The Spoken Word: Tuning to Spontaneity

Assignments to be completed

• Prayerfully read Chapter 4 and Appendix A of 4 Keys to Hearing God’s Voice.
• Prayerfully read Chapter 2 and Appendices A, B, and C of Dialogue with God.
• Watch Session 4 of the teaching, following along and taking notes in your LEARN notebook.
• Answer the exercise questions for Lesson 4 found in the Quiz section of the Kairos portal.
• Memorize Isaiah 55:10, 11.
• Each day this week, read the corresponding devotional for that day from Talking with Jesus. Meditate on the words of Jesus, both Logos, and rhema. Take the time to see if there is anything else He wants to say to you specifically from the passages.

Subjects to be explored

• The Spoken Word: Tuning to Spontaneity
• You will quote Isaiah 55:10, 11.

  For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return there without watering the earth, and making it bear and sprout, and furnishing seed to the sower and bread to the eater; So shall My word be which goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me empty, without accomplishing what I desire, and without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.

• You will state the first key to hearing God’s voice.
• You will discuss how the voice of God is experienced and recognized.
• In your own words, discuss the meaning of the two Greek words logos and rhema, and the importance of each in recognizing the Lord’s voice.
• You will state the Hebrew word for true prophecy and discuss how its meaning clarifies your understanding of the voice of God
• You will discuss the differences between “study” and “meditation,” and begin to meditate on God’s Word day and night.
• You will state and discuss the five senses of the spirit (heart), and let the Spirit fill your senses.

Naba & Ziyd

1. 4 Keys so far…

   1. Write out Isaiah 55:10, 11.

      For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return there without watering the earth, and making it bear and sprout, and furnishing seed to the sower and bread to the eater; So shall My word be which goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me empty, without accomplishing what I desire, and without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.

   2. Using what you have learned about the four keys so far, journal about these verses. What does the Lord want to say to you personally, right now, about His promises? Quiet yourself down, see Jesus right there with you and ask Him what He wants to say to you from Isaiah 55:10, 11. Write down the spontaneous thoughts that come into your mind. Do not judge or analyze them as you receive – simply write in faith. After the flow has stopped, you can go back and test them against the Word and the Spirit of God.

      God has spoken through Jesus. The work has been done at the cross, and all debts have been paid entirely by his blood. The covenant God made through Christ is eternal and unchanging. Christ has demonstrated through his resurrection the power of God's redemptive plan.

2. Memorize Key #1 as stated on page 96 of 4 Keys to Hearing God’s Voice:

   Recognize God’s voice as spontaneous thoughts that light upon your mind.

3. In your own words, discuss the meaning of the two Greek words logos and rhema, and the importance of each in recognizing the Lord’s voice.

   Logos expresses the content of the word. Like reading and understanding the Bible, it gives a way to measure truth.

   Rhema expresses the way the message was received. The revelation of God through the Holy Spirit speaks directly to the heart and mind. Rhema refers to the spoken and received by the hearer.

4. In your own words, discuss the meaning of the Hebrew words naba and ziyd, and how they relate to recognizing the voice of God within your heart.

   Naba is the prophetic utterance that comes from spending time with Jesus and receiving revelation from the Holy Spirit.

   Ziyd is a prophetic vision that comes from the self and is false.

5. Recognize God’s thoughts

   1. In your own words, discuss the ways you can recognize God’s thoughts and separate them from your own.

      God's thoughts are spontaneous and not a product of the cognitive or analytical mind. The expression of God's thoughts is conveyed through individuals' personalities and styles of speech. God's thoughts are gentle and ephemeral in character. They are lovingly conveyed, with the power to heal, give wise counsel, and are motivated by grace.

   2. During the next few weeks, deliberately be aware of occasions when you spontaneously receive thoughts which you now recognize as being from the Lord which in the past you would have accepted as being from your own mind or abilities. Keep a record of them.

6. In your own words, discuss the differences between “study” and “meditation.”

   Study uses one hemisphere of the brain to acquire knowledge. Meditation uses all five senses of the spirit to be filled with rhema, and receives revelation knowledge that comes from the Holy Spirit.

7. State, learn and begin to use the seven steps (prayers) of biblical meditation (4KTHGV p. 116).

   1. Lord, cleanse me by Your blood
   2. Lord, grant me a teachable attitude
   3. Lord, I will not use my faculties myself
   4. Lord, I pray that the eyes of my heart might be enlightened
   5. Lord, I present the abilities to reason to imagine to You to fill and flow through by Your Spirit
   6. Lord, show me the solution to the specific problem I am facing
   7. Thank You, Lord, for what You have shown me

8. Five senses

   1. Discuss and learn the five senses of the spirit (heart).

      The ears of my heart are my whole attention tuned to God's word. The eyes of my heart are for seeing the visions of what I'm reading as the Holy Spirit makes them come alive. The mind of my heart is longing for revelations. The Will of my heart is my desire to obey all of God's will. Emotions of my heart are my emotion stirred into action for greater insights through the Holy Spirit.

   2. Can you recognize times in your life when you have actively used these heart senses? Describe the occasion and experience.o

      These emotions (not exactly as described) are intrinsic to my experience as an introspective individual. At times during worship, I enter into a realm where God's presence is so overwhelming, there are no words that I can describe it. Saint Teresa of Avila's transverberation might come closest in verbal articulation.

9. As instructed at the top of page 122 of 4 Keys to Hearing God’s Voice, meditate on each of the uses of rhema listed. Record the results of your meditations.

   The life of Christ within a believer will produce fruits that please the Father. Abundant life comes from the True Vine, which the believer is grafted in. Every branch in Christ will be knitted to Him by God's grace and power. The spiritual sap that flows from Christ nourishes and satisfies the believer's soul. The Holy Spirit brings to mind the teaching of the Lord, producing faith, hope, and love.

10. Complete the Personal Application – Bible Meditation Exercise on page 132 at the end of Chapter 4 of 4 Keys to Hearing God’s Voice.

    Lord, please show me where the river within me comes from, what it feels like within me. What is this flow designed to produce? What will the effects of what is produced? How important is it to live out of this river? What happens if I neglect the river and live out self’s initiative? And Lord, is there anything else You want to show me in this biblical medication?

    The river of life is my Son Jesus, a wellspring of life within you. It is life, peace, and yearning for the day of His appearance. As this river flows, the world becomes more distant as the cross draws nearer. I will lead you along the river, not your efforts nor your strivings, but by my love and grace, I will lead you.