ICS Daily Devotions
Listening to God

1 John 1:9 (NKJV) If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

In Joyce Hugget’s book “Listening To God”, there are eight different phases of listening to God (the first four phases are covered in part 1 of the devotional). After, the four phases of relaxation and silence, awareness of God’s presence, surrender, and acceptance, the fifth phase is repentance and forgiveness. It is giving God the opportunity to prune or purge us. We are to confess our sins and accept forgiveness from God. God doesn’t want us to dwell on our sins after we confess, but to move on with the fellowship.

The sixth phase is receiving. We are to progress from knowing God intellectually to knowing Him intimately just like the relationship between husband and wife. He comes to us as a bridegroom to His bride (the church). God came to seek for us and is overjoyed when our relationship is restored. He longs for deep fellowship with us. It is in His presence that He pours out His grace, courage, love, peace and strength and makes us aware that we are not alone.

God’s voice comes as an intuition in our hearts, as spontaneous thoughts that are dropped into our hearts or spirits. It lights up our mind from the heart as He directly impresses His thoughts and ideas upon it. The difference between the thoughts from our mind and our heart is that while the former is analytical, the latter is spontaneous. When God speaks, write down the instructions, challenges or directions, and be determined to obey to the best of our abilities. When we listen to God, God speaks, and when we obey, God works.

The seventh phase is praise and thanksgiving. We should give thanks to God for simple things and things we have taken for granted until it becomes a symphony of praise. Finally, the eighth phase is intercession where we ask Him how we can intercede for someone, rather than telling God what we think is best for that person.

We have the privilege of praying alongside Jesus. As His prayer partner, we can learn about the leading of the Holy Spirit when we pray in the Spirit in partnership with the Holy Spirit for someone or for the issues that we are facing.

Hebrews 7:25 (NKJV) Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.

Romans 8:27 (NKJV) Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.

Sermon Series: From the Closet to the Board Room (Part 1) – Listening to God