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Releasing Faith Resource Worksheets

6. Tuning in to God

 

These worksheets are for using in small groups in the church. Please feel free to copy and paste them and use them in such groups.

 

A. Introduction

      Questions to be considered:

•  Does God talk to us – sometimes, often, all the time?
•  Did we hear God before we were Christians?
•  Is hearing God important, and if so, why?

 

Introductory Exercise 1: In a small group, think of some reasons why you think it may be important to ‘hear' God.

   

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Exercise 2: In what ways can we ‘hear' God?

   

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Exercise 3: Suggest reasons why it is sometimes difficult to ‘hear' God:

 

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B. Don't Take It For Granted

•  Hearing God easily is not automatic.

  

•  Before we knew Christ we were self-centred.

  

•  This meant we had wrong ideas & activities:
•  Satan implanted wrong ideas
•  so people saved from cults or world religions often struggle more than the rest of us to hear clearly.
•  Satan led us into wrong activities
•  so people saved from occult backgrounds often struggle more than the rest of us,
•  (though God sometimes delights in using such people more than the rest of us! 

   

•  Our parents were imperfect & our upbringing was imperfect:
•  Our parents may have occult backgrounds,
•  which might impinge on us.
•  Our upbringing may have been bad leaving us with:
•  bad feelings about authority,
•  bad feelings about God as father.
•  bad feelings about marriage, having children etc.   

    

•  All of these things hinder us from hearing God because:
•  there may be a spiritual block – darkness from enemy,
•  there may be an intellectual block – countering wrong ideas,
•  there may be an emotional block – keeping out the past.

 

C. Ways we can Hear God

•  in Bible reading,
•  while we are praying or worshipping,
•  in our circumstances,
•  through dreams or visions,
•  through other people simply talking/preaching/prophesying,
•  as a ‘sense', in pictures or words in the mind,
•  through our conscience – and lack/gaining of peace.

 

D. When do we particularly need to hear God?

•  When we are looking for guidance (i.e. wisdom)
•  for life decisions & activity in general,
•  when praying for others & ministering to them,
•  when leading others in the corporate situation.

   

E. Aligning Our Minds

“ Don't copy the behaviour and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think . Then you will know what God wants you to do, and you will know how good and pleasing and perfect his will really is .” (Rom 12:2 – Living Version)

 

Group Exercise 4: How do you thing we are to change the way we think?

 

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F. Tuning Our Spirits – ‘specific spiritual exercises'

•  i.e. ways we can become more alert to God's presence & voice

i) Still and quieten your mind

• often starts with stilling your body,
• also means quieting your mind.  

 

ii) Purposefully turn your mind towards God

e.g.1. Read or meditate upon Scripture

•  let God put thoughts into your mind,
•  write them down,
•  check them against rest of Scripture.

    

e.g.2. Pray, praise, worship

•  in word and song, in own language, in tongues,
•  let the HS lift and release your spirit,
•  then be still and let Him speak into you.

iii) Purposefully listen

•  Take note of the thoughts that come:

•  how do they fit together?
•  how do they show the way ahead?
•  what are you ‘seeing'?

•  Note it down, check it, ponder on it.

     

iv) Let God:

•  increase your understanding through it
•  release faith in you through it,
•  release your emotions through it,
•  release further praise, worship etc. through it.

  

          

G. Some General Checks

 

1. Commitment to God is a Key Starting Place

Rom 12: 1 I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship.

i.e. give God your whole life – THEN your mind will start being transformed (v.2)

Mt 6:33 seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

i.e. putting God's will and God's reign first is key. All else follows.

 

2. Learn to Know Yourself

Psa 42:5 Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me?

•  Learn to be aware when something is troubling you
  •  it may be God, it may be the enemy, it may be simple tiredness etc.
•  Learn to find out the cause & respond accordingly.
  •  therefore wait on Him, listen.
•  Don't act/make changes/decisions while you are troubled.

 

3. Sin WILL hinder your hearing, Obedience will open your ears

 

•  Be honest and face wrong attitudes, actions etc.
•  Ensure you are living in line with Scripture.
•  Check out the “Do not”, negative passages e.g. Col 3:5-9
  • that includes the “Do”, positive passages, e.g. Col 3:12-17
•  If you're reading any Scripture and it makes you feel uncomfortable, pause up and check your life over that issue.
•  Hearing comes by the Holy Spirit – Jn 14:16,26, 15:26 , 16:13
•  The HS is given to those who are obedient – Acts 5:32

 

4. Hearing God is THE most exciting thing in the world

 

•  The fact that the All-Wise Creator shares with you is incredible.
•  The Father wants His children to grow up and understand what is on His heart, and share in His activity.
•  To be able to do that we need to learn to hear Him first.