© 2003, Mark and Jane Burlinson, Releasers of Destiny, 2041 Woodlawn Drive, Conway, SC 29526. www.releasersofdestiny.org

Scripture taken from the New American Standard Bible, © Copyright The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 Used by permission.

Credit: The teaching in this series has grown out of the writing and teaching of Dr. Mark Virkler. His book “Communion With God,” available from Communion With God Ministries, www.cwgministries.org, is an invaluable resource for those learning to hear God’s voice.

Chapter One How do I Hear God's Voice?

Many Christians do not believe that they can hear God personally, intimately, continually. How did hear His Father’s voice? John 12:49 For I did not speak on My own initiative, but the Father Himself who sent Me has given Me a commandment as to what to say and what to speak. John 15:15 No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you. John 14:10 Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on My own initiative, but the Father abiding in Me does His works.

The Importance of Hearing God's Voice: John 10:7 & 9 So Jesus said to them again, Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. John 10:10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly. Satan's objective is to steal, kill and destroy (by lying - Genesis 3:4). Jesus came that we may have abundant life. To whom are we listening? John 10:11, 10:14 & 10:27 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.

I am the good shepherd; and I know My own, and my own know Me. My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. Jesus is our shepherd. If we are his sheep we should hear his voice—it is an inseparable part of being a child of God:

How Can I Hear God speak?

Quiet myself: Psalm 46:10 “Cease striving and know that I am God; “

Focus on Father or Jesus: John 5:19-20 Therefore Jesus answered and was saying to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, unless it is something He sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in like manner. “ For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself is doing; and the Father will show Him greater works than these, so that you will marvel.

Tune to spontaneous flow of thoughts: John 7:37-39 “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.’” But this He spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive; for the Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.

Journal: Habakkuk 2:1-2 I will stand on my guard post and station myself on the rampart; and I will keep watch to see what He will speak to me, and how I may reply when I am reproved. Then the LORD answered me and said, “ Record the vision and inscribe it on tablets, that the one who reads it may run. This process of writing down what we sense God is showing us is perhaps the biggest key to freedom in hearing God’s voice. By writing we are giving our rational minds something to work at so they can stop analyzing what we are receiving. Interruptions from our rational minds can greatly hinder our receiving what God wants to show us. There is also a safeguard in writing down what we hear from God - we can check it against scripture to test it and we can remember what God said

Safeguard: Spiritual covering. Ephesians 5:17-21 So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord; always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father; and be subject to one another in the fear of Christ. Hebrews 13:17 Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with grief, for this would be unprofitable for you. A relationship of friendship, not authority. Submit to someone who is: a close friend with solid biblical orientation sensitive to the voice of willing to commit to the friendship (a shepherd who is willing to lay down their life for the sheep). They also need to be submitted themselves. They read what you've written and ask God “Is this consistent with Your heart of love for Your children and with all You have written in scripture?” This is not about ‘shepherding’.

Chapter Two Hearing Aids

What Might Be Hindering Me Hearing?: a) Rationalism Rationalism is a key paradigm in western thought and it resists hearing God speak. Rationalism says “True reality is the physical world” and “Reality is perceived through the mind”. The table below compares rationalism and God’s truth. Rationalism says: God’s truth is: True reality is the physical world True reality is the spiritual world Reality is perceived through the mind Reality is perceived through the spirit My goal is to develop my mind My goal is to develop my spirit I live out of what my mind is telling I live out of what my spirit is telling me me My mind directs me through My spirit directs me through calculated, cognitive and analytical spontaneous, flowing thoughts that thoughts are placed in it by the Spirit of God My mind is cultivated by using it in My spirit is cultivated by using it in academic study communication with God Direction is received from my spirit by waiting quietly upon the Lord, Direction is received from the mind allowing Him to spontaneously inject by analysis of stored knowledge into my heart His thoughts, burdens and visions Out of the mind flows logos - the Out of the spirit flows rhema - what written, recorded Word God is speaking to me at that moment A Christian with a developed spirit A Christian who has only developed flows with the power of the Spirit and his mind, flows with a knowledge of is grounded in a knowledge of the the logos logos b) Relying only on logos and neglecting rhema logos is: the written word in scripture. the fullness of spoken words forming the Christian proclamation in the . rhema is: uttering or speaking out something specific. This is the role of the Spirit of God. Matthew 4:4 Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word (rhema) that proceeds out of the mouth of God. We need both rhema and logos. Logos gives us: an absolute standard against which to measure all ‘truth’. a safeguard to keep us from error. our instruction manual for life. Rhema is: the interaction of the individual with God. the effective speaking of God in our lives. the way God gives us and sets us free. Jesus did nothing on His own initiative, only that which He saw and heard the Father doing. John 5:19-20, 30 Therefore Jesus answered and was saying to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, unless it is something He sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in like manner. “For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself is doing; and the Father will show Him greater works than these, so that you will marvel. “I can do nothing on My own initiative. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is just, because I do not seek My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.

Rhema gives us: Productivity Luke 5:5 Simon answered and said, “ Master, we worked hard all night and caught nothing, but I will do as You say and let down the nets.” Effective ministry John 3:34 For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God; for He gives the Spirit without measure. Life John 6:63 “ It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life. Authority John 14:10 “Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on My own initiative [authority], but the Father abiding in Me does His works. Relationship John 8:47 “ He who is of God hears the words of God; for this reason you do not hear them, because you are not of God.” Fullness of desire John 15:7 “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. Faith Romans 10:17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ. c) Wrong focus Idol: anything that is our focus above Jesus. Ezekiel 14:4 “Therefore speak to them and tell them, 'Thus says the Lord GOD, “Any man of the house of Israel who sets up his idols in his heart, puts right before his face the stumbling block of his iniquity, and then comes to the prophet, I the LORD will be brought to give him an answer in the matter in view of the multitude of his idols, If I come to God with my focus on an issue and with my preconceived answers on that issue still in my heart, the answer I get from God will be in line with my answers. If I come as a living sacrifice and lay down my issues and my answers, I am free to receive God's will through His rhema to me. The key is that intuitive flow comes out of the vision I am holding before the eyes of my heart. So if I fix my eyes on Jesus He is the author and finisher of my faith. My received rhema will be pure. When we pray we must see Jesus as one who is MUCH LARGER than the issue we are praying about.

What helps me hear? a) Filter out noise Outer noise – away from children, turn off TV, use the early morning if necessary! Inner noise – • Thoughts of things to do – write them down • Thoughts of sin – confess them and clothe yourself with the robe of righteousness. Use 1 John 1:9. • Mind flitting about – focus on a vision of Jesus with you • Need to get in touch with your heart – Begin singing and listening to the spontaneous song bubbling up from your heart. • Need more time – use time during automatic activities (driving, showering, exercising, dishes).

b) Use imagination, pictures and music Anything that helps me move to my right brain helps me tune in to spontaneous flow

Which side is toward rationalism? Which side is toward receiving a revelation of God’s truth? Note 1: God made us with both hemispheres – both are needed. We receive with the right and check with the left. Note 2: this is not idolatry: The second commandment refers to making up your image of God (asah = make from what is already there, pesel = image, from pasal – to carve). In other words the commandment forbids gathering together what I find around me and, by my wisdom, shaping something that represents God. It does not forbid me picturing God as revealed in scripture. It is the difference between looking at your eyeglasses and using them to look at someone else.

Idolatry or Imagining?

Idolatry: Imagining:

GOAL Use the image as a stepping Worship the image stone into divine flow

ACTION Idol remains dead Divine flow is prompted

PRAYER Never pray to image; Pray to idol communicate with God as divine flow is activated

PURPOSE To focus one’s heart before To worship the thing God

AUTHORIZED God (Exodus 25:18 – images in BY Man the holy of holies; Hebrews 12:2 Looking to Jesus)

ATTITUDE OF Proud Humble HEART

CONTROL Manipulation Watching God in action

SECOND Carve your own ideas into Take what God has shown and COMMAND- what you can find around you focus on it MENT

c) Trust God, Accept what comes to your heart and test it later. See Acts 17:1-15. The Thessalonians heard Paul’s teaching and were already rejecting it in their hearts, so they looked to divide and prove it wrong. That approach closes me down to hearing Holy Spirit. The Bereans heard with prothumia (readiness of mind) – literally “ready to get excited about it or run with it”. They looked to reconcile what they heard with what they already knew, and that opened them up to hearing.

Is This Image From Self, satan, or God?

SELF SATAN GOD

Find Its Origin (Test the Spirit – John 4:1)

Born in mind. A living flow of pictures A flashing image. A painting of a picture. coming from the innermost Was mind empty or idle? being. Does image seem Was your inner being obstructive? quietly focused on Jesus?

Examine Its Content (Test the Ideas – 1 John 4:5)

A painting of things I have Negative, destructive, learned. pushy, fearful, accusative, Instructive, upbuilding, violates nature of God, comforting. violates Word of God, Vision accepts testing. Image is afraid to be tested. Appeals to ego.

Seeing Its Fruit (Test the Fruit – Matthew 7:15)

Variable Quickened faith, power, Fear, compulsion, peace, good fruit, bondage, anxiety, enlightenment, confusion, inflated ego. knowledge, humility.

d) Journal and submit your journaling to two friends Journaling builds faith because I can receive from God freely because I am not always hesitating and testing what He says to me. Submitting my journaling, especially before I take any action on it, is my safeguard. Hebrews 11:6 And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him. James 1:5-8 But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. e) Let prayer and Bible study come from relationship Prayer: Ephesians 6:18 With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, 1 Thessalonians 5:16-21 Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. Do not quench the Spirit; do not despise prophetic utterances. But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good; Do those sound like the kind of relationship with God we have been talking about? John 16:26-27 “In that day you will ask in My name, and I do not say to you that I will request of the Father on your behalf; for the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me and have believed that I came forth from the Father. Bible study: John 14:23-26 Jesus answered and said to him, “ If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him. “He who does not love Me

does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine, but the Father's who sent Me. “These things I have spoken to you while abiding with you. “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you. Not me to God, but Holy Spirit initiating and forming prayer which is birthed in my heart and carried to the Father by Jesus interceding for me. “Prayer is being caught in the movement of God” – Mark Virkler. Intercession (Heb: paga) means an accidental intersection. It is often translated “meeting”. This is the significance of our third key – spontaneity – spontaneous thoughts, breathed by God, light on (meet, paga) our hearts and minds.

Chapter Three Knowing God’s Heart

When we give ourselves to the process of communing with God regularly we will begin to build a much closer relationship with Him. • Friendships wither if we don't talk. • Breakdown of communication can be a death sentence to a marriage relationship.

Jesus knew God’s Heart Examples of the close relationship between Jesus and Father God: • Jesus goes out early, spends time alone with His Father and then changes direction to stay focused on His calling. Mark 1:35-38 In the early morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house, and went away to a secluded place, and was praying there. Simon and his companions searched for Him; they found Him, and said to Him, “Everyone is looking for You.” He said to them, “Let us go somewhere else to the towns nearby, so that I may preach there also; for that is what I came for.” • Jesus chooses His apostles after praying all night to His Father. Luke 6:12-13 It was at this time that He went off to the mountain to pray, and He spent the whole night in prayer to God. And when day came, He called His disciples to Him and chose twelve of them, whom He also named as apostles: • In another mountain-top conversation, Father God joins in, interrupting Peter's nervous good ideas! Luke 9:28-36 Some eight days after these sayings, He took along Peter and John and James, and went up on the mountain to pray. And while He was praying, the appearance of His face became different, and His clothing became white and gleaming. And behold, two men were talking with Him; and they were Moses and Elijah, who, appearing in glory, were speaking of His

departure which He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. Now Peter and his companions had been overcome with sleep; but when they were fully awake, they saw His glory and the two men standing with Him. And as these were leaving Him, Peter said to Jesus, “ Master, it is good for us to be here; let us make three tabernacles: one for You, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah”- - not realizing what he was saying. While he was saying this, a cloud formed and began to overshadow them; and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. Then a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “ This is My Son, My Chosen One; listen to Him!”

Communication is key to intimacy and obedience John 14:7-8 “If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; from now on you know Him, and have seen Him.” Philip said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” “Known” is not just “known about” or even “met” but ginosko - “to know intimately through relationship and union”

Ginosko – to know. Strong’s # NT:1097 “to be taking in knowledge, to come to know, recognize, understand,” or “to understand completely,” In the NT ginosko frequently indicates a relation between the person “knowing” and the object known; in this respect, what is “known” is of value or importance to the one who knows, and hence the establishment of the relationship, such “knowledge” is obtained, not by mere intellectual activity, but by operation of the Holy Spirit consequent upon acceptance of Christ. The verb is also used to convey the thought of connection or union, as between man and woman. (from Vine's Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words, Copyright (c)1985, Thomas Nelson Publishers)

Why was this so foundational for Jesus? He gives us the secret in John 8:28-29 So Jesus said, “When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know [ginosko] that I am He, and I do nothing on My own initiative, but I speak these things as the Father taught Me. “And He who sent Me is with Me; He has not left Me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to Him.” His conversations with His Father were all about intimacy, submission and obedience. Jesus lived to hear what His Father wanted and do it. And we see the result of that intimacy in the next verse – As He spoke these things, many came to believe in Him. So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “ If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” Many were drawn to belief in Jesus by His close relationship with His Father, and He offers them the same closeness - which brings freedom. God has always desired this intimacy with us. (See the Appendix “God Desires Intimacy” at the end of this manual.) In John 14:23-26, Jesus shows how He, Father and Holy Spirit are all intimately involved in this relationship with us. Jesus answered and said to him, “ If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him. “He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine, but the Father's who sent Me. “These things I have spoken to you while abiding with you. “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.

Obedience flows more easily from intimacy Hearing God’s voice helps us receive a revelation of Father God’s love, and our revelation of Father God’s love will help us hear His voice. Hearing God's Voice means that we will know Father God's Heart - loving us, setting us free, making us attractive to those who want to believe in Jesus and even doing miracles - through listening and obeying. John 14:10-11 “Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on My own initiative, but the Father abiding in Me does His works. “Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me; otherwise believe because of the works themselves. John 14:12-14 “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I go to the Father. “ Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. “If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it.

The promise of greater works, where Jesus will do anything we ask in His name, is in the context of the intimacy of communing with Him. So let's begin to hear His voice, so we can know His heart, and do His will! Appendix—God Desires Intimacy

God is love, and made us in His image for fellowship with Him Genesis 1:26 Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; 1 John 4:8 He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. Genesis 3:8-9 And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden. Then the LORD God called to Adam and said to him, “Where are you?”

Abraham was called the friend of God James 2:23 And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” And he was called the friend of God.

God’s desire in giving the Law was that Israel listen to Him Hebrews 12:18-26 For you have not come to the mountain that may be touched and that burned with fire, and to blackness and darkness and tempest, and the sound of a trumpet and the voice of words, so that those who heard it begged that the word should not be spoken to them anymore. (For they could not endure what was commanded: “And if so much as a beast touches the mountain, it shall be stoned or shot with an arrow.” And so terrifying was the sight that Moses said, “I am exceedingly afraid and trembling.”) But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels, to the General assembly and of the firstborn who are registered in heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect, to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel. See that you do not refuse Him who speaks. For if they did not escape who refused Him who spoke on earth, much more shall we not escape if we turn away from Him who speaks from heaven,

David was called a man after God’s own heart Acts 13:22-23 And when He had removed him, He raised up for them David as king, to whom also He gave testimony and said, 'I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My own heart, who will do all My will.'

Jesus valued intimate friendship above other activity Luke 10:38-42 Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus' feet and heard His word. But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me.” And Jesus answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.” John 11:5 Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. John 13:1 Now before the feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that His hour had come that He should depart from this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end. John 13:23 Now there was leaning on Jesus' bosom one of His disciples, whom Jesus loved.

Paul desired fellowship with Jesus, even to the point of suffering Philippians 3:10 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings,

Eternal life is knowing Father God and Jesus John 17:3 And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. The commandments, the law and the prophets are fulfilled by intimate, self-sacrificing friendship with God and one another Matthew 22:37-40 “ 'You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.' This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.” John 15:12-15 This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends. You are My friends if you do whatever I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you.

Holy Spirit’s role is to build friendship between us and God John 16:13-14 However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you.

Jesus prayed that we would share the intimacy of the Trinity John 17:20-26 “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me. Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world. O righteous Father! The world has not known You, but I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me. And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it, that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.”

Jesus has gone to prepare a place for us in His Father’s house John 14:2-3 In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.

The culmination of everything is us dwelling with God and He with us Revelation 21:3 And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. Bibliography

Communion With God by Dr. Mark Virkler, published by Destiny Image, 1990, ISBN: 1560430125. Experiencing the Father’s Embrace by Jack Frost, Destiny Image, 2006, ISBN: 0768423481 The Divine Romance by Gene Edwards, Tyndale House, 1993, ISBN: 0842310924 The Truth Will Set You Free (teaching series with manual) by Mark and Jane Burlinson, Releasers of Destiny, 843-347-6408, www.releasersofdestiny.org