Episode 70: Can anyone hear God?

Episode 70: Can anyone hear God?

Apr 13, 2025 | 0 comments

Episode Description:

Do you believe that God would never talk to you? Do you think some people are so bad that God would never be interested in speaking with them? Gary & Jane share how nothing excludes you from hearing God, even in bizarre ways, but if you want to hear God more clearly, there are several things you can implement in your life. Join them as they unpack these principles.

Episode Notes:

First Principle: If a donkey can hear God, then anyone can hear God.

  • Numbers 22:21-34 – three times, Balaam’s donkey saw the angel of the Lord.
  • Many Muslims are hearing and seeing God through dreams.
  • Jamie Winship on identity – he helps people hear from God about their identity.

Second Principle: A more effective question is, “What can I do to hear God more clearly?”

  • Understanding how God speaks and the ways He speaks.
  • Hold on to John 10:2-16, especially verses 2 & 14 – my sheep know my voice.
  • It is normal to hear God’s voice if you are in a relationship with Him. This is an expected reality.
  • Doing life together with Jesus.

Third Principle: Sometimes we don’t recognise it is God speaking to us or there’s a block.

  • There is usually not only one way that God speaks to us
  • Sometimes, we may have selective hearing.

Summary:

  1. If a donkey can hear God, then anyone can hear God.
  2. A more effective question, “What can I do to hear God more clearly?”
  3. Sometimes, we don’t recognise it’s God speaking to us or there’s a block.

Prophetic activation:

Settle comfortably and turn your heart and thoughts to Father God. Imagine you’re in your favourite place, somewhere calm, relaxing and just you. Now imagine a book in your hands. Open the book and imagine seeing some words or a drawing on the page. What is written or drawn there? What does Jesus want to say to you through those words or picture?

Time Stamps:

[2:53] – Gary & Jane briefly share how they have heard God this week.

[6:19] – First Principle: If a donkey can hear God, then anyone can hear God.

[12:23] – Second Principle: A more effective question is, “What can I do to hear God more clearly?”

[19:58] – Third Principle: Sometimes we don’t recognise it is God speaking to us or there’s a block.

[22:49] – Summary

[23:18] – Prophetic activation.

[25:10] – Gary & Jane both share a prophetic word for a listener.

[27:02] – Gary prays for you.

Resources / Links Mentioned:

Bible Verses Mentioned:

  • Numbers 22:21-34
  • John 10:2-16
  • Jeremiah 33:3
  • Psalm 139:13-18
  • Psalm 119:105

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 69: Can I Hear God through ChatGPT?

Episode 69: Can I Hear God through ChatGPT?

Apr 6, 2025 | 0 comments

Episode Description:

In exploring the question, ‘Can I hear God through ChatGPT?’, I asked ChatGPT what God wanted to say to me today. The answer was very interesting. Join us as we share the answer ChatGPT gave, and some principles to keep in mind as you use any A.I. software.

Episode Notes:

Background to ChatGPT

ChatGPT is a chat-based software that can provide answers and solve problems. ChatGPT can write all sorts of articles, university essays, movie scripts, compile code for websites, write sermons or Bible studies, answer questions etc. Unfortunately, it doesn’t reference its sources, and not everything is Kosher. You cannot fully trust the information it is giving you. Everything you read and hear is not necessarily accurate or the truth. I think the season with Covid certainly brought that to the fore.

First Principle: God can use anything to speak to us.

  • God will reach us however He can. Nothing is a surprise to God.
  • If God can use a donkey, He can use artificial intelligence.
  • Episode 49 – Story of Balaam and his talking donkey in Numbers 22: 22-34

Second Principle: Look at your motive for wanting to use it.

  • Technology is amoral. It’s how we use it that’s important.
  • Ask, “Am I stealing other people’s creativity and work?”
  • Use wisdom and discernment.
  • 1 Corinthians 14:20 in the Message version says, “To be perfectly frank, I’m getting exasperated with your childish thinking. How long before you grow up and use your head—your adulthead? It’s all right to have a childlike unfamiliarity with evil; a simple no is all that’s needed there. But there’s far more to saying yes to something. Only mature and well-exercised intelligence can save you from falling into gullibility.”
  • Acts 6: 8 “And what does the Lordrequire of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”
  • Use it to serve your purpose, but be discerning.
  • Acts 17:16-34 – Paul was in Athens and greatly distressed to see the city full of idols. So, he used what he saw and what the people believed to advance God’s Kingdom and preached to them about the statue of the ‘unknown God’ and who this God was and how to know Him.
  • Depends on your character and maturity. Are you prone to cutting corners, laziness or procrastination? Then, you may need to put boundaries in place so as not to use them for writing Bible studies or doing university assignments.
  • Nothing replaces your relationship with God. The other day, I heard a statement: “The real battle with technology is not for our data but for the desires of our heart.”
  • Don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater.

Third Principle: Nothing replaces intimacy with God for hearing from Him.

  • There are many areas in our life that we don’t need to ask God about, but we do. Sometimes, we just need to love our neighbour, serve others, and be kind. But we may not ask God about other things, but we should.
  • Get stuck into reading the Bible to know God’s character.
  • Who you are around will influence you. If you are using A.I. often, be careful of your truth meter. Everything you read and hear is not necessarily true.
  • Our heart posture is important. A.I. should never replace or take the place of the Holy Spirit and His promptings in our lives.
  • Don’t use it instead of praying and waiting on God, waiting for God’s answer. God isn’t into ‘shortcuts’.
  • I would even be as bold as to say that if you find that you are questioning whether you heard God right or not and then turn to A.I., you are on a ‘slippery slope’ of damaging your relationship with God. Only use it as a tool.

Summary:

  1. God can use anything to speak to us.
  2. Look at your motive for wanting to use it.
  3. Nothing replaces intimacy with God for hearing from Him.

Prophetic activation:

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

  • “God, would do You want to tell me about my use of technology?”

Time Stamps:

[0:49] – Gary & Jane briefly share how they have heard God this week.

[6:12] – Brief background to ChatGPT

[8:46] – First Principle: God can use anything to speak to us.

[13:48] – Second Principle: Look at your motive for wanting to use it.

[19:22] – Third Principle: Nothing replaces intimacy with God for hearing from Him.

[21:49] – Summary

[22:15] – Prophetic activation.

[23:02] – Gary & Jane both share a prophetic word for a listener.

[25:11] – Gary prays for you.

Resources / Links Mentioned:

Bible Verses Mentioned:

  • Numbers 22:22-34
  • 1 Corinthians 14:20
  • Micah 6:8
  • Acts 17:16-34
  • Isaiah 41:10
  • Philippians 4:6-7

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 67: The Best Way to Hear God

Episode 67: The Best Way to Hear God

Mar 23, 2025 | 0 comments

Episode Description:

Have you ever wondered what is the best way to hear God? Maybe you feel God doesn’t talk to you at all. In this episode, Gary and Jane share the multiple ways that God can relate to us. They also share how they ‘hear’ from God and cultivate intimacy with Him.

Episode Notes:

Gary & Jane share how they best hear God.

First Principle: There are multiple ways to hear God.

  • The Bible
    • 2 Timothy 3:16 – all Scripture is God-inspired
    • Psalm 119:105 Your word is a lamp for my feet and a light for my path.
    • Hebrews 4:12 The word of God is alive and active.
    • Romans 15:4 – Bible written to teach, encourage, and give us hope.
    • Sounds like a prophetic word from 1 Cor 14:3
  • Supernatural manifestations
    • Moses & burning bush Exodus 3:1-4
    • Fleece – Judges 6:37-40 – Gideon didn’t trust God and still needed a fleece even after a powerful encounter with an angel.
    • Soul blinded by a light flashed from heaven, then sight restored in Acts 9:1-19
    • Balaam and the donkey in Numbers 22:1-35
    • Daniel 5:5 fingers of a human hand appeared and wrote on the wall plaster.
    • Acts 5:1-10 Ananias & Sapphira were struck dead after lying.
  • Character of God
  • Co-incidences or God-incidences
  • Dreams, visions, mystical sense e.g. angels
  • Nature
  • Music and lyrics
  • Signs, numbers, colours
  • Smells
  • Miracles
  • Supernatural manifestations of weather.
    • John 12:27-30 – God speaking to Jesus after Jesus was predicting his death. Some thought an angel had spoken from heaven; others heard thunder. What is your ear inclined to?
  • Other people.
  • Wise advice e.g. people, books, movies.
  • Holy Spirit – John 14:26 – Jesus said the advocate would com and teach us everything.

 Receive from God through our senses:

  1. Auditory or hearing God.
  • Most common.
  • When we talk about ‘hearing’ God – we can presume it’s the only way.
  • Still small voice internally – 1 Kings 19:11-12
  • Jeremiah 1. The word of the Lord came to me.
  • Loud voice externally.
  1. Visual
  • Habakkuk 2:1 “I will stand at my watch and station myself on the ramparts; I will look to see what he will say to me.”
  • See things in the spirit.
  • Internal sight eg Amos 7 – plumb line.
  • External e.g. Jeremiah 1:11-13 seeing almond tree branch.
  • If God draws your attention to something, stop and ask Him what it is He is trying to tell you. Exodus 3:3-4 Moses saw a bush on fire that wasn’t burning up, so he thought, “Hmm, I’ll go over and see this strange sight.”
  • Kids seeing demons.
  • Dreams are so important. In Matthew 1 & 2, Joseph had three dreams that saved the life of Jesus because Joseph obeyed the dreams he had.
  1. Sense/feel
  • Using senses – feel, touch, taste.
  • Gut intuition. Impression. Imagination.
  • The Gospels are full of stories in which Jesus showed compassion towards people.
  1. Perceive or know
  • Luke 5:22 – Jesus knew what they were thinking in their hearts.
  • An idea comes into my head that isn’t my thinking.
  • Journalling helps.

Second Principle: The best way to hear God is whatever suits you and means you can hear God the best.

  • Try, explore, experiment.
  • The one way doesn’t suit everyone—different personalities and likes/dislikes.
  • Word of caution – Just because you’ve always heard God the same way doesn’t mean He won’t use another method.

Third Principle: Cultivate intimacy with God.

  • Hearing God requires intimacy to hear God. To know if it is Him speaking or revealing something to you or if it is Satan or yourself. You need to know the character of God and what God sounds like.
  • Gary shares how he cultivates intimacy with God.

Summary:

  1. There are multiple ways to hear God.
  2. Whatever suits you and means you can hear God the best.
  3. Cultivate intimacy with God

Prophetic activation:

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

  • “God, can You please reveal to me very specifically a way You’ve been trying to get my attention, and I haven’t realised?”
  • “God, can You please show me more about that please?”

Time Stamps:

[0:36] – Gary & Jane briefly share how they have heard God this week.

[3:56] – Gary & Jane share how they best hear God.

[11:23] – First Principle: There are multiple ways to hear God.

[16:45] – Second Principle: The best way to hear God is whatever suits you and means you can hear God the best.

[19:31] – Third Principle – Cultivate intimacy with God.

[20:59] – Summary

[21:26] – Prophetic activation.

[22:38] – Gary & Jane both share a prophetic word for a listener.

[24:10] – Gary prays for you.

Resources / Links Mentioned:

Bible Verses Mentioned:

  • 2 Timothy 3:16
  • Psalm 119:105
  • Exodus 3:1-4
  • Judges 6:37-40
  • Numbers 22:1-35
  • Daniel 5:5
  • Acts 5:1-10
  • John 12:27-30
  • 1 Kings 19:11-12
  • Jeremiah 1
  • Habakkuk 2:1-2
  • Amos 7
  • Jeremiah 1:11-13
  • Exodus 3:3-4
  • Luke 5:22

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 your heart to donate or support the show in any way, please visit https://buymeacoffee/garyandjanM Thank you so much.
Episode 66: Life Update and Beginning of 2025

Episode 66: Life Update and Beginning of 2025

Mar 16, 2025 | 0 comments

Episode Description:

Gary and Jane share a life update on what has been happening over the last few months, raising the issue – “When things don’t turn out quite as we hope or expect, what do we do?” Jane also unpacks hearing God for each month of this year. They also cast the vision for the podcast for season 3 – common questions people ask about Hearing God.

Episode Notes:

Life update over the last three months.

  • Highlights and SUFM (Beach mission).
  • Word/phrase for the year and each month.
  • Jane reinjured her knee, bringing up the issue of when things don’t turn out as we hope or expect, what do we do?

First Principle: Our attitude is important.

  • What were you expecting? Were they false expectations?
  • Remaining open to God. Don’t close the door of relationship or allow it to impact negatively.
  • Paul in the Bible – reading Acts in the Bible (Acts 16:6-10) – a considerable number of things that went wrong. Imprisoned, shipwrecked, etc.
  • Paul ended up being put in prison in Macedonia. I’m sure that wasn’t his expectation. But he steadfastly sought God and chased after him.

Second Principle:  Be careful who you listen to.

  • Look at Job in the Bible. A lot of people ready and eager to give him advice on what he should do.
  • Are we cultivating intimacy with Jesus?
  • How do you cultivate intimacy with Father God, Jesus, and Holy Spirit? Do you ‘treat’/relate to each of them differently?

Third Principle: Look at the big picture.

  • In the Bible, if you just looked at the crucifixion, you would miss the whole purpose, that of relationship, as well as sin, salvation, and the resurrection.

Summary:

  • Our attitude is important.
  • Be careful who you listen to.
  • Look at the big picture.

For Season 3 in 2025, we are looking at common questions people ask about hearing God.

  • If you have any questions you would like answered, please email us at garyandjaneb@gmail.com
  • Some examples of questions we have already been asked are:
    • What’s the best way to hear God? (We are covering this topic next week.)
    • What if I’m not sure I’ve heard God right?
    • Can I hear God through ChatGPT?
    • Is it okay to ask God to speak to me in a certain way?
    • Will God tell me what to do with my life?
    • How do I help my friends hear God?

Prophetic activation:

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

  • “Father God, is there a phrase or a word You would like me to hang on to this next month, or a phrase/word that will describe my month ahead?”
  • You might like to ask God for a word/phrase for each month for the rest of the year or a word/phrase for the whole year, sort of like an umbrella over the entire year.

Time Stamps:

[1:01] – Gary & Jane share briefly how they have heard God this week.

[6:30] – An explanation of a word/phrase for the year and each month.

[11:38] – When things don’t turn out quite as we expect.

[12:11] – First Principle: Our attitude is important.

[18:56] – Second Principle: Be careful who you listen to.

[21:11] – Third Principle – Look at the big picture.

[22:02] – Summary

[22:28] – What’s coming in Season 3, 2025.

[24:35] – Prophetic activation.

[25:41] – Gary & Jane both share a prophetic word for a listener.

[27:56] – Gary prays for you.

Resources / Links Mentioned:

Bible Verses Mentioned:

  • Acts 16:6-10
  • Job

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 65: Wrap Up for 2024

Episode 65: Wrap Up for 2024

Nov 10, 2024 | 0 comments

Episode Description:

Sharing 14 main principles of how Biblical characters heard God and the application to our life, we also reveal which Biblical character from our series in Season 2 we have related to the most. We also share why this is the last episode for 2024 Season 2 and how we will return in March 2025 with Season 3. Meanwhile, we encourage you to listen to episodes you’ve missed or your favourite ones to inspire you while you wait for Season 3. Thank you so much for listening.

Episode Notes:

Review of 2024:

  • An explanation of why we are taking a break until March 2025 from podcasting.
  • The Bible characters that Gary & Jane felt they learnt the most from, especially concerning hearing God.

14 Main Principles from how the various Biblical characters we covered heard God.

  1. God speaks to us personally and in multiple ways. He desires relationship with us. E.g. Paul, Lazarus, Hagar, Ezekiel, Adam & Eve, Jonah, Mary & Joseph.
  2. Reading the Bible is important. E.g. Nehemiah, Josiah.
  3. God loves questions. E.g. David, Nehemiah, Haggai, Jeremiah.
  4. God works in bizarre ways. E.g. Hosea, Abraham, Balaam & the donkey, Gideon, Jonah, Ruth, Esther.
  5. Practice hearing God. E.g. Samuel, David.
  6. Grow in wisdom and discernment. E.g. Jochebed.
  7. Character is important. E.g. Noah.
  8. Live courageously. Hear God and then courageously step out and obey. E.g., Jochebed, Joshua (who heard God and was still afraid), Deborah, and Daniel (who was counter-cultural).
  9. Identity is important. Hearing God encountering God changes us—for example, Leah, the woman at the well, Gideon, and Saul.
  10. There’s always hope with God. Never give up. E.g. Lazarus, Ezekiel.
  11. Don’t limit God. E.g. Ezekiel.
  12. Position yourself to hear God. E.g. Lydia, Samuel, Jeremiah, Habakkuk.
  13. Act on what you hear. E.g. Lydia.
  14. Just because we can’t see God at work doesn’t mean He’s not working. E.g. Ruth, Esther.

Prophetic activation:

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

  • “God, which Bible verse would You like me to hold on to for 2025?”
  • “God, what do I need to do in preparation for next year, and how does this Bible verse apply to my life?”

Time Stamps:

[2:21] – Gary & Jane share briefly how they have heard God this week.

[9:59] – Gary & Jane share which Bible character they related to the most.

[14:48] – 14 Main Principles from how the Biblical characters heard God.

[18:13] – Prophetic activation.

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

[23:59] – Gary prays for you.

Resources / Links Mentioned:

Bible Verses Mentioned:

  • Psalm 23:5 (I incorrectly mentioned Psalm 25:5 – sorry)
  • Song of Solomon 8:14
  • Mark 6:31-33

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.