Episode 118: Hearing God as a group

Jul 19, 2026 | 0 comments

Episode Description:

Hearing God as a group can get messy, but depending on your focus, that can be great. Join us as we unpack guidelines and expectations for hearing God as a group and explain how to pray in a flow, so the group stays on the same track during the prayer time.

Episode Notes:

First Principle: Have clear guidelines and expectations for the group.

  • The group’s culture is important. Have clarity about the culture of the group you’re creating and will continue to create.
  • Is it an open or closed group? If it is an open group, it can be great to have an empty seat and pray for the next person to fill that seat.
  • You may need a limited membership depending on the group’s focus, and try to stay on track as you pray.
  • Legalism can stifle the flow of the Spirit. When you have rules that you have to ‘be’ or ‘do’ to be in the group, then that can stifle the flow of the Holy Spirit.
  • Respect others.
  • Safety is important. Have safeguards in place. Look at the group’s membership. Is it open to everyone? Are there requirements to join? Has there been conflict or members expelled or judged unfairly? This will affect hearing God as a group. So look at any blocks within the group re hearing God and praying. Don’t surround yourself with ‘yes’ people – that can be dangerous.
  • Trust is important. If you are seeking God for an answer to a particular question, and you are beginning as a group or trust isn’t evident, then write anonymously the answer you get. Otherwise, it can be consensus instead of discernment.
  • Basically, build trust and safety. Confidentiality – what is said in the group remains in the group, etc. You’re also not there to ‘fix’ people or share your similar experience. You don’t want advice givers.
  • A great group is where everyone feels valued and can contribute.
  • Variety is great in prayer styles – beginners, seasoned pray-ers, authoritative prayers, list prayers, decreeing and declaring. Know your authority in Christ and pray accordingly.

Second Principle: Go with the flow.

  • Nothing worse than praying on one topic and someone then changes it, like being on a train heading North and suddenly going West.
  • Be okay with silence.
  • Look for confirmation. Pay attention to themes and overlaps.
  • 1 Corinthians 14:40 “But everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way.” Or as The Message version puts it: “Be courteous and considerate.”
  • Romans 8:16 – the Holy Spirit bears witness with our spirit.
  • Minimise doubt by acting quickly.

Third Principle: Community is important.

  • Hearing God as a community safeguards against individual bias or extremes.
  • We always emphasise that part of our discernment process in hearing God is to run it past wise, trusted, discerning people.
  • Provides accountability and confirmation so as not to go off on a tangent with personal bias, etc. Part of the testing and weighing process.
  • 1 John 4:1 & 1 Corinthians 14:29 both encourage testing of what you hear.
  • The responsibility to test it lies with the person/people who are responsible for the outcome, e.g., Acts 10 & 11 are a great example of taking the Gospel to non-Jews/Gentiles. Both Cornelius and Peter had separate visions. Then Peter went to the Jewish Council to confirm the way forward. This was a major change, as it opened up the whole world to the Gospel.
  • Deuteronomy 18:15-22 talks about how in the OT, if what a prophet said came to fruition, you knew it was from God. But that could take years. The Spirit of God only came on the prophets back then under the old covenant. Since Jesus was on earth, died, and was resurrected, the Holy Spirit came (Acts 1), and we can all hear God speak.
  • We are called to be in community. No man is an island.
  • Don’t chase prophetic words. A prophetic word only confirms what God has already been showing you.

Summary:

  1. Have clear guidelines and expectations for the group.
  2. Go with the flow.
  3. Community is important.

Prophetic activation:

Because we’re talking about hearing God as a group today, ask a friend to join you. Grab envelopes, paper and pens. Each write a name on the front of an envelope, then hand it to your friend without them seeing the name. They will ask God what to write for that person, while you ask God what to write for the person your friend wrote on the other envelope. After you have finished writing a letter to them from God, place the letter in the envelope and give it to the person named on the front.

Time Stamps:

[0:47] – Gary & Jane share how they have heard God this week.

[3:34] – Introduction to topic.

[4:34] – First principle: Have clear guidelines and expectations for the group.

[9:39] – Second principle: Go with the flow.

[112:03] – Third principle: Community is important.

[16:38] – Summary.

[17:02] – Prophetic activation.

[18:19] – Gary & Jane share a prophetic word for a listener.

[20:30] – Gary prays for you.

Resources / Links Mentioned:

Bible Verses Mentioned:

  • Joshua 1:6-9
  • 1 Corinthians 14:40
  • Romans 8:16
  • 1 John 4:1
  • 1 Corinthians 14:29
  • Acts 10 & 11
  • Deuteronomy 18:15-22
  • Acts 1

Connect with Gary & Jane:

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