How to Hear From God Study Guide

Joyce Meyer
INTRODUCTION
Learning to hear from God and being led by the Holy Spirit on a daily
basis is a very exciting way to live! God desires to speak to us about the
plan He has for our lives. His plan is a good one, but we are in danger of
missing it if we don't learn how to listen to and obey God's voice.Jesus told
His disciples that He would send them the Holy Spirit to dwell in them and
be their Counselor and Helper. He said the Holy Spirit would teach them all
things and bring to their remembrance things He had taught them. The Holy
Spirit is the Spirit of Truth--He leads God's children into truth, not error
(see John 14:26).God speaks to us in a number of ways. These ways
include, but are not limited to: His Word, nature, people, circumstances,
peace, wisdom, supernatural intervention, dreams, visions, and what we call
the inner witness. The inner witness is best described as a "knowing" deep
inside. I believe this is also the "still, small voice" that is described in 1
Kings 19:12.God speaks to us through our conscience and our desires. At
times, He speaks in an audible voice, although this is rare for most of us and
nonexistent for many of us.How can we know that it is God speaking to us?
Three things happen:1. We are filled with faith that God is going to do
something wonderful in our life--we may not fully understand what that
"something" is, but we are filled with simultaneous feelings of expectation
and thanksgiving.2. We have a new awareness of God's presence with us.3.
We are led into a new level in our relationship with God.All three of these
outcomes of "hearing from God" are wonderful!What should our prayer be?
I suggest something like this:God, open my ears and sanctify them so that I
am sensitive to Your voice. Don't let me be distracted by fleshly desires that
keep me from hearing You. Help me to listen and to learn to love times of
solitude with You. Don't let me become so busy or live a life so "noisy" that
it drowns out what You desire to say to me. Amen.Hearing from God leads
us to the place where our steps are truly ordered by the Lord (see Psalm
37:23). He gives us guidance, and as we follow His voice, we experience
the pleasure of living a Spirit-led life--the most satisfying and meaningful
life a person can possibly lead! We also live with greater freedom from the
deceiver who seeks to lead us astray. We have more focus and more
joy.There is no substitute for hearing God's voice . . . and then obeying
it.USING THIS STUDY GUIDEThe purpose of this workbook is to
reinforce the principles taught in my book How to Hear from God. You
should have a copy of How to Hear from God as well as a Bible to work
through this book.This study guide is written in a question and answer
format. Here's the way to get the most out of this book:Step One: Look up
the corresponding chapter in How to Hear from God and read it.Step Two:
Look up in your Bible the Scriptures designated in the study guide and read
them. This is an important step because those Scriptures are the basis of the
teaching in that particular chapter.Step Three: Answer the questions in the
study guide by referring to the material in How to Hear from God and in the
Bible. Once you have finished answering the questions in each chapter, turn
to the answer key at the back of the book to check your answers.I encourage
you to:* Work at a comfortable pace. Don't rush to finish quickly. Stay in
each chapter until you have a thorough understanding of the material and
how it pertains to your life.* Follow the three steps above with each chapter
in this study guide. I have tried to set up everything for you, to make it as
easy as possible, but the rest is up to you!* Use this study guide for
individual study or group discussion. You will likely find in a group
discussion that you learn new ways to apply the principles in the book--
ideas will have occurred to others that have not occurred to you. Be open to
learning from others and gaining wisdom from them.* Consistently and
steadily work through this book until you have completed the study guide.
Concepts tend to build upon concepts, and you will gain much more from a
consistent and thorough study, as opposed to picking up and putting down
the material over a long period of time, or interspersing it with other
information.READ YOUR BIBLE EVERY DAYThe Bible used to prepare
this workbook is The Amplified Bible. You will find as you read the
answers to the questions that these answers are often based on quotations
from this version of the Bible.I strongly encourage you to commit time each
day to just reading the Word. You may enjoy a certain reading plan. One of
the reasons I enjoy The Amplified Bible is that it explains the meaning of
important words. It is also good to read various versions of the Bible for
new insight. There are wonderful reference books available to provide
background history of the Word and the cultural implications from the time
period in which the Scriptures were written. The important thing is just to
read. God can bring to life the answers that are hidden in the pages of His
written Word for any trial you may face.YOUR PERSONAL PRAYERSAt
the end of each chapter, you will find an opportunity to write out a prayer. I
believe strongly in "spontaneous" prayer--any time, any place, for any
purpose! There is also an advantage, however, to personally writing out a
prayer to the Lord. Writing a prayer helps you focus on what it is you really
desire God to do for you. It helps you clarify your own thoughts, feelings,
and needs.OPEN EARS, EVERY DAYAs you go about your daily routine
in life, I encourage you to focus your mind consciously on various concepts
you are encountering in the How to Hear from God book and this study
guide. Meditate on those concepts. Ask God to show you how to apply
those concepts to the particular circumstances, relationships, events, and
activities of your personal life.Opening your ears to hear from God is a
process that may take time. So often we allow negative thinking, false
conclusions, lies, and worldly perceptions to overshadow our ability to hear
clearly from God. The process of hearing is a process of renewal. The more
you walk in that process, the greater your ability to hear from God.1. Read
John 14:26, John 15:26, and John 16:7-11.a. Whom does the Holy Spirit
represent and of Whom does the Holy Spirit testify?
_____________________________________________________________
______
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____________b. What did Jesus say the Holy Spirit would teach His
disciples?
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______
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____________c. What did Jesus say the Holy Spirit would help His
disciples recall?
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______
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____________d. What did Jesus say the Holy Spirit would do to the world?
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______
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____________2. Read 1 Kings 19:12.What are the words used in this verse
to describe God's voice?
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______
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____________3. Read Psalm 37:23-24 and Isaiah 26:7. What is God's
promise to us who hear and heed the voice of the Lord?
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______
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____________PART ONELearning to ListenBe careful therefore how you
listen. For to him who has [spiritual knowledge] will more be given; and
from him who does not have [spiritual knowledge], even what he thinks and
guesses and supposes that he has will be taken away.--JESUS IN LUKE
8:181God Talks to People Every DayRead Chapter 1 in How to Hear from
God. Then read in your Bible the Scriptures designated below and answer
the questions that follow. When you finish, check your answers in the
answer key provided at the end of this book.TO WHOM DOES GOD
SPEAK . . . AND HOW?God has spoken to all people in their inner
consciousness, through creation of the natural world and through creating
within man an inner void that only God can fill.1. Read Romans 1:19-21.a.
To what part of a person does God make Himself evident?
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____________b. What does God reveal about Himself to all mankind
through His creation?
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____________c. What happens when people do not honor and glorify God,
even when they know and recognize Him as God?
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____________2. Read Romans 14:12.What is required of each of us?
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____________3. Read Isaiah 26:8-9.a. What is our heartfelt desire?
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____________b. Whom does our soul yearn for?
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____________c. What does our spirit seek?
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____________
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____________WHAT DOES GOD SAY TO ALL MEN AND WOMEN?
God speaks to men and women for very specific purposes--He speaks to
them so they may know what is lasting and what isn't, so they may carry out
His will, so they may live forever, and so He may direct their daily
footsteps.4. Read 1 John 2:17.a. What passes away and disappears?
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____________b. What remains forever?
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____________5. Read Proverbs 3-6.What does God promise to the person
who seeks to know, recognize, and acknowledge Him?
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____________6. Read Jeremiah 29:11-14.a. When does God hear us?
_____________________________________________________________
____________b. When does God reveal Himself to us?
_____________________________________________________________
____________c. What does God reveal to us when we seek Him and pray
to Him?
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____________d. What does the Lord do for us when we find Him?
_____________________________________________________________
____________WHAT DOES THE HOLY SPIRIT SPEAK TO US?God
speaks to those who seek to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit in all they
do. The Bible says all people can hear from the Holy Spirit if they will only
seek God and receive Jesus as their Savior and receive the Holy Spirit
Whom the heavenly Father sends.7. Read Luke 11:13.To whom does God
the Father give the Holy Spirit?
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____________8. Read John 1:32-33 and John 14:15-20.a. Who is the One
Who baptizes with the Holy Spirit?
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____________b. Where does the Holy Spirit reside?
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____________c. What does it mean to be baptized in the Holy Spirit?
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____________d. Why can't the "world" (unbelievers) receive the Holy
Spirit?
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____________9. Read John 16:12-13 and John 14:26.a. Into what does the
Holy Spirit guide us?
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____________b. What does the Holy Spirit announce and declare to us?
_____________________________________________________________
____________c. What does the Holy Spirit cause us to recall?
_____________________________________________________________
____________ 10. Read John 6:45.As those who listen to and learn from
the Father, Who is our personal Teacher?
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____________WHAT DOES THE HOLY SPIRIT KNOW TO TELL US?
The Holy Spirit knows all about us--all about the way we should conduct
our lives--and about God's plans and purposes. The Bible gives us examples
of men and women who have heard from the Lord, including great details
about God's plans and purposes, as well as the consequences of their
obeying the Lord's instructions. 11. Read Matthew 10:30, Psalm 139:16,
Acts 17:26-27.What does the Holy Spirit know about us?
_____________________________________________________________
____________ 12. Read Matthew 7:13-14, Deuteronomy 30:19, and
Jeremiah 21:8.a. How does the Bible describe the "gate" through which the
Holy Spirit leads us?
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____________b. How does the Bible describe the "way" the Holy Spirit
leads us to follow in life?
_____________________________________________________________
____________c. What critical choice does the Holy Spirit help us to make?
_____________________________________________________________
____________ 13. Read Genesis 6:13-17.a. In this passage, what did God
tell Noah that He was going to do?
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____________b. What did God tell Noah to do?
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____________ 14. Read Exodus 7:1-5.a. In this passage, what did God tell
Moses about Pharaoh?
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____________b. What did God tell Moses about Aaron?
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____________c. What did God tell Moses that he was to do?
_____________________________________________________________
____________d. What did God tell Moses about the way Pharaoh would
respond to Moses' message?
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____________e. What did God tell Moses would be the end result?
_____________________________________________________________
____________ 15. Read 1 Corinthians 2:10-13.a. What does the Holy Spirit
unveil and reveal to us about God?
_____________________________________________________________
____________b. Why does the Holy Spirit reveal to us the thoughts of
God?
_____________________________________________________________
____________WHAT ARE GOD'S PROMISES TO LEAD AND GUIDE
US?The Lord promises to be our Shepherd--to lead and guide us in the
paths He desires for us to walk. He tells us that we will have the ability to
hear His voice. God speaks to us--our role is to listen intently for what He
has to say to us and then to obey Him fully. 16. Read Ezekiel 34:11-16.In
this passage, what does the Lord promise to do for His sheep?
_____________________________________________________________
____________ 17. Read 1 John 2:27.a. What does this verse say about the
permanent source of guidance that we have in the Holy Spirit?
_____________________________________________________________
____________b. What does this verse say the anointing of the Holy Spirit
teaches us?
_____________________________________________________________
____________
_____________________________________________________________
____________c. What does this verse challenge us to continue to do?
_____________________________________________________________
____________ 18. Read John 10:4-5.As His "sheep," what did Jesus say
about our ability to hear and follow Him?
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____________ 19. Read Psalm 46:10.What is the best way for us to hear
from the Lord?
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____________ 20. Read John 2:5.What should our response be when the
Lord speaks to us?
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____________PRAYER TIMEAs you have read Chapter 1 and have
completed this chapter of the workbook, has the Lord spoken to your heart
and mind about His desire to speak to you personally on a regular, daily
basis?I invite you to use the space below to write out a prayer to the Lord,
asking Him to speak to you about the matters in your life that are of greatest
concern to you. Ask Him to speak to you about His plan for your life. Ask
Him to give you an open heart to hear what He says. And . . . express your
desire to obey whatever it is He tells you to
do.__________________________________________________________
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________________2Create an Atmosphere to Hear from GodRead Chapter
2 in How to Hear from God. Then read in your Bible the Scriptures
designated below and answer the questions that follow. When you finish,
check your answers in the answer key provided at the end of this
book.WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO CREATE AN ATMOSPHERE TO
HEAR FROM GOD?To enjoy the fullness of God's presence, we must
consistently maintain an atmosphere conducive to seeking Him, honoring
Him, and being faithful and obedient to Him. If we want to hear from God,
we must yield our attitudes to the lordship of Jesus Christ and learn to be
led of the Spirit in all our ways.1. Read Romans 12:18.How are we to live
in relationship with other people?
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____________2. Read Hebrews 5:11.What does this verse tell us as to why
we don't seem to hear from God?
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____________HOW CAN WE TELL WHETHER ITIS THE LORD WHO
IS SPEAKING?We must know God's character in order to know what is
from Him and what isn't. 3. Read Matthew 11:28-30 and Jeremiah 6:16.a.
What does God desire that we do?
_____________________________________________________________
____________b. What does God promise to do for those who enter into
relationship with Him?
_____________________________________________________________
____________c. What do these passages tell us about God's character?
_____________________________________________________________
____________d. How does God describe the obligations He places on us?
_____________________________________________________________
____________4. Read 2 Timothy 2:13.What does this verse say about
God's character?
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____________5. Read Matthew 13:9-16.a. In this passage, what does the
Lord call us to do?
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____________b. What keeps us from hearing what the Lord is saying and
perceiving what He is doing?
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____________c. In essence, why do we fail to know the Lord's desires for
us?
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____________WHAT ATTITUDES INVITE THE PRESENCE OF GOD?
God speaks to those who have an attitude of honoring Him above all others-
-those who continue to have faith that God has spoken to them, those who
wait patiently to hear from God and who have an attitude of obedience.6.
Read Jeremiah 17:5-8.a. According to this passage, whom does God bless?
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____________b. Who is the person who is cursed?
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____________c. What does the Lord promise to the person who puts full
trust and confidence in Him rather than in "frail man"?
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____________7. Read Galatians 1:15-17 and Galatians 1:21-24.a. What did
Paul see as God's message to him?
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____________b. How certain was Paul that God had spoken to him?
_____________________________________________________________
____________c. What was the result of Paul's allowing God's Word to
grow in his heart and be manifested in his preaching?
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____________8. Read Romans 9:1.What was Paul's "witness" that he was
hearing from God?
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____________9. Read Judges 6:36-40 and John 20:29.Gideon required a
visible sign from God, and God honored Gideon's request, but it wasn't
God's best. How did Jesus respond to those who asked Him for a visible
sign?
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____________ 10. Read Proverbs 8:34-36.a. In this passage, who is the
blessed person?
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____________b. What happens to the person who finds the Lord's wisdom?
_____________________________________________________________
____________c. What is the fate of the person who doesn't wait to hear
from God or who sins?
_____________________________________________________________
____________ 11. Read Psalm 40:6.a. What "capacity" has God given to
each of us?
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____________b. How does God regard obedience?
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____________PRAYER TIMEAs you have read Chapter 2 and have
completed this chapter of the workbook, has the Lord spoken to your heart
and mind about your need to make changes in the "atmosphere" of your
life?I invite you to use the space below to write out a prayer to the Lord,
asking Him to help you create an atmosphere in which you can hear from
Him. Confess to the Lord any attitudes you may have harbored that are not
in keeping with His plans and purposes. Receive His forgiveness and ask
Him to help you make the changes you need to make. Ask Him to help you
keep a listening attitude--an attitude that honors God, is filled with faith and
patience, and is
obedient._____________________________________________________
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___________________________________3God Speaks through
Supernatural RevelationRead Chapter 3 in How to Hear from God. Then
read in your Bible the Scriptures designated below and answer the questions
that follow. When you finish, check your answers in the answer key
provided at the end of this book.GOD'SLOGOSANDRHEMA WORDS TO
USOf all the other ways that God may speak to us, He will never contradict
the written Word, which was originally referred to by the Greek word logos.
God specifically brings to our remembrance His logos for every situation.
His rhema may not be word for word in the Bible, but the principle will
always be supported in the written Word. The Bible confirms whether or not
what we are sensing is of God.1. Read Luke 4:1-13.a. When the devil
tempted Jesus to turn a stone into a loaf of bread, how did Jesus respond?
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____________b. When the devil tempted Jesus to worship him, how did
Jesus respond?
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____________c. When the devil tempted Jesus to cast Himself down from
the temple, how did Jesus respond?
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____________d. What was the phrase common to each of Jesus' responses?
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____________2. Read 2 Corinthians 10:5.a. What is it that we are to refute?
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____________b. What are we to do with every "thought and purpose"?
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____________GOD SPEAKS THROUGH WISDOM AND COMMON
SENSEOne way to hear from God is through conventional wisdom and
common sense. Wisdom discerns truth in a situation, while common sense
provides good judgment in what to do about the truth. Wisdom is
supernatural because it isn't taught by men, but is a gift from God. The book
of Proverbs is a great source of wisdom--I recommend you read at least a
few verses from this book every day.3. Read James 1:5.a. What are we to do
if we are deficient in wisdom?
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____________b. What are the characteristics of the way God gives us His
wisdom?
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____________4. Read Proverbs 2:1-5.a. How are we to treat God's
commandments?
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____________b. To what are we to make our ears attentive?
_____________________________________________________________
____________c. To what are we to direct our heart and mind?
_____________________________________________________________
____________d. What is promised to those who "seek [Wisdom] as for
silver" and "search for skillful and godly Wisdom as for hidden treasures"?
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____________5. Read Proverbs 2:9-10.In this passage of Scripture, what is
promised to those who are righteous, those who are upright and in right
standing with God?
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____________GOD SPEAKS THROUGH DREAMS AND VISIONSIn
the Bible there are many accounts of God speaking to people through
dreams and visions, but these are among the least common ways God
speaks to us. Not every dream is a spiritual dream. Not everything we "see"
is of God. We must test our dreams and visions against the principles of
God's Word. We must not believe we are spiritually inadequate in some way
if God does not speak to us through dreams or visions.6. Read 1 John 4:1-
3.a. What are we to do when we have a spiritual experience or are told by
someone that he or she is speaking a spiritual truth?
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____________b. How do we perceive and recognize the Spirit of God at
work?
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____________c. How do we perceive that something is not of God?
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____________7. Read John 3:27.What is to be our attitude toward the gifts
God gives us?
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____________GOD SPEAKS THROUGH PROPHECYSometimes the
Lord speaks prophetically through other people to reveal His will for our
lives. Prophecy is the interpreting of the divine will and purpose through
inspired preaching and teaching. Prophecy must be in line with the Word of
God, and a personal word of prophecy should confirm something that is
already in our heart.8. Read 1 Corinthians 14:1-4.a. What does a prophet
do?
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____________b. What is the purpose of prophecy to the individual person
who hears it?
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____________c. What is the purpose of prophecy to the church?
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____________9. Read 1 Timothy 4:13-16.What should we do while waiting
for a prophecy from the Lord to come to pass?
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____________PRAYER TIMEAs you have read Chapter 3 and have
completed this chapter of the workbook, has the Lord spoken to your heart
and mind about the ways He desires to speak to you through supernatural
revelation?I invite you to use the space below to write out a prayer to the
Lord, asking Him to help you be faithful in your daily reading of His Word.
Ask Him to speak to you as you read your Bible. Ask Him to make you
very sensitive to what He may desire to say to you through conventional
wisdom and common sense, through dreams and visions, and through
prophecies.
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_4God Speaks through Natural ThingsRead Chapter 4 in How to Hear from
God. Then read in your Bible the Scriptures designated below and answer
the questions that follow. When you finish, check your answers in the
answer key provided at the end of this book.THE FIRST STEP IS
BELIEVING GOD ISIn the first chapter, we noted that God speaks to all
people through His creation, His handiwork. The main message of creation
to all people is, God is. God has given to every person a measure of faith to
believe in Him. God rewards all those who seek Him out with the answer to
their search--with His very own presence!1. Read Hebrews 11:6.a. What is
the necessity for those who "would come near to God"?
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____________b. How does God reward those who seek Him out?
_____________________________________________________________
____________2. Read Romans 12:3.What has God apportioned (or given)
to each of us?
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____________GOD SPEAKS TO US THROUGH NATUREThe very first
words of the Bible are our first lesson of faith, "In the beginning God . . ."
Many people acknowledge God exists, but they have not learned to relate to
Him on a day-to-day level when they face struggles or difficulties. By
grace, God tries to reach us every day, and He places reminders of Himself
everywhere. He leaves clues of Himself all around us!3. Read Matthew
6:28-30 and Luke 12:24.a. What lesson does Jesus call us to learn about
God from observing the lilies of the field?
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____________b. What lesson does He call us to learn about God from
observing the ravens?
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____________4. Read Proverbs 8:29, Job 38:10, and Jeremiah 5:22.a. What
do these verses say about God's creation of the sea?
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____________b. What lesson can we learn from these passages?
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____________5. Read Job 38-41 and Job 42:2.What does Job tell us about
God's control of all nature--even the things we do not understand?
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____________GOD SPEAKS THROUGH OUR NATURAL
ABILITIESGod answers many of our questions about our purpose and
calling through our natural gifts and abilities, as well as our spiritual gifts
and abilities. He leads us to our purpose through the natural skills and
unique talents He bestows upon us. Our God-given gifts are skills we easily
perform without formal training--and which give us pleasure as we use
those skills for the good of everyone around us. We know we are operating
in our gifts and calling when what we do ministers life to others. 6. Read
Genesis 4:20-22 and 2 Chronicles 2:7-8, 14.These passages identify a
variety of natural skills and abilities. What are they?
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____________7. Read 1 Corinthians 12:28.What spiritual abilities are
identified in this verse?
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____________8. Read Romans 12:4-8.a. Why did God give different gifts
(faculties, talents, qualities) to the church?
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____________b. What are the ministry gifts identified in this passage?
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____________c. In what ways are we to employ them as we use the gifts
below?
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____________ * Prophecy * Giving (contributing) * Giving aid and
superintending * Doing acts of mercy 9. Read John 10:10.What is one of
the major reasons we are given talents and abilities?
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____________GOD SPEAKS TO US THROUGH PEOPLEGod desires
that we seek His advice and guidance first and foremost. The best policy is
to seek God and let Him choose how and through whom He wants to speak
to us. God, at times, will use a person to give us wise counsel in how to do
something. He also will use people to give us a word of advice that
confirms what we already feel in our own spirit. It is very important that
those who speak words of advice into our lives are godly people who can
speak "a word in due season" to us. If God chooses to speak to us through
others, we should humbly receive from anyone He chooses to use. 10. Read
Proverbs 15:22-23.What does this passage say about a word of advice that
is spoken at the right moment?
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____________ 11. Read Psalm 1:1-2.What kind of counsel must we avoid?
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____________GOD SPEAKS TO US OUT OF OUR OWN
MOUTHSMany times God speaks to us out of our own mouths. As we
speak aloud possible solutions to a problem and their potential outcome,
one particular "answer" may settle in our heart. 12. Read Proverbs
16:1.Who prompts us to speak out "wise answers"?
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____________ 13. Read Psalm 81:10.What does God promise to do if we
will seek Him and open our mouth wide toward Him?
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____________ 14. Read Luke 21:15.What did Jesus promise to us when we
are given an opportunity to bear testimony against our adversaries?
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____________GOD SPEAKS TO US THROUGH CORRECTIONAt times
God speaks a word of correction to us. God's correction or chastisement is
not a bad thing; it is always and ultimately only for our good. That does not
mean it feels good or that we enjoy it immediately! God corrects us to bring
us to righteousness and to a position of greater reliance upon Him for
direction and wisdom. He ultimately chastens us so we are brought into a
position to receive His greatest blessings. 15. Read Hebrews 12:11.a. What
type of fruit does God's discipline yield?
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____________b. Who receives this harvest and what effect does it have on
them?
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____________c. What is the result of this harvest?
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____________ 16. Read Numbers 22:20-28.If we won't, or for some reason
cannot, hear God's word of correction directly from Him, He uses other
people and natural sources to speak to us. What was the source God used to
speak to His prophet Balaam in Numbers 22:28?
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____________ 17. Read Deuteronomy 1:43-46; 2:3.After a period of
silence in which the Lord would not heed the voice of the Israelites (an act
of chastening), the Israelites journeyed around Mount Seir for many days.
After that, what specific words of instruction did the Lord speak to Moses?
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____________ 18. Read 2 Chronicles 16:9.a. How does God desire for our
hearts to be?
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____________b. What does God say He will do to those whose hearts are
blameless toward Him?
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____________PRAYER TIMEAs you have read Chapter 4 and have
completed this chapter of the workbook, has the Lord spoken to your heart
and mind about His desire to speak to you through natural things?I invite
you to use the space below to write out a prayer to the Lord, asking Him to
help you identify the natural abilities He has given you and to identify the
ways in which He desires for you to use them. Ask Him to help you listen
to your own words so that you may monitor what you say, learn more about
your own heart, and make changes that He may desire for you to make. Ask
Him to help you become more willing to hear His words of correction.
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
___________________________________5God Speaks through Internal
PeaceRead Chapter 5 in How to Hear from God. Then read in your Bible
the Scriptures designated below and answer the questions that follow. When
you finish, check your answers in the answer key provided at the end of this
book.WE MUST LAY OUR DECISIONS ON THE SCALE OF
PEACEWhen God speaks, He gives us a deep sense of internal peace to
confirm that the message is truly from Him. Even if He speaks to chastise
us, His truth leaves a calming sense of comfort in our soul. The thoughts of
our own reasoning do not bring peace--and certainly the deceiver's words to
us do not give peace. Deep inner peace is the way we are assured that we
have received God's wisdom and are acting in God's timing. Peace is an
"internal confirmation" that our actions are approved by God.1. Read John
14:27.a. What does Jesus promise to give and "bequeath" to us?
_____________________________________________________________
____________b. What are we to keep our hearts from being?
_____________________________________________________________
____________2. Read Romans 8:6.What does the mind of the Holy Spirit
produce?
_____________________________________________________________
____________3. Read Colossians 3:15.What is Christ's peace to do in our
hearts?
_____________________________________________________________
____________4. Read Ecclesiastes 5:1-5.What does this passage say to us
about speaking in haste, before we have God's peace on a matter?
_____________________________________________________________
____________GOD SPEAKS THROUGH PERSISTENT
PROMPTINGSWe can know if we are doing right because our conscience
will sense the evidence of truth. Our conscience becomes more sensitive the
more we grow in the Lord and the more responsibility He gives to us. The
Word teaches us to be true to our convictions; if we do something we feel
uneasy about, we stand condemned because we are not acting from faith.
We must be faithful in responding to God's promptings in our conscience in
little matters; otherwise, the Lord will not entrust us with greater ministry
opportunities.5. Read Romans 14:22-23.a. How are we to "exercise" our
personal convictions?
_____________________________________________________________
____________b. What does this passage say about a person who has doubts
(misgivings, an uneasy conscience) about something and goes ahead and
does it anyway?
_____________________________________________________________
____________6. Read Matthew 25:14-23.In this parable of Jesus, what did
the master say to the servants who had been given five talents and two
talents?
_____________________________________________________________
____________GOD SPEAKS THROUGH OUR HEART'S DESIRESGod
speaks to us through the sanctified desires of our heart--those that are in
keeping with what God desires for us. We need to ask God to give us
sanctified, or holy, desires. Among those are the desires for God's love and
for spiritual gifts. Ultimately God desires that our desires merge with His.7.
Read Psalm 37:4.What does God give to those who delight themselves in
the Lord?
_____________________________________________________________
____________8. Read 1 Corinthians 14:1.a. In this verse, what are we to
eagerly pursue and seek to acquire?
_____________________________________________________________
____________b. What are we to earnestly desire and cultivate?
_____________________________________________________________
____________9. Read Galatians 5:17.What is the relationship between the
desires of the flesh (godless human nature) and the desires of the Holy
Spirit?
_____________________________________________________________
____________ 10. Read Romans 14:17.This verse tells us that the kingdom
of God is not a matter of getting what we want. What does it say the
kingdom of God is all about?
_____________________________________________________________
____________ 11. Read John 10:30 and John 8:28.a. What did Jesus say
about His relationship with God the Father?
_____________________________________________________________
____________b. What did Jesus say about His authority to act and speak?
_____________________________________________________________
____________ 12. Read John 15:7.a. In this verse, what does Jesus call us
to do?
_____________________________________________________________
____________b. What does Jesus say will be the result if we abide in Him
and let His words remain in us and continue to live in our heart?
_____________________________________________________________
____________ 13. Read Ephesians 4:15.a. What are our lives to lovingly
express?
_____________________________________________________________
____________b. To what kind of growth does the Lord call us?
_____________________________________________________________
____________ 14. Read Mark 11:24.If our desires are godly, what can we
expect when we express those desires to the Lord?
_____________________________________________________________
____________ 15. Read Philippians 2:13.What is it that God is working to
produce and manifest in us?
_____________________________________________________________
____________GOD SPEAKS THROUGH A VOICE WE KNOW AND
TRUSTGod speaks to us in a voice we will recognize. Sometimes it may
sound like our own voice; sometimes it may sound like the voice of
someone we know. But the point is, the voice will always bring peace when
God speaks to us. 16. Read 1 Samuel 3:1-10.What should our response be
when we hear the Lord calling our name?
_____________________________________________________________
____________ 17. Read John 10:1-5 and John 10:15-16.a. Who are God's
"sheep"?
_____________________________________________________________
____________b. Whose voice do the "sheep" follow?
_____________________________________________________________
____________c. What does Jesus say about our ability to recognize Him
and know His voice?
_____________________________________________________________
____________PRAYER TIMEAs you have read Chapter 5 and have
completed this chapter of the workbook, has the Lord spoken to your heart
and mind about the great importance of experiencing His peace? I invite
you to use the space below to write out a prayer to the Lord, asking Him to
help you hear and obey His insistent promptings. Ask Him to reveal to you
your heart's desires and to show you any aspects of those desires that are
not in keeping with His plan or purpose for your life. Ask Him to give you
His peace.
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________6God
Speaks through ConvictionRead Chapter 6 in How to Hear from God. Then
read in your Bible the Scriptures designated below and answer the questions
that follow. When you finish, check your answers in the answer key
provided at the end of this book.THE HOLY SPIRIT CONVICTS USThe
Holy Spirit speaks to our conscience to convict us of sin and convince us of
righteousness. Conviction from the Lord never condemns us or fills us with
shame, disgrace, or humiliating regret. Rather, His conviction is intended to
convince us to repent, which means to turn and go in the right direction
rather than the wrong one in which we are currently going. When we feel
conviction of sin, we feel guilty--but to keep feeling guilty after we have
repented of sin is not healthy, nor is it God's will.1. Read John 16:7-11.a.
How does the Holy Spirit come to us?
_____________________________________________________________
____________b. Why does the Holy Spirit bring conviction about sin?
_____________________________________________________________
____________c. Why do we need the Holy Spirit to convince us of our
need for and our receiving of Christ's righteousness?
_____________________________________________________________
____________d. What assurance do we need from the Holy Spirit
regarding judgment?
_____________________________________________________________
____________2. Read Jude 1:15.a. Whom does the Holy Spirit convict?
_____________________________________________________________
____________b. About what does the Holy Spirit convict these people?
_____________________________________________________________
____________3. Read John 3:17-18.a. What did Jesus say He was not sent
to do?
_____________________________________________________________
____________b. What did Jesus say He was sent to do?
_____________________________________________________________
____________c. What is the state of the person who believes in (clings to,
trusts in, and relies on) Jesus?
_____________________________________________________________
____________d. What is the state of the person who does not believe in
(cling to, trust in, and rely on) Him?
_____________________________________________________________
____________4. Read John 8:9-11.a. What did Jesus say about
condemnation to the woman caught in adultery?
_____________________________________________________________
____________b. What did He tell her to do from that moment on?
_____________________________________________________________
____________5. Read Psalm 51:10 and Ezekiel 11:19-20.a. What type of
heart are we to desire that God create in us?
_____________________________________________________________
____________b. What type of spirit are we to desire that God renew in us?
_____________________________________________________________
____________c. What is God's promise to us about our heart?
_____________________________________________________________
____________d. What is God's promise to us about our spirit?
_____________________________________________________________
____________e. Why does God give us a new heart and a new spirit?
_____________________________________________________________
____________f. What is the end result of our having a new heart and a new
spirit?
_____________________________________________________________
____________CONVICTION CONVINCES US TO ASK FOR GOD'S
HELPWhen God reveals to us an issue we need to deal with, we can trust
His anointing is also present to break the yoke of bondage over us. When
God convicts, He also anoints.6. Read 1 John 4:4.What does this verse say
about the power of the Holy Spirit Who lives in us?
_____________________________________________________________
____________7. Read Galatians 5:1.a. According to this verse, what has
Christ done for us?
_____________________________________________________________
____________b. How are we to respond to the freedom Christ bestows on
us?
_____________________________________________________________
____________8. Read Matthew 6:12-13.a. What are we to pray with regard
to our debts?
_____________________________________________________________
____________b. What are we to pray with regard to the evil one?
_____________________________________________________________
____________THE HOLY SPIRIT WILL NEVER CONDEMN USThe
Holy Spirit does not condemn us. Rather, He enables us to walk in true
righteousness, and uprightness of heart. We live in a world filled with
darkness, but we are empowered by the Holy Spirit to become agents of
light. The apostle Paul writes in Romans 8:33-34 that if God the Father and
Christ Jesus do not condemn us, no person or evil spirit has the power to
condemn us.9. Read Isaiah 9:2, Isaiah 42:6, John 8:12, and Ephesians 5:8-
9.a. According to Isaiah 9:2, who has seen a great Light?
_____________________________________________________________
____________b. According to Isaiah 9:2, on whom has the Light shined?
_____________________________________________________________
____________c. According to Isaiah 42:6, what role was the Messiah to
have with regard to the Gentiles?
_____________________________________________________________
____________d. According to John 8:12, what did Jesus say about those
who would follow Him?
_____________________________________________________________
____________e. According to Ephesians 5:8, how are we to walk?
_____________________________________________________________
____________f. According to Ephesians 5:9, what is the fruit (the effect,
the product) of the Light or the Spirit?
_____________________________________________________________
____________ 10. Read Romans 8:32-34.a. Who justifies us?
_____________________________________________________________
____________b. Who is at the right hand of God pleading in intercession
for us?
_____________________________________________________________
____________ 11. Read Isaiah 53:3-5 and Isaiah 53:11.a. In these passages
about Christ Jesus, the Messiah, what did Christ Jesus bear and carry on the
cross?
_____________________________________________________________
____________b. For what was Christ Jesus wounded and bruised?
_____________________________________________________________
____________c. What did His chastisement make available for us?
_____________________________________________________________
____________d. What did His stripes accomplish on our behalf?
_____________________________________________________________
____________e. According to Isaiah 53:11, what did the travail of Christ
Jesus on the cross accomplish for many?
_____________________________________________________________
____________f. In Isaiah 53:11, what did Christ Jesus, God's Servant, bear
on the cross?
_____________________________________________________________
____________ 12. Read 1 John 1:9.What does God promise us if we will
freely admit we have sinned and confess our sins?
_____________________________________________________________
____________PRAYER TIMEAs you have read Chapter 6 and have
completed this chapter of the workbook, has the Lord convicted you in any
way?I invite you to use the space below to write out a prayer to the Lord,
asking Him to forgive your sins and to free you from all guilt and shame.
Ask Him to free you from any addictions and ungodly behavior. Come
boldly before the Lord and ask Him to help you abide always in His
presence.
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
____________7Develop a "Reining Ear"Read Chapter 7 in How to Hear
from God. Then read in your Bible the Scriptures designated below and
answer the questions that follow. When you finish, check your answers in
the answer key provided at the end of this book.WHY SOME PEOPLE
DON'T DEVELOP A "REINING EAR"While most horses are guided and
led by a strap fastened to the bit in their mouth, some horses keep one ear
turned to their master's voice. One ear is open for natural warnings; the
other is sensitive to the trusted trainer. The ear that is attuned to the trainer
is called a "reining ear." God calls us to develop a reining ear toward Him.1.
Read John 4:24.How did Jesus describe God and the way He must be
worshiped?
_____________________________________________________________
____________2. Read John 3:5-8.What is necessary for a person to be able
to become sensitive to the voice of God and understand what the Spirit is
saying?
_____________________________________________________________
____________3. Read John 5:37-40.a. In this passage, what did Jesus say
about His Father to those who opposed Him?
_____________________________________________________________
____________b. What keeps people from having God's Word (His thought)
living in their heart?
_____________________________________________________________
____________4. Read 1 Timothy 4:1-2.a. What does this passage predict
will happen in latter times?
_____________________________________________________________
____________b. Why do people fall victim to the hypocrisy and
pretensions of liars?
_____________________________________________________________
____________5. Read 2 Corinthians 13:14.What does the Lord desire to
impart to those who have "reining ears"?
_____________________________________________________________
____________GOD WANTS US TO TRUST HIMThose who have their
ears attuned to what God says have a genuine trust in God. They are willing
to deny their own will and turn from their own sins--suffering at times in
doing so--to follow the Lord fully. Like the horse with the reining ear
always tuned toward his master, we must be willing to follow the Lord in all
His leadings, not just the leadings we feel good about or happen to agree
with.6. Read Romans 8:14-17 and Romans 8:18.a. What is the position of
those who are led by the Spirit?
_____________________________________________________________
____________b. As God's children, what is our position in regard to our
heavenly Father and His Son Jesus Christ?
_____________________________________________________________
____________c. What do we need to share if we are to share Christ's glory?
_____________________________________________________________
____________d. What is unworthy of comparison to our sufferings in this
present life?
_____________________________________________________________
____________7. Read Romans 13:14 and Galatians 5:17.a. With what are
we to clothe ourselves?
_____________________________________________________________
____________b. For what are we to make no provision?
_____________________________________________________________
____________c. To what are the desires of the flesh opposed?
_____________________________________________________________
____________d. To what are the desires of the Holy Spirit opposed?
_____________________________________________________________
____________e. What does the Holy Spirit seek to prevent us from doing?
_____________________________________________________________
____________GOD WANTSTO GOVERN OUR LIVESGod wants to be
in charge of the government of our lives. When we develop a reining ear
and are following the leading of the Spirit in obedience, we are pleasing to
the Lord and are in a position to receive all that He desires to pour into our
lives.8. Read 2 Corinthians 3:5-8.a. What does God impart to us to make us
"fit" to minister to others?
_____________________________________________________________
____________b. The code of the Law kills, but what does the Holy Spirit
do?
_____________________________________________________________
____________c. What will the dispensation of the Holy Spirit cause us to
do?
_____________________________________________________________
____________PRAYER TIMEAs you have read Chapter 7 and have
completed this chapter of the workbook, has the Lord spoken to you about
your need to develop a "reining ear"?I invite you to use the space below to
write out a prayer to the Lord, asking Him to give you a more tender and
sensitive conscience, and to make your intuition completely operative.
Voice your desire to trust the Lord to even greater degrees and ask Him to
help you release anything in your life that is keeping you from complete
trust._________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
______________________________PART TWOLearning to ObeyMy
mother and My brothers are those who listen to the Word of God and do it!-
-JESUS IN LUKE 8:218Obedience Keeps Our Conscience TenderRead
Chapter 8 in How to Hear from God. Then read in your Bible the Scriptures
designated below and answer the questions that follow. When you finish,
check your answers in the answer key provided at the end of this
book.KEEPING OUR CONSCIENCE TENDERGod may speak to us in a
dozen different ways, but if we harden our conscience or heart, and refuse
to obey Him when He speaks to us, we will miss out on blessings He wants
to give us. When our conscience is tender, we clearly know when God
prompts us not to do something. We must be very careful to do those things
that keep our conscience tender.1. Read Proverbs 3:6-7.What is necessary
for us to do in order for God to direct our paths?
_____________________________________________________________
____________2. Read Proverbs 8:13.a. What does the reverent fear and
worshipful awe of the Lord include?
_____________________________________________________________
____________b. According to this verse, what does the Lord hate?
_____________________________________________________________
____________3. Read 1 Timothy 4:1.If we are to maintain a tender
conscience, to what must we refuse to give any attention?
_____________________________________________________________
____________4. Read Matthew 6:22-23.a. If your eye is sound, what will
be the result?
_____________________________________________________________
____________b. If your eye is unsound, what will be the result?
_____________________________________________________________
____________5. Read 2 Corinthians 6:14.a. With whom must we refuse to
be yoked in partnerships?
_____________________________________________________________
____________b. In what way is it impossible for right living and right
standing with God to have fellowship?
_____________________________________________________________
____________c. In what way is it impossible for light to have fellowship?
_____________________________________________________________
____________6. Read Hebrews 12:2.a. What must we look away from if
we are to be in the right position for God to both start in us and finish in us
what He desires to accomplish?
_____________________________________________________________
____________b. How is Jesus described in this verse?
_____________________________________________________________
____________c. What does He do to our faith?
_____________________________________________________________
____________GOD WILL TALK TO US ABOUT OUR
RELATIONSHIPSAs we walk in obedience and listen to the Holy Spirit,
God will speak to us concerning our marriage, our friendships, and our
business associations. He will sharpen our ability to hear the right things by
being with people who practice listening for God's voice and obeying Him.
We must submit ourselves totally to the Holy Spirit's authority, trusting Him
to speak directly to us.7. Read Proverbs 27:17.What happens "as iron
sharpens iron"?
_____________________________________________________________
____________8. Read 1 Corinthians 2:12-15.a. What spirit has not been
given to us?
_____________________________________________________________
____________b. For what purpose has the Holy Spirit been given to us?
_____________________________________________________________
____________c. What is the natural, nonspiritual man incapable of
accepting, welcoming, or admitting into his heart?
_____________________________________________________________
____________d. Why is the natural, nonspiritual man incapable of
receiving these things?
_____________________________________________________________
____________e. What does the spiritual man do?
_____________________________________________________________
____________9. Read Romans 8:6.a. In this verse, how is the "mind of the
flesh" described?
_____________________________________________________________
____________b. In this verse, how is the "mind of the Holy Spirit"
described?
_____________________________________________________________
____________GOD WILL TALK TO US ABOUT BALANCEListening to
the Holy Spirit will keep us balanced in every area of our lives. Part of our
living in obedience is pursuing a balanced life that leads to wholeness. A
balanced life is a very open life; there is nothing in it to hide or to make
apologies for. 10. Read 1 Peter 5:8.Because the enemy is roaming around
like a roaring lion seeking someone he may seize upon and devour, what
must we be?
_____________________________________________________________
____________ 11. Read 2 Corinthians 4:2.a. What are we to renounce as
we seek balance in our lives?
_____________________________________________________________
____________b. What are we to refuse as we seek balance in our lives?
_____________________________________________________________
____________c. What are we to do about the truth as we seek balance in
our lives?
_____________________________________________________________
____________ 12. Read Ecclesiastes 3:1-8.a. What does this passage of
Scripture say about the balance of birth and death?
_____________________________________________________________
____________b. What does this passage say about the cycles of planting
and reaping?
_____________________________________________________________
____________c. What does this passage say about our emotional balance?
_____________________________________________________________
____________d. What does this passage say about our alliances?
_____________________________________________________________
____________e. What does this passage say about balance in our
communication?
_____________________________________________________________
____________ 13. Read Psalm 30:5.What does this passage say about a
balance of joy and sorrow in our lives?
_____________________________________________________________
____________ 14. Read Isaiah 53:5.What does this verse say about the
peace and wholeness that are associated with a balanced life?
_____________________________________________________________
____________PRAYER TIMEAs you have read Chapter 8 and have
completed this chapter of the workbook, has the Lord spoken to you about
matters of obedience?I invite you to use the space below to write out a
prayer to the Lord, asking Him to soften your heart so you will want to
obey. Ask this also for your family members and close friends. Ask the
Lord to reveal to you ways in which He desires for you to adjust your
relationships. Ask the Lord to help you have balance and joy in your
life._________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________9
We Can Know Only in PartRead Chapter 9 in How to Hear from God. Then
read in your Bible the Scriptures designated below and answer the questions
that follow. When you finish, check your answers in the answer key
provided at the end of this book.SEEING IN THE DARKNESSThere may
be times when we can't see through the darkness that seems to be closing in
around us. In those times of endurance and patience, our faith is stretched.
We must trust God even when we can't hear His voice clearly. When we
don't know what to do, it is sufficient to know the One Who knows.1. Read
1 Corinthians 1:8-9 and Matthew 28:20.a. What does 1 Corinthians 1:8-9
assure us?
_____________________________________________________________
____________b. How long did Jesus say He would be with us?
_____________________________________________________________
____________2. Read Isaiah 42:16.What is God's promise to us when we
feel "blind" as to where we may be going or what God may be leading us to
do?
_____________________________________________________________
____________3. Read 1 Corinthians 13:9-10 and 1 Corinthians 13:13.a.
What is the state of our knowledge and prophecy (teaching) according to
these passages?
_____________________________________________________________
____________b. What is the hope for the future of our ability to understand
all things?
_____________________________________________________________
____________c. What three things abide even when our knowledge and
prophecy are fragmentary?
_____________________________________________________________
____________GOD GUIDES US ONE STEP AT A TIMEGod lays out a
good plan for our lives so that we will walk in it. He shows us the way to
go, and we are to walk in that direction, even if we do not understand the
full plan. To walk out God's plan one step at a time requires faith. Our faith
increases as we walk!4. Read Genesis 12:1-2 and Hebrews 11:8-10.a.
Where did the Lord direct Abram to go?
_____________________________________________________________
____________b. What was God's promise to Abram for his obedience in
going?
_____________________________________________________________
____________c. According to Hebrews 11:8-9, what urged on or prompted
Abraham?
_____________________________________________________________
____________d. In spite of what did Abraham go?
_____________________________________________________________
____________5. Read Luke 17:5-6.a. What did the disciples request of
Jesus?
_____________________________________________________________
____________b. How did Jesus respond?
_____________________________________________________________
____________DON'T BE AFRAID OF MAKING A MISTAKEWe often
have no way in the natural world of knowing for sure whether we are taking
a right or wrong step. We have nothing more than faith to help us take our
first step. But even if we are wrong, we can trust God to take our mistake
and work it out for our good.6. Read Romans 8:28.What does God assure
those of us who love Him and are called according to His design and
purpose?
_____________________________________________________________
____________GOD'S DIRECTION MAY SEEM ILLOGICALThe
assurance that we are moving forward in faith lies in our heart, not in our
circumstance. Once we have a manifestation of what we desire in our
circumstance, we no longer need faith in that area.7. Read Hebrews 11:1.a.
What is faith the assurance of?
_____________________________________________________________
____________b. What is faith the proof of?
_____________________________________________________________
____________BE DILIGENT TO LISTEN AND OBEYWe must be
diligent to listen to God and obey Him every step of the way. God's plan
unfolds step by step, which is why we must have faith with each step. We
cannot skip any steps we don't like or any that are hard or that require
sacrifice. We must not be afraid of sacrifice because it eventually sets us
free to be all we desire to be.8. Read Psalms 37:23-24 and 2 Corinthians
5:7.a. What does Psalm 37:23 say about the steps of a good man?
_____________________________________________________________
____________b. What does Psalm 37:24 say about what happens if the
good man falls?
_____________________________________________________________
____________c. According to 2 Corinthians 5:7, how are we to walk?
_____________________________________________________________
____________PRAYER TIMEAs you have read Chapter 9 and have
completed this chapter of the workbook, has the Lord spoken to your heart
and mind about your faith?I invite you to use the space below to write out a
prayer to the Lord, asking Him to give you patience and faith as you trust
Him to lead you step by step. Ask Him to guide you as you step out in faith
and take the actions you believe He wants you to take--giving you courage
instead of fear, and diligence to continue walking by faith.
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________10God Opens and Shuts Doors of
OpportunityRead Chapter 10 in How to Hear from God. Then read in your
Bible the Scriptures designated below and answer the questions that follow.
When you finish, check your answers in the answer key provided at the end
of this book.OPEN AND CLOSED DOORSSometimes God speaks by
opening or closing a door to something we want to do.1. Read Proverbs
16:9 and Psalm 37:23.a. What does a man's mind plan?
_____________________________________________________________
____________b. Who directs a man's steps and makes them sure?
_____________________________________________________________
____________c. According to Psalm 37:23, whose steps are directed and
established by the Lord?
_____________________________________________________________
____________d. When are the steps of a good man directed and established
by the Lord?
_____________________________________________________________
____________2. Read Revelation 3:7.What does this verse tell us about the
power of the Lord to open and shut doors in our life?
_____________________________________________________________
____________3. Read 1 Corinthians 16:9.a. In this verse, what did the
apostle Paul say had been opened to him?
_____________________________________________________________
____________b. What did Paul say he would also encounter there?
_____________________________________________________________
____________TEST YOUR OPTIONSYou cannot drive a parked car. You
need to be moving if you want God to show you which way to go. He leads
one step at a time; if you take one step forward, and it's the wrong way, He
will let you know before you go too far. Step out and find out which doors
God will open and which ones He will close.4. Read Acts 16:6-8.a. In this
passage, where did Paul and Silas try to go?
_____________________________________________________________
____________b. What kept them from proclaiming the Word in Asia?
_____________________________________________________________
____________c. What kept them from going into Bithynia?
_____________________________________________________________
____________d. Where did the Holy Spirit allow them to go?
_____________________________________________________________
____________GOD'S WAYS ARE NOT OUR WAYSThere are certain
things God must do in order for things to work for us. We may be able to
manipulate some things, but not all things. Following circumstances alone,
however, can get us into real trouble. Satan can arrange for circumstances as
well as God can, because he has access to this natural realm. Therefore, if
we follow circumstances alone without considering other ways we hear
from God, it can lead us into deception. Strong desires and lusts can easily
deceive people, leading them to draw conclusions that are contrary to God's
Word. We must never go against God's Word. We must be led by peace and
walk in wisdom. We also are wise to combine biblical methods of being led
by the Spirit, allowing them to serve as a check for one another.5. Read
Isaiah 55:8.In this verse, what does God say about His thoughts and ways
and our thoughts and ways?
_____________________________________________________________
____________6. Read 2 Peter 2:9-10.a. From what must we always rely
upon the Lord to rescue us?
_____________________________________________________________
____________b. What must we trust the Lord to do about the ungodly
around us?
_____________________________________________________________
____________c. Whom do we need to trust the Lord to deal with
particularly?
_____________________________________________________________
____________7. Read 1 John 2:16.What kind of things come from the
world rather than from the Father?
_____________________________________________________________
____________PRAYER TIMEAs you have read Chapter 10 and have
completed this chapter of the workbook, has the Lord spoken to your heart
and mind about specific doors that He may be opening or shutting in your
life?I invite you to use the space below to write out a prayer to the Lord,
asking Him to reveal to you all the options that lie before you and to help
you discern His chosen path for you to walk.
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________11Hin
drances to Hearing GodRead Chapter 11 in How to Hear from God. Then
read in your Bible the Scriptures designated below and answer the questions
that follow. When you finish, check your answers in the answer key
provided at the end of this book.KEEPING OUR CONSCIENCE
TENDERGod makes many attempts to speak to us through His Word,
natural signs, supernatural revelation, and internal confirmation--but there
are some obstacles to hearing His voice that may need to be removed from
our hearts. One of these obstacles is being too busy to hear what the Lord
says. Another is being too anxious or burdened to listen closely.1. Read
Luke 10:38-42.a. Where did Mary seat herself and what was she doing?
_____________________________________________________________
____________b. What was Martha doing?
_____________________________________________________________
____________c. What did Jesus say to Martha when she complained to
Him about Mary?
_____________________________________________________________
____________d. What did Jesus say regarding Mary?
_____________________________________________________________
____________2. Read Philippians 4:6-7.a. What are we admonished by
Paul not to do?
_____________________________________________________________
____________b. What are we admonished by Paul to do instead?
_____________________________________________________________
____________RELIGIOUS IDEAS CAN KEEP US FROM HEARING
GODReligious activity--based upon formulas and good works to earn God's
favor--can keep us from hearing God. Jesus did not die so we could have
religion; He died so we could be one with God through Him, so we could
have a deep personal relationship with the Triune God: Father, Son, and
Holy Spirit. People can do "good works" and yet disregard God's
commands if they are not spending time with Him and listening to His
instructions.3. Read Matthew 23:23-28.a. What did Jesus say the scribes
and Pharisees had neglected and omitted?
_____________________________________________________________
____________b. Even though the Pharisees kept all of the outside rituals
related to the washing of vessels, what did Jesus say the Pharisees were full
of?
_____________________________________________________________
____________c. How did He say the Pharisees appeared on the outside?
_____________________________________________________________
____________d. In reality, what did Jesus say was the state of the Pharisees
on the inside?
_____________________________________________________________
____________4. Read Matthew 11:28-30.a. What did Jesus say to those
who were suffering from "spiritual burnout"?
_____________________________________________________________
____________b. What did Jesus tell us to take on?
_____________________________________________________________
____________c. What did Jesus say we are to learn?
_____________________________________________________________
____________d. How did Jesus describe His own nature?
_____________________________________________________________
____________e. What did Jesus say would be the result of our taking on
His yoke and learning of Him?
_____________________________________________________________
____________f. How did Jesus describe His yoke?
_____________________________________________________________
____________g. How did Jesus describe His burden?
_____________________________________________________________
____________5. Read Matthew 7:20-23.a. How are people fully known?
_____________________________________________________________
____________b. According to this passage, who enters the kingdom of
heaven?
_____________________________________________________________
____________c. Who will the Lord not know, even though they may have
prophesied or driven out demons in His name?
_____________________________________________________________
____________HEARING FROM GOD IS ROOTED IN RELATIONSHIP
WITH HIM--NOT IN RELIGIONOur hearing from God is rooted in our
having a relationship with Him. If you are not certain that you have a
relationship with God--if you have never acknowledged Jesus as the Lord
of your life--you can begin that relationship today.6. Read John 3:16.What
is the eternal future of the person who believes in Jesus as the Son of God?
_____________________________________________________________
____________7. Read Ephesians 2:8-9.a. By what are we saved?
_____________________________________________________________
____________b. Through what are we saved?
_____________________________________________________________
____________c. Our salvation is not a result of our own selves or striving
or works, but of what?
_____________________________________________________________
____________8. Read Romans 10:9-10.a. According to verse 9, we are
saved because we do what?
_____________________________________________________________
____________b. According to verse 10, what do we do with our heart?
_____________________________________________________________
____________c. What do we do with our mouth?
_____________________________________________________________
____________9. Read 1 John 1:9, 1 John 4:14-16, and 1 John 5:1, 12, 13.a.
When we freely admit that we have sinned and confess our sins, what does
God promise to do?
_____________________________________________________________
____________b. With whom does God abide?
_____________________________________________________________
____________c. What happens to the person who dwells and continues in
love?
_____________________________________________________________
____________d. Who is a "born-again child of God"?
_____________________________________________________________
____________HARD-HEARTEDNESS KEEPS US FROM HEARING
GODWhen we give our lives to God, He puts a sense of right and wrong
deep within our conscience. But if we rebel against our conscience too
many times, we can become hard-hearted. If that happens, we need to let
God soften our heart so we can be spiritually sensitive to the leadership of
the Holy Ghost. 10. Read Ezekiel 11:19-20 and Ezekiel 36:26.a. In Ezekiel
11:19, what was God's promise to the people regarding their heart and
spirit?
_____________________________________________________________
____________b. In this verse, what was God's promise to the people
regarding their stony heart?
_____________________________________________________________
____________c. In verse 20, what does God cause us to do when we have a
new heart, a new spirit, and God's Spirit within us?
_____________________________________________________________
____________ 11. Read Matthew 19:1-9.In this passage, why did Jesus say
Moses permitted husbands to dismiss, repudiate, and divorce their wives?
_____________________________________________________________
____________ 12. Read Hebrews 3:7-13.a. What does the Holy Spirit
admonish us not to do?
_____________________________________________________________
____________b. What does a wicked, unbelieving heart lead a person to
do?
_____________________________________________________________
____________c. What is our heart hardened by?
_____________________________________________________________
____________A WORLDLY VIEWPOINT KEEPS US FROM HEARING
GODWe must be constantly vigilant not to become like the world in its
ways and attitudes. We must guard against getting to the point where we
have no empathy when we hear reports of real tragedies or when we hear of
terrible things happening to other people. We should not dwell on the
world's reports or conform to its viewpoint. We need to listen to what God
says about current events in our lives and pray as He leads us to intercede
for others who are affected by them. 13. Read John 17:13-18.a. Jesus did
not ask that we be taken out of the world. Rather, what did He ask His
Father?
_____________________________________________________________
____________b. What does the Truth--God's Word--do in us?
_____________________________________________________________
____________ 14. Read Romans 12:2.a. To what must we not be
conformed?
_____________________________________________________________
____________b. In what area of our life are we to be transformed?
_____________________________________________________________
____________ 15. Read Luke 4:18.What did Jesus say He was called to
preach?
_____________________________________________________________
____________UNFORGIVENESS KEEPS US FROM HEARING
GODLong-lasting abuse can cause a person to harden his or her heart. This
hardness is a survival tactic. It is a numbness to pain that helps victims
survive abuse. But when emotions are turned off for years, it takes a toll on
people's health. A victim of abuse must refuse to stay in emotional bondage;
he or she must reject bitterness and hardness of heart. 16. Read Ephesians
4:30-32.a. What must we not do to the Holy Spirit?
_____________________________________________________________
____________b. What do we need to banish from our lives?
_____________________________________________________________
____________c. What must we become?
_____________________________________________________________
____________d. In what manner are we to forgive others?
_____________________________________________________________
____________LEGALISM CLOSES OUR EARS TO THE VOICE OF
GODA legalistic mentality says everybody has to do exactly the same thing,
the same way, all the time. But the Spirit of God leads us individually, and
often in unique, creative ways. In Christ we have been liberated and set free
from the manipulation and control of narrow-minded, Pharisee-like people
who think their way is the only way to do anything. This does not mean we
are not to keep God's commandments and principles. Nor does it mean we
can have a "private interpretation" of the Word of God. Rather, the freedom
we are given by Christ means we are free to be individuals in our personal
expressions of praise--free of competition and comparison with others, free
from selfishness and sin, and free from fear of what others think of us. We
are free to be open and receptive to God's new methods and means of
accomplishing His plans and purposes. 17. Read 2 Peter 1:20.What should a
prophecy of Scripture never be?
_____________________________________________________________
____________ 18. Read Isaiah 61:1.Because the Spirit of the Lord God was
upon Jesus, what did God anoint and qualify Him to do?
_____________________________________________________________
____________ 19. Read 2 Corinthians 3:17.What do we find where "the
Spirit of the Lord is"?
_____________________________________________________________
____________ 20. Read John 8:36.When are we really and unquestionably
free?
_____________________________________________________________
____________GRACE REMOVES OUR HINDRANCES FROM
HEARING GODThe covenant of grace we have through Jesus Christ gives
us liberty to approach God directly and to hear Him personally. Being free
of legalism does not mean we no longer need to consider how our behavior
may influence others. Because we have experienced the grace of God in our
lives, we must live in a way that encourages and influences others to receive
His grace in their lives. 21. Read Romans 14:12-15 and 19.a. In verse 12, to
whom are we each required to give an account of ourselves?
_____________________________________________________________
____________b. In verse 13, what does the apostle Paul tell us not to do?
_____________________________________________________________
____________c. In that verse, what does Paul tell us to decide and
endeavor to do?
_____________________________________________________________
____________d. In verse 15, at what point are we no longer walking in
love?
_____________________________________________________________
____________e. According to verse 19, what are we to aim for and eagerly
pursue?
_____________________________________________________________
____________22. Read Hebrews 10:19-22.a. On what basis do we have full
freedom and confidence to enter into the Holy of Holies?
_____________________________________________________________
____________b. In what manner are we to come forward and draw near to
God?
_____________________________________________________________
____________c. What have our hearts been purified from?
_____________________________________________________________
____________PRAYER TIMEAs you have read Chapter 11 and have
completed this chapter of the workbook, has the Lord spoken to your heart
and mind about specific hindrances that are blocking your ability to hear
God clearly? Have you felt a special conviction about substituting religious
activity for an intimate relationship with the Lord? Have you felt a special
conviction about hardness of heart, a worldly viewpoint, harboring
unforgiveness and bitterness, or legalism?I invite you to use the space
below to write out your own prayer to the Lord, asking Him to help you
deal with the specific hindrances you see in your own life, and asking Him
to free you to walk in the fullness of His grace.
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
______12Keep Your Receiver Deceiver FreeRead Chapter 12 in How to
Hear from God. Then read in your Bible the Scriptures designated below
and answer the questions that follow. When you finish, check your answers
in the answer key provided at the end of this book.TRUSTING GOD TO
OPEN OUR RECEIVERSMany people want to hear from God, but they
don't really expect to hear from Him. Others have too much "static in their
receivers" to hear Him clearly. The deceiver, the devil, doesn't want us to
think we can hear from God. He doesn't want us to believe. He does his best
to jam our ears with too many messages from ungodly sources. We must
obey God in seeking to hear His voice.1. Read Psalm 40:6.What capacity
has God given to us?
_____________________________________________________________
____________2. Read Proverbs 1:24-29.a. According to this passage, what
have we done when God has called to us?
_____________________________________________________________
____________b. How have we responded to God's outstretched hand?
_____________________________________________________________
____________c. How have we responded to God's wise counsel?
_____________________________________________________________
____________d. How have we responded to God's reproof?
_____________________________________________________________
____________3. Read Isaiah 11:2-5.a. What is the nature of the Spirit Who
rested upon Christ Jesus and Who rests upon us today?
_____________________________________________________________
____________b. What does the Spirit do to our understanding and desires?
_____________________________________________________________
____________c. How is the person who hears the Spirit able to judge and
make decisions?
_____________________________________________________________
____________d. In this passage, what are the two "girdles" that wrap the
life of the person who has the Spirit of the Lord?
_____________________________________________________________
____________OBEDIENCE OPENS OUR RECEIVERSWe need to pray
and obey God's leading. Our obedience is not to be an occasional event; it is
to be our way of life. God bestows abundant blessings on those who decide
to live wholeheartedly for Him and who make obedience to Him their
lifestyle. Paying attention to and obeying God's Word should be our goals.4.
Read Proverbs 1:23.What does the Lord promise to those who turn and give
heed to His reproof?
_____________________________________________________________
____________5. Read Proverbs 1:24-33.a. According to this passage, how
have we responded to God's knowledge?
_____________________________________________________________
____________b. What have we failed to choose?
_____________________________________________________________
____________c. What are the consequences for those who turn away from
a reverence for God's knowledge, counsel, and reproof?
_____________________________________________________________
____________d. What are the rewards for those who hearken to God's
wisdom?
_____________________________________________________________
____________6. Read John 14:23.a. What will the person who really loves
Jesus do?
_____________________________________________________________
____________b. What is the blessing to the person who loves Jesus and
keeps His word, obeying His teachings?
_____________________________________________________________
____________THANKFULNESS OPENS OUR RECEIVERSGod's
general will is for all people to give Him thanks in all things. We quench the
Holy Spirit through our complaining, but the more thankful we are, the
more freedom the Holy Spirit has to work in our situation.7. Read 1
Thessalonians 5:18.What does this verse say is God's will for all of us who
are in Christ Jesus?
_____________________________________________________________
____________8. Read 1 Thessalonians 5:19.What must we never quench,
subdue, or suppress in our lives?
_____________________________________________________________
____________ASKING GOD FOR ANSWERS OPENS OUR
RECEIVERSWe are to ask God for His wisdom--His answers, His
solutions, His guidance. We must ask with faith and confidence; He will
answer. A person who asks in this manner is a person more likely to be
listening closely for God's answers.9. Read James 1:5-6.a. What are we to
do when we recognize we are deficient in wisdom?
_____________________________________________________________
____________b. In what manner does God give His wisdom?
_____________________________________________________________
____________c. How are we to ask for wisdom?
_____________________________________________________________
____________WHOLEHEARTED ATTENTION OPENS OUR
RECEIVERSMany Christians have only a halfhearted interest in the pursuit
of God. They want God to take care of them, but they don't really want to
make the sacrifice of time and devotion it takes to grow in knowledge of
Him and His Word--and they don't want to commit time to pray. We are to
seek the Lord wholeheartedly. Our full attention on God will keep the static
out of our receivers so we can receive every good thing that He is trying to
give us. 10. Read Psalm 119:2.In this verse, who are the blessed?
_____________________________________________________________
____________ 11. Read Psalms 119:10 and 34.a. In Psalm 119:10, how did
the psalmist seek the Lord?
_____________________________________________________________
____________b. What was the psalmist's request of God?
_____________________________________________________________
____________c. In verse 34, what was the psalmist's promise to God?
_____________________________________________________________
____________A PURE HEART KEEPS OUR RECEIVERS STATIC
FREEIf disobedience is causing our conscience to be clouded, it's time to
get rid of that static in our receivers. To keep our hearts pure before the
Lord, we need to let Christ make His home in us and make His desires our
desires. To keep a pure heart, we must keep our heart free from sin and
guilt, guard carefully what we listen to, seek only God's truth, and avoid all
contact with the occult. We must recognize we cannot serve two masters--
we cannot follow the Lord and follow the desires of the flesh
simultaneously. We must seek to live with the highest standards of morality.
12. Read Matthew 5:8.What did Jesus promise those who have pure hearts?
_____________________________________________________________
____________ 13. Read 1 John 3:21-22.a. What do we have if there is
nothing in our conscience that accuses us or causes us to feel guilty or
condemned?
_____________________________________________________________
____________b. What is the reward to those of us who watchfully obey
God's orders and follow His plan for us, and who practice what is pleasing
to Him?
_____________________________________________________________
____________ 14. Read Mark 4:24.a. What did Jesus caution us about the
things we listen to?
_____________________________________________________________
____________b. What determines the measure of virtue and knowledge
that we receive from the Lord?
_____________________________________________________________
____________ 15. Read 2 Timothy 4:3-4.a. What types of teachers do
people seek when they turn away from sound and wholesome instruction
and develop a desire only for teaching that is pleasant and gratifying?
_____________________________________________________________
____________b. When people turn aside from hearing the truth, what
happens?
_____________________________________________________________
____________ 16. Read Leviticus 19:31 and Leviticus 20:6-7.a. To whom
are we never to turn?
_____________________________________________________________
____________b. What does God say He will do to the person who turns to
those with familiar spirits and to wizards?
_____________________________________________________________
____________ 17. Read Luke 16:13.a. What is it that Jesus says a servant
finds impossible to do?
_____________________________________________________________
____________b. Why is this so?
_____________________________________________________________
____________ 18. Read Ephesians 5:3-5.a. What should never be named
among God's consecrated people?
_____________________________________________________________
____________b. What behavior is considered "not fitting" for God's
people?
_____________________________________________________________
____________c. What can cause a person not to have any inheritance in the
kingdom of Christ and of God?
_____________________________________________________________
____________TUNE OUT THE VOICE OF ERRORGod gives us
discernment to know His voice over voices of deception. If we truly belong
to God, we will know His voice from the spirit of error. We will know what
we have heard is contradictory to His Word or wisdom or common sense.
For our part, we must read and heed God's Word. 19. Read Proverbs 4:20-
27.a. What are we to do to God's words?
_____________________________________________________________
____________b. What are we to do to His sayings?
_____________________________________________________________
____________c. Where are we to keep His words and sayings?
_____________________________________________________________
____________d. What do God's words produce in us?
_____________________________________________________________
____________e. How are we to keep and guard our heart?
_____________________________________________________________
____________f. What are we to put away from us?
_____________________________________________________________
____________g. What are we to put far from us?
_____________________________________________________________
____________h. How are we to focus our mind and heart?
_____________________________________________________________
____________i. How are we to walk out our faith in God?
_____________________________________________________________
____________j. What must we never walk toward or into?
_____________________________________________________________
____________ 20. Read 2 Corinthians 3:18.What happens as we continue
to look into the Word of God?
_____________________________________________________________
____________PRAYER TIMEAs you have read Chapter 12 and have
completed this chapter of the workbook, has the Lord spoken to your heart
and mind about specific things that may be causing static in your ability to
believe that God wants to speak to you, or in your ability to hear clearly
what He is saying? Have you felt a special conviction about ways in which
you may have turned a "deaf ear" toward His reproof or correction of you?I
invite you to use the space below to write out a prayer to the Lord, asking
Him to help you deal with those things that may be keeping you from
believing fully that He desires to speak to you, or to help you deal with
those things that may be keeping you from hearing Him with clarity.
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
____________13Sanctify Your Ears unto the LordRead Chapter 13 in How
to Hear from God. Then read in your Bible the Scriptures designated below
and answer the questions that follow. When you finish, check your answers
in the answer key provided at the end of this book.GOD DESIRES TO
SANCTIFY ALL ASPECTSOF OUR LIVESMany people do not
understand that we are a tri-part being: a spirit, soul, and body. We are a
spirit, we have a soul, and we live in a body. God promises to take care of
all three parts that make us who we are. Jesus bought us--all aspects of us--
with the price of His blood shed on the cross.1. Read 1 Thessalonians 5:23-
24.a. What does it mean to be sanctified "through and through"?
_____________________________________________________________
____________b. What is it that Paul desires to be preserved "sound and
complete"?
_____________________________________________________________
____________2. Read Galatians 5:16-17.a. How are we to walk and live
habitually?
_____________________________________________________________
____________b. If we walk and live in the Holy Spirit, what will we not
do?
_____________________________________________________________
____________3. Read Romans 14:17.In this verse, what does Paul say the
kingdom of God is?
_____________________________________________________________
____________4. Read Jeremiah 6:10.a. What does it mean to have
"uncircumcised" ears?
_____________________________________________________________
____________b. What has the Word of God become to those who have
uncircumcised ears?
_____________________________________________________________
____________5. Read John 5:30.a. What did Jesus say about His
dependence on God?
_____________________________________________________________
____________b. Why did Jesus say His judgment was right, just, and
righteous?
_____________________________________________________________
____________ASK GOD TO SANCTIFY AND CIRCUMCISE YOUR
EARSTo sanctify means to set apart for a sacred purpose. To circumcise
means to cut away the flesh. In asking God to sanctify and circumcise your
ears, you are asking Him to make your ears sensitive to hear what is holy
and right and to remove worldly temptations that distract you from His
greater plan for your life. In other words, ask God to give you ears that hear
what He wants to say, not just what you want to hear.6. Read Exodus 29:20-
22.See page 246 of How to Hear from God regarding the significance of the
"right side" and the parts of the body mentioned in this passage.
_____________________________________________________________
____________a. What did it mean for blood to be put on the tip of the
priest's right ear?
_____________________________________________________________
____________b. What did it mean for blood to be put on the thumb of the
priest's right hand?
_____________________________________________________________
____________c. What did it mean for blood to be put on the big toe of the
priest's right foot?
_____________________________________________________________
____________d. Why are we anointed with the shed blood of Jesus on our
ears, hands, and feet?
_____________________________________________________________
____________7. Read Revelation 1:5-6.a. By His shed blood, into what did
Jesus form us?
_____________________________________________________________
____________b. What are we to give to Jesus as His priests--empowered to
hear clearly, do what is righteous, and go where He leads us?
_____________________________________________________________
____________A SANCTIFIED EAR HEARS GOD'S PLANWe need to
wake up to the spiritual realm of our lives and hear what the Holy Spirit is
saying to us. He has made eternity quite clear in His Word. It seems wise to
find out as much as we possibly can about our spiritual life since we will
spend more time in our spiritual bodies in heaven than we will in our
physical bodies in this life.8. Read 1 Corinthians 15:39-44.a. According to 1
Corinthians 15:42, what is the nature of the earthly body?
_____________________________________________________________
____________b. What is the nature of the resurrected body?
_____________________________________________________________
____________c. According to verse 43, with what qualities is the earthly
body sown?
_____________________________________________________________
____________d. With what qualities is the resurrected body raised?
_____________________________________________________________
____________9. Read 2 Corinthians 4:18.a. What is the nature of visible
things?
_____________________________________________________________
____________b. What is the nature of invisible things?
_____________________________________________________________
____________LISTENING AND OBEYING DETERMINE OUR
ETERNAL DESTINYEternity is forever, and the spiritual part of a man
lives forever, either in heaven or in hell. To live in hell is to live in total
separation from God--completely disconnected from any form of comfort,
grace, provision, protection, and most of all intimate fellowship with God.
There is nothing of greater value in which to invest our time than learning
to hear the voice of God speaking to our spirit so that we might be prepared
to live with Him forever. 10. Read 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18.a. Who will rise
first?
_____________________________________________________________
____________b. Who will meet the Lord in the clouds along with the
resurrected dead?
_____________________________________________________________
____________c. Why are we to remind one another of this coming event?
_____________________________________________________________
____________ 11. Read Hebrews 4:12.a. What is the nature of the Word
that God speaks?
_____________________________________________________________
____________b. Being sharper than any two-edged sword, how deeply
does the Word of God penetrate?
_____________________________________________________________
____________c. What does the Word expose, sift, analyze, and judge?
_____________________________________________________________
____________GOD RESTORES OUR SOULOur soul doesn't tell us what
God wants; it reports only what it knows about our own desires. Our soul
tells us what we feel; our spirit tells us how God feels. Our soul tells us
what we think, not what God thinks. As we communicate in our spirit with
God, a work can be done to transform our soul to think like Christ. Our soul
needs to be renewed and refreshed to think like the mind of Christ. 12. Read
Psalm 23:1-3.a. When the Lord is our Shepherd, what is our state of being?
_____________________________________________________________
____________b. What does our Shepherd make us, His sheep, to do?
_____________________________________________________________
____________c. Where does our Shepherd lead us as His sheep?
_____________________________________________________________
____________d. As His sheep, what does our Shepherd do for our life (our
self)?
_____________________________________________________________
____________e. Along what paths does our Shepherd lead us as His sheep?
_____________________________________________________________
____________ 13. Read Philippians 2:12.With what kind of attitude are we
to seek to cultivate our spiritual growth?
_____________________________________________________________
____________GOD AWAKENS OUR SPIRIT WITHIN USWe
communicate with God through our spirit--our spirit intuitively senses
God's presence and receives revelation when there is a better way to do
something. Our conscience is also part of our spirit. When our spirit is made
alive to the awareness of God, we can achieve fellowship with Him and
receive answers from Him through our intuition and conscience. Our spirit
and soul should work together, and the body should act as a servant to both.
14. Read John 4:24.How are we to worship God, a spiritual Being?
_____________________________________________________________
____________ 15. Read Matthew 26:41.a. What must we do so we do not
come into temptation?
_____________________________________________________________
____________b. The spirit may be willing, but what is the nature of the
flesh?
_____________________________________________________________
____________ 16. Read Isaiah 11:1-3.a. What is the nature of the Spirit of
the Lord?
_____________________________________________________________
____________b. What does the Spirit of the Lord produce in a person?
_____________________________________________________________
____________ 17. Read Matthew 26:38-39.a. What was the nature of Jesus'
soul as He prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane?
_____________________________________________________________
____________b. Even with a sad and deeply grieved soul, how did Jesus
pray?
_____________________________________________________________
____________ 18. Read Psalm 77:6.a. What did the psalmist call to
remembrance in the night?
_____________________________________________________________
____________b. What did the psalmist do with his heart?
_____________________________________________________________
____________c. What did the psalmist's spirit do?
_____________________________________________________________
____________PRAYER TIMEAs you have read Chapter 13 and have
completed this chapter of the workbook, has the Lord spoken to your heart
and mind about specific things that may be keeping you from having
"sanctified" and "circumcised" ears? Do you feel a greater need to have
God restore your soul and awaken your spirit within you so you can know
what God wants, thinks, and feels?I invite you to use the space below to
write out a prayer to the Lord, committing your ears, hands, and feet to Him
in prayer and asking Him to sanctify you for His purposes.
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
____________________________________14Enjoy the Spirit-Led
LifeRead Chapter 14 in How to Hear from God. Then read in your Bible the
Scriptures designated below and answer the questions that follow. When
you finish, check your answers in the answer key provided at the end of this
book.GOD'S PLAN TO BLESS USGod has an awesome plan to radically
and outrageously bless us. But to fully enjoy His plan, we must radically
and outrageously obey Him. There are many things we can do on our own.
God doesn't say anything about these things--we refer to these things as
God's permissive will. But if we want to know God's perfect will, we must
ask His opinion.1. Read 1 Corinthians 6:12.a. Even though all things are
permissible and lawful, what did Paul realize about all these things?
_____________________________________________________________
____________b. To what did Paul refuse to become the slave?
_____________________________________________________________
____________2. Read Hebrews 12:1-3.a. To know God's full plan of
blessing, what do we need to strip off and throw aside?
_____________________________________________________________
____________b. How are we to run the race God has appointed for us?
_____________________________________________________________
____________c. To Whom are we to look?
_____________________________________________________________
____________d. To what did Jesus look as He endured the shame of the
cross and opposition from sinners?
_____________________________________________________________
____________e. Why does this passage call us to keep our focus on Jesus
and the joy He promises us?
_____________________________________________________________
____________GOD WILL LEAD YOU TO RIGHT DECISIONSWhen we
listen to God's direction, we make wise decisions that lead to riches, honor,
pleasantness, and peace. Wisdom will always lead us to God's best. When
we "fish" outside the will of God, it's equivalent to fishing on the wrong
side of the boat. We struggle, strive, work, and strain, trying to make
something great happen. And . . . we catch nothing.3. Read Proverbs 3:13-
17.a. What does this passage say about the gaining and profit of wisdom?
_____________________________________________________________
____________b. What does this passage say wisdom is more precious
than?
_____________________________________________________________
____________c. What does wisdom produce in the person who seeks and
gains understanding from God's Word?
_____________________________________________________________
____________4. Read John 21:2-6.a. After Jesus was crucified and rose
again, what did Peter, Thomas, Nathanael, the sons of Zebedee (James and
John), and two other disciples decide to do?
_____________________________________________________________
____________b. What did Jesus call and ask the disciples as He stood on
the beach?
_____________________________________________________________
____________c. What did the disciples answer?
_____________________________________________________________
____________d. What did Jesus tell them to do?
_____________________________________________________________
____________e. What was the result when the disciples did what Jesus said
to do?
_____________________________________________________________
____________GOD WILL LEAD YOU TO GOOD WORKSGod leads us
to good works. They aren't always the works we desire to do, and
sometimes the works are ones that include suffering, but the works He calls
us to do are the works He blesses.5. Read Genesis 1:28.What were God's
first words to mankind that were filled with the promise of blessing?
_____________________________________________________________
____________6. Read John 14:15 and John 21:15-18.a. In John 14:15, what
did Jesus say we will do if we really love Him?
_____________________________________________________________
____________b. In John 21:15-18, what did Jesus ask Simon Peter three
times?
_____________________________________________________________
____________c. In John 21:15-18, what did Simon Peter answer Jesus
three times?
_____________________________________________________________
____________d. What three things did Jesus tell Simon Peter to do?
_____________________________________________________________
____________e. In verse 18, what type of sacrifice did Jesus tell Peter he
would make as he obeyed Jesus' commands?
_____________________________________________________________
____________7. Read 1 Peter 4:1-2.a. With what thought and purpose are
we to arm ourselves?
_____________________________________________________________
____________b. How does the person who is willing to suffer--if it means
pleasing God--spend the rest of his natural life?
_____________________________________________________________
____________GOD WILL SPEAK CLEARLY SO YOU WILL NOT
DOUBTGod clearly tells us what He wants us to do in His Word. If you
want to hear Him speak more clearly, you must stay in the Word. He will
enlighten Scriptures that will give you relevant living words (His rhema) to
show you what He wants you to know and do. If you have any doubts, you
need only ask the Lord sincerely, "Lord, what do You desire me to do?" You
must submit any spiritual experiences you may have to the "Word of God"
and the "testimony of Jesus."8. Read Acts 9:4-6.What did Saul ask Jesus?
_____________________________________________________________
____________9. Read Revelation 1:1-2.According to this passage, what did
John testify and vouch that his visions were about?
_____________________________________________________________
____________ 10. Read Luke 8:15.What did Jesus say we were to do with
the seed of God's Word planted in our lives?
_____________________________________________________________
____________GOD WILL LEAD YOU THROUGH PEACEPeople who
do things they don't have peace about have miserable lives and don't
succeed at anything. Follow peace! 11. Read Philippians 4:7.a. What is the
relationship between the understanding of the mind and the peace God
gives our soul?
_____________________________________________________________
____________b. What does God's peace do in our hearts and minds?
_____________________________________________________________
____________ 12. Read Colossians 3:15.What is the peace we have been
given by Christ intended to do in our lives?
_____________________________________________________________
____________ 13. Read Hebrews 12:14.a. What are we to seek in our
relationships with other people?
_____________________________________________________________
____________b. What are we to pursue?
_____________________________________________________________
____________GOD WILL LEAD YOU BY A STILL, SMALL
VOICEThe primary way we hear from God is through His still, small voice
within, or an inner witness. In order to hear that voice, we must slow down
our lives and be still in His presence. 14. Read Psalm 46:10.What is the first
thing we are to know as we are still in God's presence?
_____________________________________________________________
____________ 15. Read 1 Kings 19:5-12.a. In this passage, how did God
not speak to Elijah?
_____________________________________________________________
____________b. How did God speak to Elijah?
_____________________________________________________________
____________GET ALONEWITH GODHearing God requires solitude. If
you really want to hear the still, small voice of God, you must be still. You
need extended periods of quiet to seek God--free of distractions and
interruptions. It is in moments alone with God that He will give you a
vision of where you need to go. As you take steps toward your destiny, you
need to revisit Him frequently to learn the next step to take. 16. Read
Matthew 6:6.What did Jesus tell us to do when we pray?
_____________________________________________________________
____________ 17. Read Isaiah 30:20-21.a. In verse 20, what are we told
will happen even in adversity and affliction?
_____________________________________________________________
____________b. What does verse 21 say our Teacher will tell us?
_____________________________________________________________
____________c. What will we then know?
_____________________________________________________________
____________GOD'S GREATEST DESIREGod's greatest desire for His
children is that they experience His best in their lives. He wants to have a
close fellowship with us and to be invited into every area of our lives. He
wants to speak to us and lead us in all our decisions by His Spirit. He does
not want us living in confusion and fear. Rather, He wants each of us to
fulfill our destiny and to walk in the fullness of His plan for us. 18. Read
Ephesians 3:20.a. What is the Lord able to do as a consequence of His
power at work in us?
_____________________________________________________________
____________b. Beyond what does God's power allow Him to move?
_____________________________________________________________
____________ 19. Read Hebrews 13:5.In this verse, what does the Lord
promise?
_____________________________________________________________
____________ 20. Read Romans 14:17-18.a. Based on verse 17, what is the
kingdom of God?
_____________________________________________________________
____________b. According to verse 18, how does God regard the person
who lives in righteousness, peace, and joy?
_____________________________________________________________
____________PRAYER TIMEAs you have read Chapter 14 and have
completed this chapter of the workbook, has the Lord spoken to your heart
and mind about His plan for you? Have you felt a special conviction about
your need to focus on God's answers instead of life's problems? Have you
felt a special conviction about your need to be more concerned about
spiritual and eternal things, rather than material and temporary things? Do
you feel a greater need to have God restore your soul and awaken your
spirit within you so you can know what God wants, thinks, and feels?I
invite you to use the space below to write out a general prayer to the Lord,
asking for God's daily guidance. Then, write a second prayer asking for
God's specific direction in a decision you may be facing. You certainly
should feel free to write out a specific prayer for each decision,
circumstance, problem, or question you are facing.
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________ANSWERSAnswers are from The Amplified
Bible and from the book How to Hear from God.Introduction1a. The Holy
Spirit represents Jesus and testifies of Jesus.1b. Jesus said the Holy Spirit
would teach them all things.1c. Jesus said the Holy Spirit would help them
recall everything that Jesus had told them.1d. Jesus said the Holy Spirit
would convict and convince the world and bring demonstration to it about
what is sin, what is righteousness (uprightness of heart and right standing
with God), and what judgments are associated with sin and righteousness. 2.
The words are a "still, small voice." 3. He promises that our steps are
ordered by the Lord, and that we can trust Him not to let us lose our way.
Chapter 11a. God makes Himself evident (or "plain") in the inner
consciousness of a person.1b. Through His creation, God reveals to all
mankind His eternal power and divinity.1c. Those who do not honor and
glorify God, even when they know and recognize Him as God, become
futile and godless in their thinking, their senseless minds are darkened, and
while claiming to be wise, they become fools. 2. Each of us is required to
give an account of ourselves to God--in other words, give an answer to Him
that will be the basis for judgment.3a. Our heartfelt desire is for God's name
and for the remembrance of Him.3b. Our soul yearns for the Lord.3c. Our
spirit seeks the Lord earnestly.4a. The world passes away and disappears,
and with it the forbidden cravings (the passionate desires, the lust) of the
world.4b. The person who does the will of God and carries out His purposes
in his life remains ("abides" or "lasts") forever. 5. God promises that He will
direct, make straight, and make plain the paths of the person who seeks to
know, recognize, and acknowledge Him.6a. God hears us when we call on
Him and pray to Him.6b. God reveals Himself to us when we search for
Him with all our heart.6c. When we seek God and pray to Him, He reveals
to us the thoughts and plans that He has for our welfare and peace, to give
us hope about our final outcome.6d. When we find the Lord, He releases us
from captivity. 7. God the Father gives the Holy Spirit to those who ask and
continue to ask for Him.8a. Jesus is the One Who baptizes with the Holy
Spirit.8b. The Holy Spirit resides in us.8c. To be baptized in the Holy Spirit
means to welcome and receive Him into every area of your life, holding
nothing back.8d. The world cannot receive the Holy Spirit because it does
not see, know, or recognize Him.9a. The Holy Spirit guides us into all the
Truth--the whole, full Truth of God.9b. The Holy Spirit announces and
declares to us the things that are to come, the things that will happen in the
future.9c. The Holy Spirit causes us to recall everything Jesus has told us.
10. God, Himself, in the Person of the Holy Spirit, is our personal Teacher.
11. The Holy Spirit knows everything about us, even the number of the
hairs of our head. The Holy Spirit knows the days of our life, or the length
of our life. The Holy Spirit also knows the "fixed boundaries" of our
life.12a. The Bible describes the "gate" through which the Holy Spirit leads
us as narrow (contracted by pressure).12b. The Bible describes the "way"
the Holy Spirit leads us to follow in life as straitened and compressed.12c.
The Holy Spirit helps us continually to make choices between what leads to
life and death, and what leads to blessings and curses.13a. God told Noah
that He was going to make an end of all flesh--that He was going to destroy
the people and the land.13b. God told Noah to prepare for a flood that
would come to destroy the people of the earth. 14a. God told Moses that He
would make Moses seem "as God" to Pharaoh.14b. God told Moses that
Aaron would be his prophet (or spokesperson).14c. God told Moses that he
was to speak everything God commanded him to say.14d. God said that
Pharaoh would not listen to Moses but would develop a stubborn and hard
heart.14e. God told Moses that He would multiply His signs, wonders, and
miracles in the land of Egypt. He would bring His people out of Egypt by
great acts of judgment, and in the end, the Egyptians would know He was
the Lord.15a. The Holy Spirit unveils and reveals to us the profound and
bottomless things of God--the divine counsels and the things that are hidden
and beyond our scrutiny.15b. The Holy Spirit reveals God's thoughts to us
so that we might realize, comprehend, and appreciate the gifts of divine
favor and blessing that are so freely and lavishly bestowed on us by God.
16. He promises that His Spirit will lead us, and He Himself will be our
Shepherd.17a. This verse says that the Holy Spirit abides permanently in
us--so we have no need that anyone should instruct us.17b. This verse says
that the anointing of the Holy Spirit teaches us the truth concerning
everything, and never leads us into falsehood.17c. This verse challenges us
to abide in God--to live in Him and never depart from Him, to be rooted in
Him, to be knit to Him. 18. Jesus said that as His "sheep" we will follow
Him because we know His voice. 19. The best way for us to hear from the
Lord is to "let be and be still." 20. When the Lord speaks to us, our response
should be to do whatever He says to us.Chapter 2 1. We are to live at peace
with everyone, if possible, and as far as it depends on us. 2. We don't seem
to hear from God because we have become dull in our spiritual hearing and
sluggish (even slothful in our achieving spiritual insight).3a. God desires
that we come to Him, take His yoke upon us, and then stand by the roads of
life and look and ask God to show us His eternal path that has not changed
through the centuries. When He reveals that path, we are to walk in it.3b.
God promises to give us rest for our souls and a greater personal knowledge
of Him as we enter into relationship with Him.3c. This passage tells us that
He is gentle (meek) and humble (lowly) in heart.3d. God tells us that His
yoke is wholesome (useful, good--not harsh, hard, sharp, or pressing, but
comfortable, gracious, and pleasant). He tells us that any burden He places
on us will seem light and easily borne by us. 4. It says that even if we are
faithless, God remains true and faithful to His Word and His righteous
character.5a. In this passage, the Lord calls us continually to listen to Him
and to consider, perceive, and comprehend what He is saying.5b. We fail to
hear what the Lord is saying or perceive what He is doing because we have
allowed our hearts to become fat and dull, our ears heavy and difficult of
hearing, and our eyes tightly closed.5c. In essence, we fail to know His
desires for us because we really don't want to know them.6a. God blesses
the person who believes in, trusts in, and relies on the Lord, and whose
hope and confidence are placed fully in Him.6b. The person who is cursed
(with great evil) is the strong man who trusts in and relies on "frail man,"
rather than on the Lord.6c. The Lord promises that the person who puts full
trust and confidence in Him shall be like a tree planted by the waters that
spreads out its roots by the river. That person shall not see and fear when
heat comes, but the person shall continue to live and produce fruit. The
person shall not be anxious and full of care or cease yielding fruit even in
times of drought.7a. Paul believed he was to proclaim Christ among the
Gentiles (the non-Jewish world).7b. Paul was so certain of this call on his
life that he did not confer with other people, nor did he go to Jerusalem to
get permission from or consult with the apostles.7c. As a result of Paul's
allowing God's Word to grow in his heart and be manifested in his
preaching, the people to whom he ministered glorified God as the Author
and Source of Paul's transformed life. 8. Paul felt a "witness" that he was
hearing from God as the Holy Spirit enlightened and prompted his
conscience. 9. Jesus said that those who do not need a visible sign from God
are "blessed and happy and to be envied" because they have believed and
adhered to and trusted and relied on Him.10a. The blessed person is the
person who listens to the Lord, watching and waiting daily for His word to
him.10b. The person who finds the Lord's wisdom not only finds life, but
also obtains favor from the Lord.10c. The person who sins or fails to wait to
hear from God ultimately wrongs and injures himself.11a. God has given
each of us the capacity to hear and obey Him.11b. God regards obedience as
being of more valuable service than burnt offerings and sin
offerings.Chapter 31a. Jesus responded, "It is written, Man shall not live
and be sustained by (on) bread alone but by every word and expression of
God" (v. 4).1b. Jesus responded, "Get behind Me, Satan! It is written, You
shall do homage to and worship the Lord your God, and Him only shall you
serve" (v. 8).1c. Jesus responded, "[The Scripture] says, You shall not tempt
(try, test exceedingly) the Lord your God" (v. 12).1d. The common element
in each of Jesus' responses to the devil was, "It is written . . ."2a. We are
called upon to refute arguments, theories, reasonings, and every proud and
lofty thing that sets itself up against the true knowledge of God.2b. We are
to lead every thought and purpose away captive. In other words, we are to
bring it into obedience to Christ.3a. If we are deficient in wisdom, we are to
ask for wisdom from the "giving God."3b. God gives His wisdom liberally,
ungrudgingly, without reproaching, and without any faultfinding to every
person who asks Him for it.4a. We are to treat God's commandments as
"treasure."4b. We are to make our ears attentive to skillful and godly
wisdom.4c. We are to direct our heart and mind to understanding, applying
all our powers to the quest for it.4d. Those who seek for wisdom as for
silver and search for skillful and godly wisdom as for hidden treasures will
understand the reverent and worshipful fear of the Lord; they will find the
knowledge of our omniscient God. 5. They will understand righteousness,
justice, and fair dealing with other people. They will understand every good
path. They will desire to do what God says because they can see the
benefits of following God's wisdom.6a. When we have a spiritual
experience or are told by someone that he or she is speaking a spiritual truth
to us, we are to "prove" or "test" what has happened to see if it is in line
with God's Word.6b. We perceive and recognize the Spirit of God at work
by putting it to the test: Every spirit that acknowledges and confesses that
Jesus Christ (the Messiah) has become man and has come in the flesh is of
God (has God for its source).6c. We perceive and recognize that something
is not of God by putting it to this test: Every spirit that does not
acknowledge and confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh (but would
annul, destroy, sever, disunite Him) is not of God (does not proceed from
Him). 7. We are to be "content" with the gifts God gives us.8a. A prophet
interprets the divine will and purpose of God in inspired preaching and
teaching.8b. The threefold purpose of a prophetic word to the person who
hears it is upbuilding and constructive spiritual progress, encouragement,
and consolation.8c. The purpose of prophecy to the church as a whole is
edification and improvement of the church, and promotion of growth in
Christian wisdom, piety, holiness, and happiness. 9. While we are waiting
for a prophecy from the Lord to come to pass, we should devote ourselves
to the (public and private) reading of the Word of God; to hearing godly
exhortation (preaching and personal appeals); and to listening to godly
teaching and the instilling of biblical doctrine.Chapter 41a. Those who
"would come near to God" must necessarily believe that God exists and that
He is the rewarder of those who earnestly and diligently seek Him out.1b.
God rewards them with His own presence and guidance. 2. God has
apportioned (or given) to each of us a degree of faith.3a. Jesus calls us to
consider the lilies of the field and learn thoroughly how they grow. We
should note especially that the lilies neither toil nor spin, and even so, God
clothes the lilies beautifully even though they have a very short lifespan and
are useful for very little other than starting a cooking fire.3b. Jesus calls us
to observe and consider the ravens. We should note that the ravens neither
sow nor reap, nor do they have storehouses or barns, yet God feeds them.
Jesus calls us to learn the lesson that we, as God's disciples, are far more
valuable than the birds!4a. God gave to the sea its limit and boundaries. He
placed the sands of the beaches as the perpetual barrier of the sea. Even
when the waves of the sea toss and become violent, the waves cannot
overcome the boundaries God has established with "feeble grains of
sand."4b. We can learn that if God can tame the great power of the ocean in
this way, surely He can tame any force that strikes at our lives. 5. God can
do all things, and no thought or purpose of His can be restrained or
thwarted. 6. Some of the natural skills and abilities identified in these
passages are: the ability to raise cattle and purchase possessions; the ability
to play the lyre and pipe; the ability to forge cutting instruments of bronze
and iron; the ability to craft items out of gold, silver, bronze, iron, stone,
and wood; the ability to work in purple, crimson, and blue yarns and linen
fabric; the ability to engrave items. 7. The spiritual abilities identified in this
verse are the abilities associated with being apostles, prophets, teachers, and
wonder-workers, as well as those with the ability to heal the sick; and the
abilities associated with being helpers, administrators, and speakers in
different tongues.8a. God gave different gifts (faculties, talents, and
qualities) to the church because we are one body in Christ and parts of one
another, being mutually dependent on one another. God calls us to work
together as one body.8b. The ministry gifts identified in this passage are:
prophecy, practical service, teaching, exhortation, contributing, aiding and
superintending, doing acts of mercy.8c. The ways in which we are to
employ the gifts below are:Prophecy: according to the proportion of our
faith.Giving (contributing): in simplicity and liberality.Giving aid and
superintending: with zeal and singleness of mind.Doing acts of mercy: with
genuine cheerfulness and joyful eagerness. 9. One of the major reasons we
are given talents and abilities is so we might have and enjoy life, and have it
in abundance (to the full, till it overflows). 10. A word of advice that is
spoken at the right moment--"how good it is!" 11. We must avoid the
counsel of the ungodly; those who are sinners; those who are scornful
mockers of the precepts, the instructions, and the teachings of God. 12. The
Lord is the One Who prompts us to speak out "wise answers." 13. The Lord
says that if we will seek Him and open our mouth wide toward Him, He
will fill our mouth with His wisdom. 14. The Lord promises that when we
are given an opportunity to bear testimony against our adversaries, He will
give us words of wisdom that none of our adversaries will be able to stand
against or refute.15a. God's discipline yields the "peaceable fruit of
righteousness."15b. Those who have been trained by God's discipline
receive this harvest of righteousness. They come into conformity to God's
will in purpose, thought, and action.15c. The result of this harvest is right
living and right standing with God. 16. In Numbers 22:20-28 God used a
donkey to speak to His prophet. 17. After that, the Lord said to Moses, "You
have roamed around this mountain country long enough; turn
northward."18a. God desires for our hearts to be blameless toward
Him.18b. God says that He will "show Himself strong" in behalf of those
whose hearts are blameless toward Him.Chapter 51a. Jesus promises to give
us and "bequeath" to us His own peace.1b. We are to keep our hearts from
being troubled or afraid. 2. The mind of the Holy Spirit produces life and
soul peace, both now and forever. 3. Christ's peace is to rule in our hearts--
acting continually as an umpire, deciding and settling with finality all
questions that arise in our minds. 4. We are not to be rash or hasty in our
speaking; rather, we are to give thought to what we are doing and saying.5a.
We are to "exercise" our personal convictions as if we are in God's
presence, keeping them to ourselves and striving only to know the truth and
obey God's will.5b. A person who has doubts, misgivings, or an uneasy
conscience about something but goes ahead and does it anyway stands
condemned before God, because he is not true to his convictions and does
not act from faith. 6. In the parable of Jesus, the master said to each of the
servants who had been given five talents and two talents, "Well done, you
upright (honorable, admirable) and faithful servant! You have been faithful
and trustworthy over a little; I will put you in charge of much. Enter into
and share the joy (the delight, the blessedness) which your master enjoys."
7. God gives to those who delight themselves in the Lord the desires and
secret petitions of their heart.8a. We are to eagerly pursue and seek to
acquire love.8b. We are to desire earnestly and cultivate spiritual
endowments (gifts), especially the ability to prophesy (interpret the divine
will and purpose in inspired preaching and teaching). 9. The desires of the
flesh (godless human nature) and the desires of the Holy Spirit are
antagonistic to each other; they are continually opposed to and in conflict
with each other. 10. The kingdom of God is all about righteousness (the
state of being totally acceptable to God), peace of heart, and joy in the Holy
Spirit.11a. Jesus said about His relationship with God the Father, "I and the
Father are One."11b. Jesus said about His authority to act and speak, "I do
nothing of Myself (of My own accord or on My own authority), but I say
[exactly] what the Father has taught me."12a. Jesus calls us to live in Him
(abide vitally united to Him), and let His words remain in us and continue
to live in our hearts.12b. Jesus said that if we will abide in Him and let His
words remain in us and continue to live in our hearts, we can ask whatever
we will, and it shall be done for us.13a. Our lives are to lovingly express the
truth; in all things, we are to speak truly, deal truly, and live truly.13b. The
Lord calls us to grow up in every way and in all things into Him Who is the
Head. 14. When our desires are godly, we can expect that whatever we ask
for in prayer, and believe confidently that we will receive, it will be granted
to us! 15. God is working to produce and magnify in us the power and
desire both to will and to work for His good pleasure and satisfaction and
delight. 16. When we hear the Lord calling our name, we should say as
Samuel said, "Speak, Lord, for Your servant is listening."17a. We are God's
sheep.17b. The "sheep" follow the Shepherd's voice.17c. Jesus said that we
have the ability to recognize Him and know His voice. Chapter 61a. The
Holy Spirit comes in close fellowship with us.1b. The Holy Spirit brings
conviction about sin because people do not believe in, trust in, rely on, or
adhere to Jesus.1c. We need the Holy Spirit to convince us of our need for
and our receiving of Christ's righteousness because Jesus has gone to His
Father, and we no longer see Him.1d. We need the Holy Spirit's assurance
that Satan--the evil genius and prince of this world--has already been
judged, condemned, and sentenced.2a. The Holy Spirit convicts all impious,
unholy people.2b. The Holy Spirit convicts these people of their ungodly
deeds which they have committed in ungodly ways, and of all the severe,
abusive, and jarring things they have spoken against Him.3a. Jesus said He
was not sent to judge, to reject, condemn, or pass sentence on the world.3b.
Jesus said He was sent that the world might find salvation and be made safe
and sound through Him.3c. The person who believes in (clings to, trusts in,
and relies on) Jesus is not judged and never comes up for judgment; for him
there is no rejection, condemnation, or damnation.3d. The person who does
not believe in (cling to, trust in, and rely on) Jesus is judged already (he has
already been convicted and received his sentence).4a. Jesus said to the
woman caught in adultery, "I do not condemn you either."4b. He told her,
"Go on your way and from now on sin no more."5a. We are to desire that
God would create a clean heart in us.5b. We are to desire that God would
renew a right, persevering, and steadfast spirit in us.5c. God's promise is
that He will give us a new heart.5d. God's promise is that He will put a new
spirit within us.5e. God gives us a new heart and a new spirit so we can be
sensitive and responsive to His touch.5f. When we have a new heart and a
new spirit, we will choose to walk in God's statutes and keep His
ordinances and do them. 6. This verse says that the Holy Spirit Who lives in
us is greater or mightier than he (the devil) who is in the world.7a.
According to this verse, Christ has made us free. He has completely
liberated us.7b. We are to respond to the freedom Christ bestows on us by
standing fast, refusing to be hampered by, held ensnared by, or submit to a
yoke of slavery to sin.8a. We are to pray, "Forgive us our debts, as we also
have forgiven our debtors."8b. We are to pray, "Deliver us from the evil
one."9a. The people who walked in darkness have seen a great Light.9b.
The Light has shined on those who dwelt in the land of intense darkness and
the shadow of death.9c. The Messiah came to be "a light to the nations
(Gentiles)."9d. Jesus said that those who would follow Him would not be
walking in the dark, but would have the Light which is life.9e. We are to
walk as children of Light. We are to lead the lives of those who are native-
born to the Light.9f. The fruit (the effect, the product) of the Light or the
Spirit is every form of kindly goodness, uprightness of heart, and trueness
of life.10a. God justifies us. He is the One Who puts us in right relation to
Himself.10b. Christ Jesus is at the right hand of God pleading in
intercession for us.11a. On the cross, Christ Jesus, the Messiah, bore our
griefs (sicknesses, weaknesses, and distresses) and carried our sorrows and
pains of punishment.11b. Christ Jesus was wounded for our transgressions
and was bruised for our guilt and iniquities.11c. His chastisement made His
peace and well-being available to us.11d. His stripes made it possible for us
to be healed and made whole. 11e. The travail of Christ Jesus on the cross
justified many and made many righteous (upright and in right standing with
God).11f. On the cross, Christ Jesus, God's Servant, bore our iniquities and
our guilt, along with the consequences associated with our sins. 12. God
promises that if we freely admit we have sinned and confess our sins, He
will forgive our sins and cleanse us of all unrighteousness (everything that
does not conform to His will in purpose, thought, and action).Chapter 7 1.
He said that God is a Spirit and must be worshiped in spirit and in truth. 2.
For a person to become sensitive to the voice of God and understand what
the Spirit is saying, he must be born of water and (even) the Spirit.3a. Jesus
said about the Father to those who opposed Him, "Not one of you has ever
given ear to His voice or seen His form."3b. People do not have God's word
(His thought) living in their heart because they have not believed, adhered
to, trusted in, and relied on Him Whom He has sent (Jesus).4a. In the latter
times some will turn away from the faith, giving attention to deluding and
seducing spirits and doctrines that demons teach.4b. People fall victim to
the hypocrisy and pretensions of liars because their consciences are seared
(cauterized). 5. The grace (favor and spiritual blessing) of the Lord Jesus
Christ, the love of God, and the presence and fellowship (the communion,
sharing together, and participation) in the Holy Spirit are imparted to
them.6a. Those who are led by the Spirit are children of God.6b. As God's
children, we are heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, sharing His
inheritance with Him.6c. If we share Christ's glory, we need to share His
suffering.6d. There is no worthy comparison between the glory that is about
to be revealed to us, in us, and for us or be conferred on us, and our
sufferings in this present life.7a. We are to clothe ourselves with the Lord
Jesus Christ (the Messiah).7b. We are to make no provision for indulging
the flesh--rather, we are to put a stop to thinking about the evil cravings of
our physical nature and to gratifying its desires and lusts.7c. The desires of
the flesh are opposed to the Holy Spirit.7d. The desires of the Holy Spirit
are opposed to the flesh (godless human nature).7e. The Holy Spirit seeks to
prevent us from doing what we desire to do that is sin.8a. God imparts to us
the power, ability, and sufficiency to minister to others.8b. The Holy Spirit
gives life.8c. The dispensation of the Spirit will cause us to do two things:
to obtain the Holy Spirit (to have the Holy Spirit in our lives), and to be
governed by the Holy Spirit in our lives. Chapter 8 1. We are to know,
recognize, and acknowledge Him; reverently fear and worship the Lord;
and turn entirely away from evil.2a. The reverent fear and worshipful awe
of the Lord includes the hatred of evil.2b. The Lord hates pride, arrogance,
the evil way, and perverted and twisted speech. 3. If we are to maintain a
tender conscience, we must refuse to pay attention to deluding and seducing
spirits and doctrines that demons teach.4a. If your eye is sound, your entire
body will be full of light.4b. If your eye is unsound, your whole body will
be full of darkness.5a. We must refuse to be yoked in partnerships with
unbelievers.5b. It is impossible for right living and right standing with God
to have fellowship with iniquity and lawlessness.5c. It is impossible for
light to have fellowship with darkness.6a. If we are to be in the right
position for God to both start and finish in us what He desires to
accomplish, we must look away from anything that will distract us from the
Lord.6b. In this verse Jesus is described as the Leader and the Source of our
faith, and is also its Finisher.6c. He brings our faith to maturity and
perfection. 7. "As iron sharpens iron, so a man sharpens the countenance of
a friend."8a. We have not been given the spirit that belongs to the world.8b.
The Holy Spirit has been given to us that we might realize, comprehend,
and appreciate the gifts of divine favor and blessing so freely and lavishly
bestowed on us by God.8c. The natural, nonspiritual man is incapable of
accepting, welcoming, or admitting into his heart the gifts, teachings, and
revelations of the Spirit of God.8d. The natural, nonspiritual man is
incapable of receiving these things because they can only be spiritually
discerned, estimated, and appreciated.8e. The spiritual man examines,
investigates, inquires into, questions, and discerns all things.9a. The "mind
of the flesh" is described as sense and reason without the Holy Spirit. It is
death with all the miseries arising from sin.9b. "The mind of the Holy
Spirit" is described as life and soul peace, both now and forever. 10.
Because the enemy is roaming around like a roaring lion seeking someone
to seize upon and devour, we must be well balanced, temperate, and sober
of mind--vigilant and cautious at all times.11a. As we seek balance in our
lives, we are to renounce all disgraceful ways--secret thoughts, feelings,
desires, and underhandedness, the methods and arts that men hide through
shame.11b. As we seek balance in our lives, we are to refuse to deal
craftily--to practice trickery and cunning--or to adulterate or handle
dishonestly the Word of God.11c. As we seek balance in our lives, we are to
state the truth openly, clearly, and candidly.12a. There is a time to be born
and a time to die.12b. There is a time to plant and a time to pluck up what is
planted.12c. There is a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn
and a time to dance.12d. There is a time to embrace and a time to refrain
from embracing.12e. There is a time to keep silent and a time to speak. 13.
"Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning." 14. This
verse says that the chastisement needed to obtain peace and well-being is
found in Christ Jesus--it is by the stripes that wounded Him that we are
healed and made whole.Chapter 91a. It assures us that God is faithful,
reliable, trustworthy, and true to His promise.1b. Jesus said that He would
be with us "all the days (perpetually, uniformly, and on every occasion), to
the [very] close and consummation of the age." 2. God's promise to us when
we feel blind about where we are going or where He is leading us is this: "I
will bring the blind by a way that they know not; I will lead them in paths
that they have not known. I will make darkness into light before them and
make uneven places into a plain. These things I have determined to do [for
them]; and I will not leave them forsaken."3a. According to these passages,
the state of our knowledge and prophecy (teaching) is always fragmentary,
incomplete, and imperfect.3b. We have the hope that one day God will
make everything complete and perfect, and at that time, everything that is
incomplete and imperfect will vanish away, become antiquated, be void,
and be superseded.3c. These three things abide even when our knowledge
and prophecy are fragmentary: faith, hope, and love.4a. The Lord directed
Abram to go to a land that God said He would show him.4b. For Abram's
obedience in going, God promised to make Abram a great nation, and to
bless him with an abundant increase of favors, make his name famous and
distinguished, and make him a blessing to others.4c. According to Hebrews
11:8-9, Abraham was urged on or prompted by faith.4d. Abraham went
even though he did not know or trouble his mind about where he was to
go.5a. The disciples asked Jesus to increase their faith--their trust and
confidence in God.5b. Jesus said, "If you had faith (trust, and confidence in
God), even [so small] like a grain of mustard seed, you could say to a
mulberry tree, Be pulled up by the roots, and be planted in the sea and it
would obey you." 6. God assures us that He is a partner in our labor and
that He causes all things to work together and fit into a plan for our
good.7a. Faith is the assurance of the things we hope for.7b. Faith is the
proof of things we do not see and the conviction of their reality.8a. It says
that the steps of a good man are directed and established by the Lord.8b. It
says that even though he may fall, he will not be utterly cast down, but that
the Lord will grasp his hand to support and uphold him.8c. We are to walk
by faith and not by sight or appearance.Chapter 101a. A man's mind plans
his ways.1b. The Lord directs a man's steps and makes them sure.1c.
According to Psalm 37:23, the steps of a good man are directed and
established by the Lord.1d. The steps of a good man are directed and
established by the Lord when the Lord delights in his way. 2. This verse
tells us that what God opens, no one shall shut, and what God shuts, no one
shall open.3a. In this verse, the apostle Paul said that a wide door of
opportunity for effectual service had been opened to him.3b. Paul said he
would also encounter many adversaries there.4a. In this passage, Paul and
Silas tried to go into the province of Asia and later into Bithynia.4b. They
were forbidden by the Holy Spirit to proclaim the Word in Asia.4c. The
spirit of Jesus kept them from going into Bithynia.4d. The Holy Spirit
allowed them to go to Troas. 5. In this verse, God says, "My thoughts are
not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways."6a. We must always
rely upon the Lord to rescue us from temptations and trials.6b. We must
trust the Lord to keep the ungodly around us under chastisement until the
day of judgment and doom.6c. We must particularly trust the Lord to deal
with those who walk after the flesh, indulge in the lust of polluting passion,
and scorn and despise authority. 7. The lust of the flesh (craving for sensual
gratification), the lust of the eyes (greedy longings of the mind), and the
pride of life (assurance in one's own resources or in the stability of earthly
things)--these all come from the world rather than from the Father.Chapter
111a. Mary seated herself at the Lord's feet and was listening to His
teaching.1b. Martha was overly occupied and too busy--distracted with
serving the guests in her home.1c. When Martha complained to Jesus about
Mary, Jesus said to Martha, "You are anxious and troubled about many
things."1d. Jesus said about Mary, "Mary has chosen the good portion [that
which is to her advantage], which shall not be taken away from her."2a. We
are admonished by Paul not to fret or have anxiety about anything.2b. We
are admonished to continue to make our wants known to God.3a. Jesus said
the scribes and Pharisees had neglected and omitted the weightier (more
important) matters of the Law--right, justice, mercy, and fidelity.3b. Jesus
said the Pharisees were full of extortion and grasping self-indulgence.3c.
Jesus said that on the outside, the Pharisees appeared to be beautiful. They
seemed to be just and upright.3d. Jesus said that on the inside, the hearts of
the Pharisees were full of pretence, lawlessness, and iniquity.4a. Jesus said
to those who were suffering from "spiritual burnout": "Come to Me, all you
who labor and are heavy-laden and overburdened, and I will cause you to
rest. [I will ease and relieve and refresh your souls.]"4b. Jesus told us to
take on His yoke.4c. Jesus said we are to learn of Him.4d. Jesus described
His own nature as being gentle (meek) and humble (lowly) in heart.4e.
Jesus said that if we take on His yoke and learn of Him, we will find rest
(relief, ease, refreshment, recreation, and blessed quiet) for our souls.4f.
Jesus described His yoke as wholesome--useful and good, not harsh, hard,
sharp, or pressing, but rather, comfortable, gracious, and pleasant.4g. Jesus
described His burden as being light and easy to be borne.5a. People are
fully known by their fruits.5b. According to this passage, those who do the
will of God the Father in heaven enter the kingdom of heaven.5c. The Lord
will not know those who act wickedly--those who disregard His commands-
-even if they have prophesied or driven out demons in His name. 6. The
eternal future of the person who believes in Jesus as the Son of God is
eternal (everlasting) life. He will not perish, come to destruction, or be
lost.7a. We are saved by free grace (God's unmerited favor).7b. We are
saved through (our) faith.7c. Our salvation is the gift of God.8a. According
to verse 9, we are saved because we acknowledge and confess with our lips
that Jesus is Lord and believe in our heart that God raised Him from the
dead.8b. According to verse 10, with our heart we believe (adhere to, trust
in, and rely on Christ).8c. With our mouth we confess (declare openly and
speak out freely our faith).9a. When we freely admit that we have sinned
and confess our sins, God promises to forgive our sins and cleanse us from
all unrighteousness.9b. God abides with anyone who confesses
(acknowledges) that Jesus is the Son of God.9c. God dwells and continues
to abide in the person who dwells and continues in Him.9d. The "born-
again child of God" is the person who believes (adheres to, trusts, and relies
on the fact) that Jesus is the Christ.10a. In Ezekiel 11:19, God promises to
give those who believe in Him a new heart and a new spirit.10b. In this
verse, God promises to give those who believe in Him a heart of flesh that
is sensitive and responsive to the touch of God--rather than a stony,
unnaturally hardened heart.10c. When we have a new heart, a new spirit,
and God's Spirit within us, God causes us to walk in His statutes, keep His
ordinances, and do them. 11. In this passage, Jesus said Moses permitted
husbands to dismiss, repudiate, and divorce their wives because of the
hardness, stubbornness, and perversity of their hearts.12a. The Spirit
admonishes us not to harden our hearts--not to provoke God or rebel against
Him.12b. A wicked, unbelieving heart leads a person to turn away, desert,
or stand aloof from the living God.12c. Our hearts are hardened by the
deceitfulness of sin--by the fraudulence, the stratagems, and the trickery
which the delusive glamour of our sin may play on us.13a. Jesus did not ask
that God the Father take us out of the world. Rather, He asked His Father to
keep and protect us from the evil one.13b. The Truth--God's Word--
dwelling in us sanctifies us (purifies, consecrates, separates us) for God.14a.
We must not be conformed to this world (this age); we must not fashion our
lives or adapt them to this world's external, superficial customs.14b. We are
to be transformed in our minds, with new ideals and a new attitude in line
with God's Word. 15. Jesus said He was called to preach good news.16a.
We must not grieve the Holy Spirit of God--offend, vex, or sadden
Him.16b. We must banish from our lives all bitterness, indignation, and
wrath (passion, rage, bad temper); resentment (anger, animosity); quarreling
(brawling, clamor, contention); slander (evil-speaking, abusive or
blasphemous language); and all malice (spite, ill will, or baseness of any
kind).16c. We must become useful, helpful, and kind to others;
tenderhearted (compassionate, understanding, loving-hearted); and
forgiving.16d. We are to forgive others as God in Christ forgave us. 17. A
prophecy of Scripture should never be a matter of any personal, private, or
special interpretation. 18. Because the Spirit of the Lord was upon Jesus,
God anointed and qualified Him to preach the gospel of good tidings to the
meek, the poor, and afflicted; God sent Jesus to bind up and heal the
brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to physical and spiritual captives, to open
the spiritual prisons that keep people bound, and to open the spiritual eyes
of those who are spiritually blind. 19. "Where the Spirit of the Lord is," we
find liberty (emancipation from bondage, freedom). 20. We are really and
unquestionably free when the Son liberates us (makes us free men).21a. In
verse 12, we are each required to give an account of ourselves to God.21b.
In verse 13, the apostle Paul tells us that we must not criticize, blame, or
pass judgment on one another.21c. In that verse, Paul tells us to decide and
endeavor never to put a stumbling block, obstacle, or hindrance in the way
of a brother or sister in Christ.21d. In verse 15, we are no longer walking in
love if our brother or sister in Christ is being pained, their feelings are hurt,
or they are injured by what we do or say.21e. In verse 19, we are to aim for
and eagerly pursue what makes for harmony and for mutual upbuilding
(edification and development) of one another.22a. We have full freedom
and confidence to enter into the Holy of Holies by the power and virtue in
the blood of Jesus.22b. We are to come forward and draw near to God with
true, honest, and sincere hearts--and with unqualified assurance and
absolute conviction engendered by faith, trust, and confidence in God's
power, wisdom, and goodness.22c. Our hearts have been purified from a
guilty (evil) conscience.Chapter 12 1. God has given us the capacity to hear
and obey Him.2a. According to this passage, when God has called to us, we
have refused to answer.2b. We have not heeded God's outstretched hand.2c.
We have treated God's wise counsel as nothing.2d. We have refused to
accept God's reproof.3a. The nature of the Spirit Who rested on Jesus and
Who also rests on us today is wisdom and understanding, counsel and
might, knowledge, and a reverential and obedient fear of the Lord.3b. The
Spirit quickens our understanding, and causes us to delight in the reverential
and obedient fear of the Lord.3c. A person who hears the Spirit is able to
judge and make decisions with righteousness, justice, and fairness.3d. The
two "girdles" that wrap the life of the person who has the Spirit of the Lord
are righteousness and faithfulness. 4. To those who repent and give heed to
His reproof, the Lord promises to pour out His spirit upon them and make
His words known to them.5a. According to this passage, we have hated
God's knowledge.5b. We have failed to choose the reverent and worshipful
fear of the Lord.5c. Those who turn away from a reverence for God's
knowledge, counsel, and reproof eat of the fruit of their own way and are
satiated with their own devices. In other words, they suffer the
consequences of their own bad choices.5d. Those who hearken to God's
wisdom dwell securely and in confident trust. They are quiet and without
fear or dread of evil.6a. The person who really loves Jesus will keep His
word--obey His teaching.6b. The blessing to the person who loves Jesus
and keeps His word, obeying His teachings, is that God the Father will love
him and the Father and the Son will make their home (abode, special
dwelling place) with him. 7. This verse says that it is God's will for all of us
who are in Christ Jesus to be thankful and give thanks to God in everything,
no matter what the circumstances may be. 8. We must never quench,
subdue, or suppress the Holy Spirit in our lives.9a. When we recognize we
are deficient in wisdom, we are to ask for wisdom from God Who gives
wisdom to all who ask for it.9b. God gives His wisdom liberally and
ungrudgingly, without reproaching or faultfinding.9c. We are to ask for
wisdom with unwavering faith--no hesitating, no doubting. 10. The blessed
are those who keep God's testimonies, and who seek, inquire for and of
God, and who crave Him with their whole heart.11a. In Psalm 119:10, the
psalmist sought the Lord with his whole heart--inquiring for and of God,
and yearning for Him.11b. The psalmist's request of God was, "Oh, let me
not wander or step aside [either in ignorance or willfully] from Your
commandments."11c. In verse 34, the psalmist's promise to God was, "Give
me understanding, that I may keep Your law; yes, I will observe it with my
whole heart." 12. Jesus promised that those who have pure hearts will see
God.13a. If there is nothing in our conscience that accuses us or causes us
to feel guilty or condemned, we have confidence (complete assurance and
boldness) before God and receive from Him whatever we ask.13b. Those of
us who watchfully obey God's orders, follow His plan for us, and practice
what is pleasing to Him receive from Him whatever we ask of Him.14a.
Jesus cautioned us to be careful in what we hear.14b. The measure of
thought and study we give to the truth we hear determines the measure of
virtue and knowledge that we receive from the Lord.15a. When people turn
away from sound and wholesome instruction and develop a desire only for
teaching that is pleasant and gratifying, they seek teachers who satisfy their
own liking and who foster the errors they hold.15b. When people turn aside
from hearing the truth, they wander off into myths and man-made
fictions.16a. We are never to turn to mediums--those who have familiar
spirits--or to wizards.16b. God says that He will set His face against any
person who turns to those with familiar spirits and to wizards. He will cut
that person off from his people so that no atonement can be made for
him.17a. Jesus said that a servant finds it impossible to serve two
masters.17b. This is so because either he will hate the one and love the
other, or he will stand by and be devoted to the one and despise the
other.18a. Immorality (sexual vice), impurity (of lustful, rich, wasteful
living), and greediness should never be named among God's consecrated
people.18b. Filthiness (obscenity, indecency), foolish and sinful (silly and
corrupt) talk, and coarse jesting are "not fitting" for God's people.18c.
Practicing sexual vice, impurity in thought or in deed, and covetousness
(the lustful desire for the property of others and a greediness for gain) can
cause a person not to have any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of
God.19a. We are to attend to God's words.19b. We are to consent to and
submit to His sayings.19c. We are to keep God's words and sayings in sight-
-at the center of our heart.19d. God's words produce life--healing and
health--in us.19e. We are to keep and guard our heart with all vigilance and
above all that we guard.19f. We are to put away from us false and dishonest
speech.19g. We are to put willful and contrary talk far from us.19h. We are
to have a fixed purpose in life and let our gaze be straight before us.19i. We
are to consider well the path of our feet, and let all our ways be established
and ordered aright.19j. We must never walk toward or into evil. 20. As we
continue to look into the Word of God, we are constantly being transfigured
into His very own image in ever increasing splendor--from one degree of
glory to another.Chapter 131a. To be sanctified "through and through"
means to be completely separated from profane things, to be made pure and
wholly consecrated to God.1b. Paul desires our spirit, soul, and body to be
preserved "sound and complete."2a. We are to walk and live habitually in
the Holy Spirit--responsive to, controlled by, and guided by the Spirit.2b. If
we walk and live in the Holy Spirit, we will not gratify the cravings and
desires of the flesh (human nature without God). 3. In this verse, Paul says
the kingdom of God is righteousness (the state that makes a person
acceptable to God), heart peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.4a. To have
"uncircumcised" ears means to be incapable of hearing or obeying God
because the person has never been brought into covenant with God or been
consecrated to His service.4b. To those who have uncircumcised ears, the
Word of God has become a reproach and the object of scorn. They have no
delight in it.5a. Jesus said, "I am able to do nothing from Myself
[independently, of My own accord--but only as I am taught by God and as I
get His orders]."5b. Jesus said His judgment was right, just, and righteous
because He did not seek or consult His own will, desires, goals, or purpose,
but only the will and pleasure of God the Father.6a. Blood was put on the
tip of the priest's right ear so that he would hear clearly and not be
deceived.6b. Blood was put on the thumb of the priest's right hand so that
what he laid his hand to do would be right and blessed.6c. Blood was put on
the big toe of the priest's right foot so that everywhere he went would be
correct and sanctified.6d. We are anointed with the shed blood of Jesus on
our ears, hands, and feet so that we can hear, take action, and go in
directions that are safe and divinely led.7a. By His shed blood, Jesus
formed us into a kingdom (a royal race) of priests to His God and Father.7b.
As the priests of Jesus, we are to give Him the glory, power, majesty, and
dominion that are rightfully His throughout the ages and forever and
ever.8a. According to 1 Corinthians 15:42, the earthly body is perishable
and subject to decay.8b. The resurrected body is imperishable (immune to
decay and immortal).8c. According to verse 43, the earthly body is sown
with dishonor, humiliation, infirmity, and weakness.8d. The resurrected
body is raised with honor, glory, strength, and power.9a. Visible things are
temporal (brief and fleeting).9b. Invisible things are deathless and
everlasting.10a. Those who have departed this life in Christ will rise
first.10b. The living ones who remain on the earth will meet the Lord in the
clouds along with the resurrected dead.10c. We are to remind one another of
this coming event in order to comfort and encourage one another.11a. The
Word that God speaks is alive and full of power.11b. Being sharper than any
two-edged sword, the Word of God penetrates to the dividing line of the
breath of life (soul) and the immortal spirit, and to the dividing of joints and
marrow (referring to the deepest parts of our nature).11c. The Word of God
exposes, sifts, analyzes, and judges the very thoughts and purposes of the
heart.12a. When the Lord is our Shepherd, we do not lack anything we
need.12b. Our Shepherd makes us as His sheep to lie down in fresh, tender,
green pastures.12c. Our Shepherd leads us as His sheep beside still and
restful waters.12d. Our Shepherd refreshes and restores our life (our
self).12e. Our Shepherd leads us as His sheep along the paths of
righteousness (uprightness and right standing with Him). 13. We are to seek
to cultivate our spiritual growth with an attitude of reverence, awe, and
trembling (self-distrust, with serious caution, tenderness of conscience,
watchfulness against temptation, timidly shrinking from whatever might
offend God and discredit the name of Christ). 14. We are to worship God, a
spiritual Being, in spirit and in truth (reality).15a. So we do not come into
temptation, we must keep awake (give strict attention, be cautious and
active), and watch and pray.15b. The flesh is weak.16a. The Spirit of God is
characterized by wisdom, understanding, counsel, might, knowledge, and
reverential and obedient fear of the Lord.16b. The Spirit of God produces
quick understanding in a person, along with a delight in the reverential and
obedient fear of the Lord.17a. As Jesus prayed in the Garden of
Gethsemane, He was very sad and deeply grieved, almost to the point of
dying of sorrow.17b. Even with a sad and deeply grieved soul, Jesus prayed,
"My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass away from Me; nevertheless,
not what I will (not what I desire), but as You will and desire."18a. The
psalmist called to remembrance in the night the song he had sung to
God.18b. The psalmist meditated on the Word of God with his heart.18c.
The psalmist's spirit searched diligently for God's leading.Chapter 141a.
Paul realized that even though all things are permissible and lawful, not all
things are helpful (good for us to do, expedient and profitable when
considered with other things).1b. Paul refused to become the slave of or be
brought under the power of anything.2a. To know God's full plan of
blessing, we need to strip off and throw aside every encumbrance
(unnecessary weight) and every sin that might cling to or entangle us.2b.
We are to run the race God has appointed for us with patient endurance and
steady and active persistence.2c. We are to look continually to Jesus, Who
is the Leader and the Source of our faith, as well as the Finisher of our faith
(bringing it to maturity and perfection).2d. As Jesus endured the shame of
the cross and opposition from sinners, He looked ahead to the joy of
obtaining the prize that was set before Him.2e. This passage calls us to keep
our focus on Jesus and the joy He promises us so that we may not grow
weary or exhausted, lose heart, or relax and faint in our minds.3a. This
passage says that the gaining of wisdom is better than the gaining of silver,
and the profit of wisdom is better than fine gold.3b. This passage says that
wisdom is more precious than rubies.3c. In the person who seeks and gains
understanding from God's Word, wisdom produces length of days, riches
and honor, pleasantness, and peace.4a. After Jesus was crucified and rose
again, Peter, Thomas, Nathanael, the sons of Zebedee (James and John),
and two other disciples decided to go fishing.4b. As He stood on the beach,
Jesus called the disciples and asked them, "You do not have any meat (fish),
do you?"4c. The disciples answered, "No."4d. Jesus told them, "Cast the net
on the right side of the boat and you will find [some]."4e. When the
disciples did what Jesus said to do, they caught such a massive amount of
fish they were not able to haul the net into the boat. 5. God's first words to
mankind that were filled with the promise of blessing were: "Be fruitful,
multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it [using all its vast resources in the
service of God and man]; and have dominion over the fish of the sea, the
birds of the air, and over every living creature that moves upon the
earth."6a. In John 14:15, Jesus said that if we really love Him, we will keep
(obey) His commands.6b. In John 21:15-18, Jesus asked Simon Peter three
times, "Do you love Me?"6c. In John 21:15-18, Simon Peter answered Jesus
three times, "Yes, Lord, You know that I love You."6d. Jesus told Simon
Peter to feed His lambs, shepherd (tend) His sheep, and feed His sheep.6e.
In verse 18, Jesus told Peter the sacrifice he would make for obeying Jesus'
commands: "When you grow old you will stretch out your hands, and
someone else will put a girdle around you and carry you where you do not
wish to go."7a. We are to arm ourselves with the thought and purpose
patiently to suffer rather than fail to please God.7b. The person who is
willing to suffer--if it means pleasing God--spends the rest of his natural life
no longer seeking to gratify his own human appetites and desires, but living
solely to please God and do what God wills. 8. Saul asked Jesus, "Lord,
what do You desire me to do?" 9. According to this passage, John testified
and vouched that his visions were about the Word of God and the testimony
of Jesus Christ. 10. Jesus said that we are to hold the seed of the Word of
God planted in our lives "fast in a just (noble, virtuous) and worthy heart,
and steadily bring forth fruit with patience."11a. God gives us peace that
transcends all understanding.11b. God's peace acts as a garrison or a guard
over our hearts and minds. 12. The peace we have been given by Christ is
intended to rule (act as umpire continually) in our hearts (deciding and
settling with finality all questions that arise in our minds).13a. We are to
seek to live in peace with everybody.13b. We are to pursue consecration and
holiness. 14. The first thing that we are to know as we are still in God's
presence is that He is God--and that He will be exalted in the earth and
among all nations.15a. In this passage, God did not speak to Elijah in
natural occurrences of wind, earthquake, or fire.15b. God did speak to
Elijah in a sound of gentle stillness and in a still, small voice. 16. Jesus told
us, "When you pray, go into your [most] private room, and, closing the
door, pray to your Father, Who is in secret."17a. In verse 20 we are told that
even in adversity and affliction, our eyes will constantly behold our
Teacher.17b. Verse 21 says that we will hear our Teacher tell us: "This is the
way; walk in it."17c. We will then know God's plan as we make
decisions.18a. As a consequence of His power at work in us, the Lord is
able to carry out His purpose for our lives and to do superabundantly, far
over and above anything we dare ask or think.18b. God's power at work in
us allows the Lord to move infinitely beyond even our highest prayers,
desires, thoughts, hopes, or dreams. 19. In this verse, the Lord promises that
He will not fail us, give up on us, or leave us without support. He will not
leave us helpless, forsake us, let us down, or relax His hold on us.20a.
Based on verse 17, the kingdom of God is righteousness (that state which
makes a person acceptable to God), [heart] peace, and joy in the Holy
Spirit.20b. According to verse 18, God regards the person who lives in
righteousness, peace, and joy as acceptable and pleasing to Him and
approved by men.ABOUT THE AUTHORJOYCE MEYER has been
teaching the Word of God since 1976 and in full-time ministry since 1980.
She is the best-selling author of more than fifty inspirational books,
including How to Hear from God, Knowing God Intimately, and Battlefield
of the Mind. She has also released thousands of teaching cassettes and a
complete video library. Joyce's Enjoying Everyday Life radio and television
programs are broadcast around the world, and she travels extensively
conducting conferences. Joyce and her husband, Dave, are the parents of
four grown children and make their home in St. Louis, Missouri.TO
CONTACT THE AUTHOR, PLEASE WRITE:Joyce Meyer Ministries P.O.
Box 655Fenton, MO 63026 or call: (636)349-0303Internet Address:
www.joycemeyer.orgPlease include your testimony or help received from
thisbook when you write. Your prayer requests are welcome.TO CONTACT
THE AUTHOR IN CANADA, PLEASE WRITE:Joyce Meyer Ministries
Canada, Inc.Lambeth Box 1300London, ON N6P 1T5 or call: (636)349-
0303IN AUSTRALIA, PLEASE WRITE:Joyce Meyer Ministries--
AustraliaLocked Bag 77Mansfield Delivery CentreQueensland 4122 or call:
07 3349 1200IN ENGLAND, PLEASE WRITE:Joyce Meyer
MinistriesP.O. Box 1549Windsor SL4 1GTUnited Kingdom or call:
(0)1753-831102OTHER BOOKS BY JOYCE MEYERHow to Hear from
GodKnowing God IntimatelyThe Power of ForgivenessThe Power of
DeterminationThe Power of Being PositiveThe Secrets of Spiritual
PowerThe Battle Belongs to the LordSecrets to Exceptional LivingEight
Ways to Keep the Devil Under Your FeetTeenagers Are People Too!Filled
With the SpiritCelebration of SimplicityThe Joy of Believing PrayerNever
Lose HeartBeing the Person God Made You to BeA Leader in the
Making"Good Morning, This Is God!" Gift Book"Good Morning, This Is
God!" Daily CalendarJesus--Name Above All NamesHelp Me--I'm
Married!Reduce Me to LoveBe Healed in Jesus' NameHow to Succeed at
Being YourselfEat and Stay ThinWeary Warriors, Fainting SaintsLife in the
Word JournalLife in the Word DevotionalBe Anxious for NothingBe
Anxious for Nothing Study GuideStraight Talk on LonelinessStraight Talk
on FearStraight Talk on InsecurityStraight Talk on DiscouragementStraight
Talk on WorryStraight Talk on DepressionStraight Talk on StressDon't
DreadManaging Your EmotionsHealing the Brokenhearted"Me and My Big
Mouth!""Me and My Big Mouth!" Study GuidePrepare to ProsperDo It
Afraid!Expect a Move of God in Your Life . . . Suddenly!Enjoying Where
You Are on the Way to Where You Are GoingThe Most Important Decision
You Will Ever MakeWhen, God, When?Why, God, Why?The Word, the
Name, the BloodBattlefield of the MindBattlefield of the Mind Study
GuideTell Them I Love ThemPeaceThe Root of RejectionBeauty for
AshesIf Not for the Grace of GodIf Not for the Grace of God Study
GuideALSO BY JOYCE MEYERIN PURSUIT OF PEACEPeace is a
priority for God. Therefore it should be a priority for us as well. Indeed, we
are instructed to seek peace with others. But in today's world tranquillity is
hard to come by. If we don't have it ourselves, seeking it with others is an
impossible task.How do we find the calm and quiet we need in our lives? In
her latest book, Joyce Meyer discusses the pursuit of true peace. Journey
with her and learn how to:Be at peace with yourself--and how to make time
for yourself and God Develop a peaceful attitude--and understand God's
importance in your pursuit of peaceEnjoy peaceful relationships--and how
to maintain them Be led by peace--and discover how a peace-filled attitude
affects every aspect of your lifeAnd much more!In IN PURSUIT OF
PEACE Joyce Meyer shows us step-by-step how to live a life of peace, as
God intended. The choice is ours to make, she says. Are you ready?

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