Throw the First PunchSample

Listening prayer is an important skill in spiritual warfare. It’s how God can alert us to enemy activity of which we would otherwise be unaware. Only God can see the unseen, and being still before Him and listening to Him are like putting on night vision goggles. Suddenly, what’s in the dark is illuminated.

As my friends prayed over me, one of them shared a vision of a five-speed car stuck in fifth gear. That gear is ideal for going fast, but you can’t park or change lanes in fifth gear; it limits your versatility to stay in the same gear all the time. As we prayed over that image, I realized I was valuing fast over all else and missing out on some of what God wanted me to do (tricky “driving” required more finesse than I was allowing).

I had been believing lies, I had unconfessed sin, and it came to light when I sat quietly before the Lord.

When was the last time you asked God for wisdom? What was the result?

How do you make time to listen to God? What is something you sense He’s telling you now?

We can hear from God through Scripture and in our worship. We can hear from Him through other people and by sitting quietly in prayer. We may see an image, or have a dream, or experience Him in nature. We will recognize when He speaks to us if we’re listening. Jesus says we are His sheep, and we can follow our Shepherd because we recognize His voice. “The gatekeeper opens the gate for [Jesus], and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice” (John 10:3–4).

There are a lot of voices calling to us, but Jesus says His sheep won’t follow voices they don’t recognize. “They will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice” (v. 5).

What voices influence you?

How do you hear God’s voice?

If I could see the hills around me, how would that change how I walk through life? Psalm 68:17 says, “The chariots of God are myriads, thousands upon thousands” (NASB). Do I believe they have been dispatched to provide and protect me as I engage in cosmic battle?

Listening Prayer

Take a few minutes in prayer.

1. Come to God and be specific: What are you asking Him? You can use this time to repeat Scripture, remembering His promise to listen.

2. Tell Him with the authority you have as a co-heir with Jesus, that you ask Him to bind any enemy activity around you.

3. Wait in silence. Use a journal, or sit quietly, but most importantly, be still.

4. Write down any verse, image, or song that comes to mind. Sit with it for a minute, then ask God for further insight.

5. Sometimes what I hear from God I feel compelled to share with others; sometimes it’s just for me and Him. Ask Him what He wants you to do with what you’ve heard.

Lord, I want to hear from You. Teach me to listen for Your voice and to have the courage to obey. Amen.