The genius of hearing and translating God
We’ve been learning how God wants to release an awareness of His genius in and for our lives not only for our benefit but to bless and change our world.
“His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms.”
—Ephesians 3:10 (NIV)
God’s genius is released when we learn to hear, translate, and share what God is saying and revealing to us. He wants us to learn how to be a “prophetic people.”
God is passionate about helping us hear from Him and receive His genius for our life.
“Today if you hear his voice don’t harden your hearts as Israel did when they rebelled.”
— Hebrews 3:15
“Hear I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.” — Revelations 3:20 (NIV)
The fact is that God is always speaking, but few are always listening. Jesus modeled this way of genius by continually hearing and translating the Father.
“Jesus gave them this answer: ‘Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can only do what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son does also. For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does. Yes, and he will show him even greater works than these so that you will be amazed.”
— John 5:19-20 (NIV)
Effective communication with God will not only define our relationship but our destiny!
Some important truths about hearing and translating God in our lives. (I Samuel 3)
It is something that must be pursued and learned over a lifetime. Becoming a prophetic person will empower us to have an incredible impact.
“Every life that has ever really counted for God can be traced back to a series of unplanned promptings from Heaven that charted the course of their life in a way they could’ve never seen or imagined.” — Bill Hybels
Being able to hear and translate God is so desperately needed and valuable.
Some reasons:
1. We need wisdom beyond our understanding. There is a world of difference between a God-guided life and a self-directed life. Without God’s guidance, we are sheep without a true shepherd.
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on you own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”
— Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV)
2. When we hear and respond to His voice, our faith goes from a religious journey of rules and regulations to a genuine walk of intimacy and delight.
3. When we hear God speaks, it stirs faith for breakthroughs, miracles, and revival.
“He sent forth His word and healed them; he rescued them from the grave.” — Ps.107:20 (NIV)
“So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.” — Romans 10:17 (NKJV)
I want to increase the level of prophetic encouragement in the church to a point it causes revival to flow.
As God’s words break out, God’s Spirit breaks in.
4. The more we hear and share words from the Lord, the more peoples’ identities are realized and encounters with God are experienced.
“Prophecy is a revelation of what’s in the heart of God for us to claim in our present and our future.” — Shawn Boltz
“A word from the Spirit can open a person’s heart to receive from God faster than a corkscrew can open a wine bottle.” — Shawn Boltz
“True prophetic ministry looks for the gold in the midst of the dirt of people’s lives.” — Kris Vallotton
5. The Lord has made it clear that He wants to empower all of us to be His prophetic people (moms, dads, friends, brothers, associates).
“In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams.” — Acts 2:17 (NIV)
“Then Moses said to him, “Are you zealous for my sake? Oh, that all of the Lord’s people were prophets and that the Lord would put His Spirit on them!” — Numbers 11:29 (NKJV)
Steps to becoming prophetic (hearing, translating, and sharing words from God)
Have an attitude of hunger, humility, and surrender.
“…Speak, for your servant is listening.” — I Samuel 3:10b (NIV)
God speaks to people who want to hear and are willing to obey.
People don’t hear God because they want to discover and think of God on their own terms.
“They are seeing but never perceiving and never understanding (make room for a view that didn’t fit theirs), otherwise they would’ve turned and would’ve forgiven them and healed them.” —Mark 4:12
“We played the pipe for you and you did not dance, we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn.” — Matthew 11:17 (NIV)
Position and prepare yourself to listen.
“So Eli told Samuel, “Go and lie down, and if he calls you, say, ‘Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.’ “So Samuel went and lay down in his place.”
— I Samuel 3:9 (NIV)
Preparing especially means two things:
1. Taking time to be still, quiet, and empty your soul before the Lord.
“Be still and know that I am God, I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted on the earth.” — Psalms 46:10
“Inner calm is the intercom through which God speaks.” — Rick Warren
2. Still is a place of resting in God’s promises, and focusing on God’s goodness.
“To hear from God, you must come with no opinion or agenda of your own.” George Mueller
God speaks when I move things I’m striving about, from my hands to God’s hands, and become focused on Him.
3. Hearing God’s voice is a bi-product of spending time in God’s Word and letting Him apply it to our hearts. Every prophetic word is simply God’s written word applied by the Spirit to a specific situation. Translating God happens when we don’t just read the Bible but allow it to read us.
Speak and share God’s words with others only when it is tested, motivated by love, and shared in a humble and orderly way for the purpose of strengthening, encouraging, and comforting.
“But he who prophesies strengthens others, encourages them, and comforts them.”
— I Cor. 14:3 (NLT)