The Critical Key of Spiritual Hearing
     by Michael Barrett

The Ability to Hear Spiritually

John 10:27 “My sheep hear my voice”

Proverbs 20:12 “The hearing ear, and the seeing eye, the Lord has made both of them”

Hebrews 1:1-2 NIV “In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe.”

Matthew 17:5; Mark 9:7; Luke 9:35 Matthew 17:5 “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!”

• On the Mount of Transfiguration
• With Moses and Elijah
• The Father said, “Listen to My Son!!”
  • The law was there (Moses)
    • Some want us to only listen to the Torah
    • It is ok to listen to the Torah but…
    • We must listen to the Son!
  • The prophet(s) were there (Elijah)
    • Some want us to listen to the prophets
    • We need to listen to the true prophets but…
    • We must listen to the Son!
  • The Son was there and IS HERE!!

Matthew 11:25-26 NIV “At that time Jesus said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children.” 

• KJV “hid these things from the wise and prudent and revealed them to babes”
• Babes: nepios: not speaking, simple minded, infant minor

Stand and hear

• The secret of the Lord - Psalm 25:14 “The secret of the Lord is with them that fear Him; and He will show them His covenant”

• John 3:29 “The friend of the bridegroom stands and hears the bridegrooms voice”
• Jerimiah 23:18 “For who hath stood in the counsel of the LORD, and hath perceived and heard his word?”
• CONTRAST: Num 9:8 [Moses said unto them, (understood you) stand still, and I will hear what the Lord will command concerning you] ***old covenant= Moses (go between) hearing for the people vs. new covenant=people hearing for themselves because the veil has been torn and you have the Holy Spirit
• John 15:15 NIV “I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you”

Ability and skill

• Proper / Accurate orientation for babes in Christ critical
• Teaching the young believer what the Scripture says about hearing
• Encouraging every believer to expect to hear
• Grow in the skill of hearing
  • Learn to rely on your spirit and the Holy Spirit
  • Listen for confirmation (especially in major decisions)
  • Submit major decisions to the one who is over you in the Lord
• Our hearing, especially when it comes to major decisions, needs to be tested
• Biblical accountability is found within the relationships God arranges us to be in
  • Spiritual fathers and mothers
  • Seasoned / more mature brothers and sisters
  • The safety afforded by being a part of a spiritual family

Hearing Defined With Examples

Hearing could be defined as “receiving communication from God

How can God communicate with us?  What determines the method God chooses to communicate with us? (discuss)

Give examples of methods God may employ to communicate with us -

• Audible voice of God
• Angels
• Visions
• Quickened Scripture / Written Word
• Impressions
• Discernment
• Dreams
• Others speaking for God
  • Inspired / anointed preaching

• Prophecy

• Counsel
• Other?

Dreams and their relationship to hearing

• Dreams can be hearing (not all are)
  • Dreams can be directly instructional
  • Dreams can be a warning
  • A spiritual dream must be spiritually interpreted
• Be careful about using men's ideas regarding dream interpretation

Prophecy and how it should be received

• Received in the presence of a trusted witness if possible
• Received in the presence of spiritual authority whenever possible
• Judged
• Who knows the things of a man – 1 Corinthians 2:11 NIV “For who knows a person’s thoughts except their own spirit within them? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.”
• Idols of the heart: Ezekiel 14:1-5 ​“Then came certain of the elders of Israel unto me, and sat before me.  And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their heart, and put the stumblingblock of their iniquity before their face: should I be enquired of at all by them? Therefore speak unto them, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; Every man of the house of Israel that setteth up his idols in his heart, and putteth the stumblingblock of his iniquity before his face, and cometh to the prophet; I the Lord will answer him that cometh according to the multitude of his idols; That I may take the house of Israel in their own heart, because they are all estranged from me through their idols.”

Listening and hearing

Must listen in order to hear!But what are we listening to in these days?

Listening to –

• Our history
• Our biases
• Our preferences
• Our emotions
• Our fears
• Reason
  • The Unreasonable God
    • Jesus waits 4 days to go to Lazarus
    • Paul refuses to yield to the pleas of his friends as he is on his way to Rome – where he already knows he will be imprisoned
    • The prophet requires the widow to give up the only food between herself and her son’s starvation
  • God will not always operate within the constraints of human reason
• Logic
• Our doctrinal positions
• Our political positions
• Our mindsets, having been formed by the culture around us – made up of –
  • All that we are listening to day after day
    • News feeds, music, electronics, etc.
    • Social media
    • Friends and family
  • Cultural bias
  • The uncertainties of the world and all of its systems

We must be careful that we do not fall prey to, “Having ears”

• Isaiah 6:9 “And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not.”
• To the person who has already determined what they will hear, it makes no difference what the Lord wants to say to them!!

1 Kings 19:11-13

• Great and powerful wind
• Earthquake
• Fire
• The voice of the Lord was not in any of these
• Then a “gentle whisper” (a still, small voice)

Listening Prayer

• Wait on the Lord
• Be still and know
• Go into your closet
• Cultivating quietness
• Learning to listen
• Get rid of the noise and confusion
• Cut out the distractions
• Listen, listen, listen
• Expect to hear