Gathering to Listen #6

The “listening group” attempts to meet together two to three times per year for two to three days at a time.  The people involved have apostolic and/or prophetic gifting, many with a national or international calling on their lives.  We have learned much during our times together.  Here are some characteristics of what we have seen—in no order of priority:

• The location sometimes plays an important part in what happens when we come together—for example, Globe. 
• We have prayed about national and international situations.
• God gives us spiritual intelligence that we are to act upon. Corporate obedience is key. Often we have been led to perform a prophetic act that symbolizes what we are praying about. Sometimes we have done this all together. For example, in Globe on the site of the medicine wheel, we formed a circle, facing outwards, and prayed blessing instead of curses over the land. Other times two or three people have been sent out from the group to perform that act.
• Angels have appeared to some in the group.  God has given us instructions as to what to speak to them or ask them to do. 
• We have often been made aware of demonic activity and shown how to deal with it. 
• Dreams and visions play an important role in how God speaks to us.
• At all times, gathering to listen has been an exercise in willingness.  For most of us, having the resources to get together (time, money and energy) has always been a challenge.  Moreover, being willing to live in a place of surrender is a constant growth edge for us that spills over into our gathering times.  We have all been dramatically changed by our times together.

Our gatherings have not always run smoothly. When we use human strategy to understand what God is saying and what we should do as a result, we find ourselves talking endlessly and getting nowhere—until someone suggests that we listen to the Lord again.  Transparency in our dealings with each other is essential.  Any conflicts have to be brought into the open and dealt with thoroughly at the foot of the cross.