The simplicity of hearing God

The simplicity of hearing God

Oct 18, 2026 | 0 comments

Episode Description:

Sometimes we make things harder than they need to be. This can happen with hearing God. We can believe that it is hard to hear God, or that we can’t hear Him. Join us as we share our thoughts and experiences, along with some principles to keep in mind.

Episode Notes:

First Principle: Fall in love with Jesus

  • Hearing God means recognising His voice and the ways He tries to get your attention.
  • Sometimes you may be in a relationship with someone, but not in love with them.
  • When you love someone, you want to spend time with them. You can recognise their voice across a room full of people, or if your eyes are blindfolded. You may not be able to see God physically, but you can still recognise His voice.
  • Episode 3 – the different voices we can hear.
  • Episode 4 – the different ways God talks to us.
  • How far away do you see God right now? Is He in the same room as you, behind you, beside you, in a different room, etc.?
  • Gary shares tips for falling in love with Jesus, namely, spend time with Him. Talk to God. Listen to Him. Read His Word. Look at God’s attributes and focus on the one most helpful to you now.

Second Principle: Pause

  • Take a breath. Relax. Pause and allow God to speak. Live in a rush with instant everything – food, gratification, etc.
  • Do we expect God to speak to us?
  • Do we allow God time and space to speak to us?
  • Gary shares what pausing looks like for him. He shares about disconnecting from his phone, people, business/work and allowing minimal distractions by closing his eyes and putting in EarPods while he tries to tune into God.

Third Principle: Quiet the noise externally and internally

  • To hear and recognise it is God, we need to be able to hear His voice.
  • Episode 123 – Quiet the noise externally and internally.
  • Block out/minimalise external and internal noise so we can hear God’s voice.
  • Gary shares practical examples of what he does to quiet the noise.

Summary:

  1. Fall in love with Jesus.
  2. Pause
  3. Quiet the noise externally and internally.

Prophetic activation:

Turn your heart and thoughts to Father God and ask Him:

  • “God, what do You like the most about my daily life, and why?”

Time Stamps:

[0:37] – Gary & Jane share how they have heard God this week.

[5:35] – First Principle: Fall in love with Jesus.

[11:16] – Second Principle: Pause.

[13:35] – Third Principle: Quiet the noise externally and internally.

[16:34] – Summary.

[17:01] – Prophetic activation.

[17:51] – Gary & Jane share a prophetic word for a listener.

[20:08] – Gary prays for you.

Resources / Links Mentioned:

Bible Verses Mentioned:

  • Psalm 46:10
  • Isaiah 61:1-3

Connect with Gary & Jane:

Support the show:

  • Please share this podcast with someone who would value hearing from God.
  • Follow and leave a rating + review on your favourite podcast listening app.
  • If God is leading you to donate or support the show in any way, please visit https://buymeacoffee/garyandjanM Thank you so much.
Episode 130: Why do some people hear God and others don’t?

Episode 130: Why do some people hear God and others don’t?

Oct 11, 2026 | 0 comments

Episode Description:

Have you ever heard God’s voice? If you haven’t, why do you think that is? Why do some people hear God and others don’t? Join us as we share our thoughts and experiences, along with some principles to keep in mind.

Episode Notes:

  • Gary shares why he believes some people hear God and others don’t. Sometimes we are so busy dealing with issues that we feel overwhelmed, and we don’t actually ask God. We can also be distracted. We may even think something is wrong with us.

First Principle: Our expectation that God wants to, and is, speaking to us.

  • Can I say upfront that if you haven’t heard God speaking to you, it is not because you are not good enough. Don’t let Satan trip you up with guilt, etc.
  • Relates to our identity in God.
  • Episode 70 “Can anyone hear God?” – Muslims in their dreams. Don’t have to be a Christian. A donkey in Numbers 22:21-34 heard God.
  • John 5:37-40 – you have never heard his voice for you or seen him because you don’t believe him, and then especially verses 39-40: “You have your heads in your Bibles constantly because you think you’ll find eternal life there. But you miss the forest for the trees. These Scriptures are all about me! And here I am, standing right before you, and you aren’t willing to receive from me the life you say you want.”
  • Sometimes it’s about perspective.
  • We have the right and the privilege of hearing God’s voice.
  • 1 Corinthians 2:9-16 – the Spirit of God in us helps us understand.
  • Ephesians 4:23 – to be made new in the spirit/attitude of our mind.

Second Principle: Recognising how God is speaking to us.

  • Often, we don’t realise that God wants to speak to us. We may have grown up in the church and faithfully have a Quiet Time, pray, serve, etc but don’t recognise God speaking to us.
  • Episode 112 – What if I don’t recognise it’s God?
  • Episode 4 – The Different ways God talks to us.
  • Episode 3 – The different voices we may hear.
  • Episodes 8 & 9 How can I grow in my ability to hear God?
  • Episode 11 What to do when I can’t hear God?
  • Episode 13 – Recognising how God speaks
  • Episode 16 – How else can God speak to me?
  • Episode 67 – What’s the best way to hear God?
  • Parable of the seeds and weeds Matt 13:1-9; Mark 4:2-9; and Luke 8:4-15. Four different places the ‘seed’ lands –
    • Hard ground/path – birds eat it. Closed to things of God.
    • Rocky ground – shallow roots, give up
    • Thorny ground – crowded out with weeds, things of this world.
    • Good soil – fertile ground, different amounts of crops
  • Ephesians 1:17-19 “I pray the eyes of your heart may be enlightened.”
  • We don’t have to be special to hear God. The Pharisees knew all the rules but never heard God’s voice. It’s about our heart posture.
  • Abraham in Genesis 12:1-3 – heard God say Leave your family and go to this land. Why didn’t other people around him hear God?
  • Moses saw physical evidence of God (Exodus 3), e.g., the burning bush – stopped and turned aside to watch the strange phenomenon – had time/margin in his life plus acknowledged something strange. Why didn’t others around that time hear and see God?

Third Principle: Our lifestyle to allow time to recognise God speaking to us

  • We may be unaware of how God can speak to us.
  • We may be living such a busy life or distracted that we don’t pay attention.
  • Romans 8:5. Is our attention on the flesh or the things of God?
  • Colossians 3:1-2 commands us to set our hearts on the things above and not to get absorbed in earthly things. Yes, there is a balance here – we need to live in this world but not let the world live in us. Don’t let competing voices take over our time and thought life.
  • Romans 12:2 – don’t conform to the patterns of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.
  • To guard the heart: Proverbs 4:23 “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” Other translations, because it is the wellspring of life.
  • Look at how your brain is wired, how it works, your giftings and strengths.
  • Make time and space. Quiet the noise externally and internally.
  • Episode 123 “Which voice is louder?”
  • John 10:10 “I have come that you may have life and have life to the full.”
  • John 10:2-16: We can hear God clearly and know God’s voice. It’s all about intimacy and relationship.
  • Do we position ourselves?
  • Do we tune into the right channel? Dial into the right frequency?
  • Our desire and readiness play a huge part too.

Summary:

  1. Our expectation that God is speaking to us.
  2. Recognising how God is speaking to us.
  3. Our lifestyle to allow time to recognise God speaking to us.

Prophetic activation:

Turn your heart and thoughts to Father God and ask Him:

  • “God, if I were an animal or a bird, what animal or bird would I be, and why?”

Time Stamps:

[0:40] – Gary & Jane share how they have heard God this week.

[4:19] – Introduction.

[5:28] – First Principle: Our expectation that God wants to, and is, speaking to us.

[8:33] – Second Principle: Recognising how God is speaking to us.

[14:09] – Third Principle: Our lifestyle to allow time to recognise God speaking to us.

[18:21] – Summary.

[18:51] – Prophetic activation.

[19:46] – Gary & Jane share a prophetic word for a listener.

[21:57] – Gary prays for you.

Resources / Links Mentioned:

Bible Verses Mentioned:

  • Psalm 46:10
  • Numbers 22:21-34
  • John 5:37-40
  • 1 Corinthians 2:9-16
  • Ephesians 4:23
  • Matthew 13:1-9
  • Mark 4:2-9
  • Luke 8:4-15
  • Ephesians 1:17-19
  • Genesis 12:1-3
  • Exodus 3
  • Romans 8:5
  • Colossians 3:1-2
  • Romans 12:2
  • Proverbs 4:23
  • John 10:2-16

Connect with Gary & Jane:

Support the show:

  • Please share this podcast with someone who would value hearing from God.
  • Follow and leave a rating + review on your favourite podcast listening app.
  • If God is leading you to donate or support the show in any way, please visit https://buymeacoffee/garyandjanM Thank you so much.
Episode 129: How do I know if I’ve prayed enough?

Episode 129: How do I know if I’ve prayed enough?

Oct 4, 2026 | 0 comments

Episode Description:

How do you know when you have prayed enough about a certain issue? How does hearing God relate to knowing if you’ve prayed enough about that issue? Join us as we share our experience and some principles to keep in mind.

Episode Notes:

Background:

  • Earlier this year, a friend asked me the question, “How do I know if I have prayed enough about this medical issue I have in relation to hearing from God? When do I just leave it to God?”
  • Luke 18:1-8: the parable of the persistent widow.
  • Episode 122 – God never answered my prayer. (Looked at disappointment with God)
  • Episode 127 – Contending for your situation with what you’ve heard God say.
  • A word of caution: We are not experts, just fellow travellers. Ultimately, it is a step of faith.
  • It’s a lie when we think, “If only I had prayed more, this ‘bad’ thing wouldn’t have happened. Eg Mum dying of cancer.

First Principle: When you have peace.

  • Philippians 4:6-7 “And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”
  • Message version: “Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the centre of your life.”
  • Galatians 5:19-22: fruits of the Spirit and the flesh. Guilt and worry are from the enemy, NOT from God.
  • Gary shared what trusting God and God’s peace look like for him, especially in relation to hearing God.
  • Sometimes you need to do a prophetic act.
  • Gary shared about putting your prayers on a platter and giving the platter to God.

Second Principle: When you feel a shift and no longer feel a need to pray.

  • I felt God telling me to pray for a certain leader back in 2016. I did not enjoy praying for this person. Thankfully, after 3 months, the burden lifted. A shift occurred. It didn’t seem like anything in the external had changed. But 10 years later, there has suddenly been a massive change. I don’t know if my prayers made any difference, but the outcome has been what I was praying for.
  • My friend felt a shift in emotion regarding her medical issue. Initial frantic praying. Then a peace, but then frantic again whenever she had spare time on her hands. Then felt God say, “I’ve got it in my hands.”

Third Principle: Ask God

  • It’s about relationship, not rules.
  • Intimacy is the goal.
  • There are no formulas with God, but there are some methods that work more effectively, e.g., Josh hearing about the RAAF and the young guy hearing about the Police Force.
  • Traffic lights – no, not yet, or yes.
  • Are you a ‘random’ prayer?

Summary: Hearing God about how do I know when I have prayed enough?

  1. When you have peace.
  2. When you feel a shift and no longer feel the need to pray.
  3. Ask God.

Prophetic activation:

Turn your heart and thoughts to Father God and ask Him:

  • “God, is there an area in my life I need to give over to You and not worry about, to leave in Your hands, to almost not even pray about anymore?”

Time Stamps:

[0:43] – Gary & Jane share how they have heard God this week.

[4:51] – Background to this episode.

[7:17] – First Principle: When you have peace.

[10:38] – Second Principle: When you feel a shift and no longer feel a need to pray.

[13:35] – Third Principle: Ask God.

[16:26] – Summary

[16:51] – Prophetic activation.

[17:54] – Gary & Jane share a prophetic word for a listener.

[20:11] – Gary prays for you.

Resources / Links Mentioned:

Bible Verses Mentioned:

  • Luke 18:1-8
  • Philippians 4:6-7
  • Galatians 5:19-22

Connect with Gary & Jane:

Support the show:

  • Please share this podcast with someone who would value hearing from God.
  • Follow and leave a rating + review on your favourite podcast listening app.
  • If God is leading you to donate or support the show in any way, please visit https://buymeacoffee/garyandjanM Thank you so much.
Episode 128: Hearing God about praying for big events

Episode 128: Hearing God about praying for big events

Sep 27, 2026 | 0 comments

Episode Description:

What do you pray for the big events in your life? What is God’s heart for those events? Do you limit God by what you are praying for? Join Gary & me as we share what we’re hearing from God about what to pray for various big events in our lives, along with some principles to keep in mind.

Episode Notes:

First Principle: Submit our desires to God

  • Don’t want to be controlling.
  • Share everything with God – He already knows anyway.
  • Psalm 37:4 “Take delight in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.”
    Heart transformation: the more we focus on God and take delight in Him, the purer our desires become.
  • Jeremiah 29:11-12 “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.”

Second Principle: Stop and ask God what He wants as an outcome

  • Stop. Quiet the noise around and within.
  • Inner peace.
  • Align with God’s desires.
  • Do I limit God working in my life?

Third Principle: Learn from others’ prayers.

  • I initially would have said, ‘listen to others praying’, but we can learn from the ancient fathers of the faith.
  • Dr Roland Ashby (@dr.roland_ashby), e.g., praying for our daughter’s marriage –
    • not to repeat our mistakes
    • against anyone coming between Sarah and Cooper

Fourth Principle: Pray BIG prayers

  • James 5:16b-18 (The Message version): “The prayer of a person living right with God is something powerful to be reckoned with. Elijah, for instance, human just like us, prayed hard that it wouldn’t rain, and it didn’t—not a drop for three and a half years. Then he prayed that it would rain, and it did. The showers came and everything started growing again.”
  • Going to Cambodia on a mission trip. Prayed that the temperature would drop 10 degrees Celsius. It did for a week.
  • 1 John 5:14 “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.”
  • John 14:12-14 “Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.”
  • You get what you expect. Expect BIG things. God created the universe. He raised the dead. He healed the sick, made blind eyes see. He can do anything.
  • Ephesians 3:20 “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us” Message version – “God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams!”
  • George Müller once said, “Faith doesn’t operate in the realm of the possible. There is no glory for God in that which is humanly possible. Faith begins where man’s power ends”. This was a man who ran an orphanage in One day the housemother came to inform George, “The children are dressed and ready for school. But there is no food for them to eat.” George asked her to take the 300 children into the dining room and have them sit at the tables. He thanked God for the food and waited. George knew God would provide food for the children as he always did. Within minutes, a baker knocked on the door. “Mr Muller,” he said, “last night I could not sleep. Somehow, I knew that you would need bread this morning. I got up and baked three batches for you. I will bring it in.”  Soon, there was another knock at the door. It was the milkman. His cart had broken down in front of the orphanage. The milk would spoil by the time the wheel was fixed. He asked George if he could use some free milk. George smiled as the milkman brought in ten large cans of milk. It was just enough for the 300 thirsty children.”
  • Do I limit God’s work in my life?

Summary:

  1. Submit our desires to God.
  2. Stop and ask God what He wants as an outcome.
  3. Learn from others’ prayers.
  4. Pray BIG prayers.

Prophetic activation:

Turn your heart and thoughts to Father God and ask Him:

  • “God, can You please bring to mind a big event I’m involved in in these next few months?”
  • “God, can You please reveal to me Your heart for that event?”

Time Stamps:

[1:20] – Gary & Jane share how they have heard God this week.

[5:18] – First Principle: Submit our desires to God.

[7:46] – Second Principle: Stop and ask God what He wants as an outcome.

[8:44] – Third Principle: Learn from others’ prayers.

[11:11] – Fourth Principle: Pray BIG prayers.

[17:14] – Summary

[17:38] – Prophetic activation.

[18:40] – Gary & Jane share a prophetic word for a listener.

[20:42] – Gary prays for you.

Resources / Links Mentioned:

Bible Verses Mentioned:

  • Psalm 37:4
  • Jeremiah 29:11-12
  • James 5:16b-18
  • 1 John 5:14
  • John 14:12-14
  • Ephesians 3:20

Connect with Gary & Jane:

Support the show:

  • Please share this podcast with someone who would value hearing from God.
  • Follow and leave a rating + review on your favourite podcast listening app.
  • If God is leading you to donate or support the show in any way, please visit https://buymeacoffee/garyandjanM Thank you so much.
Episode 127: Contending with what we heard God say

Episode 127: Contending with what we heard God say

Sep 20, 2026 | 0 comments

Episode Description:

Do you know how to fight your battles using what you have already heard from God? How do you use your prophetic words to contend with your current situation? Join Gary & me as we share personal experiences of fighting various ‘battles’ using our prophetic words.

Episode Notes:

Introduction:

  • Our experience with our daughter being extremely sick
  • Episode 115 – What do I do with what I heard God say?

First Principle: Check that what you heard from God is true.

  • Check the source.
  • Does it bring peace or chaos?
  • Test it. Does it line up with the Bible, wise, trusted people, etc?
  • Look for confirmation. Ask God for confirmation.
  • 1 John 4:1 says to test that it is the Spirit of God.
  • What is the fruit, the outcome, etc?

Second Principle: Wield your weapon.

  • What you heard from God is a weapon. Prophetic words are a weapon to use to fight the battle.
  • Eg friends struggling with relationships within their family imploding despite prophetic words about their family being united and all with a close relationship with Jesus. You don’t need prophetic words about that unless you don’t have unity, etc. Prophetic words would have been nice but irrelevant.
  • Write a declaration about the outcome and speak it out regularly.
  • Isaiah 55:11 “so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.” Message version: “So will the words that come out of my mouth not come back empty-handed. They’ll do the work I sent them to do; they’ll complete the assignment I gave them.”
  • Challenge: What assignment are you giving your words?
  • What you heard from God is not an empty promise. Pray it into being.
  • 1 Timothy 1:18 “Timothy, my son, I am giving you this command in keeping with the prophecies once made about you, so that by recalling them you may fight the battle well.”

Third Principle: Grow into becoming the person needed to win the battle

  • Grow your identity and authority. We defeat our internal giants before we can take on external giants. E.g. if we’re afraid and haven’t gone after inner peace with God, then we can’t expect to come against fear in the atmosphere.
  • Spend time in the Bible, solidifying your identity. Our identity affects our authority and the way we pray.
  • Practice hearing from God.
  • Make a song playlist to fight your battles. I have a list on Spotify called ‘warfare,’ e.g. Raise a Hallelujah, Praise Before My Breakthrough, Way Maker, Promises Never Fail, Prophesy Your Promise, Goodness of God, etc.
  • Renew your mind on the things of God.

Fourth Principle: Get help

  • Ask a couple of people to be prayer partners with you. Uphold you in prayer.
  • List your strategies.
  • Praise and worship. Armies in the OT went into battle with the trumpeters out the front. They heralded that the army had a battle plan, was on the offensive, and would win. The trumpeters and musicians broke the path. Our worship and praise break strongholds spiritually. Never underestimate the power of praise and worship.
  • Practice gratitude.
  • Speak life over your situation.

Summary:

  1. Check that what you heard from God is true.
  2. Wield your weapon.
  3. Grow into becoming the person needed to win the battle.
  4. Get help.

Prophetic activation:

Turn your heart and thoughts to Father God and ask Him:

  • “God, what weapon would You like to give me today?”
  • You might like to ask God further questions about that, e.g., how to use the weapon or what the weapon is for in your life, etc.

Time Stamps:

[0:42] – Gary & Jane share how they have heard God this week.

[6:01] – Introduction.

[10:55] – First Principle: Check that what you heard from God is true.

[11:29] – Second Principle: Wield your weapon.

[19:28] – Third Principle: Grow into becoming the person needed to win the battle.

[22:09] – Fourth Principle: Get help.

[23:18] – Summary

[23:45] – Prophetic activation.

[24:39] – Gary & Jane share a prophetic word for a listener.

[28:05] – Gary prays for you.

Resources / Links Mentioned:

Bible Verses Mentioned:

  • Proverbs 31:25
  • Jeremiah 29:11
  • 1 John 4:1
  • Isaiah 55:11
  • 1 Timothy 1:18
  • Psalm 100:4

Connect with Gary & Jane:

Support the show:

  • Please share this podcast with someone who would value hearing from God.
  • Follow and leave a rating + review on your favourite podcast listening app.
  • If God is leading you to donate or support the show in any way, please visit https://buymeacoffee/garyandjanM Thank you so much.