FIVE WAYS TO SHARPEN YOUR HEARING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

1. Speaking in tongues
1Cor 14: 1 – 4, Follow the way of love and eagerly desire gifts of the Spirit, especially
prophecy. 2 For anyone who speaks in a tongue[a] does not speak to people but to God. Indeed,
no one understands them; they utter mysteries by the Spirit. 3 But the one who prophesies speaks
to people for their strengthening, encouraging and comfort. 4 Anyone who speaks in a
tongue edifies themselves, but the one who prophesies edifies the church.
 A person who speaks in tongues strengthens him/herself personally
 He/she speaks to God directly in a heavenly language that only God understands
 Edifying oneself lead to growth in the spirit. Once the spirit man is strengthened, this
leads to a greater influence on the body.
 You become more aware of things in the spiritual realm and what God is saying. You
begin to see pictures, pick the voice and direction of the Holy Spirit.
 When you use the heavenly language, you are sharpened in your hearing.
 The spirit man will be the one praying and the body become unfruitful – 1Cor 14:14
 Speaking in tongues comes after being filled with the Holy Spirit or after baptism in the
Holy Spirit. This baptism comes after an intense hunger for the Holy Spirit, prayer for
Him to come in your life (invitation), laying on of hands from a Spirit filled person etc.
2. Extended prayer
 The relationship with God is not performance based, that is, when you don’t do
something, God is annoyed and stops working
 Extended prayer is deeper prayer and if you want depth, pray for an extended period of
time
 Prayer is like digging a well. Once you begin to pray, you begin digging and casting
away different layers of the flesh, chaos, battles, etc that is embedded on the inside of you
until you reach that water level. But before you do that, you have dug and cast away
tones of layers of soil.
 After reaching the water, the next time may not be as hard as before to reach the water.
 In the beginning, it may take 3hrs, then next time 2hrs, then another time 1hr and it
continues to lessen with consistency.
 Read Luke 6:12 – 16
 Even the Lord spent many hours of prayer just before He chose His disciples – perhaps
one hour for each of them.
 Its through those long hours or moments of prayer that we become keen to hear the voice
of God because our souls have been stilled and we are perfectly tuned to hear the voice of
the Holy Spirit. The flesh has been weakened and the spirit man strengthened.
 Some people cannot afford the extended hours of prayer but God will give them the grace
even in the little time they have to have depth.
 We shouldn’t commit to moments of prayer but to deeper prayer.

3. Fasting – Acts 13;1 – 2, Acts 14:23

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Acts 13: 1 – 2 1 Now in the church at Antioch there were prophets and
teachers: Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen (who had been brought up
with Herod the tetrarch) and Saul. 2 While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the
Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called
them.” 3 So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off.
 Paul and Barnabas had fasted together with the whole Church
 This had weakened the fresh – so they fully detached from it and listening more to the
Spirit.
 Then the instruction came - probably from one of the prophets
 The spiritual hearing had been sharpened with clarity
4. Meditation upon the Word
Josh 1:8, Ps 1:1 -3
 Day and night reflect on the Word of God
 Then through it you will prosper in all that you do.
 Meditating is repeating the truths of God that you have read
 Keep reading, re-reading and repeating or memorizing the Word of God
5. Rest in Christ Mark 4:18 – 19
 Worry drains out God’s Word
 Phil 4:8 – 9, Its possible to fix our thoughts or chose what we think about not like some
people say – “I can’t control what I think about”
 We have to focus on what is noble, adorable, excellent, pure etc.
 What are you thinking about?
 When we doubt, we are also creating an avenue for the devil to steal God’s Word. It’s a
counterfeit for prayer. It takes God’s truths from our lives
 Its difficult to hear God when your are constantly listening to things that deprive you of
God’s truths eg watching pornography, dirty movies, newspapers, in quarrels etc.

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