Episode 38: Hearing God in Ways We Don’t Always Recognise (Principles from Gideon in the Bible)

Episode 38: Hearing God in Ways We Don’t Always Recognise (Principles from Gideon in the Bible)

May 5, 2024 | 0 comments

Episode Description:

Have you ever asked God for a ‘fleece’ or to tell you something a different way because you were unsure you heard God correctly? Join us in this latest episode of Hearing God as we share the story of Gideon from the Bible and how he kept asking God for another sign. We unpack how we don’t believe in co-incidences, rather they are ‘God-incidences’. We love how God tells us how He sees us and who He created us to be, instead of who we think we are. The story of Gideon is a fantastic reminder to keep your eyes on God after a successful time.

Episode Notes:

Background to Gideon:

  • Gideon – classic story about identity and inferiority complex, fear, abandonment, discouragement, anger, bitterness, revenge, pride, unforgiveness, success, lust, covetousness, self-reliance, courage,
  • Found in Judges 6-8.
  • Judges 6:1: The Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord. They were running scared for seven years. The Midianites were fierce and strong and basically bullies. They came through every harvest time and stripped the land bare, so the Israelites were left with no food.
  • The Israelites cried out to God. God sent a prophet who said, “God told you not to worship idols, but you did. He’s done all this stuff for you, but you didn’t listen. Basically, it’s your own fault.”
  • In Judges 6:11, an angel of the Lord came and sat down under a tree near where Gideon was. In the Old Testament, it was typical for an angel of the Lord to appear like a man. Gideon was threshing wheat, but he was so scared the Midianites would take it that he was threshing it in a winepress.

First Principle: God can speak in ways we don’t always recognise.

  • Gideon didn’t immediately recognise it was an angel.
  • Co-incidence – God woke him up during the night and sent him down to the Midianite camp to listen. The exact moment he was outside the Midianite camp, he heard them talking about him and how he had defeated the Midianites (a loaf of barley came crashing down. God has a sense of humour – Gideon threshing wheat!!). This gave him courage.
  • It is important to interpret our dreams. The friend of the Midianite who had a dream said – “that must be Gideon, and God has given the Midianites into his hands.”
  • Ask for a fleece. Maturity – don’t need a fleece.
  • Gideon was given specific instructions. God is in the detail.

Second Principle: God desires us to live in our true identity.

  • The first thing the angel says is, “The Lord is with you mighty warrior.”
  • Gideon was scared, hiding in a winepress. He complains and says the Lord has abandoned them. Before he could be a mighty warrior, he needed an identity upgrade.
  • The angel says, “I’m sending you to save Israel from the Midianites.”
  • Gideon says, “Excuse me. How can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest of the weakest, and I’m the least in my family.”
  • The Lord answered, “I’ll be with you.”
  • Gideon said – “well, I’ll need a sign then.” He went away and prepared a meal as an offering for the angel. The angel said to place the meat and bread on the rock and pour the broth over the top. The angel then set it on fire by touching it with his staff. Gideon finally recognises this is an angel from God and declares he has seen him face to face.
  • Angel then says I want you to tear down the Asherah pole and your father’s altar to Baal. Gideon did it but was so scared that he waited until nighttime.
  • Townspeople wanted to kill Gideon. Father defends him.
  • Fathers are responsible for instilling identity.
  • After Gideon’s father stood up for him, Gideon became bold when the spirit of the Lord filled him. Gideon blew the trumpet and called the neighbouring Israelites to join them in fighting the Midianites who had come and camped down near the river.
  • Gideon still suffered from fear. He asked God for a sign – placed a wool fleece on the threshing floor. If dew only on the fleece in the morning and the surrounding ground dry, then I know you will use me to save Israel. God did that. Gideon said, “Don’t be angry with me, but I’m still unsure. Let’s try it the other way. The fleece dry and the surrounding ground with dew.”

Third Principle: Keep your eyes focused on God.

  • Gideon had assembled 32,000 men. God said, “That’s too many. You’ll take all the credit when you win.” 22,000 men left as they were scared.
  • Then God said take them to the water and watch how they drink. 300 drank by cupping water in their hands to drink, while watching for danger. The rest got down on their knees and put their face in the water. They were sent home.
  • During the night, God woke Gideon and said go down to the camp. I can see you’re still scared, so take your servant. Listen to what they are saying.
  • Gideon and his 300 men created havoc, destroying the Midianites.
  • At the end of the slaughter of the Midianites, Gideon took matters into his own hands. We need to be careful after success. Success can cause us to take our eyes off God.
  • Initially, Gideon said, “God will rule over you, not me”. But Gideon then got sidetracked. His one request was a gold earring from each person’s plunder. He melted the gold earring into an ephod – a breastplate that priests wore. He created an idol. He also had a harem, killed and tortured more people than God said to etc.
  • Judges 8:27 – “all Israel prostituted themselves by worshipping it there, and it became a snare to Gideon and his family.”
  • The land had peace for forty years until Gideon died. As soon as he died, they reinstituted Baal worship. Therefore, no heart change.

Summary:

  • First Principle: God can speak in ways we don’t always recognise.
  • Second Principle: God desires us to live in our true identity.
  • Third Principle: Keep your eyes focused on God.

Prophetic activation:

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

  • “God, is there a way You are trying to communicate to me that I am not recognising?”
  • “Father God, what is that way, and what else do I need to know about it?”

Time Stamps:

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

[3:41] – Background of Gideon and brief summary of Judges 6-8.

[6:17] – First Principle: God desires us to live in our true identity.

[11:05] – Second Principle: God can speak in ways we don’t always recognise.

[15:56] – Third Principle: Keep your eyes focused on God.

[19:42] – Recap the principles.

[20:05] – Prophetic activation.

[20:51] – Gary & Jane both share a prophetic word for a listener.

[22:35] – Gary prays for you.

Resources / Links Mentioned:

Bible Verses Mentioned:

  • Judges 6-8

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 your heart to donate or support the show in any way, please visit https://buymeacoffee/garyandjanM Thank you so much.
Episode 32: Life Update

Episode 32: Life Update

Mar 24, 2024 | 0 comments

Episode Description:

Join Gary & Jane in this latest episode of Hearing God as they share a life update of the adventure they have been on as a family over these last few months. As they share their journey, Gary & Jane unpack how they have heard God during this time and a situation where Jane felt she missed hearing God. They also cover important principles of how to deal with disappointment in God.

Episode Notes:

First Principle: Life/mission is messy.

  • Beach Mission – tents flooded, team members with Covid, team member broke his leg.
  • Our response is what is important, and so is our heart attitude.
  • In the busyness & tiredness, it is sometimes hard to hear God unless we’re intentional.

Second Principle: Plan but be open to change.

  • Family changes over the last few months.
  • Jane’s bold prayer at the end of November.
  • Jane study and new business called ‘Mums in Transition’.
  • What is our response when we don’t feel at peace, especially as a married couple?
  • Wrestling with God – how do we know? How do we settle the way forward?
  • If the 2 of us aren’t in agreement, we need to pause.

Third Principle: Guard your heart during change

  • Something I had been praying for years didn’t work out.
  • It is easy to be angry at God or disappointed in Him.
  • Tired and hungry – Elijah in 1 Kings 18 & 19. Elijah had just experienced this incredible miracle. The next minute, Elijah is depressed and fearing for his life. An angel of the Lord said, “Get up and eat”. Address physical issues first – hungry and tired.
  • Don’t make any big life decisions when exhausted or heartbroken.
  • Doubts, questioning, and heartache all common.
  • Go back to what you know from God.
  • We are not God. We can’t see the whole picture.
  • Be careful what you fill any void with.

Activation:

Turn your heart and thoughts to Father God and ask Him to show you if you are disappointed with Him.

  • Father God, can you please show or tell me if I harbour any disappointment towards You, especially when things haven’t turned out as I had prayed?
  • Father God, what do I need to do about this?
  • Father God, what else would You love me to know about this?

Time Stamps:

[0:57] – Gary & Jane share briefly how they have heard God this week.

[5:44] – First Principle – Life/mission is messy.

[10:27] – Second Principle – Plan but be open to change.

[15:32] – A situation of unease between Gary & Jane & how they dealt with it.

[20:27] – Third Principle – Guard your heart during change.

[23:38] – Recap the principles.

[24:04] – Prophetic activation.

[25:18] – Gary & Jane both share a prophetic word for a listener.

[26:42] – Gary prays for you.

Resources / Links Mentioned:

Bible Verses Mentioned:

  • Psalm 46:10
  • 1 Kings 18 & 19

Connect with Gary & Jane:

Support the show:

  • Share this podcast with someone who would value hearing from God.
  • Subscribe and leave a rating + review on your favourite podcast listening app.
  • If God is leading your heart to donate or support the show in any way, please visit https://buymeacoffee/garyandjanM Thank you so much.
Episode 26: Hearing God with Katharine Goschnick

Episode 26: Hearing God with Katharine Goschnick

Nov 12, 2023 | 0 comments

Episode Description:

Katharine Goschnick is a guest on this episode of the Hearing God Podcast. Katharine has an extensive background in ministering in the prison, schools, and the community. She shares simple but powerful examples of how she hears God and acts on what she hears, as well as how she teaches the many women she disciples to receive from God. Even Katharine’s testimony of how she became a Christian is fascinating. Listen in to Jane and Katharine’s conversation and the numerous examples of how Katharine has heard God in the various facets of her life.

Episode Notes:

  1. Prophetic Intercession
  • Jane learnt prophetic intercession through praying for Katharine’s ministry.
  • If you get a positive thought for someone, let them know.
  • Graham Cooke – “The worst thing you’re going to do is to bless them in the wrong area”.
  • We hear God, but we don’t always recognize it.
  • If we spend time with God and we’re close to Him and at peace, trust your thoughts are from God if they align with Scripture.
  1. Katharine’s journey of becoming a Christian and her growth in this area.
  • Lordship/control of Katharine’s life.
  • Katharine prays for people wanting to become a Christian.
  • Transformation in Katharine’s desire to read.
  • Prophetic journalling and the S.O.A.P. method.
  1. Encouragement
  • Encouragement if tired or burnt out.
  • Encouragement to pray from being seated in High Places with God.
  • Recognize you can hear God, you do hear God, you will hear God.

Prophetic activation:

Turn your heart and thoughts to Father God, reflect on where you are in hearing God, and then draw a line. Ask Father God:

  • What do I need to leave behind?
  • What do I need to trust you for, Father God?
  • What things am I thinking/believing that are not from you, God?
  • Father God, what do you want me to step into?
  • Then step over the line.

Time Stamps:

[0:47] – Jane introduces Katharine Goschnick.

[1:53] – Katharine & Jane share briefly how they have heard God this week.

[8:30] – How Jane learnt prophetic intercession through praying for Katharine’s ministry.

[11:05] – Encouragement to let people know if you have a ‘positive thought’ for them.

[13:23] – Katharine’s experience of becoming a Christian.

[17:51] – Katharine prays for people who want to become a Christian.

[19:19] – Katharine shares the change in her desire for reading.

[20:50] – Anything I hear in my spirit has to line up with the Bible.

[23:37] – Prophetic journalling and the S.O.A.P. method.

[24:56] – Encouragement if you are tired or burnt out.

[28:00] – Examples of hearing God when praying in prison.

[33:36] – Katharine & Jane both share a prophetic word for a listener.

[36:10] – Katharine encourages us to pray being seated with God in the Heavenly Realms.

[38:58] – Prophetic activation.

[41:05] – Katharine prays for you.

Resources / Links Mentioned:

Bible Verses Mentioned:

  • Colossians 1:27
  • Psalm 34:8
  • Exodus 5:1, 8:1, 9:1
  • Matthew 4:1-11
  • Deuteronomy 33:27
  • Matthew 25:1-9
  • Matthew 5:16
  • Psalm 23:2-3
  • Isaiah 61:1-3
  • Proverbs 3:26
  • Ephesians 2:6
  • John 10:27-28

Connect with Gary & Jane:

Support the show:

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

Episode 18: Am I hearing God or is it just me?

Episode 18: Am I hearing God or is it just me?

Sep 17, 2023 | 0 comments

Episode Description:

Have you ever thought, “Was that God or was it just me?” Often, we can doubt that we hear God because He may sound like our own thoughts or we are unsure what He does sound like. Join Gary and Jane as they unpack this question in this episode of Hearing God. As usual, they share ‘gems’ and examples from the Bible and their own lives. A fantastic question to ask when unsure is, “What happens if it is me and it isn’t God?”.

Episode Notes:

First Principle: Intimacy with God.

  • We need to know God and what He sounds like.
  • The Disciples were with Jesus 24/7 and still didn’t recognise Jesus after He rose again.
  • John 15:26 Jesus said that after He went to Heaven, the Holy Spirit would come as our comforter, advocate, and continue the communication.
  • Misconception of what God sounds like – the fruit of the Spirit Galatians 5:22-23
  • When I go, “I wouldn’t normally think that”, it’s usually from God.

Second Principle: Capture your thoughts,

  • God speaks spirit to our spirit but also to our soul, our mind. So God can often sound like our own voice.
  • 2 Corinthians 10:5 “We take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”
  • We need to take charge of our thought life.

Third Principle: Do I have an incorrect theology?

  • Unbelief – don’t believe that God would be interested in us or what He would say about us. This can tie in with our self-worth – do we feel worthy and valued by God, that He would want to talk with me?
  • Disbelief – look to false news/culture/what friends say.
  • Fearful of the outcome if I followed through and it wasn’t God. Lack of trust in God, His goodness, and His Power.
  • Sometimes, we can want God to answer in a different way.
  • What have we got to lose if it is a good outcome?

Prophetic activation:

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

  • Father God, where are you in relation to me right now?
  • (Is He beside me, in front of me, behind me, across the room, can’t see him?)
  • Father God, what do I need to know about this?
  • For a few moments, change your focus to your earthly father.
  • Father God, I forgive my earthly father for being distant, for not hugging and giving me physical comfort, for making me feel seen and not heard, for ….
  • Father God, I am sorry for believing you would be the same and I repent of that and I ask you Father God to forgive me for believing that you wouldn’t ….
  • Father God, what would you love to show, tell, or give me now?

Time Stamps:

[0:55] – Gary & Jane share briefly how they have heard God this week.

[4:14] – First Principle – Intimacy.

[5:18] – Need to know what God’s voice sounds like.

[6:26] – When I wouldn’t usually think that, I know it’s from God.

[11:29] – Second Principle – Capture your thoughts.

[12:39] – God speaks to our spirit and soul, thus He can sound like our own voice.

[15:33] – Third Principle – Do I have an incorrect theology?

[17:26] – What happens if it was me and it wasn’t God?

[19:12] – Prophetic activation.

[21:29] – Gary & Jane both share a prophetic word for a listener.

[22:59] – Gary prays for you.

[23:47] – Jane explains about the survey at https://garyandjane.co/survey

 

Resources / Links Mentioned:

Bible Verses Mentioned:

  • John 15:26
  • 1 Kings 19:1-12
  • Galatians 5:22-23
  • Philippians 4:7
  • Jeremiah 29:11
  • Judges 4:17-21
  • John 10:14
  • 2 Corinthians 10:5
  • 1 Corinthians 13:9
  • Daniel 5

Connect with Gary & Jane:

Support the show:

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

Episode 17: When I thought I heard God, but it didn’t come true

Episode 17: When I thought I heard God, but it didn’t come true

Sep 10, 2023 | 0 comments

Episode Description:

Have you ever felt God said something to you, but it didn’t come true? Did you believe God said you would get a certain amount when selling your house, but you had to settle for less? Did the person you felt God say to marry, end up divorcing you? In this episode of Hearing God, Gary and Jane unpack this important topic of ‘when I thought I heard God, but it didn’t come true’. They use examples from the Bible, stories from their own lives, and examples from friends. They also share vital principles to keep in mind when making life decisions.

Episode Notes:

First Principle: What did you ask God, and what did God say

  • Unpack what God really did say.
  • My memory tends to adjust things over time, so I find it helpful to write down what I feel God is saying, especially if it is a big thing.
  • What do the wise people in your life say?
  • What does Scripture say – usually quiet on specifics of which person to marry, job,
  • What are the motives behind what you did?
  • Am I asking God the right question?

Second Principle: Timing

  • A classic Bible example is that Abraham and Sarah said they would have children.
  • Do we short-change God working a miracle, or do we get impatient?
  • Do we act now, but what we hear from God is for later?

Third Principle: What’s your faith quotient?

  • Look at what is influencing my decision – is it someone manipulating me or standing to gain from me doing a certain thing, or are my desires overpowering God’s voice?
  • What’s the real motive behind your decision or action?
  • Sense of peace. Philippians 4:7 “And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Important Principles:

Don’t make big life decisions or act on just one way of receiving from God.

Caution to not elevate hearing the voice of God above the Bible.

Important questions to ask include:

  • What does the Bible say?
  • Does it line up with the character of God?
  • What do the wise, discerning, and trusted people in my life say?
  • What do I believe I heard God say?
  • Do I have an internal sense of peace?

Prophetic activation:

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

  • Lord, has there been a time in my life when I have short-changed you or a miracle by acting too quickly?
  • What do I need to know about that?
  • What else would you like to share with me?
  • Is there anything you would love me to do in response?

Time Stamps:

[0:50] – Gary & Jane share briefly how they have heard God this week.

[4:35] – First Principle – What did you ask God, and what did God say?

[4:56] – Jane shares a time when she remembered incorrectly.

[7:19] – Am I asking God the right question?

[8:49] – Second Principle – God’s timing may differ from ours.

10:18] – Do we short-change God working in our life and give up waiting for a miracle?

[11:35] – God can take a long time to act quickly.

[12:01] – Third Principle – What’s your faith quotient?

[13:41] – Gary & Jane share how they practice hearing God with finances.

[15:24] – Important Principles.

[16:39] – Caution not to elevate hearing the voice of God above the Bible.

[17:57] – Jane shares about ‘2 Pairs Each’.

[19:32] – Jane shares about the finances for the trip to Mozambique.

[23:27] – Prophetic activation.

[24:44] – Gary & Jane both share a prophetic word for a listener.

[28:27] – Gary prays for you.

[29:15] – Jane explains about the survey at https://garyandjane.co/survey

 

Resources / Links Mentioned:

Bible Verses Mentioned:

  • 1 Corinthians 2:16
  • Genesis 15-19
  • Philippians 4:7
  • Ephesians 3:20

Connect with Gary & Jane:

 

Support the show:

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