wisdom and revelation knowledge of Him. Pray: Lord, enlighten my heart. Ask the Lord the following: • Lord, please show me where the river within me comes from. • What it feels like in me? • What is the flow designed to produce? • What will be the effects of what is produced? • How important is it to live out of the river? • What happens if I neglect the river and live out of self’s initiative? • Lord, is there anything else you want to show me in this biblical meditation?

How to Hear God’s Voice

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NEW BEGINNING INTERNATIONAL MINISTRIES BIBLE STUDY

November 11, 2008

How to Hear God’s Voice Quiz #1 1. Define the following terms: yada:_________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________

ginosko:______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________

naba:_________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________

paga:_________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________

2. When you hunger after God, you do the following: ________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________

3. True or False _____We should learn to seek the Lord for Himself only, and not to seek Him for the things He can give us. _____ There is a shortcut to seeking God. _____ God created us for the supreme purpose of having a love relationship with us. _____ God wants us to move out of the box and into the flow. _____ Prayer is a dialogue not a monologue.

How to Hear God’s Voice

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