God doesn't just speak to us as individuals. He also speaks to us corporately.
A team of four couples led one of the church that we started in the UK. Every week that team would meet to hear what God was saying to us. He spoke in many different ways–through Scripture, through prophecy and words of knowledge and wisdom. He spoke through visions and dreams, through tongues and interpretation. He spoke on various different subjects. None of us dared go into that meeting with unconfessed sin because the Holy Spirit would reveal and deal with it. He spoke to us about situations in the church we were part of. He spoke to us about international and national situations. Sometimes He would have us in prayer and intercession about a subject that we would then hear about in the next day's news! They were exciting times.
We are now part of another group that gets together for two or three days every few months with no other purpose than to hear what Jesus wants to say to us. We have had to lay down our own agendas and desires. Again, He is speaking to us about many things. One of the things He has told us is that there are things that we can hear from Him together that we could not hear on our own.
The Lord has an agenda for our times together. It is too easy to schedule the Holy Spirit out of our gatherings. If we will let Him, He will lead us clearly. He is never boring!
4 replies on “Listening to God together”
The really radical thought for me along this line is – what if the agenda for church when it gathers could simply grow out of listening together. This would make church truly “simple church”. Churches could be started by just teaching two people how to hear Jesus as the head of the church. He then directs when and how to study the Word, when to sing, when to reach out, etc. Do we really think that He would do all that was needed for a healthy church if we simply learned how to listen well and obey?
“there are things that we can hear from Him together that we could not hear on our own.”
That’s a thought provoking idea. I’m growing in my understanding and ability to distinguish when and what God is saying to me. He seems to talk to me an awful lot! I wonder what I’d hear if I began to think that maybe listening with others could expand what and how I hear him speaking.
Just think how exciting church would be if we really believed and experienced God speaking to us corporately each week! Why not?
What a concept, Jesus in charge of His Church. Who would have thought?